When you move into an older house, one of the first things you may want to do is call a pest control company to check for pests and start treatments on your home. Pests can invade new homes too, but older homes aren't always sealed tight, and that leaves gaps and cracks where bugs and rodents can squeeze through. Here are some pest control services you may want so bugs and rodents stay out of your home.
Seal Entry Gaps
A pest control company might provide exclusion services. This means they'll look around your house for gaps around pipes, cracks in the foundation, and holes in the soffit so the entry areas can be sealed to keep out pests. The company might also provide you with a list of things that need to be done, such as put new screens in your windows and add door sweeps to keep out bugs.
Start Scheduled Pest Control Services
Your pest control professional will recommend a schedule for applying pest control treatments. The frequency for which you need these applications depends on the environment around your house and your climate. You might need them once a month or once a quarter, but the important thing is to have treatments applied on a schedule so insects and rodents don't have a chance to infest your house in large numbers.
Set Up Monitoring Stations
Pest control companies that provide termite services often use bait stations to monitor for the presence of termites so treatments can start as soon as termites move into your yard. You can also use glue traps to monitor for insects inside. You might want a glue trap under your sink or behind your refrigerator to watch for roaches or spiders. If you notice the number of bugs that get caught in the trap increasing, you might need to call for an extra pest control treatment or have the remedy applied more often.
Offer Special Treatments
Routine pest control services are usually able to handle common pests such as roaches, silverfish, spiders, moths, and rodents. There may be times you need specialty treatments for bed bugs or other pests that are difficult to eliminate and resistant to the usual pesticides. Also, you might need special actions for mosquitoes in the summer months.
Working with pest control services is a good way to keep your home free from pests that could annoy your pets or embarrass you in front of guests. Some pests are just creepy to look at, but others can spread diseases, so don't take the presence of pests lightly. For every one you see, there are probably several more hidden from sight in your home.