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Pests like rodents and insects are common in many households. You may attempt to remedy the problem on your own with over-the-counter pesticides and traps, but infestations like rodents and termites are dangerous and quickly get out of control if you don't take preventative action immediately. Other pests like bed bugs and roaches pose serious health issues, and termites can wreak havoc on the structural integrity of your home.
Large infestations require the help of a professional extermination service. Don’t wait for the problem to get out of hand before reaching out to a pest control professional. If you’ve exhausted all other options, the problem won’t simply resolve itself, and the technician may have to take drastic measures to remedy the situation. A professional will also be intimately familiar with the local environment, like General Exterminating, which has been in business exterminating on Long Island for over 30 years.
What to Expect From Professional Pest Control Services
If you’ve never dealt with exterminators before, knowing what to expect before you make the call helps put your mind at ease. That peace of mind is important when facing down a sizable infestation. You need to trust that your home is in capable hands and that appropriate measures will be taken to combat the infestation.
Professionalism
Exterminators are pest control professionals and will conduct themselves as such. They’ll arrive on-site promptly and will take the time to answer any questions you may have about their services. It’s important to feel at ease with them in your home since they’ll need full access and freedom to do their jobs effectively. Remember they’re here to help you. They’ll also be carrying all relevant insurance and certifications, as they deal with potentially toxic chemicals and have been trained in safely applying them.
Inspection
After talking with you, the technician will inspect your home to determine the cause of your pest issues. They’ll first check common entry points, like doors, windows, and attics, since this is where the majority of pests enter the home. They're looking for cracks on the inside and outside of your home through which pests can easily enter the premises. Exterminators are also looking for signs of infestation, like feces, to help determine the cause and severity of the infestation.
They’ll also examine your yard and might need to perform a moisture check. Pests thrive in damp conditions, so an exterminator in Suffolk County may run a moisture check. The moisture check helps the exterminator determine the likelihood of recurring pest issues.
Reporting
After performing the necessary inspections, the technician will determine the right course of action and relay that information to you. They should sit down and discuss the plan with you in plain terms so you can take appropriate measures. This is your opportunity to ask clarifying questions so you can be comfortable with the pest control service.
What Do Exterminators Do?
What pest control technicians do after your consultation depends entirely on the type of pest you’re fighting. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to pest control. For instance, rodent extermination and termite extermination require very different tactics. Take a look at some of the most common household pests and the methods used to fight them.
Rodent Infestation
Inspection is the most important step when a technician deals with a rodent infestation. Rodents like mice are incredibly adept at finding those small cracks in walls and doors and entering your home through them. Sealing those cracks prevents the rodents from having easy access, but their powerful jaws are strong enough to chew through wood, so more intensive methods are usually required.
The next step involves laying traps to catch the rodents. However, don’t worry about your home being lined with mouse traps. A professional exterminator knows traps are most effective when they’re near entry points. Expect the traps to be laid in inconspicuous places like your attic or garage and not near common areas like your family room or kitchen. Rodents don’t typically venture too far from where they enter your home, so placing traps there increases the likelihood of their success.
The use of rodenticide may also be necessary to combat the infestation. It’s sprayed on the exterior of your home, so you and your family won’t be exposed to the chemicals. Rodenticide is incredibly effective and necessary to completely rid your home of your unwanted guests.
Termite Infestation
It’s almost impossible to deal with a termite infestation on your own, and an unchecked termite infestation can have catastrophic consequences. It might take years for termites to annihilate the structure of your home, but you still need to deal with them before the damage is done.
Your technician has a few courses of action to combat a termite infestation. The first is laying bait traps. Termites feast on cellulose, so exterminators use traps made of wood or cardboard treated with pesticides. The termites eat the bait and then bring the traces of the pesticide back to their nest, which poisons the colony.
Another common tactic in fighting termites involves termite repellent. As you’d probably guess, repellent gets sprayed on the exterior of the house and deters termites from entering your home and building a colony in a new location. The repellent doesn’t kill the termites, but it does limit the severity of the infestation.
One last tactic in staving off a termite infestation requires the use of termiticide. It’s either pumped straight into the termite nest or used as an exterior treatment.
Bed Bug Infestation
Due in part to changes in hotel cleaning practices, bed bugs have seen a resurgence in recent years. Notoriously difficult to identify, the only way to truly be sure of a bed bug infestation is to locate an actual bed bug. Although, consistently waking up with small bite marks should be cause for alarm.
Bed bugs can carry disease and may pose a serious health risk if not taken care of immediately. They also multiply incredibly quickly, so getting a handle on your bed bug infestation requires swift action and a call to a professional service.
Effectively eliminating the bed bug pest usually involves insecticide. Pyrethrins and Pyrethroids are the most common chemicals used in bed bug treatment, but the pests have unfortunately started to grow resilient to the treatment. Regardless, these chemicals still represent an effective first line of defense.
Desiccants, another class of insecticide, pose a serious threat to bed bugs because they can’t grow immune to its effects. Desiccants work by dissolving the bed bug’s waxy outer layer, causing dehydration. Your pest control professional will only use a desiccant in cracks to limit the risk of inhalation.
Roach Infestation
Roaches, attracted to food and grease, thrive in kitchens across Nassau County and Suffolk County. Regularly cleaning your home isn’t enough to keep roaches at bay, and, once inside, their populations explode. Roaches can carry infectious diseases and their dead bodies are serious allergens, so you need to act fast. Professional services are always required to combat roach infestations.
Pest control professionals typically rely on insecticide when it comes to fighting roaches. Gel baits represent the most common roach defense, where a small amount of insecticide-infused gel is applied in crevices. The roaches feast on the gel, which kills them quickly. Their effectiveness continues after the first roach eats the trap, as other roaches often eat the infected body. This can effectively wipe out entire generations of roaches.
Another common insecticide used to fight roaches is boric acid. Usually found in powder-form, boric acid clings to the roach’s body and is ingested when they clean themselves. Boric acid remains effective as long as it stays dry, so it can continue to fight roaches long after its application.
Overview
Large-scale infestations require professional pest control. It’s your responsibility as the homeowner to reach out to a professional service before your pest problem reaches epidemic levels. Your health and well-being may be at stake, and no one wants to live in a house overrun with bugs or rodents.
Your exterminator will work with you to ensure your comfort and safety around them and whatever they choose to treat your home. You should be forthcoming if you have any questions and take whatever preventative measures they recommend to keep your pest problem at bay. Pest infestation isn’t an issue that will just go away on its own; you need to be proactive in prevention and elimination.
If you’re located in Nassau County or Suffolk County and need pest control services, give General Exterminating a call today. You’ll be in good hands with their expert technicians who provide all sorts of pest control services. Their extensive experience exterminating on Long Island means they are the premier exterminator in Suffolk and Nassau, and they remain committed to high standards of professionalism and provide exemplary service.