10 Pest Control Myths You Need to Know
No one wants pests in their home, which is why people will attempt to get rid of pests as soon as they recognise they are invading their living area. Most pests come with unpleasant side effects, which are pretty noticeable, but others may go unnoticed for months, causing structural issues to your home. In this article we’ll take a look at some of the most common pest control myths and how to properly go about removing pests from your home.
Myth 1: Cheese is the best food for attracting mice
For decades, dozens of cartoons have depicted mice being tempted by cheese, which isn’t completely true. Studies have found that mice are more attracted to foods that have a high sugar content, so you’d be better off placing foods such as processed peanut butter, grapes, and sugar cubes on your mouse traps. An alternative to using food is placing nesting materials such as feathers or straw on the mouse traps, as this may be desirable to the mice.
Myth 2: Bed bugs only live in dirty beds
Unfortunately, bed bugs can inhabit the cleanest of beds as they aren’t attracted to dirty places, they are attracted towards places where blood is available. The myth that bed bugs are attracted to dirty environments stems from the fact that you identify bed bugs much later if the area is dirty, but if its clean then you’ll notice the bed bugs a lot faster.
Myth 3: Cats will keep my property free from rats and mice
Anyone who owns a cat knows that they will do the opposite of what you want them to do. Relying on a cat to catch all the mice around your property is like expecting a dog to not eat food you’ve dropped off the floor. Although there is the common image of cats chasing mice in plenty of films and television shows, cats mostly only catch mice when they are feeling playful, and mice reside in areas which would be hard to reach for a cat.
In reality, you’ve got better luck hiring a professional pest service to ensure your home is completely free of mice or rats as even DIY solutions won’t get rid of them fully as they reproduce too quickly.
Myth 4: You can control pests with ultrasonic repellents
Unfortunately, commercially available ultrasonic pest repellents do not work in the long term as pests quickly become used to the sound. It is true that sounds administered in a particular way will affect pest behaviour, but devices available to the general public are not an effective way of ridding your home of pests. If you have a pest problem, we recommend hiring a professional service to ensure your home is completely pest free.
Myth 5: If you don’t see any pests, you don’t have a pest problem
Pests are great at hiding, often going unnoticed for months in even the cleanest of homes. Although it’s probably a good sign if your home isn’t showing signs of a pest issue, some pests — such as termites and carpenter ants — can do major damage to the structure of your home before it becomes obvious. The only way to prevent this is to inspect your house and look for the signs of these pests regularly. If you need advice on how to properly check your home for pests, get in touch with a pest control company.
Myth 6: You can get rid of ants with boiling water
Ants are probably one of the most frustrating pests you could have in your home, there always seems to be even more of them no matter how many you get rid of. The source of the ant issue is often traced back to a local ant nest near your home, and a quick google search shows the boiling water method is one of the most used techniques – but does it actually work?
Studies show that it does sometimes work, but the issue lies around the depth of the ants nest. Boiling water cools rapidly in the cool soil, so may not be hot enough to kill the queen, who will most certainly be located at the bottom of the nest. Without killing the queen your efforts will be pointless, as she will continue to birth more workers for the colony.
We recommend calling a professional pest control service in order to totally rid the ants from the nest.
Myth 7: Fleas die without a host
This pest control myth is not entirely true, fully grown fleas can continue to live without a host for up to 4 days, giving them plenty of time to find another pet or human to latch onto. One of the most common symptoms of a flea infestation is finding bites on your own body, which is unpleasant to experience.
Making sure your pets, bed sheets, and any fabric that your pets have been on have been cleaned, as this is crucial for getting rid of a flea infestation. If you have a particularly bad infestation of fleas, hiring a professional pest control company will ensure you are completely rid of the pests in no time.
Myth 8: One treatment is enough
This is almost impossible. An infestation of any pest will need at least two or three revisits with the treatment before the pest activity ceases. After the initial treatment when the pests have completely gone, we recommend taking steps to prevent the type of pest from entering your home again. Look at what attracted the pests to begin with and remove them in order to prevent further damage to your home in the future.
Myth 9: DIY pest control methods are enough
Although DIY pest control methods may work on small pest problems, you have no way of knowing how extensive your problem is. Some jobs just require a professional to be done properly, and pest control is one of them. Pest control companies will ensure you are rid of your pest problem and implement measures to prevent it from being an issue again.
Myth 10: Professional pest control is harmful
Many people stay clear of professional pest control methods as they believe that they use too many chemicals that are dangerous in the home. This is completely false – qualified professional pest control companies take pride in treating their customers’ homes with respect and with care, ensuring the pests are all gone and your home isn’t damaged in the slightest by the chemicals used. They are professionals for a reason and are experienced in safety precautions as well as being effective in their treatments.
Pest control myths – full infographic
See our full pest control myths infographic here.
Need help with your pest control?
Here at The Pest Control Co, we pride ourselves on being a discreet and safe pest control service for all our customers. We understand how frustrating having pests in your home can be, so our fully comprehensive and safe service is the answer for any pest problem you may have. For more information on our services, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with a member of our team today.
Call us on 01332 862 737