Why You Shouldn’t DIY Pest Control

While you might be tempted to try to save a few dollars by treating your pest problem yourself, DIY pest solutions aren’t always a good idea. Learn more about why doing your own pest control isn’t always a good plan.

Effective Pest Control Requires expertise

Pest control experts spend years learning their trade. This experience pays off in their ability to analyze and tailor individual solutions to the endless variety of pest problems, making a professional solution the smart choice for many reasons.

Identifying the Pest

There are no one-size-fits-all pest control solutions. Effect treatment depends on correctly identifying the pest, and knowing the right solution. In Northeast Ohio carpenter ants *Camponotus pennsylvanicus* are easily mistaken for field ants *formica*, but these ants require very different strategies for effective management.

Knowing the right solution

Dumping a box of generic insecticide on an area could accomplish nothing except to expose your family to unsafe levels of chemicals and have negative impacts on beneficial insect populations. Researching the correct solution takes time.

Long-term Solutions

Your pest control expert will not only know the best solution for your current problem, but will also be able to identify potential problems in the future. These could be identifying sources of infestation, entry points on your home, or tips for eliminating high-risk elements in and around your yard. Preventing new infestations will save you money and time in the long-run.

DIY Chemicals are not as Powerful

DIY pest control chemicals purchased in big box retail stores, are not as powerful as those used by professionals. In Ohio, pest control professionals must renew their license a minimum of every three years. They also must complete at least five hours of continued training to qualify for renewal.
This does not mean that DIY chemicals are safer. In fact, you will need to use *more* to get a decent result meaning more exposure for you and your family.

Risk of Re-infestations

DIY pest control has a high risk of re-infestation. Lack of knowledge coupled with less powerful treatments often mean that a pest problem will be under treated. The problem may decrease in the short term, but insect populations can quickly rebound leading the DIY’er to retreat the area again with the same technique. This repeated under treatment will lead to chemical-resistant breeds of the insect making the problem progressively more difficult to treat.

Pest Control can be a Messy Business

Effective pest control means accessing parts of your home that you may not be comfortable crawling through. Attics and crawl spaces are prime locations for pests to nest. Do you really want to be checking traps in and removing dead rodents from these areas?

Effective pest control takes expertise, and gaining that takes time. You have better things to be doing with your Saturdays. Let us do what we do best: deliver pest control that faster, more effective, and safer for you and your family.

MicheleWhy You Shouldn’t DIY Pest Control