Do I Need Monthly Pest Control?

Pests can really be unpredictable. Just when you thought you are already pest-free, they will appear suddenly. Fortunately, pest prevention can be easy, as long as you are willing to put in the time each day to take the steps needed to get the desired results.

Once you have pest infestation problems already, however, you have two options: one is to perform DIY pest control methods, and the other is to contact professional exterminators near Hickory, NC. If you opt for the latter, you may be wondering how often should your pest exterminator pay you a visit? Go-Forth Pest Control, the leading experts in pest management, will help you answer that question, and then some.

First, we shall identify the kinds of pests who are eyeing your house for moving in.

Identifying Pests

To get rid of pests, you must learn how to identify them. If you are going to buy a pesticide yourself, you need this information. Pesticides are not one-size-fits-all kind of a solution. You will have to read the label and find out if it includes the pests that you want to exterminate. If you are not so familiar with pests, do not worry, we’ve got you covered.

Below are some of the most common types of pests in Hickory:

1. Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are tiny, fragile-looking insects that have this irritating buzzing sound. However, do not let their looks deceive you. These insects can kill, and are in fact the most dangerous creatures on earth. They have killed more people than all the wars combined, and continue to cause millions of deaths worldwide annually. The reason why mosquitoes are so dangerous is that they transmit several deadly diseases, which include malaria, dengue fever, West Nile fever, yellow fever, elephantiasis, and encephalitis.

Mosquitoes suck blood, specifically female mosquitoes. Male mosquitoes are not capable of bloodsucking because they do not have the necessary mouthparts to do so. To pierce human skin, females use two tubes that are attached to their mouthparts: one for releasing an enzyme to prevent blood clotting, and the other to suck blood. Females need human blood, not for their own nourishment, but to help fertilize their eggs. Both males and females feed on nectar.

Female mosquitoes love to breed in standing water, so there is a good chance for you to have mosquitoes around your area if you have stagnant water around. To avoid this, remove old items that can hold water for a long time; items like old cans, water containers, old tires, old gutters, and abandoned birdbaths.

2. Cockroaches

This is another troublesome type of pests that you will have to watch out for. Roaches are notorious for being the filthiest creatures on earth. In case you still do not know, they thrive in garbage bins, sewers, and cesspools. They are not choosy as to what to eat; they feed on rotten food, feces, decomposing animals, trash, and even their own kind. Due to their filthy lifestyle, they pick up lots of bacteria and viruses, making them surefire disease transmitters. Among the diseases they transmit are salmonella, cholera, typhoid fever, and food poisoning. They also spread allergens. These diseases are transmitted through their droppings, urine, saliva, and vomit.

Cockroaches are probably the hardiest creatures on earth. They won’t seem to die. Cockroaches can survive 1 month without food and 1 week without water. They can go underwater for 30 minutes and can hold their breath for 45 minutes. They can live with their heads cut off for a week, breathing through the tiny holes in their bodies. Aside from all these, they have developed resistance to pesticides, according to new research. To make matters worse for us is that they reproduce quickly, with one adult female capable of reproducing up to 300 to 400 baby cockroaches.

Since cockroaches love dirty places, it makes sense for us to practice good housekeeping to prevent a cockroach infestation problem.

3. Bed Bugs

Here is another type of bloodsucking pests. Bed bugs are tiny nocturnal insects, the size of an apple seed, that feed on human blood by biting the skin of its host. Their bites are very itchy and look ugly on the skin. They have flat, oval-shaped, and brown colored bodies. After a blood meal, their bodies change to red in color and they bloat.

Bed bugs are one of those high health risk pests. This is according to three U.S. government agencies, namely the Center for Disease Control, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Environmental Protection Agency. This is because people who have bed bugs at home also report cases of stress, anxiety, insomnia, social isolation, and depression.

To beat bed bugs, early detection is important. Bed bugs spread quickly so homeowners will have to move fast.

4. Fleas

Fleas are tiny insects that are the same size as a pinhead. Like the bed bugs, fleas are bloodsuckers. They have flat bodies and strong claws that allow them to latch on to their hosts. Their bites are extremely itchy and will give discomfort to your pets. If there are no pets around, they turn to humans for their nourishment.

Fleas also transmit a handful of deadly diseases. Among the diseases, they transmit include the plague, murine typhus, tungiasis, and tularemia.

We would really not want to mess with fleas.

5. Rodents

Rodents, especially rats and mice, are among the most common household pests in the United States. Rodents are disease transmitters. They can spread diseases like salmonella, rat-bite fever, and leptospirosis. Aside from that, they can destroy property, since they chew on electric cables, gas pipes, boxes, books, cardboards, papers, furniture, and walls. This is because they have incisors that are constantly growing. For their incisors to stop growing, they need to chew on something, thus their penchant for nibbling everything on their paths.

Rodents are not just mere nuisance, they are health risks too. They are a danger to business operations too because of what they can do. For this reason, getting rid of rodents must be a top priority for homeowners.

Pest Control During COVID-19

Despite tough times, everyone is going through right now, pest control should still play a key role in food safety. Businesses are closing down, and there are fewer people outdoors, and under these circumstances, pests will continue to search for food. Without restaurants and the normal foot traffic that throw trash in their immediate surroundings, pests will turn more to residential areas and also to food and beverage plants. This is why pest control companies are stepping up during the pandemic.

Are Monthly Visits By Exterminators Necessary?

Through regular visits are advisable, it does not have to be every month. With regular visits, pest control professionals would be able to check for signs of pest activity. They will also be able to put up traps and suggest preventive measures to reduce pest populations.

For residential areas, quarterly visits would suffice to effectively prevent common pests from attacking. Treatments for roaches, poisonous spiders, silverfish, etc., can least for a few months, so quarterly visits are enough.

However, a serious ant infestation problem would need monthly visits from exterminators. This could continue for 3 to 6 months.

The frequency of exterminator visits then depends on the type of pest you have, your location, the size of your home or business, and the weather.

If your home is new, you should still have your home checked. There might be cracks and crevices around your house and these can be used as entry points for pests. Trash can also attract pests.

Prevention will always be better than the cure, so it is best to practice good housekeeping to protect yourself from pests. But if you still find yourself attacked by pests, do not worry. The best pest control company in Hickory, Go-Forth Pest Control is just a phone call away.

The Best Pest Exterminators

No home or pest is the same, so there is no one size fits all solution. At Go-Forth Pest Control, we have professional technicians who will examine your home and your lawn to evaluate your individual necessity. We will identify points of entry and make treatments as necessary. We only use state of the art equipment to keep up with these ever-evolving pests.

Go-Forth Pest Control utilizes family-friendly and pet-friendly methods of extermination, so you would not have to worry about putting your family in danger after treatment. Our licensed technicians have vast experience in pest extermination.

For more information, or to ask for a quote, call us now. Our friendly operators are standing by.