Pest Control Without Chemicals (Thomasville Exterminators)

It is really unfortunate that some types of insects give the entire group a bad name. For every butterfly or bee that is helpful to us, there are mosquitoes, cockroaches, and flies that are dangerous and do not do any good. These no-good insects are classified as pests.

Pests are insects or animals that damage or interfere in a negative way home, other structures like office buildings and warehouses, plants in the garden of the fields, and human lives. Pests can also include organisms that affect human and animal life. Pests can be a nuisance or worse, transmit deadly diseases.  

What Is A Pest?

A pest can be an insect, an animal, a plant, bacteria, virus, fungus, or other unwanted organisms that do damage to the quality of life of humans, animals, or plants.  The keyword here, then, is “unwanted”.  

The Use Of Chemical Pesticides

Pesticides are made to destroy pests. But when people use chemical pesticides, they become harmful even to other beneficial insects. Not only that, but it can also affect human health; pesticides made from chemicals can cause lethal effects on humans through skin contact, ingestion, or inhalation. It may cause skin irritation, eye irritation, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, extreme weakness, respiratory tract infection, and even death.

The use of chemical pesticides is a popular method of pest control among many households and farmers. The reason for its popularity is simple: these chemical pesticides have allotted huge funds for marketing, telling people how effective it is at eliminating pests. And also it is very easy to procure and is available in all grocery stores nationwide.

What company marketing and advertisers do not tell you is that chemical pesticides can have harmful effects on the environment. A major study says that the land is now several times more toxic than it was a couple of decades ago. The use of commercial chemical pesticides is primarily to blame.  

One of the most popular of these chemical pesticides is neonicotinoid pesticides. These are pesticides associated with nicotine. It is very toxic, especially to insects. Its popularity stems from the fact that it is soluble in water and allows it to be applied to the soil and be absorbed by the plants. Unfortunately, its toxicity to some beneficial insects is also being noticed, and scientists have recommended its phasing out from the shelves. With its use, the number of beneficial insects has gone down.

Another adverse effect of chemical pesticides is the release of toxins into the air, which may also reach our water supplies. It can also release sediments that could possibly get into our food supplies. It also reduces the quality of the soil, which in turn produces plants of low quality.

Are Chemical Pesticides Made To Be Pet-Friendly? 

The answer is no. Pesticides made from chemicals are deadly to your dogs and cats. They can easily ingest these pesticides, and get poisoned eventually.  When your dog or your cat ingests poison, he or she will show the following signs: vomiting, diarrhea, distress, excessive drooling, confusion, excessive drinking, lethargy, rapid breathing, dilation of pupils, rapid breathing, dilation of pupils, seizures, skin rash, coma, burns on the skin, skin irritations, and scratching of the face and eyes.

If not treated by a veterinarian immediately, pesticide poisoning can lead to death.

Integrated Pest Management

Integrated Pest Management is using all available pest control techniques and other measures that prevent the development of pest populations while keeping pesticide use and other interventions to a bare minimum to reduce its harmful effects on human health and the environment.

his was first developed with commercial farmers in mind. Soon it was adapted for households and for gardens as well. It promotes the non-use of synthetic pesticides that can affect human health.

Integrated Pest Management puts together a series of activities and is not just a single control measure. The principles of IPM are:

Inspection & Investigation

Inspecting your home and garden plants for signs of pests is how you should start getting rid of them.  Look for signs of damage, if any. Look for physical signs as well, like droppings or cast skins. Look for conditions that are favorable for pests.  Some pests love moist, dark places, so you should inspect for leaky pipes and faucets. Of course, you cannot do everything alone; you will need some help from your family members and especially with the professional pest control team. Ask them what they have seen, if any. If they have seen a pest, where and what was it eating?

A lot of people are still not sure how to identify pests. There are several kinds of them, and identifying them - plus knowing their habits - is a very important step in pest control. Here are some of the common household pests to help you identify them.

Mosquitoes - These are tiny, lightweight flying insects that feed on human blood. These little insects, though they do not look much physically, are the most dangerous creatures on the planet. They are capable of transmitting dangerous diseases like dengue fever, malaria, West Nile fever, and encephalitis. They are so dangerous that it has been said that they have killed more people than all the wars combined. They have poor eyesight but can sense carbon dioxide emitted by humans as well as their scent. Mosquitoes thrive in standing water.

Cockroaches - Cockroaches are reputed to be the filthiest creatures on earth. They thrive in all things dirty; they are not picky eaters and will eat food no matter where they get it. Their diet consists of feces, decomposing dead animals and insects, rotten food, trash, and even their own kind. Because they eat anything and crawl everywhere, roaches harbor plenty of bacteria and viruses. And due to their filthy habits, they are capable of transmitting various dangerous diseases like salmonella, cholera, typhoid fever, and food poisoning. Cockroaches are always looking for food, and if they find it in our homes, they would gladly set up shop there.

Rodents - Rodents include two of the most common household pets: rats and mice. They have robust bodies, short limbs, and long tails. They are nocturnal creatures. Both these rodents are not just a nuisance at home, they also spread dangerous diseases. Rodents have a constant need to chew because their incisors are constantly growing. For this reason, each time they get inside our homes we usually find boxes, cardboards, books, and furniture that were chewed on. They really cause so much damage, but that is not all they do. Rodents transmit diseases by contaminating our food. Contamination occurs through their droppings, urine, saliva, and vomit. When we directly ingest their droppings or food that was contaminated with it, then there is a huge possibility that we will get infected. Diseases that they are known to transmit are leptospirosis, salmonellosis, rat-bite fever, and the plague. Rodents are highly intelligent creatures and have great memories, so to eat them we must outsmart them.

Bed bugs - Bed bugs are tiny insects the size of a pinhead. They are brown in color, oval and flat. However, after a blood meal, they bloat and turn red.  Bed bugs are found on mattresses, headboards of the bead, bed frames, and pillows. They spread rapidly and scatter all over the house when the infestation becomes heavy. Once this happens, they will be all over the cracks and crevices of walls, on drawers, electrical receptacles, and on furniture.  

Know The Acceptable Pest Levels

Determine the number of pests that you can tolerate. Sometimes, the best thing to do would be to just let them be.  Sometimes, they would just go away by themselves.  

Monitoring

Check once in a while if these pests are still there, how much damage have they brought, if any.  

Control

If the pests cause damage that is beyond what is acceptable, then it is time to take control. Mechanical control methods are the number 1 option for this. This would include simply handpicking the pests from the plants and placing row covers in the garden, and vacuuming and putting traps in the house.  Introducing diatomaceous earth as well as some beneficial insects can do the trick too.  

Call Go-Forth Pest Control

If you need help in getting rid of these pests, Go-Forth Pest Control is just one call away. Go-Forth Pest Control has a team of experienced professionals who employ methods that are family-friendly and pet-friendly, so you are assured of your family’s safety.

Go-Forth Pest Control is a family-owned company that has earned the trust of locals and businesses in Thomasville. For more information, or to request a free quote, call us now. Our friendly operators are standing by.