Pests come in many different forms. Rodents in the loft, bugs in the kitchen, a scary wasp nest in the garden – the list goes on and on. While pest problems are numerous, the ways to control them can be summed up into just four types.
For information about each of these, we have summed up the four types of pest control methods below. Make yourself familiar with what options you have so if you find yourself faced with such a problem, you are aware of how you or a professional could deal with it:
1. Hygienic pest control
The first defence against dealing with pest problems is the hygienic method. Hygienic means keeping your home clean. The removal of dirt and food scraps can help to remove the presence of pests, although this is dependent on regularly cleaning your house.
To maintain a clean and healthy property, keeping up a regular schedule is necessary. This involves cleaning all surfaces after you have prepped, cooked, and eaten food. It’s also important you avoid neglecting those areas which are hard to reach. The right hygienic method helps control pests and stop them from appearing.
2. Physical pest control
The traditional way to exterminate pests is with physical methods. This pest management type involves capturing and killing pests. This is most common for rodents and insects.
If you are dealing with significant pest infestations, one approach is to destroy breeding grounds. By destroying this and treating the surrounding area, it boosts the chances of ridding your house of pests.
There are two main physical methods to kill house pests: traps and poison baiting. Traps can be found as sticky paper and mousetraps, while poison baiting is disguised as feed.
Physical methods often take place in the loft. If you’re doing this on your own, you must use pest control solutions to stay out of harm’s way – and maximise safety standards – while laying traps or bait.
3. Biological pest control
When it comes to biological pest control solutions, this is where you utilise microorganisms or predators to deal with unwanted bugs, insects, and so on.
Aphids, for example, are a common problem for gardeners attempting to maintain healthy plants. To control aphid pest infestations, ladybugs can be used as natural predators. Microorganisms, on the other hand, are used on plants to remove harmful microbes and deter pests from sticking around.
4. Chemical pest control
Chemical pest control methods are often the first port of call for homeowners. This is due to certain methods being easy to execute, particularly when matched up against the abovementioned methods. Although without proper care and attention, emergencies can happen due to the highly toxic chemicals.
To deal with a pest population via chemicals, options available include insecticides, fogging, and rodenticides. Fumigation is also a route that will result in a pest-free home, but you will require expert help with this method.
If you decide to hire a pest control service to deal with your problem, ensure they have glowing feedback and the necessary qualifications from the Royal Society for Public Health.