As a homeowner, you don’t want to see mice and insects running through your house and property. Occasional remediation will alleviate that problem — but only temporarily.
Setting a regular schedule of professional extermination and pest control will keep any future infestations under wraps.
How often should you schedule it?
The short answer is — once every three months, at the very least.
The best times of the year to schedule preventative pest control are seasonally, based on which types of critters are bound to make an appearance. Setting up professional pest control before problems occur is the best way for your home or office to stay varmint-free, all year long.
The Year in Review
Each season has a different approach to pest control, based on what kinds of insects and rodents show up, and when. Know your bugs!
And do a bit of homework before hiring a pest control service to learn what shows up the most during (and before) winter, spring, summer, and fall.
Winter
Yes, it’s true that many animals hibernate in winter. But most spiders, mice, rats, and other insects and bugs are awake and checking out the best places to shelter for the long, cold months ahead.
In winter, trees are bare of seeds, fruits, and nuts — mice, rats, voles, and moles need to find their way to shelter and a secure food source. Insects will crawl through door and building cracks, window screens, crevices, and any other types of openings they can find.
Winter pest control includes keeping foods, scented candles, and other fragrance-emitting items, and fabrics in solid, air-tight containers. Professional pest control will help homeowners keep pests and vermin infestations at bay.
Spring
The snow is finally melting! With the rising thermometer comes more bugs, rodents, ants, and termites … just to name a few.
Bugs are looking for food, water, and areas to nest. Preventative pest control is a must, especially at this time of year.
Although some bugs are considered to be “beneficial” for killing off predators and enhancing vegetative growth, the “bad” bugs are pests that damage the lawn, feeding on grass roots and foliage.
Termites are very active in spring. Colonies may chew through wooden supports, causing structural damage that can be quite expensive to repair. Preventative termite control keeps termite swarmers from damaging your home in the spring and year-round.
Just as importantly, professional pest deterrents keep nesting female termites from having their offspring near where your children play.
Summer
Hot weather means house flies, mosquitoes, roaches, and just about anything else that flies, crawls, scurries, or scampers. Insects multiply quickly in summer, and they’ll get into any place they can eat, drink, and reproduce.
Mosquitoes spread germs and diseases, like malaria, West Nile, and dengue.
Female mosquitoes are the ones that “bite” — using their long proboscis to sting and sip the blood and protein needed for their eggs to mature and hatch. Female mosquitoes deposit their eggs in clusters, typically on the top of stagnant water.
Professional mosquito, flea, and tick control services will pre-treat (and post-treat) your yard for infestations.
Fall
It’s that time of year again for insects and wildlife to get their cold-weather homes set up. They need to get food sources stocked up and a place to settle in for the colder months. Houses, garages, storage buildings, and other structures are perfect targets, especially if there are food and water sources nearby.
Professional preventative pest control in the fall will keep spiders, ants, roaches, crickets, and a lot of other creepy-crawlers out of the house. Early detection and remediation will prevent outbreaks of unwanted visitors throughout the fall.
Year-Round Protection
Setting up a year-round quarterly schedule of pest prevention has its advantages. Protecting property from chewing critters like rodents, termites, and carpenter ants keeps you from having to repair or replace woodwork, furniture, fabrics, and flooring.
DIY pest control may cost less but it’s not all that effective in the long run. Finding the “root” of the infestation problem isn’t easy, especially if you don’t know all the access points in your home.
Bugs and rodents are not part of your family — don’t let them in your house! Whether you have mice in the walls or ants in the kitchen, engaging in a pest professional service at least four times a year can help protect your family from disease-carrying insects and rodents. Prevent infestations before they become widespread.
Written by guest blogger Teri Silver – a journalist and outdoor enthusiast. She and her husband live on 5 acres with a vast lawn, three gardens, a farm, a pond, many trees, and a lot of yard work! The best parts of the year are summer and fall, when home-grown veggies are on the dinner table.
