When it comes to choosing a pest control method for our homes, we often think of pesticides that can be purchased from supermarkets or hardware stores. It provides a quick, temporary solution to our pest problems.
Pesticides are chemicals designed to kill or harm household pests like mosquitoes, cockroaches, ants, rodents, etc. They include insecticides for insect control like termites, herbicides for weed control, fungicides for fungi and mould control, and more.
While pesticides are easily obtainable, they’re not entirely harmless to humans. They are toxic and if used carelessly, can affect our health and those around us like our pets and the environment.
That said, there’s another method of pest control for homes such as engaging pest control services in Singapore to help with our pest problems. In this article, we discuss the common house pests that you might face along with the possible damages caused by any of these house pests.
Common House Pests
In Singapore, several types of pests are commonly found around homes. Among them are termites, rodents, mosquitoes, cockroaches, ants, and bed bugs. The following will detail why you need a proper pest control method for your home.
Termites
Known as silent destroyers, termites generally feed on wood as their food source. What’s worse is that they can feed on it for 24 hours without sleeping. As they devour their way through the wood, it can be rather challenging to detect a termite infestation. If it remains untreated, a termite infestation can cause you costly repairs and devalue your house by more than 25%.
That said, if you notice some mud tubes on your house wall or any of the timber look papery or sound hollow, it’s best to engage a termite pest control service rather than trying to eliminate the termites with specific pesticides. You could worsen the infestation and cause more damage to your home.
Mosquitoes
Potentially the deadliest disease vector, mosquitoes are very much a pest to everyone. No thanks to their tiny physique, they can fly everywhere and transmit life-threatening diseases like dengue, malaria, etc. On top of that, they can lay about 100 eggs each time and lie dormant in dry conditions for up to 9 months, after which the eggs hatch when exposed to favourable conditions.
Additionally, mosquitoes typically remain near their breeding sites, usually in areas with stagnant water such as potted plants, trays, ornamental containers, pails, roof gutters, bathroom drains, etc. Because of their tiny physique, it can be rather challenging to wipe out the entire population should there be any mosquito infestation at your home.
Cockroaches
These nocturnal insects prefer to stay hidden in the cracks or crevices of your home during the day. If you notice them during the day, it’s a possible sign of a cockroach infestation. Also, they prefer dark, moist places to hide and breed like behind refrigerators, sinks and stoves as they can flatten their bodies to fit in narrow areas. This makes it rather challenging to pinpoint their exact location.
While your regular store-bought pesticides may work, they may not work if there’s a severe cockroach infestation at your home. And if left untreated, the population may outgrow the food sources and force them to forage on things that cockroaches would not normally consume like fingernails, eyelashes, feet, and hands. The bites may cause irritation, lesions, and swelling.
Ants
Some ant species can bite or sting painfully, causing you to suffer from skin allergies or rashes. Once they find a food source in your home, the ants will leave behind pheromone trails for other ants to follow. When they make your home theirs, it can be a serious nuisance.
There are three ways to spot an ant infestation in your home – live ants, ant pathways, and ant nests. If you’re seeing large numbers of live ants in your home, you may just have a pest problem. And if you find them in your kitchen or in areas where you prepare food, you’ll need to do something about it.
Pest Control Methods
Aside from using pesticides, there are a few other methods to curb pest infestation at home. This includes organic pest control, biological control, hygiene control, and pest control services.
Organic pest control
As the name suggests, this pest control method targets only pests and doesn’t harm plants or other animals in the process. Potent and efficient predator traps and baits are then used to kill pests and it’s the most cost-effective method of pest control. Among the products used for this method are oil sprays, parasitic nematodes, floating row covers, insecticidal soap, etc.
Biological control
Mainly used in greenhouses, this pest control method can also be practiced outdoors on pests like mosquitoes. Certain insects will feed on mosquito larvae, further reducing their population growth. As this method is environmentally safe for your plants, family, and pets, you can rely less on pesticides.
Hygiene control
When you keep your home clean always, pests are less likely to seek refuge in it. That’s because you’re taking away their food source, which gives them no absolute reasons to grow and reproduce. By practicing good hygiene, you can control pests at home. Also, there’ll be far less chance of using pesticides if the relevant hygiene factor is addressed properly.
Pest control services
Most homeowners would prefer hygiene control but when things get out of hand, pest control services can usually help eliminate pest infestations at home. That’s because the professionals are trained to perform pest control accordingly and effectively. When selecting a pest control service, consider the costs and competency of the company. That way, you’ll be guaranteed their service.
At PestBusters, we offer a range of pest control services to reduce the chances of pest infestation at your home. Our pest control plan begins with preliminary inspections of the affected area to identify pest species and exploit their weaknesses, in addition to establishing food sources used to sustain the infestation.
After gaining sufficient information on the infestation, we formulate a strategy and strike with full force to disorientate the pests and ensure they’re unable to regroup. We will follow up with inspections to ensure the remaining infestations are eliminated.
Don’t wait too long to contact us as you may prolong the chance of pest infestation in and around your house. Contact us at (+65) 6288 2828 or 24-hour response (+65) 9180 9990 or enquire online today for the total pest control services!