7 Steps to an Effective Pest Management
Pests and insects are common in UK homes and all over the world, and they are the reason for many structural hazards and health issues. Managing these tiny creatures is not an easy task, it should be handled by a professional who is well-trained and experienced. For better results, you can apply the principles of Integrated Pest Management which is successful in recent years. IPM addresses that pest control is not a one-time event, and does not depend on chemicals. You can prevent your home before the infestation by following these 7 steps to an effective pest management.
7 Steps to an Effective Pest Management
Step 1 – Pest Inspection
A regular pest inspection helps to identify the entry points and the level of pest infestation in your home. It is important to schedule a regular pest inspection instead of relying on a one-time treatment. Different places require different inspections, for example, food industries require a weekly pest inspection, and gardens and agricultural lands need more regular inspections than any other places.
Step 2 – Preventive Action
An inspection helps you to identify the cause of pest attraction in your place, but you should take proper action to prevent them from entering your place. Some of the common physical activities like sealing the cracks and gaps and investing in mesh and mosquito nests help you to avoid pests entering your place.
Step 3 – Identification
Identifying the types of pests is an important process in pest management because different types of pests require different control treatments. Make sure, your pest exterminator is well-trained and experienced to identify all types of pests.
Step 4 – Analysis
Once you identified the types of pests and insects in your place, you need to analyse the reason for their infestation. Ask these questions yourself that will help you to identify the reasons,
- Is there any food debris or moisture accumulation?
- What about the odors?
- How are the pests finding their way through the floors or walls?
- Could incoming shipments be infested?
Step 5 – Treatment Selection
IPM always focuses on non-chemical treatments such as traps and baits. Using chemicals for all the pest problems is not an effective solution, it might work for some types of pests but not for all pests. Choose a control treatment that is effective to eliminate pests in your place without harming your health and environment.
Step 6 – Monitoring
Monitoring the progress of pest infestation is important, it helps to identify if there is any new infestation. This process should be handled by the pest control professionals who treated your place. It is their duty to report if there are any issues.
Step 7 – Documentation
Documentation is also for the servicemen who are responsible for any pest infestation in your home. The pest control technicians should maintain proper documentation which helps in the future if there are any new infestations.
Conclusion
The above listed are the steps to an effective pest management, professionals and homeowners should follow these ideas to prevent and eliminate pest problems. Don’t rely on chemicals that can harm your own health instead make use of heat treatment, or traps and baits.