Going the DIY route on any home project can be an affordable way to complete work and to customize the job to your home’s specific needs. But like any DIY project, including DIY pest control, there is a risk of a project gone wrong that could end up doing more harm than good for your home maintenance.

As a pest control company in Northern Virginia, our team knows that affordable solutions that are also safe are deciding factors for many homeowners when seeking pest control, but it is still important to consider both the pros and cons of DIY pest control when you are determining how to get rid of bugs or rodents at your home.

Risks of Doing Your Own Pest Control

There are many occasions when contributing to pest control at your home can be extremely beneficial in mitigating pest problems. Still, it is important to know which types of problems and which steps you can safely and effectively handle on your own and which are better left to a professional.

A lot of pest prevention begins with the homeowner. This includes keeping your yard and the inside of your home clean and well maintained to avoid attracting pests. These remain the foremost steps that you can take against insects and rodents.

But if your DIY pest control is moving into the realm of applying treatments, whether they are store bought insecticides or homemade pest control mixtures, or if you have an active pest infestation, it is better to proceed with caution. It is also more likely that you will need a professional.

Some of the risks of DIY pest control are that:

• Methods are Ineffective – You will find hundreds of solutions for household remedies for bugs and many products for sale that claim to exterminate insects. Quite simply, many of these are ineffective. They may not target bugs or or they may not work with the specific species of insect you have. They may be incredibly short lived or bugs may have developed a resistance to them.
• They May Not Be Safe – Creating homemade pest control or being able to apply it yourself can often feel safer. Unfortunately it usually is not. Many of the items in homemade pest control recipes, such as mothballs or boric acid, can be dangerous for kids, adults, and pets. Store bought insecticides can also be extremely dangerous if not applied appropriately and the chemicals used in them are often less safe than modern, professional treatments.
• It is All About the Details – What you can see of your pest problem is likely only a fraction of the larger issue. Most pest infestations are hidden away in different areas of your home. If you are not aware of these details – and most homeowners are not because they have no reason to be – it is easy to miss something. As a result, every time you make a little headway against your pest problem, pests will continue to come back as soon as you let up on treatment.

Many homeowners have had good results with DIY pest control and if you are certain that you are using only safe methods, it may seem like you have nothing to lose in implementing pest control on your own. Again, this is not entirely true. Homeowners often find themselves spending hundreds of dollars on DIY pest control and many hours, only to find that the problem is no better, or potentially worse, than it initially was. They then still need to contact a pest control company.

ExtermPRO provides pest control in Northern Virginia using eco-friendly treatments and applications that prioritize the safety of everyone on your property. We are also able to work efficiently and effectively, enabling us to deliver successful services at a great price.

Whether you have an existing pest control problem or are looking for preventative solutions, our team is happy to discuss with you what steps you can take on your own and which will yield better results if left to our team. For a quote on pest control in Gainesville and the surrounding area, contact ExtermPRO today.