Ant Pest control

When you think of ant pest control, you may think only of pesticides. However, there are many forms of ant pest control that can be used to treat pests on your property, including:

• Physical pest control methods: This method involves the use of physical pest control tactics like traps to capture and deter larger pests like rodents.
• Chemical pest control methods: This is the most popular form of pest control, relying on insecticides, commercial-grade pesticides, and other poisons designed to kill pests and prevent their return.
• Cultural pest control methods: A more natural method of pest control, cultural pest control refers to seed treatments, weeding, and other methodologies aimed at creating an environment that’s undesirable to pests.

Biological pest control methods: In this advanced form of pest control, a pest’s natural predator is used to detect and eliminate it. For example, a chicken would be used to treat grasshoppers and nematodes (roundworms).

Although there are many DIY pest control methods that work for homeowners on a budget, sometimes pest problems need a professional solution. 

Pest control professionals treat moderate to severe pest problems using specialized chemicals, high-grade pesticides, and other treatments that are only available to licensed technicians.

The active ingredients that are most commonly found in these advanced pest treatments include:

• Pyrethrin and pyrethroids: Derived from chrysanthemum flowers, these ingredients are non-toxic to humans and animals, but cause paralysis and slow death in insects.
• Piperonyl butoxide: Unlike the previous two chemicals, this active ingredient is toxic to humans and animals in excess amounts, but is harmless when in small amounts. Pest professionals are trained to prevent toxic poisoning while using treatments with this active ingredient.

Fipronil: Used in either liquid or powder form, this active ingredient destroys the central nervous system of insects like termites, fleas, cockroaches, ants, crickets, beetles, and weevils.

Pest control is often considered to be a one-off service that guarantees no pests will return to the treated area. However, professional pest technicians understand that the best form of pest control is integrated pest management. 

Integrated pest management (IPM) employs preventative and corrective measures to identify, eliminate, and control pests on an ongoing basis.

While one-off services seem cheaper, procrastinating until “you really need” pest control will ultimately drive your costs higher. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. 

With integrated pest management, professional pest control technicians treat pests before they become a problem, saving you the money that you’d spend fixing a horrible infestation.

Most professional pest control technicians adhere to the following process when performing pest control on your property:

• Identify the pests and their environment.
• Establish pest monitoring rules based on species.
• Determine an action threshold for the pest.
• Implement pest control tactics after an evaluation.
• Monitor the impacted area, evaluate, then document results.

There are numerous factors that are considered by professionals when determining the cost for pest control services:

• Pest type: While some pests can be downright simple to treat and control, other pests (like an infestation of bedbugs) can require in-depth treatment.
• Area accessibility: Treating ant nests in a yard can be relatively straightforward for a pest technician. However, hard-to-reach areas that are difficult for pest control techs to navigate require more treatment and more of a technician’s time.

Infestation size: A significant cost factor for pest control services is the size of the problem. Treating a single wasp nest is fairly simple,but a termite infestation will demand more treatment from a pest control technician.