(WTXL) — As summer comes to a close, we're all looking for somewhere warm and comfortable to stay, and household pests are no different. As the weather turns colder, how do you put the pests to rest? This week's Angie's List report shares expert advice on staying pest free during the seasonal change.
Stink bugs, paper wasps, and house mice: These are a few of the common pests that live comfortably outside all summer, and will begin looking for a warm home as the weather turns cooler. Throughout this time, it's not uncommon to find one in your home, but it's important to know when to handle them yourself, and when to call in the pros. As it turns out, that will depend on the size of the problem and the type of pest.
If you have pests in your home, you might try to tackle this project on your own, but if you find that they're persistent, it might be time to call in the experts because they're going to have access to techniques and products that you don't.
While you might have what seems like a small, easy to tackle issue in the early days of fall, Scott Robbins of Action Pest Control warns that things may take a turn as the temperatures continue to drop.
As the winter days get colder and colder, that exterior wall where these overwintering insects are harboring in now becomes too cold and unbearable and now they push further into the living space, especially when we have that Polar Vortex type weather. So what you may see initially as a controllable little trickle could unfortunately turn into an undesirable flood, said Scott Robbins, Technical Services Manager at Action Pest Control.
Deciding to work with a pro largely comes down to what you can tolerate. A few beetles or stinkbugs may be fine, but pests that cause damage or health problems should be taken seriously, according to Keith Smith of Action Pest Control.
A couple of pests that you should have zero tolerance for would be bedbugs and termites. If you have evidence whatsoever that you have infestation of those two insects, you should call a professional right away, said Keith Smith, Regional Director at Action Pest Control.
Other pests that should elicit a quick response are mice.
Mice can be a really nasty potential health threat and your tolerance should be very near zero for a mouse when it gets in the house, said Scott Robbins, Technical Services Manager at Action Pest Control.
If you find that you need to bring in the pros for a pest problem in your home, do your research to find the right one.
First you want to make sure that it is a licensed and certified applicator.
In addition to proper credentials, it's important to understand their products, services and reputation.
When hiring a pest control company, you want to work with someone that has a good local reputation because oftentimes their work will come with a warranty and you want them to be around to stand behind it. Also be sure to ask them about what types of products they're going to use, especially if you have pets or children in your home, Angie Hicks, Co-Founder of Angie's List.
If you have maybe pets or small children or someone with impaired health or something, in your house, obviously you're going to be concerned about what products may be applied around them and a professional should be well-equipped to answer all of those questions, said Robbins
Depending on the type of pest, a warranty on the work may be particularly important.
Keith Smith, Regional Director at Action Pest Control
It's very important when you're doing termite control not to have a company that doesn't offer a warranty on that treatment because termites are very commonly reentering the home.
