Many traditional pest control methods involve harmful chemicals. This chemical can infiltrate the soil, water, and local ecosystem. They can also be hazardous for small children and pets. Eco-friendly sprays and traps eliminate the risk of pets accidentally ingesting harsh pesticides.
Instead, try implementing integrated pest management techniques, natural repellents, biological pest control, and physical barriers or traps. Contact a professional Apex Pest Solutions to learn the best solution for your pest control needs.
Seal Up Cracks And Crevices
Regardless of how clean your house is, pests can find their way through the smallest of cracks and crevices. The first step to eliminating them is knowing where they’re coming from, and the easiest place to start is a thorough inspection of your home with a flashlight. Look for gaps around doors and windows, utility lines, vents, and the foundation. Then, use caulk or specialized insulation foam to seal these areas. Additionally, check your screens to make sure they’re tight and intact, and consider adding door sweeps.
Using harsh chemical pesticides can also cause harm to the environment and local wildlife. The chemicals can contaminate air, soil, and local waterways, which disturbs the natural balance of an ecosystem. Plus, if you don’t thoroughly clean up after pesticide application, you could be left with toxic residues on your furniture, fabrics, and children and pets. Ecofriendly options prevent these risks altogether.
Another advantage of using eco-friendly pest control methods is that they don’t build up resistance like conventional pesticides. When used in conjunction with other pest control strategies, such as prevention and exclusion, they produce long-term results without requiring any additional chemicals or treatment.
Using natural methods also saves you time and hassle. When preparing for traditional pesticide treatments, it is often necessary to cover food items, remove pets from the property, and otherwise vacate the space while the chemicals take effect. With nontoxic options, this isn’t always the case.
Install Organic Pest Repellents
Natural pest control methods have many benefits compared to traditional chemical treatments. The main benefit is that these treatments are safer for humans, pets, and the environment. Chemicals can disperse and contaminate the air, soil, water, and wildlife in an ecosystem, disrupting the natural balance and impacting non-target species. Eco-friendly alternatives, on the other hand, minimize this effect.
For example, there are several natural ways to repel ants. You can try spraying baking soda, a multi-purpose substance used in cleaning, on surfaces or mixing it with warm water to create a spray that can be sprayed directly onto plants and surfaces. You can also use neem oil, which acts as an insecticide, fungicide, and miticide without harming beneficial insects and other plant species. Other organic options include releasing ladybugs into your garden, as they naturally control aphid populations, and nematodes, which are microscopic creatures that kill the larvae of certain pests like grubs and termites.
In addition, natural pest control methods often have a lower carbon footprint than traditional treatments. This is because they don’t require the use of synthetic chemicals to be manufactured. Furthermore, they are generally sourced from renewable or recycled sources.
Another advantage of using natural pest control products is that they tend to have a greater success rate than their chemical counterparts. This is because they are derived from natural sources that pests have not developed resistance to. In contrast, chemical pesticides can cause resistance to develop over time as generations of insects are exposed to the same toxic substances. This can render chemical treatment ineffective over time. In addition, natural pest repellents are less likely to leave behind residues and harmful fumes that can irritate the respiratory system.
Keep Your Home Clean
Many people are becoming more conscious of their impact on the environment, seeking out organic food and natural cleaners. Increasingly, they are also looking for environmentally friendly services, including pest control. The good news is that there are safe methods of pest control that do not require harmful chemicals.
One of the most effective ways to prevent pests is to keep your home clean and clutter-free. This will help to prevent them from accessing the water and food they need. Regular cleaning and vacuuming will also eliminate any food sources that may attract them. You should also try to seal any entry points that can allow pests into your home.
There are non-chemical pest control approaches that can be effective for most pest issues, such as using a mousetrap to catch and relocate mice or washing away the scents of small ant trails to deter them. Some pests, such as flies, ants, and beetles, can be killed with household vinegar or soapy water.
Harsh chemical pesticides can often hurt the environment and wildlife. They can contaminate the air, ground soil, and waterways in a local ecosystem. This can cause damage to local plants, which can in turn impact the food chain for other animals and humans. Ecofriendly pest control sprays do not have this type of negative impact on the ecosystem as they are naturally derived and non-toxic.
Keeping your home clean is not always easy, but the health and safety benefits make it well worth it for everyone in the household. It is important to take the time to do a daily or weekly cleaning routine and stick to it. Similarly, it is essential to make sure that you dispose of trash regularly and avoid leaving piles of debris around the house.
Invest In A Pest Barrier
A pest barrier is one of the best ways to keep unwanted pests out of your home, garden, and landscaping. The concept is simple: you lay down a chemical barrier that pests can’t cross and thus are prevented from entering your space. A well-placed pest barrier can also make up for areas you can’t physically seal such as tiny cracks around window and door frames or under decks.
Many of today’s most effective barriers contain no visible material at all. Instead, they consist of a kind of granule insecticide that pests pick up when they travel over it. As they do so, they get stuck in the substance and die. The barriers are applied by trained professionals and are generally safe for children and pets as long as they aren’t sprinkled directly in your living spaces.
There are some exceptions, however, for pests like termites and millipedes. A physical barrier is usually necessary for those types of pests as they aren’t able to crawl over or under a chemical one. In those cases, a barrier can be augmented with copper mesh or expanding foam for maximum effectiveness.
If you’re looking to protect your strawberries or blueberries from deer browsing, a fine, black plastic deer netting is the way to go. This barrier is available in a range of sizes for various plant needs and can be used year after year. It’s an excellent option for a single crop or to cover an entire garden, providing you with a barrier that isn’t visually disturbing.
A tree tanglefoot pest barrier is another great barrier that can be placed on the ground or in the trees on your property. It’s particularly useful for reducing populations of cankerworms, gypsy moth caterpillars, army and tent caterpillars, pecan weevils, and obscure root weevils. The barriers work by covering the ground and trees with a sticky, detachable substance that prevents pests from climbing to the tops of the plants where they need to feed, mate, and deposit their eggs.
Set Up Access Control
Adding eco-friendly products to your pest control services is a great way to appeal to environmentally cautious customers, and it’s also a good idea for keeping up with market trends. Many people who choose to live greener lifestyles are also willing to spend extra money for a service that’s safe for them and the environment.
In addition, the use of environmentally friendly pest control products is an excellent way to prevent a buildup of resistance to pesticides. This is because it focuses on prevention and exclusion rather than using chemical sprays to eradicate pest infestations. It’s also better for the ecosystem, as less toxic chemicals are being deposited into waterways and soil.
Eco-friendly pest control options are also a safe choice for families with small children and pets. Kids and pets are notorious for getting into areas that they shouldn’t, so choosing a non-toxic pest control solution is a sure way to ensure that they won’t come into contact with harsh chemicals.
Customers who lead eco-friendly lifestyles will also appreciate that using non-toxic pest control methods can reduce the amount of work they have to do to prepare for an extermination. Having to cover up furniture, contain food, and thoroughly clean after the use of harsh pesticides can be a huge inconvenience. Using eco-friendly pest control options can cut this inconvenience down to zero, making it much easier for these homeowners to keep up with regular pest removal appointments.
Another benefit of eco-friendly pest control is that it can be used indoors without causing any harm to employees or visitors. This is important for companies that see a lot of third parties coming and going throughout the day, such as offices and retail spaces. These people don’t want to be exposed to strong chemical odors while they’re working, shopping, or browsing through merchandise.