Common Pest Control Questions

I get this question all the time. “Is it safe for kids and pets?”  Honestly, I answer a lot of questions. No stupid questions you ask?  No there are never any stupid questions on a subject you are not familiar with.  Learning is a beautiful thing. In fact I love to educate my customers on what I am doing and what they can do to help prevent pests.

In this day and time people don’t like to think for themselves.  They want to google it and rely on some keyboard commando to answer their questions.  Unfortunately in pest control the bad information and silly old wives tales are rampant.  90% of what you read on the all knowing internet is gobultygook. So in response to this I am going to go over some commonly asked questions.

#1 Is it safe for pets and children?

Our pets are part of the family and our kids are well… our kids. Any material used to kill a pest has the potential to hurt non-pests like kids and pets.  I heard you giggling thinking about the kids being pests.  I understand, got a couple rugrats myself.

Some materials are more dangerous than others but no matter how “safe” they are, I don’t want little Johny or fluffy coming into contact with it.  There are even some materials that act on biological aspects of pests that we do not have.  Even if it will not effect you, there is no reason to be cavalier about its use.  The bottom line is as long as the products are used properly, the risk is very minimal. Enough so that I have never had an issue in 15 years.

#2 How long will it take to get rid of them?

Well, I can make an educated guess but the truth is I don’t know.  Every situation is different and I have been surprised many times.  I have licked a bad problem in 1 hit and has small problems require longer service than normal.  The factors governing this are too numerous to list. Maybe in another blog post.  What I can tell you with certainty is that if you follow your technicians recommendations your world will be much less buggy much quicker.  We know what makes these pests tick and the treatment is only half the battle. So if your favorite bug assassin tells you to work on the sanitation, seal a hole, or replace some weather stripping, it is because those are the reasons you got the pests in the first place.  Once I kill whatever is haunting you, if you don’t fix these things… you will need me again.

#3 Why does it cost so much?

“I can go to the Co-Op and do it myself.” I don’t care how cheap it is to do it yourself, if it doesn’t work then it is still wasted money.

Read this why-does-pest-control-cost-so-much

#4 How long will the service take?

Again, I can give you a guesstimate but some jobs go faster than others.  During the inspection I may run into something that needs to be addressed you didn’t even know you had. Finding and fixing things before they become a problem is my goal and will save you some frustrations and money.

#5 I don’t want pesticides, I want natural or organic.

If it kills or repels a pest it is a pesticide.  The bottom of my boot can be a pesticide.  Asprin can be a poison in the right dosage.  The dosage is the poison and most of the products we use are designed to be used at less than 1% concentration.  Used correctly they will be effective and safe. So let’s examine what green and organic really means.  Organic means not synthetic. Just because it occurs naturally does not mean it is safe. There are thousands of organic things that will kill you faster than a bullet.  In addition to that synthetic compounds are often easier and cheaper to make than to mine out of the earth.  Molecularly they are exact copies.  Try to tell me how organics are better now.

What does “green” mean?  I have no clue.  There is no real definition agreed upon by everyone.  The EPA has a classification for reduced risk pesticides and some call this green.  Some call essential oils green.  Some define organic as green.  At the end of the day you are being lied to about what these things really mean.  It is all a marketing ploy to convince you it is safer and more environmentally friendly.  Oh, and by the way, since matter can neither be created nor destroyed, whether organic or synthetic…… IT ALL CAME FROM NATURE!!!!!!  Everything is organic.  Hell, Radioactive isotopes are organic.  Are you going to put that in your home? I didn’t think so.

So you still want to use “green organic” pesticides? Sure, I can do that all day long for you.  But be prepared for the cost.  These products are often more expensive and have poor residuals.  This means I have to come every 2 weeks and apply a treatment instead of monthly or quarterly.  Those trips and time cost money.  Also, most of the “green” products have a very strong odor where as the traditional pesticides often have odor intentionally removed to please, well…you.  And it gets worse, the natural products 99% of the time are much less effective than traditional products and often have different safety concerns… even though they are “green.”

#6 Do you seal the holes the pest use to come in or do I need to do it? What do I use?

If you want us to do the exclusion work we can.  If you want to do it yourself there are several options.  The best option but the most expensive is to call a carpenter and let him do his thing. The other option is Great Stuff expanding foam sealer.  It is ugly but is designed to be cut to shape after it cures and painted over to hide the repair.  It is also easier to seal larger holes than with caulking.  A better option is silicone caulk.  Silicone caulk is often clear so you don’t have to worry about color and it hides imperfections in your application.  It also expands and contracts with the temperature and humidity to maintain the seal. If the hole is in a hidden place where looks don’t matter you can always use duct tape for a quick temporary fix.

If you have more questions feel free to contact me. aaronv@phoenixpestcontroltn.com. Phoenix Pest Control services Knox and Blount Counties in East Tennessee.