Having to deal with pests is never easy or pleasant. As we approach the summer seasons, more and more animals and insects are coming out of their winter slumber and exploring nature - and human homes and yards.
However, dealing with pests is a sensitive topic for many customers who don’t want to hurt animals, but still need to ensure that they can live a safe and healthy life in their own homes. So, how does Integrated Pest Management help?
The 101 on Integrated Pest Management
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an environmentally friendly way of removing pests from any area where they are not welcome. One of the biggest advantages of this method is that it has also been designed to prevent future pest appearances and also maintain the safety and well-being of your home and yard.
There are several ways to go about this kind of pest control.
Biological Pest Control
When the process of pest control is done through biological means, it refers to the natural predators of a pest being leveraged in order to limit the pest’s population.
This is usually done with insects, weed, mites, and plant diseases. The process is done as follows:
- The pest’s natural predator is introduced to the environment.
- The predator eats the pest or otherwise removes it from the environment in an eco-friendly process.
- The population of the predator is maintained in manageable numbers to ensure that the predator isn’t the one that turns into a new problem.
Pest Control Through Culture
By changing the culture that the pest is trying to survive in, several obstacles are put in place to make it much more difficult for the pest to survive in this new environment.
This can include practices such as removing the pests shelter, water, and food source. As a result, the very ecosystem that you have created becomes unwanted for the pest, and the animal or insect will naturally stay away from the area.
Pest Control Through Physical Means
This includes physically removing the unwanted pests from your home or yard, and putting up appropriate barriers to prevent the animal from returning to the same area.
Of course, this is much easier to do with rodents and larger insects, because they can be efficiently removed with the right tools. Some of the practices include professional vacuuming, mowing, and traps.
Chemical Pest Control
In some cases, chemicals are the only way to get rid of pests. However, this doesn’t mean that the chemicals are dangerous for the environment. In fact, many advances have been made in the area of pest control, including chemicals that are safe both for the environment and for other animals that are not considered pests.
This is often considered the last resort when nothing else will be effective enough. It may include certain pesticides, and is often planned as a long-term method of pest control that doesn’t harm humans or pets in the process.
Always Hire A Professional To Do The Job
No matter which method is appropriate for your home, always hire a professional to do the job. If you were to try and DIY this process, you could suffer injuries or infections from the pest as well as endanger your health with chemicals.
Our team at RidAway offers a special yard care service to ensure that any pests are removed safely and without endangering your health. Our service includes:- Inspecting the area to see exactly where the pests are coming from.
- Identifying which pests are the problem and what is the safest and least harmful way to remove them.
- Treating the area with the chosen method and cleaning everything up after we are done.
- Long-term maintenance of the area to ensure that the problem doesn’t occur again.
If you own a home, protect it against intruders. And if you are planning to purchase a home, ensure there are no surprises by first scheduling a termite and pest inspection.
To get started, contact us today to see how our team can help you to live a pest-free, happy life.
