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The Risk of DIY
The risk you run as a homeowner applying a DIY solution to your pest problem is applying a “band aid” solution, in that you may not actually tackle the underlying problem and an infestation will continue to grow out of site and end up costing you more on treatments and repairs than if you had just called a professional to begin with.
Don’t get us wrong, there are plenty of situations where a DIY solution is just the ticket, but there are plenty of jobs around the home you wouldn’t think twice about hiring a professional for (think: electrician or plumber) and a pest control professional should be the same. Many people feel they are equipped to deal with pests but the truth is most pests are better dealt with by a professional pest controller.
A qualified and experienced pest technician will see your pest problem in a way you can’t. They will identify key indicators of infestations and offer a suitable treatment plan to tackle your pest problems. For the most part, any problems with a particular pest should be handled by a professional pest control; however, these are just a few examples of pests you shouldn’t even attempt to handle yourself:
The Risk of DIY Termite Pest Control
Termites cost Australian home over $1 billion dollars per year in treatments and repairs. Termites are no trivial matter and can create significant structural defects in a home in a matter of months. We’ve come across our fair share of home owners that have taken it upon themselves to treat their termites with an off-the-shelf pesticide from their local hardware store and have been surprised to find the termites back in a new part of the house causing more damage.
The fact is, anything you can buy from your local supermarket is not going to solve the problem. Not because the chemicals won’t kill termites (they will) but because they don’t account for subterranean termite behaviours. The handful of termites you can actually reach with your sprayer don’t even come close to the millions of termites in the colony and in parts of your home you can’t reach. Not to mention termites will simply block the compromised mud lead and move elsewhere. So at the end of the day, spraying with a DIY pesticide is a waste of your time and money.
If you find you have termites, the best thing to do is to leave them alone and call a professional to come and assess the situation. They will be able to determine the entry point, identify a nest and offer a suitable treatment plan with better products than you can find in your local supermarket. We use non-repellent transfer chemicals like Termidor, which means the termites don’t know it’s there and unknowingly take Termidor back to the nest, eradicating the entire colony; something you can’t hope to achieve with an off-the-shelf pesticide. A trained, qualified and experienced technician will not only treat your termites but will find their access point and offer solutions to protect your home from further damage.
DIY Bed Bugs - Don't Bother
Bed bug infestations are notoriously hard to eradicate as the bed bugs themselves are very resilient to both pesticides and environmental factors. They are excellent at remaining undetected by hiding in cracks and crevices and are known to be able to survive months without feeding. Many pest controllers would agree, bed bugs are the most difficult pest to eradicate and we don’t recommend taking bed bugs on by yourself. Bed bugs breed quickly and in fact adult bed bugs only account for 10% of the bed bug population in any given infestation. Due to a bed bug’s short reproductive cycle and their resilience to eradication methods, bed bug infestations can quickly get out of hand. At Results Home Services we have the experience, knowledge and equipment to tackle your bed bug problem.
DIY Rodent - Time is the Essence
Like bed bugs, rodents have a short reproductive cycle which can make them difficult to eradicate from a structure. A female brown rat can produce up to 14 infant rats in only 21 days, so two rats can very quickly become many rats. Laying baits, traps or pellets around won’t do much unless they’re close to the rodent nesting area or access point. It takes 3-4 days before a rodent will feed on bait and as it is designed for slow release, the rodents don’t drop dead, thus warning the other rodents in the nest. A professional pest controller doesn’t just lay baits around randomly; they seek out the rodent access points and nesting areas and treat these places accordingly. This time of year is when rodents become a real problem so don’t waste your time and money on DIY methods. Employ a professional to take the hassle out of the process and leave you pest free.
Got a pest problem? Call Results Home Services now on 3823 2500 and speak to one of our friendly staff about the solutions we can offer you. Whether you’ve got termites, bed bugs, rodents, cockroaches or ants, there is a solution. We service all of Brisbane.