Pest control has been a concern for humans for as long as they have been on the Earth. From biting insects to mice in the pantry, humans are not always on good terms with the other denizens of the planet. A homeowner has many options available if he wants to do his own pest control, and bait, traps, fumigation, insecticide and organic control are all options he can try.
Homeowners need to be fairly certain about which pest he is dealing with before he attempts to control it. Some pests are easily identified, such as mice or cockroaches, but others are not so easily tracked. A homeowner may want to consult with the local farmer's co-op or the county agent for advice on what he's dealing with and how to get rid of it. Of course, calling in a professional is also an option.
Pest control professionals, sometimes called exterminators, are often called in after the homeowner has tried remedies on his own, with little or no success. They use basically the same types of methods that a regular individual uses, but they often have access to chemicals and other techniques that a homeowner cannot access. The advantage that the professional has, besides better methods, is being able to identify exactly which pest is the problem. This knowledge allows him to precisely target the extermination methods to the pest in question.
A professional may decide that bait, for instance, is the best method of dealing with a problem. This may involve indoor or outdoor bait, which typically leads to a trap where the pest is eliminated. Mice and other rodents are often controlled in this way.
Fumigation usually involves "tenting," a complicated method of surrounding a house with tenting material and flooding it with a poison gas. This is an expensive method, but may be the only way to get the pest out of the home. Insecticide is usually sprayed around the interior of the home, usually in the places where the pests congregate or breed.
Some homeowners may want a pest control method they feel is more humane or safer for humans. Live traps that capture the pests alive and unharmed are popular, and they allow the pests to be taken elsewhere and released. Organic control methods may involve using natural substances such as peppermint oil, herbs, or even other small organisms. Some other organisms are not pests themselves, but are their natural enemies, and a lawn or garden may be populated with these organisms to control the pests.
A homeowner should be careful when using any pest control method. Some are dangerous and best handled by professional technicians.
