Which is the best option for your home?
Pests finding their way into our homes can be a very frustrating situation and typically we seek the fastest solution possible. Regardless of the type of pest you may be dealing with, the overall goal of both an exterminator and pest control professional are the same. To get rid of the unwanted pests in and around your home.
However, this is where the similarities end. Most people don’t realize that there’s actually a difference between an exterminator and a pest control professional (PCP), but they couldn’t be more different. The way that they address your pest problems, and the long-term effectiveness of those solutions is vastly different between these two. Let’s look a little closer at each of these options and what they have to offer.
Exterminator
An exterminator has the goal of eliminating pests from your home. And this may seem like a great option; they come in, they spray everything, and kill every pest in their path. Or at least that’s what we envision when making the appointment.
Exterminators use strong chemicals to kill all the pests currently in your home. However, this is only a temporary solution to your pest problems and your exterminator is unlikely to go over other potential solutions with you. This means that your pest problem will likely continue to occur, and you will need to continue treatments to kill the unwanted intruders.
An exterminator is evident by their reliance solely on pesticides to solve your problems. There will rarely be any sort of guarantee on their work and the chemicals are likely more toxic than necessary to treat the actual problem. They are simply providing a temporary solution to what is likely a long-term problem.
Pest Control Professional (PCP)
Pest control professionals on the other hand, address the root of your problem. This means that they will likely offer suggestions on ways to exclude pests from your home. Things such as keeping food items sealed and inaccessible, sealing any potential entry points, and addressing any moisture problems can be more effective at permanently eliminating pests from your home.
Pest control professionals use a system called integrated pest management. In order to do this, they must identify what pests you are dealing with, potential exclusion techniques, and then the appropriate pesticide to use.
Pest control professionals will develop a partnership with you to truly address the cause of your problems, rather than the overkill solution of exterminators. By identifying the specific pests, understanding your needs, and considering any pets or children in the household, your pest control professional will choose the least toxic but most effective pesticide possible.
These professionals have more knowledge on the types of pests and the effective pesticides for each variety. This results in less harmful chemicals that will be exposed to you, your pets, and your children while being more effective at eliminating unwanted pests.
Which is Better?
Spraying overkill pesticides will work initially to decrease pest population. However, overtime these pests will develop what is called pesticide resistance; meaning that these pesticides are no longer effective at killing them. In turn an exterminator will have to start using more and more toxic versions in order to achieve the same results.
Pest control professionals will help address your problems, exclude pests from being able to enter your home in the first place, and use the appropriate pesticides for your situation. This is a more effective long-term solution then the band aid option of exterminators.
Once you understand the difference between exterminators and a true pest control professional, we feel confident that you will know what the best choice is for your family. Contact us to discuss your pest problems and how we can permanently solve your problems, so you can get back to daily life and keep your home pest and chemical free.
