In Georgia, we have about as many different species of unwanted pests as we do humans living here. The warm, humid climate and mild winters add up to “paradise” for insects and spiders. It’s hard to imagine a Georgia homeowner not needing to control and prevent creeping, crawling pests at some point.
Understandably, many homeowners opt to give Do-It-Yourself (DIY) pest control solutions a try. With hardware and home improvement stores on practically every corner, it’s easy to do. Social media sites and online stores offer still more options for purchasing DIY pest control products.
Of course, anytime you can save money on home maintenance, it makes sense – IF you’re actually saving money and safely solving your pest invasion problem at the same time. Unfortunately, that’s rarely the case. While most DIY pest control products do kill bugs, they are also highly repellent. Especially in multi-family units, the bugs just move elsewhere when they detect these chemicals. In a single-family dwelling, bugs will still move to avoid pesticides; they just move deeper inside the home, re-establish their colonies and continue to reproduce. Now, they’re just harder to find and evict!
Many homeowners resolve to handle pest control themselves only when they see insects and spiders inside. What they may not know is the best, most effective pest prevention takes place outside, before the invaders ever enter their home.
At Red Coat Pest Solutions, we have seen many concerning consequences of DIY pest control and prevention over the years. For example, long time, “old school” homeowners often resort to the use of boric acid to prevent pest invasion, especially bed bugs. The truth is, boric acid is completely useless for bed bug prevention. Bed bugs are blood suckers and will simply not ingest the chemical. Roaches, on the other hand, will walk through the dust, preen, then ingest the poison. But remember, they’ve likely still had time to reproduce before it eventually kills them.
We have seen disastrous results when homeowners have tried to use DIY heat treatment to kill bed bugs. This practice should only be undertaken by a licensed technician who is using the proper equipment and is familiar with the process. Homeowners have burned their homes down attempting this technique.
There are many products on the market guaranteed to “kill bed bugs,” which is usually true. What they don’t tell you is, DIY product application wont kill every single bed bug, which is what’s necessary to eradicate them from your home.
Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is another widely misused product we find inside homes. Our technicians have found clumps of this chemical in bed frames and sprinkled along baseboards throughout a house, in an attempt to ward off bed bugs. This product is harmful to humans and pets if inhaled; anyone with compromised breathing (for example, COPD, CPAP use, oxygen use) is at an even higher risk of injury. This particular treatment is so toxic, when we find it inside a home, we cannot allow our dogs to try to detect bed bugs, as the chemical will damage their olfactory systems.
As consumers, we tend to think “more is better,” sometimes disregarding the instructions on a chemical label in an attempt to eradicate invading pests from our homes. While this is a common notion which makes sense at first glance, it is actually a dangerous mindset. Warning and application labels are placed on pest control products for a reason. Too often, we are actually just contaminating our own homes with DIY pesticides.
The news, however, isn’t all bad. Even in Georgia, we can keep our homes both pest-free and safe with a few common-sense tips. First, instead of spraying a bug crawling across the kitchen floor with a harsh insecticide, grab a piece of tape. Yes, pick up the bug on a piece of clear tape (packing tape works best!), and slip it into a baggie to show your pest control professional. They will know exactly what pest you’ve captured, and they’ll know exactly how to treat your home based on that knowledge.
There is a very good reason you’ll find more than 1200 pest control companies in Georgia alone, there are many pests in the South! As pest professionals, we are trained to know both the pests and how to control them quickly, safely and efficiently. Of the 1200 companies, only five are owned by women. Red Coat Pest Solutions is one of those five. Every member of our team has past security, law-enforcement, or military experience, ensuring meticulous attention to detail, reliability, and complete discretion. Our licensed and trained technicians, along with our environmentally-responsible practices, are excellent reasons to let the “Mama Bear” handle your pest control and prevention needs today!
RED COAT PEST SOLUTIONS
“We don’t cut corners, because that’s where bugs hide!”
404.665.3985