San Jose Termite Control

Home pest control can, and in fact should, be done in an eco-friendly way. Gone are the days when you could grab a can of spray and chase pests around the kitchen squirting liquid toxicity with abandon. This is considered very bad form nowadays. If Greenpeace hears about it, well you don’t want to be home when they show up.

In the old days, point and shoot pest control was the norm. Today eco-friendly pest control requires a little thought. That’s not a big problem, right? Here’s the way to start. Walk slowly all the way around the outside of your home. Pay attention to the details. Make not of every crack and crevice. A hole that looks tiny to us looks like a doorway to a mouse. Termites can fit thorough very tiny cracks.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to caulk up every last crack and crevice. Yes, every one. If you leave pests the smallest opening, they’ll be inside setting up a cozy little nest before you can blink twice. Then they invite their relatives, start having kids and the next thing you know you have a houseful. Don’t let that happen. Caulk every little crack and crevice.

For larger openings use the expanding foam stuff sold at the hardware and big box stores. Window screens need to be repaired or replaced. Look at the weather stripping around doors and replace it if needed. Install a door sweep if there’s a gap under the door. Check out the trees and shrubs near the house. Cut them back if they’re getting close. They could easily become a bug highway.

Grab a cool liquid something and take a break. If you get that much done, you deserve a break. Afterwards, do the same thing on the inside of the house. Why? In case the little buggers can find a way though the outside seal the inside seal will keep them at bay. Again caulk every single crack and crevice from floor to ceiling. Remember though that caulk doesn’t last forever. Mark your calendar to inspect both the inside and outside in 6 months. Repeat every six months.

The first time is the worst. From now on the inspection and caulk touch up is a breeze. If every homeowner followed this procedure, many pest control companies feel like the Maytag repair man waiting for a problem to occur. But most homeowners won’t go to the trouble. The professionals know this is the way to go. Some of the best pest control companies will actually follow this procedure, or require you to do it. This is very smart pest control. The best way to eliminate pests from your home is to simply not let them in to begin with. Remember, every 6 months.

The next step is to clean the inside of the house – thoroughly. There may have been critters already inside when you double sealed the house. The point is to remove anything the pests might use as food or water, and eliminate anyplace they might want to hide. We want those little critters to get good and hungry. We’ll serve up baits later. Don’t forget to vacuum. If you have a machine with a hose and wand you can do inside cabinets, under the sofa and in the corners where the cob webs are. You know the ones, you’ve seen them. Vacuum everywhere. Check all faucets for leaks and repair them immediately. We want ‘em thirsty too.

When was the last time you saw, or felt, a pest in your house? Was it roaches? Ants? Fleas? Or some other critter? Whatever it was, do a little research. Google them. Eco-friendly pest control requires that you use your brain to learn about pests. You need to get to know who they are, where they live and what their habits are. Then you’ll know how to eliminate them for good.

You’ve done a lot of work. You did follow the steps above, right? If so, you’ve taken a huge step toward pest control and didn’t use a drop of pesticides. But you’re not done. Eco-friendly pest control is a big topic. It can’t be covered in one article. So this series of eco-friendly pest control articles will continue.