A Beginners Guide to Home Pest Control February 20, 2018 – Posted in: News
Our homes are a place of rest and solitude. Sometimes, however, our sanctuaries become infested by creatures that are hell bent on causing destruction and disruption, and when this happens, it is important to know what your options are. Home pest control is not as simple as going down to your local hardware store and buying some home pest control products. To ensure you follow the right procedures and practices when dealing with pests in your home, Altis Industries Ltd have detailed a beginners guide to home pest control.
What Is a ‘Pest’?
It is important to understand that with home pest control, there are legal definitions as to what constitutes a pest. Strictly speaking, a pest is a destructive insect or other animal that attacks crops, food or livestock; it is not something that is simply annoying or irritable. To help clarify this definition, the term ‘pest’ has been categorised into a list of behaviours and attributes:
- An insect or animal that carries diseases
- An insect or animal that either attacks or eat crops
- An insect or animal that damages clothes or parts of a building
- An insect or animal that is biting people
Types of Pest
The aforementioned behaviours may help determine whether or not your home is infested by a pest. However, just because an insect or animal is displaying one of these behaviours, it does not mean they are categorised as a pest. There is, however, an official list of insects and animals that qualify as pests, and they are as follows:
- Flies
- Mosquitoes
- Ants
- Rodents
- Termites
The above list is a collection of the most common pests that face the homes of the UK. If you are having your own home pest control problem and wish to see if your home is infested by an official pest, you can see the full, regulated list on the British Pest Control Association.
Legal Requirements
As previously mentioned, home pest control is more than just buying a product from a store and ridding your home of pests quickly and easily. There are rules and guidelines, put in place by the government, that control the methods of home pest control. Usually, the best practice is to hire a professional to remove any pests from your home, but there are guidelines on what you must consider if you wish to undertake the work yourself.
Each type of pest has a specific set of guidelines and permitted actions, and these rules and stipulations vary from pest to pest. In this case, it is easier to list the actions that are strictly forbidden across all pests, and they are as follows:
- Live animals, known as live decoys, must not be used to attract pests, unless you have a license to do so.
- Self locking snares are strictly forbidden
- Bows and crossbows must not be used in any circumstance
- Explosives are also forbidden, apart from legal ammunition for a licensed firearm
It is also an offence to keep or release certain animals, such as grey squirrels. If they are caught or found alive, they must be killed humanely. It is also an offence to kill or disturb bats, even if they are in your home, as these are protected by the government. If you have bats in your property, contact the bat helpline.
If, for whatever reason, you wish to kill a species in a way that is forbidden, you must apply for a wildlife licence. You can also get this licence to remove a particular species from your home.
Home Pest Control Methods
If your home is already infested with a particular pest, it is advised to seek professional guidance and enlist the support of a pest controller. For most pests, there will be a number of products available to help you rid your home of a particular species. Be sure to read the instructions of each product carefully, and only use these products as a last resort. Altis Industries Ltd have a wide range of pest control products available online, so no matter what creature you have in your home, we will be able to provide you with the tools to rid them.
As previously mentioned, home pest control products should be seen as a last resort. If you are having regular problems with pests, then it may be worth turning your attention to preventative methods. Below, we have listed a number of ways to safeguard your home from all kinds of pests, to ensure your house remains comfortable and pest free.
1. Review Your Home
Pests will usually enter your home through small crevices that are connected to the outdoors, so one way to ensure that your home does not become infested is to not let them in in the first place. Survey your home and block any holes in brickwork, your ceilings or floors to make your home airtight.
2. Don’t Feed Them
The majority of pests will be attracted with food, and if they have found nourishment in your home before, the chances are that they will continue to visit. Be sure to clean every surface, particularly kitchen worktops, floors and dining areas, thoroughly after you have prepared food, and reseal the food and store it away after you have finished with it. Avoid keeping rubbish in your home, and have your bins outside if possible.
3. Spring Clean
Fleas and bedbugs may not be the biggest pests on the list, but they can be the most irritable. To rid your home of bedbugs and fleas, and to keep them out, wash all of your clothes and bedsheets and find an insecticide that is safe for your bedding and your clothes. If you have any pets, they should be flead regularly, and this can be done quickly and easily by purchasing a spray, powder or tab from a local pet store.
Contact Altis Industries Ltd Today
Although we may not be professional pest controllers, our collection of home pest control products are perfect for ridding your home of any unwanted guests. To find out more about any of our home pest control products, contact us today by calling us on 01420 472692 or by leaving us a message via our online contact form.