One cockroach in your kitchen at midnight is negligible. Ten cockroaches in your kitchen, spotted on three different days, is a message. Most wait a little too long to respond to that message, but spraying and wiping will not take make any notable changes. Knowing when to step in and call a professional can save you money, your furniture, and a lot of hassle down the road.
A pest infestation is an emergency when the pests keep coming back after treatment, you see them during the day or in large numbers, or they threaten your property or health. Any of these reasons is enough to call a professional exterminator.
The Signs That Signal an Infestation
Pests are sneaky creatures. What you see is only a small portion of what you don’t. so the clues must be taken into account:
- You see them during the day – Cockroaches and rodents are nocturnal by nature, meaning they hide during the day. Spotting them means they don’t have enough hiding places, which means their colony is bigger than it appears.
- You see droppings, gnaw marks or a strange scent – Mouse and rat droppings look like rice grains, while a musty smell hanging around your kitchen or pantry is a surefire sign of cockroaches. These pests leave clues that they have been there long before you ever see them.
- Presence of mud tubes or hollow wood – If knocking on a wooden door reveals it is full of termites or the skirting boards sound thin or hollow in nature, it’s a clear sign that there has been an infestation of long standing.
- You have mysterious insect bites – Waking up to itchy red lines or dots all over your arms and torso is a potential sign of bed bugs, the pests that hide in the crevices of beds, wardrobes, and picture frames. They are resistant to most store-bought pesticides, so the sooner you get rid of them, the less damage they will do.
- The pest problem resurfaces after a couple of weeks – You bought some spray to get rid of the ants and the roaches and the spiders and it worked then, but now it’s back. One or two treatment sessions are not enough to eliminate a full-blown infestation. There has to be an underlying cause that needs to be addressed.
When Do-It-Yourself Tactics Fail
Store-bought products have their own limitations. Spray can be used to get rid of the odd ant in the corner of your kitchen window, or a couple of flies buzzing around, but if the pest has made its home in the cracks of your property, that’s where the professional comes in. Cockroach eggs are almost unbreakable unless you are using the right pesticide. Termites build colonies underground and inside timber. Bedbugs hide in your bed, your wardrobe, and your sockets, making the complete destruction almost impossible, when done yourself.
Treating your home with harsh chemicals in a small apartment full of kids, pets, and food is not only ineffective but a health hazard, too. The best method is never the strongest.
Some Pests Are Best Left to the Experts
Here are a few reasons why your home needs a professional exterminator:
Termites, rodents, and bed bugs – all are dangerous to your property and require the attention of an expert. The latter two are a serious health risk, both mechanical (breaking electrical appliances, spreading bacteria through contaminated food) and chemical (poisoning). Eliminating these pests requires a thorough approach, as they will keep coming back if not treated simultaneously in all their hiding places. Wasps, hornets, and bees can sting you if you try to get rid of them by yourself, so it’s best to leave them to the professionals. Any pest infestation in food preparation areas is a health code violation and a risk to public health. This goes for restaurants, cafes, and your own kitchen.
Why the Warmth of the UAE Makes You Stop and Think
Between the heat and the air conditioning and the high population density, the likelihood of a long-lasting infestation increases exponentially. What would be a passing annoyance elsewhere becomes a full-blown emergency here. A colony of pests in a high-rise apartment spreads much faster than a similar one in a detached house.
That’s why the residents of Sharjah who look for pest control in Sharjah or pest control in Discovery Gardens who want a reliable pest control company are more likely to go for an inspection-based approach rather than a quick spray-and-go option. Getting to the root of the problem is more important than getting rid of the pests you see.
What Does a Pest Control Company Actually Do?
A professional exterminator is not going to come and spray your house. Their visit consists of an inspection to determine the types of pests you have and their favourite hiding spots, followed by treatment to get rid of them. This, in turn, should be followed by advice to ensure they are not coming back. An approved and licensed company will always follow up to make sure your home is pest-free.
Take Ensure Pest Control, for example, an approved pest control company, approved by Dubai and Sharjah Municipality and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of the UAE. They use only approved pesticides and tools to treat your home or business space. When looking for a professional exterminator, make sure to check their credentials, as they can affect the outcome of the treatment. You may be asked to leave the area for a few hours or the day, depending on the chemicals used, and ventilate the place before returning.
A Quick Rule of Thumb
If you can deal with the pest problem on your own, if it only appears occasionally and doesn’t seem to be increasing exponentially, it doesn’t pose a huge threat. If nothing you do gets rid of them, then it’s time to call a professional. So, call a pest control company when the pests are being a nuisance. Spot them during the day? Call. See signs of extensive damage in your walls or under the floorboards? Call. They threaten the inhabitants’ health or safety (or the safety of your small pets)? Call. And definitely call if the pests seem to come in waves, returning after you treat them once. If you found any of these signs in your home or business, the team at Ensure Pest Control is ready to help, 24/7.