You may be thinking: pest control and pest prevention are the same thing. But if you ask any pest management expert, they'll tell you differently.
Pest control is the practice of applying pesticides to a home, building, or area after pests have invaded. Pest prevention, on the other hand, aims to keep an infestation from occurring to begin with, thus reducing the need for homeowners to require pest control services.
Although pest prevention and pest control are useful tools to have and they aim to achieve the same goal, just in different ways, we believe it's important for homeowners to know and understand the difference between these two elements of pest management. Keep reading to learn more about how pest prevention differs from pest control and why it is crucial to keeping your home pest-free.
4 Elements That Make Pest Prevention Different From Pest Control
1. Client Engagement
Whether you own a home or manage a business or facility, ensuring that the property stays free of pests is important. Prevention requires clients to understand and participate in pest prevention goals and practices. This will include eliminating existing pests from the premises, removing any enticing things that may lure them into the building, and creating an unfriendly environment for pests that inadvertently sneak in.
2. Having a Proactive Mindset
Clients should develop a proactive mindset about pest prevention.
Homes and businesses can create routine practices, like cleaning and decluttering, to reduce the risks of pest infestation. Although this does require some time investment from everyone involved, including learning new skills and information about common pest threats for your area, once enacted these habits become second nature and will ensure an infestation risk is caught before it can truly begin.
3. Scheduling Routine Pest Control Service
Client engagement and participation is essential to creating a whole-structure pest management plan. When paired with routine (outdoor) pest control services, preventative measures will work more effectively.
Pests will be less likely to gather near or inside the home, and those that may venture a distance from their nests will be deterred with the application of pesticides around the home's perimeter and frequently used outdoor areas.
4. Pest Prevention: A WHOLE Home Application
As mentioned, pest control is the application of pesticides to treat an established problem, while pest prevention aims to avoid infestation. By following simple preventative measures inside and outside your home, you can keep unwanted critters at bay.
Exterior pest prevention focuses on creating a barrier of entry to your home by using pesticides and/or baits to treat the source of pest problems, as well as sealing any cracks that could be a point of entry. It can also include tasks such as relocating wood piles and other attractive nesting sources.
Pesticides and baits may also be used for interior pest control for any existing infestations. However, interior pest prevention is typically where client engagement is the most useful.
Whether you're looking to eradicate existing pest problems or simply avoid them altogether, utilizing a combination of pest prevention and pest control methods is effective for keeping your space pest-free.
