Life as a first-time homeowner in Singapore is wonderful, but you must understand and avoid the common pest control mistakes.
Mainly, homeownership entails the responsibility to take good care of your home, including efficient pest control. Notably, under Singapore’s tropical environment, cockroaches, ants, termites, and mosquitoes are likely to become a menace if not controlled promptly.
In particular, new homeowners, to save money or time, often make common pest control mistakes that worsen the situation. Therefore, knowing those errors will help you better protect your home from pest infestation.
Common Pest Control Mistakes New Homeowners Make
Below are some of the most common errors and how to prevent them.
1. Using Too Much Pesticide
One of the most common pest control mistakes first-home buyers make is using more pesticides, thinking it’s always a good thing. But overusing chemicals is not only hazardous to you, but also pointless. Too much pesticide will harm the health of your pets and sometimes lead to pest resistance, making the pests more challenging to eliminate in the long run.
To avoid this mistake, always read the product labels carefully and use the recommended amount. Importantly, try to use targeted sprays rather than spraying everywhere.
2. Neglecting the Root Cause
Without destroying the source, the infestations will always return after a short period of time. Interestingly, since it is easy to eliminate the visible insects, you may miss the source of the infestation in the process. For instance, killing a few ants that you can see does nothing whatsoever to the colony.
Notably, effective pest control involves not only killing the crawling pests but also discovering and destroying their source. This could mean plugging holes, patching leaks, or removing pest-attracting materials such as trash.
3. Unacceptable Waste Disposal and Mess
Dirty and cluttered places attract pests. For instance, garbage is too inviting for cockroaches, rodents, and ants, especially if stored in open garbage containers. Also, clutter like piles of messy papers is the ideal bug nest.
Therefore, to keep your home free of pests, you will need to dispose of trash regularly in covered cans and keep your home clean and tidy.
4. Use of the Wrong Products or Methods
In most cases, using the wrong pest control products and methods would make the pest issue more resistant to treatment since every case of pest infestation is unique. It’s futile and costly to use a general-purpose approach to pest control for any pest infestation.
Notably, most do-it-yourself treatments, such as home-made repellents or store-bought baits, are ideal for light infestations and do not work for heavy infestations. Therefore, learn what pest control products to apply to each type of pest, or call a professional.
5. Non-compliance with Preventive Pest Control
Even though people are aware of the benefits of preventive pest control, they often wait until they observe signs of infestation. However, as a responsible homeowner, you can take proactive measures to keep pests under control. By implementing daily monitoring and maintenance, you can prevent infestations from reaching their peak, saving you from costly treatments in the future.
Therefore, you mainly need day-to-day pest management measures to keep the pests under control. This includes daily monitoring of cracks, caulking windows and doors, and leak repair.
6. Delaying Professional Intervention
Although day-to-day interventions for pest control are effective in addressing minor problems, they are not adequate for large or recurrent infestations.
Therefore, if you delay getting professional help, the pests will continue multiplying and inflicting damage on your property. Importantly, you can hire the pest control professionals who have the equipment, tools, and facilities needed to apply the proper cure for your case. Hiring a reputable pest control company will provide you with the reassurance of effectively keeping your house free from pests.
7. Cleaning at the Wrong Time
Cleaning treated areas for the before the prescribed period elapses negatively affects the durability of the treatment. Usually, post-treatment cleaning at the wrong time has the undesirable effect of washing away the chemicals applied, hence becoming ineffective.
Notably, the majority of homeowners are not aware whether to clean before or after pest control treatment. Essentially, complete pre-treatment cleaning is advisable to remove clutter, food debris, and shelter points, resulting in maximum treatment success.
Conclusion
As a first-time home buyer in Singapore, you can save money, time, and hassle by avoiding the common control mistakes discussed above. By understanding and implementing the right pest control strategies, you can take control of your home’s pest situation and ensure a comfortable living environment.
Importantly, always remember that pest control is not just a treatment for infestations but a long-term measure to prevent your home from becoming infested with pests. By recognizing this, you can prepare and plan for the future, ensuring that your home stays pest-free all year round.
Lastly, by being proactive or by hiring a professional pest control company beforehand, you can live in your new home without any surprise pest infestation.
