Needing pest control support can really sneak up on you. It’s not something the average person has on their mind on a day-to-day basis. And why would they? Our to-do lists are filled with all sorts of things, from taking the kids to practice, home improvement projects, running to the store, and hopefully a little fun here and there. For most of us, pest control falls pretty low on the list of priorities — until it’s suddenly right at the top because you’re facing an infestation!

Why quarterly pest control services?

In short, it’ll make your long-term pest control experience much easier and more manageable. Why? Because our Home Protection Plan is quarterly pest control for all seasons. With so many pests to deal with throughout the year, this plan deals with the pests you have while reducing the potential for new and other pests to appear later in the season. And what if pests reappear in between your regularly scheduled treatments? No problem! We’re happy to come back free-of-charge. That’s precisely why we say that your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. We stand by the quality of our technicians, our tools, and our methods of extermination. This focus on providing our clients value is exactly why the vast majority of our customers choose the Home Protection Plan. It’s simple. It’s predictable. And it works! 

How can I get rid of a pest infestation?

While there are a wide variety of DIY or off-the-shelf methods for dealing with the most common pest infestations people tend to face (ants, rodents, and wasps immediately come to mind), we do recommend that folks in Ridgefield give serious consideration to hiring pest control professionals to manage whatever type of situation you’re dealing with. 

Why? Because most retail-grade pest control solutions typically address only part of the problem, and don’t deal with infestations at their source or in the comprehensive manner needed to rid your home of pests. Take ant sprays, for instance. Many of these off-the-shelf products do kill ants, but not in a way that will totally eradicate your ant problem. They tend to just kill the ants that you can see, but they cannot kill the ant infestation at its source and more ants will come along shortly after. 

In fact, these products can sometimes fracture an ant colony, effectively turning it into multiple colonies that must be dealt with. What we find to be most effective with this sort of infestation is a commercial grade bait as applied by a professional team of ant experts. This commercial-grade bait must be placed where ants are entering the home so it can be taken back to the colony and consumed by all of the ants, including the reproductive queen. 

This is why we recommend you seek assistance from a trusted team of professionals. Having the right level of experience, equipment, and expertise is well-worth the investment when you’re facing an infestation. You’re rarely ever just treating just what you see. When it comes to an infestation, there’s a whole world happening right under your nose.

The Aspen Pest Control team knows where pests tend to create their nests in and around your home, where to treat, and how to safely dispose of things like rodents and wasp’s nests. (And cleaning up after a rodent infestation is a whole other ball of wax that needs to be handled very carefully. The CDC has a great set of instructions everyone should read before dealing with this type of problem.)

How can I avoid future pest infestations?

The first and most important thing to do in preventing future pest infestations is to deal with any infestations or conditions that might invite infestations in order to give yourself a clean slate, so to speak.

There are numerous reasons why you might have a pest infestation at your home, most of which can be very easily managed by you and your loved ones.

Let’s assume that you’re working with a trusted extermination service in Ridgefield, like Aspen Pest Control, and that you’re receiving quarterly pest control services (more on that later!) and you’ve been given recommendations on how to best avoid pests coming back to your home. 

All it takes is a little habit modification to prevent future infestations from occurring. Here are some of the simplest and most-common things we recommend home and property owners do in order to keep their homes and lives pest-free in between their regularly scheduled extermination services:

• Standing water — having standing water on your property (especially near your home) is a sure-fire way of attracting both insects and rodents. The closer in proximity to the home, the greater the likelihood of certain pests to make their way into the home. We recommend removing all instances of standing water in order to decrease infestations in your home.
• Overgrowth around buildings — an overgrowth of grasses and other forms of plant life are attractive to rodents because they provide coverage and safe passage. When rodents are in the home, they’ll most often travel through the house by sticking close to its perimeter (i.e., nearest to the walls and molding.) Outside the home is no different. They’ll feel safest traveling closest to the foundation of your house or any outbuildings on your property. Keeping these areas clean will not only look more aesthetically pleasing, but provide fewer places for rodents to travel safely, not to mention fewer opportunities to find a way to enter your home. 
• Trash, recycling, composting — If you store any of your trash, recycling, or compost bins outdoors, we encourage you to make certain that all containers are tightly sealed. Their odors attract pests to the home; their contents keep them there. Make sure you’re following recycling guidelines in how you clean your recyclables before binning them, don’t overfill your trash cans, and if you are someone who composts, then it is recommended to turn your compost with relative frequency in order to encourage the breakdown of your biodegradables. 
• Pet food, bird seed, etc. — Relatedly, if you keep pet food or things like bird seed outside your home, 1) we would encourage you not to, but 2) if you don’t have a better place than outdoors or in an outbuilding or shed, then you should be storing them in sealable containers. Like trash, recyclables, and compost, their odor will draw pests to your property, and if they’re accessible you’ll surely have an infestation on your hands in no time. Keep them sealed to help keep pests away!
• Window and door seals — Most homeowners don’t spend enough time reviewing these areas of their homes. The seals around your windows and doors are simple but crucial factors in keeping your home energy-efficient and free of pests. Rodents and insects need only a very small opening in order to enter your home. For instance, mice can pass through an opening about the size of a dime! Once pests are inside, they’ll seek out spaces to nest and to feed, and the interior of your home has plenty of opportunities for both. Periodically review the seals around your windows and doors and repair accordingly for a more energy efficient and pest-free home!
• Cracks in the home and chimney — Much like your home’s window and door seals, the parts of your home most often made of concrete or brick, most notably the foundation or chimney, can degrade over time. Once these features start to show cracking or other similar types of wear, they provide the means for a wide variety of pests to enter your home. Rodents, spiders, ants, stink bugs, boxelder bugs, and more could make their way inside. Like your window and door seals, regularly review these areas to make sure they’re in good condition.
• Clutter, especially in storage areas — Sheds, garages, attics, and basements — areas in or around our homes where we tend to store things vs. spend time in — have a tendency to become a bit cluttered, and pests love to take advantage of these tendencies. Rodents and spiders, in particular, love these types of areas because they provide privacy, and the privacy provided creates a safe place for nesting. Though we know it’s difficult, we do recommend that folks give these areas periodic once-overs in order to reduce clutter and discourage the further breeding of pests that can cause such a burden in our lives.

Don’t you deserve the best in pest control? We believe you do! 

Call Aspen Pest Control to learn why we’re Ridgefield’s preferred extermination service!