No matter how clean your house is, insects will eventually find a way inside. But you can minimize insect problems by hiring a pest-control specialist to inspect your home.
Most specialists will want to talk to you before they inspect your home so that they'll have an idea of your most pressing concerns.
The specialist will probably start looking for insects in the kitchen because the room's moisture and warmth often attract bugs. The specialist will pay particular attention to cracks and crevices under the sink (figure A) because bugs are often seen in this area. The specialist will identify problem insects through live sightings and through spotting dead insects (figure B), cobwebs, insect damage or insect droppings.
The specialist will also pay close attention to the basement, particularly if you have sliding glass doors. Insects can come in through the openings around the jamb and in the track. To help keep them out, seal these areas (as well as similar areas around windows) with silicone caulk, and check to make sure the screens are intact.
Keep your house clean inside and out. Dry foods such as cereal and cornmeal should stored in airtight containers. Firewood piles, shrub plantings and deck and porch areas should be kept as clean as possible.
The specialist may set up monitoring stations to help identify the types of pests you're dealing with. These stations have a sticky surface that attracts insects, then traps them (figure C). The specialist can then identify the insect pest and devise a plan for controlling it.
Years ago exterminators sprayed general pesticides in and around homes to kill all forms of insects. Today's specialists use new methods to control specific pests. For example, bait stations (figure D) may be placed in hidden locations where insects have been seen. The insects eat the poison in the bait station and carry it back to their colonies, where the poison kills many more insects. Insect bait can also be placed directly in cracks and crevices or behind walls by using a bait syringe (figure E).
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