For most people, the words "pest control" and "insecticides" are basically synonyms. It may be hard for you to imagine pest control without lots of chemicals. While chemical pest control methods are sometimes the most effective choice, it's not correct to assume that chemicals are the only option. Here are some big and effective pest control techniques that do not involve chemicals.

Heat Treatment

Heat treatment is exactly what it sounds like: treating pests with heat. Basically, a pest control company will set a big, powerful heater (or maybe a couple of them) in your home, and then heat your home to about 120 degrees F, or perhaps a little hotter. Heat treatment is most often used to treat bed bugs, as bed bugs are notoriously hard to treat with chemical sprays. However, it is also effective against cockroaches, ants, and other common household pests. One reason heat treatment is a good choice is that it kills all life stages of bugs, from eggs to adults. However, it can be really expensive, and you'll need to remove all heat-sensitive items from your home beforehand.

Humidity Control

What if all it took to remove pests from your home was to remove humidity from your home? As far fetched as this may sound, it does often work. Pests like roaches, ants, and earwigs love humid spaces. If you buy and install a whole-home dehumidifier and use it to keep your relative humidity at around 45%, you should see a lot fewer pests. Combine this with some common-sense measures like keeping food cleaned up and cleaning more often, and you just might be able to avoid using pesticides!

Traps

Not every bug infestation responds well to traps. For instance, traps will only go so far with ants, who live in big colonies and reproduce very quickly. However, traps do work well for cockroaches, earwigs, silverfish, and even some types of spiders. Most of these traps are sticky traps; once the insect enters, their feet get stuck, so they can't leave. The key to success with traps is to let a professional set them. They will know the best places to put the traps. Also, make sure you concurrently take steps to keep additional insects from entering your home. Seal your windows and block off any gaps alongside doors!

Pest control does not have to mean chemicals. If you prefer a chemical-free approach, talk to your pest control technician about these choices.

To learn more about pest control, contact a pest control technician near you.