When you hear scratches in your walls, scurrying in your ceiling or banging in your attic, it’s easy to immediately feel a sense of dread at the steps that have to come next. Rather than calling a professional, you might be tempted to search online for a do-it-yourself pest removal tactic. But those DIY methods often turn out to be much involved that you think!

Reasons DIY Pest Removal isn’t a Good Idea

The cost of the project

The motivation to try a DIY pest removal project probably starts with the idea to save money. It can be tempting to avoid calling a professional for help in favour of solving the problem yourself, but this could end up backfiring.

Many DIY methods don’t work as well as they advertise, so you may end up trying several different ideas before finding something that does work. This could end up costing you more money than if you just hired a professional in the first place.

Will it be effective?

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Going into pest removal as an amateur leaves quite a few factors up to chance. Figuring out exactly what kind of pest is living in your home is one of the first steps in trying to get rid of it. Sometimes it can be difficult to do this, especially if the animal is nocturnal! A professional is trained to know what to look for and what habits each species has, so they can often save you time and money in this step alone.

Once you’ve figured out which pest is on your eviction list you then have to figure out which removal method is best suited and exactly how to carry it out. Unless you get this choice right you run the risk of not removing them completely.

Another huge part of pest removal is figuring out how they got into your house in the first place, and sealing up any possible entry points. This will prevent them from re-entering in the future.

Possible safety risks

There are many possible safety risks to performing do-it-yourself pest removal. Some of the most common include:

  • Many rodents carry disease and trying to remove them yourself puts yourself at risk of coming in contact with some of them. Both the animal and its body waste can be carriers of diseases like rabies, roundworm and histoplasmosis.
  • Blocking entry points often involves climbing onto your roof or into your attic. These areas can be dangerous for an unskilled worker, so accepting a professional’s help is the best way to ensure everything is done safely.
  • Wild animals are often unpredictable, especially when they feel threatened. If you approach one at the wrong time or in a way that makes them feel defensive you might be on the receiving end of an attack. If the animal has babies, they will be even more protective of their space.

Sometimes it’s better to call the pest control professionals

When it comes down to it, DIY methods of pest removal might work out… or they might be more headache than they’re worth! If you have pests that you want removed efficiently, safely and quickly, the best option is often to call the professionals in. Don’t risk your health or home with a DIY method you’ve found online!