Why Isn’t My Pest Control Working?

Does it seem like your pest control treatments aren’t working properly? Have pests started to return to your property? Are they showing up in your home once again? There are many reasons why your pest control might fail, and learning why can help you work to reverse the trend and keep your property protected. Here are five reasons why your pest control might not be working how you want it to.

Pest Control Wears Off

Pest control is not a one-time chore. Much the same way that maintaining your car is an ongoing battle, pest control needs to be continually renewed and reapplied in order for it to remain effective. The chemical mixtures and substances in a pest control product can breakdown with exposure to UV radiation from sunlight, and products themselves will slowly disappear as they are dissolved into soil. Even pests that consume the product and eventually die will diminish the supply. As such, after a while, your pest control will eventually give out.

This is why most pest control plans involve frequent treatments. Not only does this allow us to target the most prominent pests for every season, but it allows us to continually treat and renew your property’s pest protection in order to keep it strong. Think of it sort of like replacing the batteries with new, fresh ones. If you don’t refresh your pest control periodically, pests will eventually start finding their way back in.

Flying Pests Are Hard to Stop

The majority of pest control is performed at ground level, where the crawling creatures of the world will have no choice but to navigate through it. Here’s the problem: not all pests are restricted to the ground. Bugs with the ability to fly can often go right over pest prevention barriers. And because treating your home’s entire exterior is highly impractical, there really isn’t any way to avoid this.

The best way to stop flying pests is to carefully inspect your home and to work to seal off any obvious entrances these pests might use to get in. Look for large cracks in your siding, holes in your walls, gaps around windows, and even worn-out ventilation covers that might allow a bug to get in.

Not All Pest Control Solutions Stop All Pests

Pest control perimeter treatments are great for stopping all kinds of bugs and insects. However, they aren’t great at stopping larger mammals like rats and mice. The chemicals in these treatment products are simply not strong enough to ward off vermin. Likewise, a mousetrap isn’t going to stop a cockroach. They are too small and light to trigger a trap, and they’re not likely to get stuck in one because of their smaller size. When it comes to pest control, one size does not fit all, and this is why a good pest control plan will be multi-faceted to counter all types of pest threats.

New Problems Emerge Over Time

If you initially applied your pest product to protect your home against bugs, you might be surprised when your problem has evolved to one of mice in your pantry. Pest control is never stagnant, and new pest threats can emerge really at any time. So while you may have targeted one particular type of pest and done so fairly well, your current pest solution might not be ideal for the new pests that have found their way to your home.

Your Pest Control Wasn’t Applied Properly

Finally, we get to what might be the most logical reason why a recent pest control treatment may not be working: your pest solution wasn’t applied correctly. This is an extremely common occurrence with DIY pest control solutions. When you have a pro take care of the application, you can be sure that the products used were applied appropriately. That means you will more than likely see a significant reduction in pests within the days and weeks that follow the treatment.

However, DIY pest control applications leave room for error. This isn’t uncommon or unexpected—unless you’re a trained pest pro, making mistakes is easier than you might think. Something as simple as missing a spot, aiming in the wrong area, or simply not treating the appropriate location around your home can be enough to leave pests with a path into your home. The best way to avoid this is simply to read the instructions on your product and follow them as closely as you can. For example, if you purchase a liquid product that requires you to dilute the solution with water, be sure to carefully measure out the solution and water so you get your mixture as close to the recommended level as possible. Likewise, some granule treatments require that you water your lawn after applying to start dissolving the product. Failing to do so can prevent the product from ever really working at all.