Four Key Takeaways from LakewoodAlive’s “Knowing Your Home: Managing Pests” Workshop
March 28, 2017
Unwanted houseguests tend to make themselves at home in your residence with greater regularity as spring weather arrives. That’s why LakewoodAlive hosted its “Knowing Your Home: Managing Pests” free workshop on March 25, drawing more than 25 attendees to the Lakewood Public Library Auditorium.
Shawn Payne of Lakewood Exterminating provided a presentation regarding pest control.
Shawn Payne, owner of Lakewood Exterminating and a longtime expert on pest control, provided a PowerPoint presentation regarding the wide variety of critters commonly found in Lakewood homes. Shawn equipped attendees with insight regarding identifying household pests, as well as adopting a holistic approach for treating your pest problem.
If you happened to miss this particular workshop, we’ve got you covered. Here are four key takeaways from “Knowing Your Home: Managing Pests.”
1. Know thy enemy.
Before you can apply the appropriate control measures to treat a pest problem, you must properly identify the pest at hand. This is necessary so that you can deprive a particular pest of what it needs from its environment. While various pests can be found in our region, the most common pests in Lakewood are Norway rats, carpenter ants, orb weaving spiders, squirrels and bed bugs.
2. Take a holistic approach to pest control.
Treat your home for pests; don’t only treat the pests inside. Every living organism needs the following in order to survive: Food, shelter and water. If you can eliminate one of these three necessities, then you’ll rid yourself of your pest.
3. Determine your method of control.
There are three different methods of control you can utilize for addressing your pest problem. Cultural control involves manipulating a pest’s environment, mechanical control involves removing a pest manually by hand and chemical control involves the use of pesticides to control a pest population. You can formulate your control plan based on your timetable for control and monetary budget.
4. Use your head, not a spray can.
Many organic products are allergens. They repel insects in the same way as over-the-counter sprays. Utilize these products, as opposed to pesticides, for cost-effective treatment of insect problems.