Raleigh Homeowners' Guide to Eco-Friendly Pest Control

Pest infestations can cause a lot of problems for your home in Raleigh; unfortunately, so can some of the common methods used to remove them. Traditional chemical pesticides are effective for getting rid of pests but may also cause harm to your family and the local environment. That's why more and more homeowners are instead opting to work with eco-friendly pest control companies.

Eco-friendly pest control is a broad term that can refer to several different methods of pest management, all of which avoid the use of toxic chemicals. If you'd like to learn more about some of these methods and why you should choose eco-friendly pest control for your Raleigh home, read on.

Effective Eco-Friendly Pest Control Methods

• Exclusion Barriers

Eco-friendly pest control often places emphasis on pest exclusion. Installing physical barriers over places that commonly serve as pest entry points can keep all pest species, from tiny ants to big rats, from crawling into your home. Screens over windows and mesh covers over vents can reliably prevent pest intrusion. If bugs have been creeping in around window and door frames, applying fresh sealant or flashing can keep them out.

• Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth is a fine powdery substance made from fossilized algae that is often used for eco-friendly pest control in the Raleigh area. Though harmless to people and pets, this surprisingly sharp powder can be lethal to many species of pests. Diatomaceous earth damages the exoskeletons of insects like ants and bed bugs, resulting in them fatally dehydrating. Sprinkling diatomaceous earth in areas where pests are entering your home can effectively exterminate them.

• Traps

Unlike pesticides, using traps to exterminate pests poses no risk of harm to your family, your pets or beneficial native species. Many different traps exist for all types of pests found in Raleigh, including rodents, cockroaches, spiders, and ants. These traps are often baited with a substance that lures in pests and, upon ingestion, releases a toxin that kills the pest. Other traps may be designed to kill pests physically or using electricity. Regardless of the means of elimination, traps are a dependable eco-friendly alternative to spraying toxic chemicals.

• Boric Acid

Boric acid is an acidic crystalline compound that is lethally toxic to many insects but is nearly harmless to people and their pets unless directly ingested. Using boric acid can be effective for exterminating ants, roaches, and termites. Apply the substance to pest entry points so they'll ingest it as they enter your home in Raleigh or mix it in with bait left out for pests. Boric acid will cause critical damage to pests' bodies from within, killing them in a matter of days.

• Essential Oils

Eco-friendly pest control revolves around deterring pests as much as exterminating them. Many essential oils that have a pleasant smell to our noses are utterly repellent to pests. Essential oils derived from plants such as lavender, eucalyptus, and peppermint can be used to drive away pests ranging from spiders to mosquitoes. Spray a solution created from water and your choice of oil around areas of your home where you've noticed pest activity to keep the bugs away.

• Botanical Insecticides

By contrast to traditional chemical insecticides, botanical insecticides like neem oil and pyrethrin are an eco-friendly way to solve your pest problems. Because they are derived naturally from plants, botanical pesticides will usually break down quickly after use and carry little to no risk of harm for people and pets. Different botanical insecticides work best against different pests; for example, neem oil is most effective for plant-eating pests like aphids and spider mites, while pyrethrin works well against flying insects like flies and mosquitoes.

Reliable Eco-Friendly Pest Control Company in Raleigh

At Sustainable Pest Systems, we can provide all types of eco-friendly pest control to help you resolve your pest issues without having a negative impact on our ecosystem. Get in touch with us today if you're interested in professional eco-friendly pest control services in the greater Raleigh area!