Home Inspection Property Zip Code
Home Inspection Property Zip Code
Houses and apartments are often hosts to common pests such as cockroaches, fleas, termites, ants, mice, and rats. Pests can be a health hazard to you, your family, and your pets. It’s easy to understand why you may need and want to control them. Nowadays, you can choose from many different methods as you plan your strategy for controlling pests. Sometimes a non-chemical method of control is as effective and convenient as a chemical alternative. For many pests, total elimination is almost impossible, but it is possible to control them. Knowing your options is the key to pest control. Methods available to you include pest prevention, non-chemical pest controls, and chemical pesticides. The most effective strategy for controlling pests may be to combine methods in an approach known as integrated pest management (IPM) that emphasizes preventing pest damage. In IPM, information about pests and available pest control methods is used to manage pest damage by the most economical means and with the least possible hazard to people, property, and the environment. (The IPM approach is presented more fully in EPA's Citizens Guide to Pest Control and Pesticide Safety.)
[note: The IAQ Tools for Schools Kit's "IAQ Coordinator's Guide" outlines how to implement an Integrated Pest Management program.]
Preventing Pest Problems
Pests seek places to live that satisfy basic needs for air, moisture, food, and shelter. The best way to control pests is to try to prevent them from entering your home or garden in the first place. You can do this by removing the elements that they need to survive. Remodeling and renovation offer opportunities to take the following preventive actions to prevent indoor pest problems:
For more information see EPA's Citizens Guide to Pest Control and Pesticide Safety
