Here’s why our Integrated Pest Management approach works
There’s the easy way of doing things, and then there’s the right way of doing things. When it comes to pest control in Phoenix, AZ, KY-KO Pest Prevention believes in the latter. Thanks to our Integrated Pest Management approach that looks at your home and pest management holistically, we are able to use less insecticide, making for a safer and more environmentally friendly approach to pest control.
In this article, we’ll review our strategic approach to fighting pests, and what makes us the Valley’s trusted name in environmentally safe pest control.
Our Integrated Pest Management approach
Many homeowner’s first instinct is to grab a store-bought can of pesticide, go to town, and then call our team in for help when that approach (inevitably) doesn’t work. In a vast majority of cases for a majority of pests found here in the Valley, a chemical-only approach is only going to get you so far. Insecticides only kill off the current population, and they often do not have lasting effects. Their impact on tougher pests like bark scorpions in marginal at best. If you want to truly defeat pests, you need a strategy.
That’s where KY-KO comes into the picture. Our pest technicians have years of experience helping homeowners banish pests from their home. It’s not just spray-and-pray, either. Here are just some of the factors we consider when developing a pest management plan for your home:
Physical entry
All pests, from large ones like roof rats and pigeons to the smallest termites, need a point of entry into your home. In many cases, blocking pest entry can be a very effective means of keeping pests outside. For roof rats, this means checking the mesh over weep-holes; for a termite infestation, we’ll need to trench to block access to the foundation of your home.
Many homeowners with scorpion problems would be surprised at the relative ease with which scorpions simply waltzed into their home. Pests can fit into amazing tight spaces—block those and, when paired with the other strategies on this list, you’re on the path to a pest-free future.
Our home sealing services is a way of addressing all physical entry points in one service. We highly recommend it for both new home builds and current homes.
Water, food, and shelter denial
Pests enter your home seeking one, two, or all of those things. Deny it to them, and chances are that they’ll be deterred from staying in your home. Again, the strategy here will depend on the pest and your home. Take roof rats, for instance: these rodents love citrus trees. We’ll advise that you pick up dropped citrus as soon as possible and trim branches that reach to the roof. You’ll also want to stow pet food and water inside, and remove common nesting places like overgrown bushes or stacked lumber.
Roaches are trickier. A clean home can help by cutting off their access to food. Deal with roaches and crickets, and you’ll also deny bark scorpions—their predator—a meal. Pigeons are looking for shelter on your roof—some spikes installed by our team are a humane way of deterring them from keeping your roof as a landing spot.
In fact, the only pest you can’t cut off food to is termites and bed bugs. The former are after your home, the latter are after your blood. That brings us to the third pillar of our strategy.
Pesticide
When paired with other means of getting rid of pests, strategic application of pesticides can be a good way to set up barriers and kill of current populations. Here’s what makes KY-KO different from a lot of others who do pest control in Phoenix, AZ: we spray judiciously and in a way that’s mindful of the impact of insecticide.
All of the EPA-approved pest control solutions we use are fast-drying and safe to be around after they have dried. Your pest technician will give you appropriate time ranges for each and let you know how long you should keep pets and children away form the targeted area. When possible and depending on the pest, we may only need to spray around the perimeter of the home or in a very specific area.
Trust the company with a plan: KY-KO
Where companies that just spray for insects fail, KY-KO Pest Prevention succeeds. Not only do we get rid of the current pest problem, but our holistic, multifaceted approach to pest control helps prevent future infestations. It’s right there in our name: prevention.
If you suspect you have pests or want to learn more about our home sealing service, give us a call today. We offer free pest inspections here in the Phoenix metro area.