People have a variety of reactions to seeing an insect inside their home. Some people see a cockroach, scream and run away. Others may spend the rest of the day feeling like something is crawling on their skin. Regardless of your reaction, most people agree that they don’t want to share their home with nasty critters. Contacting a pest control company is the first step in ridding your home of invaders.

A pest control company will send someone to your home to assess the problem. The exterminator will take a look at the areas where he sees insects. He or she will also go into the tight spaces, check the walls, and look for other places where insects or rodents might hide. In addition, the exterminator will also look for signs such as droppings or slough to determine which insects have infiltrated your home.

Based on the inspection findings, the exterminator will make recommendations on how to eliminate these intruders. The most common options are to spray pest control agents, set traps, or attempt to gas the critters out of the structure. The method used will depend on the type of insect, the extent of the infestation, and how far it has spread within your home.

Some homeowners may want to try to eliminate an infestation on their own before consulting with a pest control company. Although there are various bug sprays available at home improvement stores, exterminators caution that these are only temporary fixes. Professionals also often discover that their clients do not use commercial chemicals, traps, and baits effectively.

By contrast, professional exterminators are trained to identify insects at various stages of their lives. They also know where insects hide, how often they breed, and where to find their nests. As a result, they know which chemicals will be effective, where to use them, and how they should be applied.

In addition to having your home checked regularly by a pest control company, there are a number of things you should do to keep bugs at bay. Insects can sneak in through cracks or gaps around the exterior of your home. A professional exterminator can walk through your home and identify places where bugs enter and make recommendations on how to seal those areas. He or she can advise you to keep your garage door closed or repair broken window screens.

Other precautionary measures include weatherstripping the bottom of doors, sealing holes or cracks on the exterior of your home, or attaching attic vents and foundations with chicken wire. Also, standing pools of water around your house are breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Look for places where water has collected after rain, and also remember to change the water in a birdbath every three days.

Work with your exterminator to get rid of the bugs infesting your home. An effective regimen means you no longer have to run and hide from cockroaches and other crawling insects.