When you think of a pest, you could be thinking of mice or rats, termites, bed bugs, or cockroaches in many places. However, when factual and accurate pest control methods get passed around from person to person and from the USDA to an FAQ page on Reddit, these facts can quickly change to myths that aren’t effective in rodent control and dealing with your pest problems. We talk about five common myths spread about our pests here in Arizona that have been fact-checked by scientific research and are accepted by the general public to be accurate.
Cheese Bait Mousetraps
For the last 2,000 years, it has been stereotyped that you can catch a mouse with cheese. While that is true, they prefer sweeter food, grains, and fruit. Peanut butter might be more effective, according to research conducted at the Manchester Metropolitan University. Unfortunately, we don’t know where the cheese myth came from, so if you can’t catch that pesky floorboard rat with cheese, try offering them something tastier.
Brick Homes Built on Concrete Slabs Are Safe From Termites
Since almost all homes in Arizona have wooden frames, termites are provided with a home and food. Indeed, they cannot eat through the concrete slab, but they can fit through the cracks in the concrete and work their way up. The potential points of entry aren’t often seen by the human resident and are hidden, but the termites can still find their way into the home if the wood is separated from the ground. Termite inspections can help find the pests way in.
Cockroaches Will Only Infest Dirty Houses
Even the cleanest of homes in Arizona can experience a cockroach infestation. Since cockroaches can run up to three miles per hour, they can quickly bring disease and bacteria from your neighbors home to yours, no matter how clean your house may be. Cockroaches will use small crevices to enter, including pets’ doorways. They pick up diseases from just about any surface since they continually are in contact with contaminated surfaces.
Bed Bugs Only Bite at Night
One of the most bothersome pests in Arizona is said to be the notorious bed bug. Out of all the hosts, humans are preferred over pets. They wait in the environment hiding until they sense activity or movement, then they attack and feed on blood when the people in the house are resting. Common bed bug myths are when they feed and where they live.
Since they are nocturnal insects, they prefer darkness and enjoy finding residence under the mattress, behind wallpaper, and in the small crevices of the floorboard. They might also be seen in couches and recliners, where people are often at rest. Bed bugs will attack and feed at any time when they feel the host is at rest or asleep, including when you are binging Netflix on the sofa.
Bed Bugs Only Occur in Dirty Homes
Since these bed bugs are so small and prefer humans to feed on, they don’t care about the state of your home. They can be seen in the fanciest of hotels or the run-down and abandoned home in the woods. They have even been seen in Arizona schools, libraries, restaurants, hotels, and theaters, to name a few locations.
Bonus Myth!
You don’t need knowledgeable technicians and professional service for your pest control needs. Don’t wait until an infestation to call effective service to your home, be proactive with those pests!
Locally owned, call our team at Horn Pest Management for the best service!