An organic pest control plan designed to work the whole year round is something the average homeowner won’t normally consider essential. Out of sight, out of mind—that’s the common mindset homeowners have regarding house pests until, of course, they experience a major pest infestation. Then they’ll be on their phones calling every pest control technician in town, hoping to get the first available service that will solve their pest issue fast and quick.

What every homeowner needs to know is that pest control is never a one-shot deal. Pest populations aren’t completely eliminated in a single treatment, nor do pests decide to take vacations and spare your home. Different pests prefer different seasons and may become inactive during certain times of the year, but they’re just there hidden somewhere ready to strike when conditions become more favorable.

For this reason, every home must have a year-round organic pest control plan to remain clean, safe, and pest-free at all times. Unfortunately, most homeowners only address their immediate pest control needs once a pest issue goes out of hand. The moment they think the pest problem is under control, they do away with maintenance treatments, thinking the problem no longer exists. With the guards down, house pests pull together once more and wait for an opportunity to invade. It’s just a matter of time before an infestation becomes imminent again. And the cycle goes on and on.

How will I benefit from a year-round organic pest control plan?

Every home is at risk of infestations from pests such as ants, spiders, rodents, and cockroaches, among many others. Even the newest homes aren’t spared from pest attacks. Older homes, of course, are more prone to pest issues, and keeping unwanted critters at bay is often a greater challenge in these locations. Just the same—old or new—every home will benefit from having a well-thought-out, year-round organic pest control plan for completely stress-free living.

Here are just some of the benefits of having a year-round organic pest control plan for your home:

1. Cleanliness and sanitation. There’s really no need to go deeper into this—a pest-free home is a clean and sanitary home. Rodents and cockroaches go through garbage and breed in sewers, so having to clean up their droppings on your shelves, counters, and cabinets is short of a waking nightmare. That’s not to mention the disgusting smell of rat urine or cockroach feces reeking in the air around your home!
2. Protection against structural and property damage. The US Environmental Protection Agency reports that billions of dollars in structural and property damage are caused by termites, carpenter ants, and rodents every year. Wood is the primary food source of termites and they’ll feed on anything wooden in your home—walls, floors, cabinets, and furniture. And while carpenter ants don’t eat wood, they’ll hollow out wooden stuff to build their nests. Rats and mice will also nibble on wood, metal PVC, and even soft concrete. They’re also known to chew on electrical insulation, causing short circuits and even house fires.
   
   
3. Protection against health issues and diseases. Asthma and other allergies are often attributed to the presence of pests in the home. Rodents can transmit leptospirosis, Hantavirus, and salmonella. Your family could also be at risk for mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, West Nile virus, and Zika virus.  Cockroaches can spread typhoid fever, dysentery, and cholera while ants are vectors of bacteria, E. coli, Shigella, and other food-borne diseases. All the more reason why you need a year-round organic pest control plan!
4. Avoiding the high cost of emergency pest treatments. A year-round organic pest control plan is no doubt more cost-efficient compared to emergency pest treatments that will cost you an arm and a leg. It can get very expensive to address full-blown pest infestations so prevention is always better than a cure.
5. Ease of scheduling. A year-round organic pest control plan allows for more flexibility, especially for people who work around very tight timelines. This is particularly valuable for those who are frequently sent on business trips or field assignments, or even those who travel overseas at certain times of the year. Following the initial treatment, the chances of having to deal with pest outbreaks are very low to nil. As a result, these homeowners can schedule pest control maintenance services at their most convenient time.

My home is in Oregon. What pests should I focus on in my year-round organic pest control plan?

Oregon is home to many critters, but there are more common pests that become active at different times of the year. Among those you should be on the lookout for if you live somewhere in Beaverton or surrounding cities in the Portland Metro Area are small black ants, carpenter ants, rodents, and spiders.

Small Black Ants

While they are more of a nuisance, small black ants are especially difficult to get rid of. These voracious food hunters are so tiny and can get into your home through the smallest cracks and crevices in their quest for a food source. Besides mopping up floors and wiping off tables and kitchen counters, it’s advisable to treat the interior of your home to prevent these pests from coming inside. Your home perimeter will also need to be treated to eliminate pheromone trails and create a barrier which small black ants will not want to traverse.

Ant bait stations work best to eliminate small black ants for the long term. They need to be replenished on a regular basis because active ingredients used in ant bait stations typically break down in 90 days or less. For this reason, quarterly treatments are recommended in a year-round organic pest control plan to maintain a constant barrier that will prevent re-entry and recurring infestations.

Best time to treat: Spring and early summer with follow-up towards the fall

Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants are actually beneficial ants if they remain in their ideal environment. In forested areas, this particular ant species chew through and help break down fallen trees to make way for new tree growth. But when carpenter ants find their way to peoples’ homes, they can become an enormous problem.

As mentioned earlier, carpenter ants can bring about serious structural damage as they burrow through wooden structures to build their nests. That is why quick action is vital if you notice the presence of carpenter ants in your home. Just like small black ants, carpenter ants are best dealt with using ant bait stations. You need to eliminate the entire nest or colony hidden somewhere near your home, and ant bait stations enable worker carpenter ants to share the toxic substances with the rest of the colony and eventually their queen.

It is also important to note that carpenter ants have a special preference for moist wood so another preventive measure to keep them at bay would be to waterproof your home. A year-round organic pest control plan will also help you stave off carpenter ants.

Best time to treat: Spring and early summer with follow-up towards the fall

Rodents

The two most common rodent species infesting homes around Oregon are the Norway rat and roof rat. These instinctively sneaky critters are nocturnal feeders, so it’s hard to spot them until you notice they’ve chewed through walls, cabinets, and even plastic and concrete to find food or build their nests. Because these rats eat a lot, their urine and droppings can stain and leave an unpleasant odor in drawers, cabinets, and other cluttered areas of your home like your attic and garage.  A more serious threat, however, is that rats are vectors of diseases that can be passed on to humans and pets, some of which can even be life-threatening.

The combined use of rat baits, glue boards, and mouse traps is the most effective method to annihilate rodents on your property and should form part of your year-round organic pest control plan. Frequent inspection of both the interior and exterior of your home is also vital in preventing and controlling a rat infestation. Don’t be deceived by the size of these pesky critters—they can squeeze their bodies through small openings just the size of a penny or a dime. That’s why it is very important to seal all possible entry points from top to bottom. That means a thorough inspection of your roof, ceiling, eaves, doors, windows, crawl spaces, and even the small gaps where electrical wiring and pipes pass through.

Best time to treat: Spring

Spiders

Besides the common house spider that’s more of a nuisance pest because of the webs they spin, Oregon residents should also be on the lookout for black widows and brown recluse spiders. Both spiders are typically non-aggressive but will bite when their webs are disturbed or when they get tangled up in clothes or bedding. Black widow venom can cause nausea, difficult breathing, and muscle pains. Venom from brown recluse spider bites, on the other hand, can give rise to severe skin lesions and systemic symptoms. In rare instances, bites from the brown recluse can be fatal.

Sticky traps placed strategically in areas with heavy spider traffic should be part of your year-round organic pest control plan. Placing them in areas where webs abound is also advisable in preventing an infestation. Regular vacuuming and de-cluttering will help keep spider populations in check. Spiders also abhor the smell of eucalyptus and peppermint, so you may also try using essential oils as deterrents.

Best time to treat: Fall and winter

What will a year-round organic pest control plan look like?

Effective pest control is really more about prevention so the key to a successful year-round organic pest control plan is to discourage pests from entering your home, to begin with. This is best done as the beginning of spring unfolds.

Spring into Early Summer

Insects and rodents emerge from inactivity after the cold weather so the start of spring is the best time to do initial pest control treatments in your home.

What must be done as part of your year-round organic pest control plan:

• Conduct a thorough inspection of your home exterior for possible pest entry points as well as signs of a potential infestation.
• Be on the lookout for pest activity signals inside the home in order to catch an infestation early on.
• Contact a licensed pest control technician to carry out preventive treatment on your foundation, roofline, and entry points.

Middle to Late Summer

Pest activity is at its highest during the hottest summer months of Oregon. Insects and rodents are in a frantic search for food and hoarding supplies to last them through the winter. Ants, in particular, will be starting colonies and building nests that can withstand the elements.

What must be done as part of your year-round organic pest control plan:

• Have a licensed pest control technician carry out a follow-up treatment on your home exterior around 90 days from the previous session to deter pests from entering your home.
• Conduct a thorough inspection of your yard and patio. Check outdoor furniture, play structures, and other fixtures for any signs of insect and pest activity.

Autumn

Rodents will become more active as the weather turns cooler. Ants that may have multiplied and built colonies during the summer will need extra attention as fall approaches.

What must be done as part of your year-round organic pest control plan:

• Reinforce your external perimeter barrier by continuing to treat your home exterior.
• Pay extra attention to any sign of rodents inside the home. If their presence is confirmed, put out rat baits and glue boards to prevent an infestation.
• Spiders and ants may begin to show up in larger numbers. If they do, place ant bait stations and sticky traps where these pests tend to converge.

Winter

Pests will tend to seek shelter inside your home as the weather gets colder outside. Rodents remain active during the winter months while insects remain dormant all throughout.

What must be done as part of your year-round organic pest control plan:

• If you are to store outdoor furniture and other fixtures during the winter, make sure you clean them out thoroughly before bringing them into your storage area.
• Continue trapping or baiting for mice and rats if you notice rodent activity. Urine and droppings are a telltale sign of their presence in your home.
• Carry out preventive treatment inside your home to avoid insect activity once winter turns into spring.

Will I be able to carry out a year-round organic pest control plan on my own?

Putting together and implementing an effective year-round organic pest control plan may seem daunting for the average homeowner. With a little extra effort and dedication, however, anyone will find success in keeping their home pest-free through all seasons of the year.

Before embarking on your own year-round pest control plan, there are a few questions you need to ask yourself:

1. Are you knowledgeable about safety issues associated with pest control?
2. Do you have the equipment necessary to carry out pest control treatments?
3. Do you know which products are safe to use in your home?
4. Are you ready to purchase products that are normally sold in bulk?
5. Do you know how to apply these products properly?

These are just a few things you need to consider and if you think coming up with a year-round organic pest control plan by yourself can become a headache, engaging the services of an experienced pest control specialist might be the better option.

Season-to-Season Professional Organic Pest Control

If you need professional help with your year-round organic pest control plan, ANT & GARDEN ORGANIC PEST CONTROL in Beaverton, Oregon offers seasonal pest control treatments that will address any pest problem you have. We only use organic and eco-friendly pest control products that deliver long-lasting results to keep your home pest-free all year round.

Everything in our pest control arsenal is safe for your family and pets so you need not worry about the hazards and health risks typically associated with traditional pest control.  Best of all, we offer a NO PEST GUARANTEE between treatments—we will come over for any pest issue that may come up at no added cost. 

Give us a call today at 503-713-9590 so we can discuss your pest problem and help you put together your own organic pest control plan that will keep your home pest-free the whole year through.