Blog

When Nothing Else Helps: Pesticide Application in Austin, TX Homes

Successful Pesticides Application as the Last Step

Many pest exterminators come out to your property, spray toxic pesticides, and move on to their next appointment. But pesticide application is a bandaid – a temporary stopgap for your pest control and prevention problem. Moreover, not every pesticide works for every pest. Some even harm the environment and the insects and critters you want to protect, like honey bees.

YardDoc offers you an integrated approach to managing pests – that is, a range of actions and exclusion methods that make your personal space less attractive and inaccessible to pests. Pesticides are the last step, when needed, to manage your pest problem. And here’s how we use them so effectively.

Responsible Use of Pesticides

Organic

We use organic pesticides as far as practicable and take into account the environmental impact of your particular space.

Specific

We only use pesticides where necessary, and then only the most appropriate product designed for a specific purpose.

Minimal

We use the minimal quantity of pesticides required to achieve the desired result.

Environmental Impact

Examples of environmental impact considerations include:

Using rodenticides labeled as non-secondary poisons. Meaning that the rodent control bait is safer for secondary animals that could consume the bait by eating the poisoned rodent.
Using pesticides that do not have an overly long residual or half-life. Therefore, they have a shorter-term impact on the environment.
Avoiding pesticides that are non-specific and have a broader impact on non-target species of plants or animals.
Avoiding pesticide applications when weather conditions are not favorable for that specific application. For example, windy conditions may cause pesticide drift onto non-target sites, rain can cause run-off, and heat and humidity need to be factored in to avoid vaporization and drift.

Targeted Pest Entry Points

When working with any structure, the YardDoc approach is to stop pests before they get inside. You’ll find this method more acceptable to occupants as they don’t see pests, dead or alive.

But it also means that less pesticide is used inside the structure, minimizing pesticide-people opportunities for contact.

How do you stop pests before they get inside your home?

First, make the interior less attractive to pests.
Second, make it more difficult for pests to get inside.
- Seal up the exterior correctly (i.e., no open cracks, weep holes, utility openings).
- Make access to the exterior less accessible (i.e., bushes and branches cut back, managing vegetation around the structure; don’t mulch up to the structure, use vent and drain covers, clean gutters regularly).
Third, surround your home or building with barrier protection. For instance, apply a weather-resistant pesticide barrier around the house that stops insects from crossing it.
Fourth, where necessary, bait for pests around the perimeter of the structure to kill any in the vicinity.

Organic Pesticides

YardDoc applies pesticides that range from 100% organic to generally greater than 99% organic. That said, even 100%-organic products can be an irritant to highly-sensitive or chemically-intolerant people. Thus, it is a good practice to notify your pest technician if anyone is highly sensitive. In light of this, it makes sense to avoid all pesticide applications until the product has dried.

How long do pesticides last?

Pesticides can last from a few hours to infinity, depending on the product and quantity used. Most products these days have a limited lifespan in the environment because it is broken down by microbes, weather, sunlight, and other natural elements. Sunlight has a double impact as sunlight/heat increases microbial activity and also drives photodegradation. Some pesticides are designed with nano-coatings to protect the active ingredient from the elements. Nano-coatings can increase its half-life and can be a useful feature for exterior treatments.

Given that pesticides used inside structures will have less exposure to the elements, they will generally last a lot longer indoors. A longer life cycle is another reason why interior pest treatments should only be done on an as-needed basis and then at a considerably reduced frequency.

Get in touch with YardDoc for effective organic treatment. We offer urban wildlife removal, and mosquito control, as well as bugs, insects, rats, and mice. Your certified Pest Technician provides you with a no-cost inspection of your home to develop a personalized pest management solution for you.