Savvy homeowners have noticed that pests have become more present in the home over the past few years. This is largely due to warm weather and, now, as highlighted by the Asbury Park Press, the warm spring is set to create an explosion in pest numbers. There are numerous pests that will impact New Jersey homes, from wasps and cockroaches to rats and moths. The key to enjoying the spring and having the home come out of it in as good a state as it entered is through planning to minimize the risk.
Triaging the problem
You never completely remove pests from the property; they can only be moved away, and managed to levels that aren’t immediately impactful. As such, it’s important to instead triage the pests you do have and take action with the time you have at hand. The most important category to first address are deadly pests. Black widows and brown recluse spiders feature in the list of most dangerous pests, alongside wasps and hornets. Tackling these pests, with professional help, is crucial. After that, it’s important to look at the most pressing regional threats. For New Jersey, the most obvious is, clearly, the spotted lanternfly. As NJ.com highlights, state authorities have asked homeowners and others to actively destroy spotted lanternfly populations. That’s a good place to start in your home, not least because they can have a huge impact on trees and other plants that make up the beauty of green spaces.
Tackling rats
Alongside the pressing issues that insects pose is that most classic of pest varieties – rats. These rodents have put more and more pressure on homeowners as urbanization expands and extreme weather leaves colonies behind. Indeed, NJ 101.5 highlighted the community of Manville, which had been overtaken by rat colonies following Hurricane Ida. As with other larger pests, it’s really important that homeowners undertake a holistic pest management strategy to remove any infestations and protect their property throughout the future. This can be achieved, chiefly, through integrated pest management.
Making it professional
Looking at how businesses manage their pest control measures can impart useful wisdom on management in the home. This can chiefly be achieved through integrated pest management, or IPM, which the Environmental Protection Agency recommends as the best way to maintain pest control year-round. Rather than simply looking at remedial or preventative action, IPM brings together an action point system – where the homeowner formulates a standard at which they will take action. This, in conjunction with preventative action and regular reviews of what’s needed to keep the home secure, comes together into a consistently managed system that keeps the home safe.
Pest control is undoubtedly tough labor – but it’s worth the effort put in. Protecting personal health, and protecting homes, is well worth the discipline it takes to keep pests truly at bay. As New Jersey faces down the impact of ever increasing pest levels, prepared homeowners will be the happiest.
