A myth is a story that’s spread around enough that it becomes a part of the collective consciousness. Everybody knows of them, even though they’re often exaggerations, misunderstandings, or outright falsehoods. Examples include the idea that lightning can’t strike the same place twice, or that elephants are afraid of mice. You read these things and you go, “Yeah, I’ve heard that somewhere! Must be true.” The thing is: it’s not!
Unsurprisingly, there are all kinds of myths about pests and pest control. We want to debunk five of the most widespread pest control myths. Unlearning silly myths and learning the truth will help you better protect your business from pests of all kinds. And that’s what we’re all about. Let’s get started with a classic:
Myth #1: You should put cheese in mouse traps.
The idea that mice love cheese is so widespread that you probably can’t remember where you heard it first. Don’t get us wrong, either, it’s not that mice dislike cheese. They’re scavengers: they like all food.
The thing is, cheese isn’t any more appealing to rodents than any other potential bait food. In fact, if you are looking for good mouse bait, look for foods with higher sugar content. Dried fruit, peanut butter, or other sweets draw out mice much better than dairy or protein.
Myth #2: If you can’t see them, they aren’t there.
Some of the most problematic pests a business can face are the ones that stay hidden. Termites and carpenter ants, for example, are known for feasting on the insides of walls. Bed bugs are nocturnal and don’t come out to feed during the day when you’d probably see them.
Successful pest prevention needs to go beyond just “keeping an eye out.” Investing in regular inspections so you’re ahead of possible pest problems is always the best option. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, especially when it comes to pests.
Myth #3: Bug zappers effectively reduce mosquito problems.
Bug zappers don’t really work when it comes to quelling mosquito populations. Why? First, they usually use ultraviolet light to attract insects. Mosquitos aren’t attracted to ultraviolet light. The light will attract other insects, bugs and pests, but not mosquitos.
Additionally, zappers usually don’t have enough power to actually kill the bugs they draw in. This means that they can actually increase some bug problems. They’ll draw in insects without killing them–and then those insects will spread out around your business.
Myth #4: All bees can only sting once.
First things first: yes, honey bees can only sting once. Only honey bees. Other varieties of bee, wasp, and hornet can sting to their heart’s’ content. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you’re safe just because you’ve suffered a singular sting. Another could be coming right behind it.
Myth #5: If your space is clean, you’ll never have a pest problem.
Unfortunately, even spotlessly clean businesses aren’t necessarily safe from pest infestations. Pests aren’t necessarily drawn to filth. Instead, they’re looking for food, water, and shelter. Messy business may have more food, water, and shelter available, but that doesn’t mean your clean store doesn’t have any.
When you’re cleaning your store or business, keep what pests want in mind. Try your best to pointedly deprive prospective pests of the things they’d come looking for. If you can deprive pests of the resources they did, they’ll go elsewhere to find them.
The biggest pest control myth of them all is that can always handle pest infestations on your own. Sometimes the best solution is to call up the professionals and let them help. If your business needs help addressing a pest problem, give Assured Environments a call any time.