I'm often asked by homeowners, "Should I do my own pest control?" When I visit a problem home often I hear, "It makes more sense to do my own pest control" or "I could not see paying someone to walk around my home with a can of spray when I can purchase a gallon of pesticide and do it myself for less than $5 dollars.
" My response is usually something along the lines of "if you were paying someone to walk around your house to spray for insects you have made a wise choice.
Paying $5 for a gallon of pesticide and spraying it yourself is a much better value and will yield the same results.
" Sadly many homeowners are paying $25-$50 per month for this type of service and local exterminators are doing a great business.
Services like this seem to be the norm in the Phoenix area.
Consumers looking to save a few bucks and gain a foot hold in the war on pests latch on to these types of services.
Many become disappointed and set out down the Do-it-yourself (DIY) trail.
Large box stores like Home Depot and Lowes have recognized this market dedicating entire isles to pest control products.
Consumers unaware of the chemical makeup of the pesticide(s) usually make their selection based upon the picture of the insect on the container.
If the picture is that of the insect they see around their home marketers know they will purchase it.
The more menacing the insect the higher the price for the product.
Even more interesting is that in Arizona two containers with the same pesticide but different insect pictures made by the same company will have different prices.
Containers with Scorpions are usually on the higher end of the price range and crickets on the lower end.
Marketers know the more poisonous the insect the more consumers will pay.
Marketers are aware of the liability that consumer used pesticides pose and as a result dilution rates are much lower.
Effectiveness of over-the-counter (OTC) pesticides is greatly reduced with lower dilution rates.
In the Arizona sun the entire effectiveness of an OTC pesticide is lost when it dries, leaving a homeowner with no residual protection.
Homeowners are better served when they hire a professional exterminator.
One that takes the time to thoroughly inspect your home identifying:

1. conditions conducive to insect populations
2. access points to your home
3. all target species of insects

Correcting the first two is every bit as critical to targeting the species of insects to be treated.
Combining these three steps will provide a successful service with long term protection and minimize unnecessary exposure to harsh chemicals.
Targeting the proper species of insect allows an experienced exterminator to select the right combination of pesticide and baits.