As a homeowner, you'll probably need pest control services at some point. Even if you're careful about what you bring home and keep your house clean, ants, roaches, and other bugs can find their way inside and multiply. Here are some pest control services you could need to get rid of bugs and prevent their return.

One-Time Treatments

If you get a bed bug infestation or drywood termites, you might just need a one-time treatment. For bed bugs, you might need a whole-house heat treatment. For drywood termites, you might need your house tented and filled with termiticide fog. When you have a pest infestation of any kind, the pest control service works to eradicate it. Sometimes, special treatments are needed. Other times, general pest control treatments may work that also work on a variety of other bugs.

Scheduled Pest Control Services

There are advantages to having scheduled pest control treatments throughout the year. By having residual pesticide applied, stray bugs are killed so they don't have a chance to multiply into a big infestation. General pest control treatments keep your home free from bugs and keep away spiders and other predators that move in to feast on the bugs. Scheduled pest treatments are a form of prevention, and prevention is the best way to deal with bugs.

Exclusion Services

Pest control companies often offer exclusion services. This involves caulking gaps around your windows and putting screens or metal patches over holes the bugs can crawl through to get in your attic, basement, or house. By closing up gaps, you'll keep out bugs, spiders, and rodents. By closing access holes and having regular pest control treatments around the perimeter of your home, you'll do a lot to keep bugs outside where they belong.

Outdoor Treatments

Exterminators often treat areas outside where bugs nest. If you have an ant or subterranean termite problem, the exterminator may treat the ant mound or termite colony if they can find it. This is especially helpful for eliminating fire ants in your yard since you want those gone fast so they won't harm your kids or pets. If the termite or colony can't be found, the exterminator may use bait so the insects carry it back to the nest and wipe out the colony.

Indoor Treatments

Once an infestation has been eliminated in your home, you may not need regular indoor treatments if you don't want the treatments used in your house. Discuss the need for indoor treatments with your pest control service. They may use liquid treatments around the perimeter of your house instead to kill bugs before they get inside.

Contact a local company to learn more about pest control services.