Where's John Goodman when you need him??? (In case you missed it, John Goodman plays "The Fumigator", a bug exterminator, in the move Arachnophobia about spiders gone wild.)
Most people refer to companies that provide pest control services as "exterminators". Exterminators prefer "pest control operator" or "pest control technician".
By any name a good pest control company is like a good car mechanic -- when you need one, you really need one. While our main 'Bugs site is dedicated to helping you solve many household pest problems yourself, occasionally you'll need professional help. If you are having trouble deciding if you can do it yourself or if you need help take at look at this page.
We've posted some suggestions for screening pest control companies for those (hopefully few) times when you need one, and some additional things to watch out for.
Try to avoid the "maintenance treatment" trap. Some companies will push maintenance contracts that call for periodic (once-a-month, every three months, etc.) re-treatments. These repeated treatments are almost never necessary, especially not during winter months.
See the article at 'Bugs for more information.
a thrips next to a leaf vein Have you every felt a sharp pinch while outside during summer only to find a tiny, yellow, sliver-like bug when you investigate the bite? These bites are from a tiny insect called a thrips (the name is always plural; one thrips, many thrips). Thrips normally feed on plants with very sharp, knife-like mouthparts. If they happen to land on us they can bite causing a sharp, stabbing pain. The bites are annoying but completely harmless and are more common in mid- to late summer. Unfortunately, insect repellents don't work against thrips. Continue reading to discover ways to avoid thrips bites at our 'Bugs website . Thrips can be important plant pests where they damage leaves and in some cases even infect plants with a virus. Greenhouse growers in particular often treat their crops with insecticide to prevent thrips damage. drawing showing feathery wings
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