Relying on pest control myths can leave homes vulnerable to infestations and health hazards. Misconceptions like “bugs only infest dirty homes” or “ultrasonic repellents work” persist, even though they’ve been debunked by science and experience. Effective pest management requires understanding how pests behave and what actually keeps them out—for good.
For as long as people have had homes, they’ve been fighting to keep pests out. Over thousands of years, humans have learned a lot about various kinds of bugs and pests, and pest control today looks very different from what it looked like even one generation ago.
But, for some reason, there are still dozens, if not hundreds, of pieces of misinformation floating around about various insects, arachnids, and other pests. Some of these are old folk “wisdom” that’s been passed down by word of mouth for decades. Others are misinterpretations of the reality of pest control. And the rest are just stuff people made up to get rich quick.
While very few of these urban legends are harmful in and of themselves, relying on this “information” to keep your home safe from pests can be very dangerous and leave you open to the diseases, discomfort, and disgust that a pest infestation can cause. Here, our Macon, GA, pest control experts are breaking down some of these common myths and bringing the truth to light.
Myth #1: Bugs Only Infest Dirty Homes
This myth persists despite tons of evidence to the contrary. By default, we assume that if someone has a bug problem, it’s because they haven’t done a good job maintaining and cleaning their home.
Let us tell you from our experience—we find pests of every kind in homes at every level of cleanliness. All it takes is one morsel of food or one slight drip in a faucet for your otherwise spotless home to become host to roaches, ants, and other creepy crawlies.
The Truth: Bugs will come inside anywhere. You can only hope to keep them out by depriving them of food and water and creating an effective barrier of pest repellents.
Myth #2: Bugs Will Make Themselves Visible
There’s almost as much hidden space in your home as there is open space. The spaces between walls, the crawlspace underneath, the attic above, and even the tiny crevices behind the trim, between cabinets, and around doors and windows are all more than big enough to harbor pests.
Just because you don’t see any bugs, spiders, or rodents, that doesn’t mean they’re not there. Remember that insects are about as low as you can get on the food chain – their very survival depends on hiding, and they are all very good at it.
The Truth: By the time you see the first roach or millipede make its way into your living room, odds are good that there are quite a few of them already cozying up to your home’s insulation, lurking behind your cabinets, or nesting between your ceiling joists.
Myth #3: Most Bugs Are Harmless
This one isn’t exactly a myth; it’s more of an oversimplification. Yes, most bugs and insects in the world are entirely harmless and even beneficial to humans—so long as they stay outside.
The first problem is that bugs typically aren’t too picky about where they walk. And when they come inside, instead of tracking in mud (like the kids do), they track in bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens that they’ve encountered in the wild.
The other problem is that bugs always leave something behind. Between their waste products, molted exoskeletons, and debris they make as they’re eating or building nests, even innocuous insects like ladybugs create dozens of allergens. When those allergens get concentrated in an indoor location, they can make life a living hell for allergy sufferers inside.
The Truth: Most bugs can’t harm you directly. But there are no harmless bugs inside your home.
Myth #4: Ultrasonic Vibrations Drive Bugs Away
Bugs don’t “hear” things the way we do, and even if they did, there’s absolutely no evidence that ultrasonic (literally, “too high-pitched to hear”) vibration would have any effect on them at all.
There have been hundreds of variations of ultrasonic insect repellents invented over the years. Not one of their inventors has been able to point to a credible study that supports the theory of ultrasonic repellents or has been able to demonstrate actual results in real-world usage. Any evidence supporting their effectiveness is anecdotal – and after spending a few hundred bucks on a cheap noise generator, just about anyone can convince themselves that they’re seeing fewer pests.
The Truth: Ultrasonic repellents don’t work, can’t work, and will never work. Don’t waste your money.
Myth #5: When Your Neighbor Gets Pest Control, the Bugs Move In With You
First, bugs are not that well-organized. They’re incredibly basic creatures that can only respond to the stimuli in front of them at the moment. A bug leaving a specific house is just as likely to end up wandering into the street as it is to make it into the house next door.
Second, the bugs living in your neighbor’s house when the pest control team arrives probably won’t live long enough to make it to your house. Today’s pest control solutions do a very effective job of killing off all of the bugs in a home and repelling any new invaders.
The Truth: Bugs are not smart enough to target your home, even if they do survive leaving your neighbor’s.
Trust the Pros, Not the Myths
When it comes to protecting your home, facts matter—and so does experience. At National Exterminating, we combine decades of hands-on pest control knowledge with the latest science-backed treatments to keep your home safe, clean, and pest-free. Don’t let old wives’ tales or internet fads leave you vulnerable to infestations. Call your trusted Macon pest control team today at 478-922-1410 and schedule a professional inspection or treatment plan that actually works.
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