Myth 1: “Clean homes don’t get pests.” False. While sanitation reduces risk, pests enter through structural gaps, imported goods, and neighboring properties regardless of cleanliness. Bed bugs infest five-star hotels routinely.
Myth 2: “Cheese is the best mouse bait.” Peanut butter, chocolate, and nesting materials (cotton balls) outperform cheese consistently in studies. Mice in nature don’t seek out dairy products.
Myth 3: “Ultrasonic repellers keep all pests away.” Mixed scientific evidence at best. See Day 13 for the full breakdown.
Myth 4: “A few ants means a small problem.” Worker ants you see represent a small fraction of a colony that may number in the thousands. One forager on the counter may mean 10,000 insects behind your wall.
Myth 5: “DIY sprays solve cockroach problems.” Aerosol sprays provide knockdown of visible cockroaches but scatter the population and drive them deeper into walls, making the problem harder to treat.Gel bait is dramatically more effective.
Myth 6: “Cats keep mice away.” Cats may catch some mice, but they rarely eliminate an infestation. Mice are prolific enough that a cat’s predation barely affects population growth.
Myth 7: “If you don’t see pests, you don’t have them.” Most pests are nocturnal. A cockroach seen during daylight usually indicates the population is so large that competition for hiding spaces is pushing them out.
Myth 8: “Natural pesticides are always safe.” Pyrethrin is natural and toxic to fish. Nicotine sulfate (historically used as a pesticide) is natural and highly toxic to mammals. “Natural” describes origin, not safety.
Myth 9: “One treatment is enough.” Pest control is an ongoing process. Eggs hatching, neighboring properties, and new arrivals via packaging mean single treatments rarely provide permanent results.
Myth 10: “Pest control is too expensive — I’ll just live with them.” Termites cause billions in property damage annually. Rodents cause house fires by gnawing wiring. The cost of not treating is often far higher than the cost of treatment.
