No one wants to live in a home infested with bugs or rodents, but most of us do not want to spend good money on toxic chemicals and harmful practices that may or may not work anyway. Using an exterminator that will practice the safest and most natural techniques for pest control can be reassuring and may be the only consideration for those who are determined to live green in every way.

What Certifications, Licenses or Education Do I Need?

To become a green exterminator, it is important to understand all of the techniques that are used, whether they are technically green or not. If you work for a national franchise for instance, you will have to employ their accepted practices and their materials, regardless of your own personal opinions or practices. You will need to have your exterminator's license and many companies give an additional certification after training is completed. Most companies require a high school diploma, although some may require additional education as well.

What Does It Take to Start My Own Pest Control Company?

You will need a vehicle and all of the proper equipment, to begin with. It might be necessary to have an office, but you may be able to forego that for a while as you get established. Marketing so that people know what type of skills you have and what services you will provide is important. You must have a license to provide services in most towns and you will need a commercial driver's license to drive what will be your company vehicle.

What is the Target Market?

* People who do not want to have disease- carrying rodents and bugs in their home, but also do not want to have toxins sprayed near their children and pets, either.
* People who believe that the environment has enough toxins to deal with without spraying more.
* People who think that a return to a more natural way of thinking is important.

What is the Growth Potential?

This is an industry that will always be necessary and should continue to grow as more and more people become fed up with harmful poisons and the reluctance of the major franchises to give them up.

What are the Risks?

First, there is very serious competition from the older, established and heavily funded franchise pest control companies. Making a name for yourself, compared to those that can afford nationally televised and professionally produced television commercials may be difficult at best. If you have a tough job and your natural techniques are not as effective or do not work as quickly as the customer would have liked, you will have bad reviews and bad word of mouth advertising to contend with.

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Scientists tell us that we share our planet with more insects and arachnids than all the other inhabitants combined. Scientists will also tell you that we need all those creeping, crawling, flying, six and eight legged beasties for the life and health of the planet and its citizens, including ourselves. That’s fine with most of us, I suppose, as long as we don’t have to share our immediate living space with any of them. Scientists have also told us, though, that many of the chemicals that will rid our homes and offices of ants, spiders, roaches and what not are harmful. They can be dangerous to us, to our pets, and to the environment in general. So how do we rid ourselves and our spaces of the bugs that bug us so much? By harnessing the power of nature’s own repellents!

Most of the natural ingredients used in the pest control formulas listed in this article can be found in the grocery store or pharmacy. In fact, you may already have many of them in your home right now. This makes natural pest control easy to implement and easy on your wallet, as well. That’s something expensive professional exterminators don’t want you to know.

Cockroaches

Roaches are the tough guys of the bug world. Supposedly, they can withstand an atomic blast, right? And right now you’re thinking you’ll never be able to control the nastiest of the nasties with anything natural. Well, look no further than your local pet store. It seems roaches don’t like catnip! That’s right, that little dried weed that gets Fluffy crazy-drunk repels roaches. Simmer some catnip in a pot of water and then cool. Place this “tea” in a spray bottle and spritz along cupboards and floorboards where roaches like to travel. Catnip sachets made with little squares of cheesecloth can be placed on top of the fridge, in between the cabinets and the ceiling and other high places where spritzing can be difficult. Fluffy may just have to get used to the constant high in the kitchen, although other cats have not seemed to notice it in their homes. Of course, the best deterrent for roaches is cleanliness –before you start spritzing, vacuum the floors and wash down all surfaces with good, hot soapy water. Keeping food and dirty dishes off counters and out of sinks may be your easiest and most natural defense against cockroaches.

Ants

Ants at a picnic are one thing. Ants at a dinner party are another. Ants can be extremely difficult to get rid of because the colony can be quite large - large, hungry and always on the lookout for more food. Again, your best, and first, line of defense is to remove what they’re looking for. Keep open food and dirty dishes off the counters. Wash up any sticky spills and spots. Put the honey, pancake syrup and jelly containers in the fridge or in plastic storage bags – the “zippered” type work best. Eliminate their source of water by stopping all leaks and drips and not leaving any dishes soaking overnight. Now, your next important step in the natural war on ants is to find their point of entry, or the closest point of flat surface to their point of entry. Once you’ve discovered where they’re coming in, you have a few choices. Ants don’t like cayenne pepper or cloves, so sprinkling a line of either on your counter or floor near their trail should deter them from coming in. A piece of string or yarn can be soaked in citrus oil, cinnamon oil or lemon juice and placed into cracks where ants enter. Line a windowsill or counter top with coffee grounds. Live ants are stopped with a spritz of soapy water. Ants on a deck or porch outdoors can be diverted by placing garlic cloves in between the floorboards. Mint leaves, even herbal mint tea bags, can be placed in areas where ants are known to travel. So, pick one of the above, or try several. Send them scouting elsewhere!

Spiders

Spiders are not only a nuisance, but also a health hazard, as well. Brown recluse bites can cause death, amputation and disfigurement. Black widows have been known to make victims ill, (though no one has died from a black widow bite in the US in the last ten years.) In short, they may keep other insects like flies and moths at bay, but they can be risky to have around. Spiders, by nature, are a bit harder to be rid of, as they like to live in out-of-the-way, hard-to-access places. They take a bit more precaution, too, on your part. Remember to always wear long sleeves, pants and gloves when searching and destroying spider habitats. Spiders like the dark spaces under beds, couches and chairs. They love any little crack in brick or paneled walls. They also love to hide in the cracks between the woodwork and the doors and windows of our homes. If a broom can’t reach them, try the vacuum hose with the crevice tool attachment. Spiders like to hide in clutter and clothing that’s been lying about, as well, so it’s best to keep things picked up. Spray spiders directly with one of the following essential oils: rose, citronella, lavender, peppermint, cinnamon, tea tree or citrus. Mix 5 tablespoons of any of the above oils with 5 tablespoons natural lavender soap in a quart of water to create a spider repellent spray. This can be used to spray the foundation of your home, around windows and doors, even inside the outside trash bins to keep the pesky eight legged critters out of your space.

Pest control needn’t be smelly, dangerous chemicals and high exterminating bills. You can keep your home free of pests and free of environmental dangers, too.

I noticed that some of my Poppy seed head had an infestation of Black Aphids. Since this year I decided to garden without commercial insecticides I've been rounding up th ladybugs in my garden and moving them to plants that had insect infestations. Here I moved a ladybug so it could eat the black aphids I found so I wouldn't have to resort to a bug spray. This video will accompany a blog entry on this subject along with before and after photos.
Video Rating: 4 / 5

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You do not need to use harmful chemical pesticides to keep pests, bugs and insects out of your garden. You can make an all natural pest control solution in your own home. Here are a few methods of making an all natural pest control:

To combat bugs like caterpillars, aphids, etc. add tobacco to water and let it sit for at least 24 hours. Ensure the mixture is the color of weak tea before you spray it. Also ensure that you have checked if your tobacco spray can be used with the family of plants you have grown.

On hardy plants, you can even use a diluted mixture of detergent soap and water to drive away bugs and insects, as the taste of soap is very useful in deterring bugs and insects.

For cabbage worms and such insects, a salt spray can be very useful. Just add 2 teaspoons of salt to a gallon of water, mix and spray.

For many different varieties of bugs, a garlic spray would be perfect. Garlic is also anti fungal and anti bacterial in nature and can help keep your plants healthy. Add 1 bulb of crushed garlic, 1 finely chopped onion, 1 tablespoon of cayenne peppers and one tablespoon of liquid soap. Add all other ingredients and let it sit for an hour before adding the liquid soap. This solution can also be kept refrigerated for a few days at a time.

To prevent more bugs from affecting your plant, you can use a few bugs that are already dead. Just collect a few dead bugs, mix them with water and let it sit for some time before spraying affected plants with it.

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Pest control is an ancient occupation that coexisted right from the agrarian age that dates back to around 4000 BC. Controlling the breeding or spread of any insect or animal that causes damage to our health, wealth, or our habitat can be termed as pest control. Over time several pest control sciences were evolved and each of these branches is still being perfected to serve the mankind with a better and faster solution.

Chemical pest control and organic pest control are the two main types of pest control systems widely followed by people. These are further subdivided into rodent pest control, commercial pest control, Termite control depending upon the purpose and specifications. These subdivisions can be chemical, organic or a combination of both. Among the ones mentioned above organic pest control is fast gaining importance. Since the time of industrial revolution chemical drugs and medications have dominated the market. However, modern generation is questioning the authenticity and safety of the conventional methods and people everywhere are now depending on organic products. Right from the fruits they eat to the cosmetics they apply, people want to know whether they are all organically produced.

Organic pest control involves use of natural extracts, plants and herbs that repel the pests. Organic pesticides are safe and are effective against most of the garden, farm and home pests. For domestic pest control, you can find products based on d-Limonene which is a substance found in orange peel extracts. They work well on indoor insects like fruit flies, ants, roaches etc. d-Limonene corrodes the wax coating found on these insects. This leads to dehydration in these creatures and thus they die naturally. This doesn't involve any sort of chemical reaction and hence it is considered as a safe substitute for chemically treated insect repellents that cannot be sprayed on your kitchen countertops or your dining table.

Yet another effective all-natural pest control solution comes from in the form of diatomaceous earth. It is a fine powder made from sedimentary rocks known as diatoms. They are used in storing grains and flour powder as they prevent the growth of pests and also absorbs unwanted moisture. It is extremely safe and you can use them anywhere inside your home. It is effective in repelling the harmful pests and insects that breed on garden plants. It is composed of natural silica and is completely safe for humans as well as animals.

Neem extracts, or neem seed oil is yet another powerful element used in many organic pest control drugs. Neem has strong neutralizing power and it has found to be effective in killing around 500 known pests that are harmful to humans in different ways.

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More and more people are coming to the conclusion that natural pest control is the way to go. For too long we have been relying on harmful chemicals to get rid of the critters in our home and garden. 

One of the most important reasons to use natural pest control remedies is the health and well-being of your children and pets.  They are the ones that are most likely affected as the residue of these harsh pesticides alone could be enough to make a child or pet very ill. 

Here are some tips to say farewell to the bugs in your home and garden with natural pest control remedies. 

Flies 

The little house flies, often congregating in patios and other outside areas, are not considered significant carrier of diseases. The common house fly is another story. As they feed and breed on animal waste and decaying organic material they play an important role in the transmission of diseases to people and animals. 

Sprinkle some oil of lavender on a clean cloth and rub over window and door frames and other places where flies come in and settle.  Use herbs to repel flies. Mint is one of the best repellents as it is also good for ants, caterpillars, fleas, beetles and moths. Basil and tansy can be planted in clumps near doorways – pinch or trod on the leave to release the aroma. Grow a pot of fennel in the kitchen or nearby and flies will stay away. Pyrethrum, the base for most insect repellents, is an easy-care fernlike shrub that grows to about 17 cm. A small bunch of it placed in water last several weeks and even when dead the aroma persists. 

Mosquitoes 

Mosquitoes are not only bothersome but they also harbor diseases. Therefore, natural pest control practices are necessary to repel these mosquitoes both on you as a person as well as keep them from breeding near your home. 

To keep mosquitoes from biting you can apply mouthwash directly onto your skin before going outdoors. Mosquitoes hate the smell of mouthwash because of the ingredients in them.   To prevent breeding problems mix two teaspoons of dishwashing detergent into four litres of water and pour this into any open pools of water in your yard such as flower pots, old tyres or buckets. The soap will kill any mosquito larvae.  

Ants 

Ants are a thorn in every homeowner’s side. They get into everything. 

Dust your garden and trouble areas of your home with baking soda, which is poisonous to ants.   Salt is another natural pest control ingredient that ants don’t like and you can easily spread it around mounds and any place where ants may be entering your home.   Place whole cloves at the point of entry. Put a few cloves around kitchen cupboards and under sink. Crushed cloves sprinkled near nest will repel ants. 

Cockroaches 

Cockroaches are mainly attracted to the food preparation and storage areas in our homes. They contaminate food and eating utensils and impart stains and unpleasant odors to surfaces they come into contact with. 

Soaps with peppermint oil are the most effective natural pest control for cockroaches. Mix two or three capfuls of liquid peppermint soap into a quart of warm water, mix and then spray on the roaches and along their normal traveling paths.

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The world is going green. “Green” is the color of environmental concern, the impetus that drives cutting-edge technology, the buzz word of the socially conscious. Concern for the environment and man’s impact on it is bringing a slew of new products to market, and pest control is no exception. Environmentally-friendly pest control services are growing in popularity, particularly in the commercial sector. Even eco-savvy residential consumers are asking about natural alternatives to traditional pesticides, but their ardor often cools when confronted with the 10% to 20% cost differential and lengthier treatment times, sometimes several weeks.

The raising of America’s environmental consciousness, coupled with increasingly stringent federal regulations governing traditional chemical pesticides, appears to be shifting the pest control industry’s focus to Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques. IPM is considered not only safer for the environment, but safer for people, pets and secondary scavengers such as owls. Of 378 pest management companies surveyed in 2008 by Pest Control Technology magazine, two-thirds said they offered IPM services of some sort.

Instead of lacing pest sites with a poisonous cocktail of powerful insecticides designed to kill, IPM focuses on environmentally-friendly prevention techniques designed to keep pests out. While low- or no-toxicity products may also be used to encourage pests to pack their bags, elimination and control efforts focus on finding and eliminating the causes of infestation: entry points, attractants, harborage and food.

Particularly popular with schools and nursing homes charged with guarding the health of the nation’s youngest and oldest citizens, those at greatest risk from hazardous chemicals, IPM is catching the attention of hotels, office buildings, apartment complexes and other commercial enterprises, as well as eco-conscious residential customers. Driven in equal parts by environmental concerns and health hazard fears, interest in IPM is bringing a host of new environmentally-friendly pest management products -- both high- and low-tech -- to market.

“Probably the best product out there is a door sweep,” confided Tom Green, president of the Integrated Pest Management Institute of North America, a non-profit organization that certifies green exterminating companies. In an Associated Press interview posted on MSNBC online last April, Green explained, “A mouse can squeeze through a hole the size of a pencil diameter. So if you’ve got a quarter-inch gap underneath your door, as far as a mouse is concerned, there’s no door there at all.” Cockroaches can slither through a one-eighth inch crevice.

IPM is “a better approach to pest control for the health of the home, the environment and the family,” said Cindy Mannes, spokeswoman for the National Pest Management Association, the .3 billion pest control industry’s trade association, in the same Associated Press story. However, because IPM is a relatively new addition to the pest control arsenal, Mannes cautioned that there is little industry consensus on the definition of green services.

In an effort to create industry standards for IPM services and providers, the Integrated Pest Management Institute of North America developed the Green Shield Certified (GSC) program. Identifying pest control products and companies that eschew traditional pesticides in favor of environmentally-friendly control methods, GSC is endorsed by the EPA, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and HUD. IPM favors mechanical, physical and cultural methods to control pests, but may use bio-pesticides derived from naturally-occurring materials such as animals, plants, bacteria and certain minerals.

Toxic chemical sprays are giving way to new, sometimes unconventional, methods of treating pests. Some are ultra high-tech like the quick-freeze Cryonite process for eliminating bed bugs. Others, like trained dogs that sniff out bed bugs, seem decidedly low-tech, but employ state-of-the-art methods to achieve results. For example, farmers have used dogs’ sensitive noses to sniff out problem pests for centuries; but training dogs to sniff out explosives and drugs is a relatively recent development. Using those same techniques to teach dogs to sniff out termites and bed bugs is considered cutting-edge.

Another new pest control technique is birth control. When San Francisco was threatened by mosquitoes carrying potentially life-threatening West Nile Virus, bicycle messengers were hired to cruise the city and drop packets of biological insecticide into the city’s 20,000 storm drains. A kind of birth control for mosquitoes, the new method was considered safer than aerial spraying with the chemical pyrethrum, the typical mosquito abatement procedure, according to a recent story posted on the National Public Radio website.

Naturally, there are efforts underway to build a better mousetrap. The innovative Track & Trap system attracts mice or rats to a food station dusted with fluorescent powder. Rodents leave a blacklight-visible trail that allows pest control experts to seal entry paths. Coming soon, NightWatch uses pheromone research to lure and trap bed bugs. In England, a sonic device designed to repel rats and squirrels is being tested, and the aptly named Rat Zapper is purported to deliver a lethal shock using just two AA batteries.

Alongside this influx of new environmentally-friendly products rides a posse of federal regulations. Critics of recent EPA regulations restricting the sale of certain pest-killing chemicals accuse the government of unfairly limiting a homeowner’s ability to protect his property. The EPA’s 2004 banning of the chemical diazinon for household use a couple of years ago removed a potent ant-killer from the homeowner’s pest control arsenal. Similarly, 2008 EPA regulations prohibiting the sale of small quantities of effective rodenticides, unless sold inside an enclosed trap, has stripped rodent-killing chemicals from the shelves of hardware and home improvement stores, limiting the homeowner’s ability to protect his property and family from these disease-carrying pests.

Acting for the public good, the government’s pesticide-control actions are particularly aimed at protecting children. According to a May 20, 2008 report on CNN online, a study conducted by the American Association of Poison Control Centers indicated that rat poison was responsible for nearly 60,000 poisonings between 2001 and 2003, 250 of them resulting in serious injuries or death. National Wildlife Service testing in California found rodenticide residue in every animal tested.

Consumers are embracing the idea of natural pest control and environmentally-friendly, cutting-edge pest management products and techniques. Availability and government regulations are increasingly limiting consumers’ self-treatment options, forcing them to turn to professional pest control companies for relief from pest invasions. While this has proved a viable option for commercial customers, few residential customers seem willing to pay higher prices for newer, more labor-intensive green pest control products and even fewer are willing to wait the additional week or two it may take these products to work. It is taking leadership efforts on the part of pest control companies to educate consumers in the long term benefits of green and natural pest treatments.

Even though the cold, hard truth is that when people have a pest problem, they want it gone and they want it gone now! If rats or mice are in their house destroying their property and threatening their family with disease, if termites or carpenter ants are eating away their home equity, if roaches are invading their kitchen or if they’re sharing their bed with bed bugs, consumer interest in environmental friendliness plummets. When people call a pest control company, the bottom line is that they want the pests dead! Now! Pest control firms are standing up against the tide of consumer demand for immediate eradication by enhancing their natural and green pest control product offerings. These new natural products take the most responsible long term approach to pest control; one that protects our environment, children, and our own health. Sometimes it is lonely moving against the tide of popular demand, but true leadership, in the pest control industry, means embracing these new organic and natural technologies even when they are not popular with the consumer - yet.

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Fleas can be killed with topical ointments, aerosol sprays and flea bombs, all of which can be bought at a local pet store. Kill fleas through several lines of defense with tips from a pet industry specialist in this free video on fleas and pest control.

Expert: Cordell Jacques
Bio: Cordell Jacques has worked in the pet industry for more than 10 years.
Filmmaker: Travis Waack

Duration : 0:2:21

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After purchasing the right flea bombs, tape cabinets, put dishes away and seal food containers before moving furniture off of carpeted areas. Leave the house after setting a flea bomb with tips from a pet industry specialist in this free video on fleas and pest control.

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Duration : 0:2:45

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Some household items that can be used to get rid of fleas include hand soap, water and lemons. Use homemade supplies to get rid of fleas with tips from a pet industry specialist in this free video on fleas and pest control.

Expert: Cordell Jacques
Bio: Cordell Jacques has worked in the pet industry for more than 10 years.
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Duration : 0:2:24

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