Crawl Space Encapsulation: More than Pest Prevention

In many areas of the pest management industry today, exterminators are following up on their work by encapsulating the crawl space.  Encapsulating a crawl space involves sealing all crawl space vents and doors with airtight covers, covering the crawl space walls and floors with a durable plastic crawl space liner, and, in the case of block foundation walls, adding a plastic covering over the open cavities of the blocks to keep humidity from filtering upwards through the crevice.  In some cases, the contractor may complete the job with a crawl space dehumidifier to remove residual humidity, or a crawl space sump pump if there’s been a history of flooding.

Why are pest management professionals encapsulating crawl spaces?  By sealing off the crawl space vents and doors, they prevent those from serving as access points for infestations of insects and animals that could reenter the space, causing problems in the area.  And lining the crawl space walls and floor with a polyethylene liner will also help to deter pests, such as subterranean termites, beetles, and carpenter ants, from entering the space through the foundation or floor.

A crawl space moisture barrier, in combination with a crawl space sump pump and dehumidifier when needed, will create a dry, healthier crawl space.  By removing humidity, the environment can become inhospitable to mold, dust mites, rot, and certain pests, such as the American Cockroach.  Foul, mildewy smells are reduced, and the smells of the animals, that live, create waste, and die in the area will be gone.

Crawl space encapsulation of a dirt or concrete crawl space- especially a vented one- will make the space much more energy-efficient.  By sealing off the vents, winter cold and summer heat are kept out of the space.  Cold winter air on furnaces, hot water pipes, and heating ducts located in the crawl space forces them to work harder just to maintain status quo, and a cold crawl space means a cold floor above.  In the summer, heat and humidity enter the space, where the humid air condensates on the wood and metal or travels upwards into the home.  Humid air is much harder to cool than dry air, and therefore more expensive to condition.

Swat Pest Management of Evansville Indiana has been working with the best pest control solutions in the IN area since they opened their doors for business in 1999, and they’re happy to share their professional experience with you.  If you’d like to learn more about encapsulating the crawl space and making the home a cleaner, healthier, and more energy-efficient space while eliminating potential pest problems, they can help.  Visit their web site for a free estimate, or call them at 800-391-5356 today!

Fumigation used to result in hundreds of dead cockroaches leeching out of the cracks and dropping to the floor .. new pesticides are useless i haven’t come across one dead body.
I have used a wide range of products to rid myself of german roaches, have hired and payed for hundreds of dollars of domestic pest control services and can honestly say that my coffee cup catches more roaches than all of them combined.
Restaurant friends, who had success with their own pest erradications, suggested I hire a company who erradicates pests to industry standards ..ie..for restaurants, motels, and some very well known resorts etc.
I figured if it was good enough for them it was going to work for me.
The company in question travelled from another city and took aprox 3 hrs to fumigate my house interior/exterior and workshed, it was very expensive but i didn’t care so long as the treatment worked.
Sadly..I still had roaches!!
I’ve lost faith in all exterminators since then they simply Don’t Work!.. and i refuse to pay for services i have NOT received.
Are they using different strengths of chemical for domestic areas than they do in Commercial Areas?

We need products that are “pet safe”.

Drilling chemicals or baiting termites or commercial forms of removal are not ultimate solutions to termite problems. The presence of termites is mostly today due to human encroachment on insects and animal habitats. Do we have better ways of preventing their invasion of homes without having to pay for spraying or drilling with chemicals. Surely there must be some friendlier way of handling this. Bear in mind there is no home without papers or cellulose bearing materials!! ARE we stuck with the fumigators????!!!!

When it comes to catching mice, the first things that come to mind is often a cat or a mouse trap. While many people simply rely on a cat, others may be allergic or simply not like cats. No matter what the reason, when it comes to catching mice, you want the most effective means possible to get rid of these rodents.

What Are the Most Effective Means of Catching Mice?

The original mouse trap, while still very effective, is rather disgusting. The spring loaded lever is quite brutal, but will normally kill the mouse. Disposing of the dead critter is rather gruesome and many people simply cannot deal with seeing the gore that this trap often brings.

There are new traps available now that are very effective, but without all the view of the dead animal. These traps lure the mouse inside and kill it much the same way as the cheap traps you can find at any hardware store. The difference is that there is an enclosure over and around the trap. You simply pick it up and throw the entire thing away. No mess, no gore, and no nasty germs to be found.

Some people rely on poisons, which are also very effective. However, one of the main problems with this method for catching mice is that if anything other living thing eats it; it is deadly to them to, as well. This includes your children and your pets. If you rely on this method, you will want to ensure that your pets and children cannot get into the poison. It is often not feasible to put out poison if you have to put up really high to keep these members of your family out of it!

While a sonic repellent does not actually catch the critters, it can help to get rid of mice. This machine produces a high frequency that humans and most pets cannot hear. It also works to repel other pests, such as roaches, spiders, and ants. In some cases, you can use several throughout your house to completely get rid of any pests and prevent them from entering your home again.

In closing, it is really important that you keep a handle on these pests. They carry a ton of diseases, leave droppings everywhere, and can quickly destroy much of your property. In some cases, they can even cause a fire if they were to gnaw through the electrical wires in your home or attic. Choose whichever method you think will best meet your needs, but do not be afraid to try an additional method if the first one does not work.