Is Pest Control Considered a Utility? A Look at the Evidence

Many people ask themselves, “Is pest control considered a utility?” Many professionals and even industry organizations who have evaluated the subject over the years believe pest control is a utility in our homes. It does have benefits, like keeping your home healthy and reducing allergens. 

However, it also has limitations because we cannot expect it to eliminate pests from our environment and homes entirely. With that in mind, it should be integrated into a whole-home approach to reducing risks instead of being viewed as a single solution to all problems. 

By understanding what pest control can do and its limitations, you can make more informed decisions about how to control pests at home. You can also take steps to increase the efficacy of other methods if necessary and reduce the risks of an infestation for everyone else in your home or establishment by implementing them accordingly.

What is a Utility?

A utility is a service that provides some type of benefit to an individual or group. Utilities are generally categorized as services such as water, electricity, sewer, and heat expenses. Utilities are also called public utilities because they are often publicly provided. In the United States, utilities like pest control and garbage collection are regulated by government agencies.

The Pros of Pest Control as a Utility

It Can Help Protect Your Home From Damage.

Pest control is an important tool in the arsenal of a homeowner, tenant, or property owner, but it’s not a magic bullet. Pests like rodents will still enter your home, even if you have the best control service. But by ensuring that pests do not get too much damage, you minimize their ability to cause significant property damage. 

For example, you can use pest control to reduce the chance of bed bugs, ants, termites, cockroaches, and other pests getting into your home and nesting in areas where they are hard to find or eradicate. This reduces the risk of infestation because it limits the potential for problems within hiding places after they have gotten inside your home. 

Additionally, pest control helps keep your furniture and belongings safe from pests like rats who might chew through wiring or gnaw on electrical cords. 

In addition to keeping pests out of your home, pesticide products can also be used preventatively or to eliminate already existing pests without harming them.

It Can Help Keep Your Family Safe From Harm.

Pest control can keep your premises healthy by preventing the spread of diseases, whether at your home, rental property, or business. Pests, including rodents, bugs, and insects, can carry some very harmful diseases like the common cold and flu. It helps protect your family from insects such as mosquitoes and flies, which may lay eggs on your property that could hatch into thousands of new bugs after they mature over time.

Diseases that can be transmitted through pests are often more severe than those transmitted through people because pests are less likely to seek treatment for their illnesses or take steps to prevent others from coming in contact with their illnesses.

It Can Help You Avoid Costly Repairs.

Pest control can help you avoid costly repairs. Because pests like rodents come in through the cracks of our homes, they can cause damage to the home and its occupants. It helps deal with these rodents that are fond of damaging your furniture and electrical cords, which could cost you.

When you notice a problem with your property or home, it is best to call a professional pest control company to take care of all your problems at once. 

Many professionals will also be able to recommend other methods that you can use to mitigate risks of a pest problem at home, as well as other measures like food storage and cleaning materials.

The Cons of Pest Control as a Utility

Expensive.

Pest control can be expensive, especially if you need to hire outside help, which might increase your utility bill. It is not uncommon for a single service call to cost hundreds of dollars. The utility cost of pest control can also be higher when you consider the time it takes to implement effective strategies. Pest control is not a simple solution also means that few effective options are available to handle your pests and allergens in a single service call. 

However, just because it is a limited option does not mean it should be excluded from your home’s utility plans. Instead, call your utility company to consider using different methods together to create an integrated pest management plan of action for pests and allergens in your home. 

These combinations may include methods like pesticides, foggers, traps, and sprays which will provide more comprehensive results for less money than otherwise would have been spent on one method alone.

Time-Consuming.

Pest control can be time-consuming, which means it’s not always practical. With pest control, it could take up to 12 hours per month to ensure pests are eliminated. That can be difficult if you’ve got a busy lifestyle with many commitments that might prevent you from taking on this task. 

Dangerous.

When you use pest control, some risks come with it. For example, using pesticides to kill mosquitoes may also end up killing beneficial insects. Some pesticides can even be toxic to humans and cause serious health effects. 

That is why it should be integrated into a whole-home approach to reducing risks instead of viewing it as a single solution to all problems.

is Pest Control Considered a Utility: What is the verdict?

Many pest control professionals, as well as industry organizations, believe that pest control is a utility. This conclusion is drawn from the fact that pest control has many benefits than limitations. For example, as seen above, pest control can keep your home healthy and reduce allergens and pests. Additionally, it can help you to limit your risk of developing certain illnesses. 

But because we cannot expect to eliminate pests entirely from our environment and homes, it’s important to use pest control in conjunction with other methods like education and prevention. By understanding what pest control does and its limitations, you can make more informed decisions about how to best control them at home or in your establishment. Is Pest Control a Utility? Yes, it is and should be considered as such. If you have any concerns about the cost of pest control, please take a moment to contact your local pest control professional instead of making assumptions. Pests will always be there unless you provide specific preventative measures that limit the risks associated with them.