For the most part citizens in America are a forgiving people. Second chances abound for our stars, athletes friends and neighbors. We give the benefit of the doubt and hope for the best even when the chances of a good outcome aren’t so bright. While that may be true for our hero’s and fellow man, the same cannot be said when it comes to bugs and those who make their living killing them.
The line in the sand for pest tolerance has not moved backwards for years, if anything it has inched further toward zero tolerance and patience wears thin if people have to have what they consider ‘undue contact’ with insects. I’m no psychologist but I equate this with the many other comforts we now enjoy in our homes. Advancements in amenities is now common among most all the people and we enjoy comfortable and cozy homes like never before. So having a trail of pesky ants crawl across our new granite counter tops or a roach perched on the flat screen TV doesn’t fit well with the motif of the American abode.
It’s A New Age
In this age of the internet homeowners are only a few clicks away from what they see as simple and easy answers to pest control. Combine this with the ‘instant gratification’ we’re accustom to and the expectations to eradicate pests quickly turns to frustration and even more distain for bugs and the bugman if control measures don’t work right away.
Not so long ago when things were just a bit slower and relying on your service man was the best way to get information about pests and what to do about them, I believe our tolerance levels were higher. We could wait until morning for the news from the paper, dinner took the whole afternoon to be prepared and getting information on insects involved thick encyclopedias. Fast results were not the norm and even though we hated the creepy crawlies just as much then, we were, in my opinion, more patient for the results of our pest control treatments.
Times have changed and things like pest control have been improved by necessity to keep pace. While I won’t say at any time in our short history that we’ve enjoyed insects in our homes, we have definitely found that living without them is better. We in America have simply taken this one step further in that we want our bugs gone, and we want them gone now!
