What does a pest control treatment consist of? Every pest control company services people differently. Stoy Hedges is an entomologist and Director of Technical Services at Terminix International. He describes...
Stoy Hedges is an entomologist and Director of Technical Services at Terminix International. He describes how his company handles pest control with consumers, "Terminix provides a four part service. We knock down the spider webs. We treat right angles for spiders. We do a crack and crevice treatment, and also a bait application. So we provide a four step service to address the spiders or spider webs around the house. We treat the points where the pests could enter, and then we also treat the pests that are on the property away from the house to minimize the number of pests on the property."
So how often does the pest control operator come to the home? Hedges goes on, "There are a lot of factors, but in general what we have found is quarterly treatments, every three months, is good. We come back at no extra charge, if the pests happened to make their way in. The quarterly time frame works well for most people."
What you want from a pest control company is some flexibility. The treatment options and schedule are completely dependent on the types of problems you may be experiencing. For instance, an active termite problem is going to require more frequent visits than a simple spider here or there.
You want to avoid contracts that simply have a company coming by every month to spray pesticides, regardless of the needs of the home at that particular time. Indiscriminate spraying is to be avoided, especially today when so many new products, technologies, and research have been introduced into the industry.
Many products used today last far longer than a month, which is why companies like Terminix generally have a quarterly schedule for most customers. Also, treatments today are more targeted. No blind spraying of baseboards, and hoping for the best until next month. Now they identify the species that are problematic in your home, pinpoint the location, and use products that are appropriate to the pest and the location. The accuracy is so much higher now than several years ago. That is why most companies have cut back on the number visits they advise customers to receive.
Before signing a contract with any company, thoroughly check them out. Ask friends and neighbors for recommendations. Check with the Better Business Bureau for complaints. Look over any contracts very carefully. Make certain you understand all the terms. Ask plenty of questions, and if the company doesn't seem keen on answering them, or don't seem able to answer them, keep looking for another pest control company. You want to know exactly what the treatments consist of, why those treatments are being used at your property, how those products work and how quickly and well. You want to ask questions about what you can do to minimize pest problems, like pruning hedges around the home's perimeter, or moving the firewood pile farther from the garage.
Each company will have their own ideas about what is best for your home. It's your job to find the one that best agrees with what you have in mind.
