With so many over the counter pest control products available, you might be asking yourself if hiring a pest control company is even worth it. Well, in this post we’ll show you the pros, cons, and when you absolutely must hire a professional pest company to handle the problem.
Let’s get right to it…
Benefits of Quarterly pest control vs one time treatments
Quarterly and one time treatments are always an option when you hire a company. A one time treatment is exactly what it sounds like. The pest control company will come to your house, perform an inspection, and treat your home for pests. This treatment will last for about 90 days where you shouldn’t have any issues with the pests.
When you get quarterly pest control, you’re getting protection all year. The pest control company comes to your house and sprays each quarter so you’re never without protection. An advantage of this is that it’s always cheaper on a per spray basis and if you see any pests in between sprays, the company has to come back and spray again at no additional cost to you.
Here are a few more benefits of quarterly treatments:
Experts are always paying attention to your home
The pest control company is visiting your house each quarter to retreat everything. During each of these visits they’re going to note how well the treatments are working and look for signs of other pests. This can save you a tremendous amount of money when it comes to spotting destructive pests early.
Saves You Time
Instead of spending your Saturday looking for signs of pests or spraying your house, you can simply leave it up to the pros and enjoy the rest of your day. We’re all busy with our day jobs, kids, fun stuff, and running chores. This makes it easy to forget to perform a treatment that can expose your home to invaders. With a service keeping track of your treatments, you never have to think about it or run to the store to buy pesticides again.
It’s Guaranteed
When you’re on a year round pest management plan, you get peace of mind. Each year round plan comes with a 100% guarantee. This means that if you spot any pests, your company has to come back and take care of them at no additional cost to you. This is especially beneficial when you have ant or roach problems as these can be hard to keep out.
You’re Not Being Exposed To Chemicals
The chemicals you’re purchasing at the local hardware store are always harsh. You definitely do not want to breathe these in or spill it on your skin. If you have a professional company doing your treatments, you don’t have to worry about that. We have the proper equipment, safety gear, and we know where to spray the solutions.
The disadvantages of hiring a pest control company
We can’t state all of the advantages without also stating that there are some obvious disadvantages. Namely, the cost. When you hire a professional pest company, it costs money. With a one time service, you’re often looking at $150-$200 for the visit, inspection, and treatment which keeps you covered for 90 days.
And with year round pest control, you’re looking at around $100 per quarter which makes the service more affordable on a per visit basis. However, you could do it yourself for just the cost of chemicals and your time. And if you’re low on money, you might want to go the DIY route.
That being said, a professional company has to guarantee their service so they’re going to make sure they’re doing things the right way. They’re also licensed and insured for an added layer of protection for your home.
What do pest control services actually do?
Firstly, pest control companies should be licensed and insured. They should have training and know how to apply pesticides, where to apply them, safety measures, and how to use the tools of the trade. Additionally, we undergo specialized training for termites and other highly destructive pests.
When you call us for Baytown pest control, we come to your location to perform a thorough inspection. We look at the current pests that are invading your home. Then we find possible entryways, what their food/water/shelter sources are, and provide you with tips to prevent them in the future.
If you’re dealing with a pest like rodents, we set traps and bait stations to draw out the mice and rats within your home. We also advise you on sealing up entry points so they can’t re-enter after they’re removed.
If you’re dealing with another pest like spiders, roaches, etc. then we’ll also advise you on sealing up doors, windows, etc. where they could enter. Then we spray your entire home which kills the existing pests and their eggs. This treatment also prevents them from returning for the next 90 days.
Pests that you absolutely must hire a professional for
While you can perform some pest treatments on your own like we discussed earlier, there are some pests that you absolutely must hire a professional for. Those are:
- Bed bugs
- Termites
- Rodents
Bed bugs are a huge problem and they’re incredibly difficult to kill. Their eggs can withstand high and low temperatures and none of the over the counter pesticides can touch them. When you try treating them yourself, you kill only the adults. Meanwhile, the eggs spread throughout your home and hatch which results in another infestation which is even worse than the first. Before you know it, you have a fully infested home and very expensive treatment are required. Save yourself the headaches and hire a professional company the moment you see a bed bug – you won’t regret it.
Termites often go for several years without showing any signs of infestation. So by the time you notice their presence, they’ve usually done some damage. And unfortunately, your insurance company doesn’t cover the repair costs because this damage was preventable if you had hired a pest control company.
You’ll need a professional to treat your home for termites for multiple reasons. Firstly, termites require special tools, chemicals, and training. Second, if you’re unlicensed, your insurance won’t cover the damage if you do your own termite treatments. Thirdly, most termite treatments are guaranteed for several years.
Rodents might not seem like they require professional intervention but they do. The reason being that once rodents are in your house, they can be very hard to remove. The last thing you want is a booming rat or mouse population in your walls. Additionally, the removal is important because if a rat dies in your walls, it’s a pain to get rid of and sanitize.
A professional company will set traps and bait stations to draw in rodents, help seal all the possible entryways, and make sure there are no nests in your basement, attic, or anywhere else in your house.