How to Avoid Costly Mistakes in Pest Control Management

"Do I really need pest control management? Can I pull it off alone?" Every day, thousands of homeowners are faced with those questions, and what makes the problem worse is that it is not something you can easily put off. Leaving your home crawling with bugs and pests may cause serious health risks. Some pests even cause damage to your home, and considering that it would seriously affect your home's value, you need to take care of the problem as soon as you can, even if it means you would have to subject your home to fumigation.

Here's what you need to do when faced with a pest control management problem.

1. Identify the pest problem.

Before you dial the number of local pest control companies, it is best to identify the type of pest first. Doing this might help save some money on inspection fees or total costs. You can do this by bringing a sample of the organism to the local agricultural commissioner's office. You can even ask for pest control management recommendations. Doing research would help too. You need to take note of the season, your location, and other circumstances that may be contributing factors (i.e. the types of plants in the area).

2. Assess the situation

Depending on the recommendations of the agricultural office and the results of your own research, you can start figuring out ways to make your home uninhabitable for pests. For example, you can opt for spot-on treatments, or have problem trees cut and replaced with more pest resistant ones.

Note that before engaging in those, you have to be quite sure that the problem could be solved that way. For example, if you see termites flying around the house and they are virtually everywhere, spot on treatments are not likely to work and you have to accept that. Approach the problem objectively. If repeated measures are required and you are not sure you would be able to follow through, it would be best to hire pest control companies instead. That would save you money in the long run. It is also important to leave the application of toxic chemicals to professionals.

3. Evaluate pest control companies in the area.

There are online review sites for pest companies too, and if those would prove fruitless, you can always get recommendations from friends and neighbors. Get in touch with at least three companies.

Find out about the services they offer. Ask about whether they only provide monthly spraying services (by contract) or whether they could implement an integrated approach so that your house does not get exposed to chemicals all the time.

You also need to know if the systems they use are not very toxic. For example, ask whether they use sprays all the time or whether baits and traps are used as well. Of course, there are cases when those are not applicable (as in the case of severe termite infestation that could only be resolved by fumigation). There are plenty of resources online that can give you detailed information about chemicals and their toxicity.

Make sure that the companies have all the required licenses, registration, accreditation, and insurance policies. The best companies carry liability insurance as well as worker's compensation insurance, so if the companies in your list carry those, you can trust them.

4. Request an inspection

You do not even need to hire pest control management companies outright. What you can do is call multiple companies and ask them about inspection fees. A few offer free inspection. In any case, you should request an inspection first before hiring the company.

Companies who do charge a usually give highly detailed reports though. The pest would be identified, the problem would be diagnosed and courses of action would be recommended. You would also be informed about the frequency of the treatment, as well as the estimated costs and time charts. You would also be informed about the precautions you need to take prior to the treatment. This is especially the case with fumigation.

Now, after the diagnosis, you will be presented a solution. There won't be a lot of problems with spot treatments, but if it is a severe infestation that requires whole-house eradication, you will be faced with two choices: heat treatment and fumigation. In some cases, any of the two would work. Nevertheless, fumigation is the more popular method and with good reason - it has been tried and tested.

5. Review the fine print

After the solutions have been presented and the contract has been drawn, you need to find out first about how possible disputes are settled, and how they provide customer support. The treatment program and the costs should be specified too.

6. Prepare for the fumigation

Fumigation is almost always the recommended treatment plan for whole-house pest management. The process would have the entire house exposed to toxic chemicals, so you have to take precautionary measures.

For starters, you need to clear out the refrigerator. Get rid of all leftovers, unless you are willing to double-bag them. All food items that have been opened have to be double-bagged using nylofume bags. Anything that you do not want chemicals on would have to be removed from the house.

Sofas, chairs, and pillows should not have waterproof covers; that way, gas would not be trapped inside. Open all cabinet doors and drawers, and blinds and drapes to make things easier for the pest control management professionals. If you do not want to leave everything unlocked, give all the necessary keys since every room needs to be inspected and aerated. If there is an attached garage, you may have to give the key to your car too.

Make sure that the gas supply is shut off. You may also have to get rid of plants that are too close to the building (distance of less than 18 inches). You would also want to water them the day before treatment to keep them healthy. If you have awnings or fences that may hamper the process, the fumigator would help you make arrangements.

7. Keep in touch

Pest management is typically not a one-time thing; you would have to make sure that the pest population is managed or that the pests do not come back. Let them know what you want and they will discuss the options. Your contract may include regular inspections but if you see changes in pest populations, just let them know before the visit. Communication is important.

Do not forget that you should also do your part. The best pest control management companies can help you keep pests at bay but if you do not do your part (i.e. fixing plumbing problems, clearing debris and keeping the house clean), the treatment program may fail, or the company would have to intensify the efforts. Either way, that could only mean that your investment would not pay off, or that you would have to spend more. You can save a lot on pest control costs if you keep all these in mind.

PestBusters - Fumigation services company in Singapore. Fumigation for ships, vessels & rigs to eliminate pests such as mosquitoes, cockroaches, bed bugs, ants and more.