Generally speaking, pest control companies do not require tips when you hire them. However, if you feel that your pest control technician went above and beyond on your behalf and treated your home with more care than you expected, you might want to leave a little tip for them. Your exterminator won’t appreciate it, but if you are not required to tip pest control services after they do the job, it’s okay to give a small amount.
Services
Pest control technicians deal with everything from ants, termites, bed bugs and cockroaches to more exotic creatures such as Asian carp and goldfish. Many pest control services include a range of services. Some will deal with just the basics, dealing with ants and termites on your property. Others specialize in dealing with more advanced pest infestations such as dealing with deer-mounted arrows to get rid of carpenter ants (or wood-pigeon pillows to kill carpenter ants and their larvae).
Other pest control services also provide other services apart from the basics. For instance, some companies will do spot-treatment for bedbugs. They will steam clean infested rooms, apply dust sheets and deodorize the rooms for a few days. These pests are tough and they can stick around even after you have finished with the spot treatment.
Prices
Check with your local agencies or organizations to find out how much the annual price of pest control services usually is. A standard service contract usually has an annual price range. Some companies offer additional services at extra cost. One such service is the quarterly service contract. Most companies offer this service to customers once a year at a fixed price. The same goes for the monthly contract, wherein you pay a flat monthly fee to have pest control services done to your home at that particular month.
The most common service is the one that involves the use of pesticides. You may be surprised to know that the standard price for pest control services is a combination of several different pest extermination methods, depending on the extent of the infestation and the severity of the damage. If the damage is only a few square feet, the company will use a less hazardous insecticide, such as baits. If the damage is extensive, the company will consider other methods, which include fumigation, heat, freezing or manual removal. In the case of heat treatment, this may be done as part of a standard annual pest control service. However, if the damage is so extensive that it would require too much damage to be repaired in the next two years, then heat treatment should be discontinued after the first treatment.
Extra Services
Another service offered by a pest control services company is integrated pest management, which refers to using more than one method to control pests. For example, one of the pest control services companies may choose to use heat treatment and bait and kill as part of their integrated pest management system. This allows them to treat small areas simultaneously where pests are likely to thrive, and larger areas that could be treated conventionally. They also use fumigants and other chemicals to kill pests when they are not active.
Pest control services also offer an active service, which is an assessment of the current situation. The assessment includes determining whether there are currently any active termites and whether these termites are visible. The pest control services can also determine whether any building materials, such as wood or metal, have been affected by termites. They can also detect the location of underground termite colonies. Based on the information received from the active, the pest control services can provide the appropriate solution, whether through fumigation or sealing of the building.
As more people continue to live in rented accommodation, it becomes increasingly important for property owners to hire competent pest control companies to keep their premises free of termites and other pests. By hiring licensed and certified pest control companies, home and business owners can rest assured that their premises are safe from insect infestation and that they will not need to make use of pesticides. When it comes to choosing a pest control service, it is always best to ensure that you get unbiased advice and information on the effectiveness of a given pesticide, so that you can make an informed decision.