How To Choose A Pest Control Service

Posted on November 25th, 2017
Albany Pest Control
Written by Jacob Lander

So, you’ve just discovered a large spider inside your home, or maybe millions of ants just invaded your kitchen.  You need help now, but what criteria should you use to choose a pest control company?  Which pest service is right for you?  Are they all really that different?  We’ve decided to weigh-in here, and give you some tips on how to choose a pest control service.  We thought we’d offer some advice to help you make the BEST decision and get help fast!

How To Choose A Pest Control Service

Spoiler alert: We’re one.

With so many pest control options listed on Google, how can you know which company will be the best choice for your home?  Some ads offer super low prices, others tout “green” solutions, and some big names like Orkin and Terminix look familiar.  In addition to these, there are usually a bunch of other pest control companies and exterminators that no one has ever heard of before (it’s very common that a single person will buy basic, big-box outlet materials, put a sticker on their truck, and offer themselves as a company).  Should you go with someone local or stick with one of the national brands? Should you go with an enterprising, expanding company in your region, or a small company with a few technicians in your city?  Here is some solid advice about how to choose a pest control service that can help you make the right decision the first time.

Local or National?

If you’ve ever called a company and found yourself talking to someone far away with an accent you can barely understand, you know the frustration of dealing with an outsourced customer service line.  Just when you think you are about done, CLICK!– the phone goes dead and you’re starting all over again.  Press 1 for billing… Press 3 for scheduling… This can be troublesome and often causes you to jump through myriad hoops just to get a simple question answered (and don’t plan on ever getting to talk to the same person twice).  Agitating and impersonal.

Pest control doesn’t have to be like this.  When you choose a local service provider that lives where you live, works in your neighborhood every day, and knows the area, you’re choosing someone who lives where you live and knows the area and all of its facets.  In fact, when you choose a local company, you can plan on working with the same service team member every time you call– without having to press all those frustrating 1’s and 3’s.  You’ll also be helping to build your local economy and support your region.

Local companies subsist on local work with local customers.  National or global companies often use one-size-fits-all plans and treatments, but what may work in eastern Georgia might not work so well in Oregon.  Not all populations of pests are the same, and some have developed different behaviors that are region or even city-specific.  In addition, going local helps businesses in your area thrive, ultimately giving you and your city more options in the long run.

Quality or Low Cost?

Are you a frequent Walmart shopper? If standing in line for an hour to save $.50 isn’t your thing, then please consider not choosing the lowest cost pest control service.  When it comes to pest control services, low cost often means low-grade cheap products and speed (without attention-to-detail).  That business model is about blazing through as many jobs as possible to generate invoices. This model does not bode well for a quality service. Generally, this method results in persistent bug problems, numerous call-backs (let’s hope they offer them), and steady frustrations.

While pest control service generally costs far less per month than phone plans, it’s a service where you really get what you pay for, and a few extra dollars per month can make all the difference in the quality of service and your future happiness.  Trust us, a few extra dollars per month to get GREAT pest control will be worth every penny.

Guaranteed or Not?

So how does a pest control guarantee work?  Well, the best pest control companies use their products and services in their own homes. We’re not just talking about the owner’s home, but even the office staff.  When they use the products and services in their own homes, they know exactly how well they work.  If you ask your technician what he uses on his own home, it should be exactly what he’s about to use in your home. Great companies confidently offer 100% guaranteed results on every service provided.  When they know it works from personal experience, your provider can confidently offer to come back for free as needed, to make sure the treatment is 100% effective. If everyone in the company doesn’t use their own service for their own homes, then keep shopping.

Free Spider Web Removal or “Not Offered”

Webs can get almost anywhere.
Webs can get almost anywhere.

Here is a great question you can use to quickly separate the wheat from the chaff: “Do you include free de-webbing or spider web removal with your pest protection plans?”

Removing spider webs not only helps your home look its best but ensures that there will be future proof of spider activity if spiders are not removed by the treatment.  If a treatment is done and more webs show up, you know it wasn’t successful.  A good company will remove these at the start, and return if webs appear after treatment.  Web removal is used as a gauge to make certain the spider problem is solved.  If the answer to your web-removal question is anything but a solid “of course,” you’re being told the following:

  1.  We know the products we use don’t always work well, so we don’t want to get stuck cleaning up the mess.
  2.  We’re in a hurry.  Clean your own house.  We need to get to the next job fast because we operate for quantity rather than quality.
  3.  We’re just in it for a quick buck (pay-and-spray) and are not committed to keeping your home bug free and looking great long term.  When problems arise after our treatment, you can pay us again for more of the same.

Are They Pet Friendly or Not?

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If you can’t confidently have the products applied around your pets and family, then maybe you better keep looking for a better pest control company. The BEST companies have trained technicians that are equipped with and prepared to use pet-friendly products with methods designed to avoid putting pets and people at risk.  Does your prospective or current pest control company confidently offer Pet-Friendly pest solutions?  If not, consider a change.

Poor Reviews

If other customers get great service, so will you.  Consistent and recent 5-star reviews indicate a commitment to extraordinary service that surpasses customer expectations.  These reviews can be invaluable.  Eliminate the unknown and choose a pest control company with great online reviews.

Choose Bug Zapper Pest Control

We hope these tips on how to choose a pest control service will be helpful as you choose the right pest control service for your home.  We routinely contact current customers to inquire about the service and make sure our technicians are the best around.

For local service, top quality results, an unbeatable guarantee, FREE spider web removal, pet-friendly services, and 5-star reviews, check out bugzapperpestcontrol.com  Discover pest control service on a whole new level for Oregon homes and businesses.

5 Star Pest Control Services available in Albany, Ashland, Corvallis, Eugene, Grants Pass, McMinnville, Medford, Newberg, Roseburg, Salem, Sherwood, Wilsonville, Woodburn, Tigard, Tualatin and surrounding areas.

Call/Text 541-636-0146

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How to choose a pest control service

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