Hello.. I live in a 5 year old townhouse(Toll brothers) . away from water, away from big trees. very small yard on the back. I got this visit from a local pest control guy ( MOXIE ) and I fell for his talk and signed up for an annual contract.. but now i am wondering.. i don’t have any visible pest problems – other than the occasional ants i see in the kitchen. Do i really need a professional pest control service? are there any invisible pests lurking behind my walls?

I plan to get a professonal pest control service Asap, but I need some answers now a real head start..
I am already,Cleaning Everything.
What about, traps, baits, and gels?
I know most professonal roach kill products are not available to the public, so what’s the next best thing ?
What about a,”Do It your self “pest control shop?
I live in, Orlando Florida, in a moble home..
I have lived here 43 years, so I am use to our unique,ok, weird weather.
The cock roaches are so resilliant this year, more then past years that I have seen..
Is there a powder, as well as the boric acid, and something to flush them out with ?
I heard about the baits I can make,the boric acid, flour, bacon drippings.what’s the “formula” for this, how much of each ?
I need to do the edges of the cealing too.
What about, Bioganic products ?
I can’t tent, I am too close to my neighbors, like a sardine can, well, almost..
Help….

I moved out of an apartment because there were bed bugs on the 4th floor. (I lived on the 3rd). I had Terminex check my apartment for bed bugs because I didn’t want to take any with me when I moved. I told the Terminex guy that I thought I had been bitten once. He looked at one seam of my matress and said that it was my imagination — and I didn’t have bed bugs. He sprayed around my bed to humor me.
We found another house and before I moved in I had pest control come out to treat for both bed bugs and roaches because because I didn’t want to deal with ANY pests. We moved in after they sprayed. When they came out for the second treatment, they found that I had a few bedbugs on the seam of my mattress, and roaches were still running around. The PC guy told me that what they use prevents the roaches from reproducing and they eventually die off. How long is eventually? I Want Them Gone!! This is so depressing, that I don’t want to cook or eat in the house!
It’s been about a month and I’m still dealing with roaches, and I’m not sure about the bed bugs. Is Pest Control using the wrong products?

I’m thinking about starting a Lawn Care business soon. I just need some research. Service includes: Mowing, edging, seasonal leaf removal, bi-yearly aeration and fertilization. What would you be willing to pay for all that?

Hey there. I have a professional Pest Control service. They come once a quarter. However, I often see ants and other bugs in the house. Is this normal? or should I find a new service?

No one likes uninvited guests. But, when the unwanted visitors are goose-bump inducing creepy critters, drastic action may be required.

But, if you’re thinking of racing to the store and purchasing a tub of over the counter pesticide, you should be aware that in it’s Citizen’s Guide to Pest Control and Pesticide Safety, the Environmental Protection Agency advises that “one of the greatest causes of dangerous pesticide exposure to humans is the use of pesticides in and around the home.”

In addition, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) reports that,

“The pesticides we use to control weeds and insects in and around our homes can be significant health hazards. Exposure to certain pesticides is associated with health problems ranging from skin rashes to nervous system disorders and cancer.”

Those with children could be at an even greater risk. According to the NRDC, “children are at the greatest risk of harm because of their hand-to-mouth habits and still-developing nervous systems.”

With that in mind you may want to opt for a professional pest controller. But how do you know if you’re getting one that is qualified?

According to James Whidden, President of Mug-A-Bug Pest & Termite Control in Colorado, there are a few questions wise customers should ask before hiring a professional exterminator, such as: “Are they licensed by the Dept. of Agriculture in their respective state? Are they bonded and insured?”

Widden also suggests that customers ask if the exterminator is using chemicals that originate from the original manufacturer or if he or she uses any products that are formulated in house?

“You have to assume that if you’re hiring a professional exterminator, they are educated on the proper products for the pest being treated,” he says. “But you will not have an absolute guarantee that is the case. If the products are in their original containers you should be ok.”

Jeff Eisenberg, President of Pest Away Incorporated in New York City, agrees that a thorough interview is essential to picking the right pest control professional.

“They should ask if they are licensed and, more importantly, if all of their technicians are licensed and certified,” Eisenberg says. ” They should be prepared to show proof at time of service and they should make sure they have a BBB rating that is A or higher.”

Eisenberg also says customers should make sure that the pest control specialist has been in business for a good while and runs a successful and stable business.

“You want to see if they work out of their house, which may indicate a rinky-dink operation “he says, “They should ask for references of places they have done and ask about warranties. “

Many sufferers of infestations worry about the cost of hiring a professional exterminator. And, despite the risks, they decide to employ their own methods to try to solve their pest problem.

According to Eisenberg, this can be a big mistake.

“Almost all of the poisoning mishaps in this country are from do-it-yourselfers,” he says.

Whidden also warns against a do-it-yourself mentality when it comes to pest control.

“Choosing the proper product is absolutely essential,” he says. “For example, with Ant Control, certain times of the year an ant will be feeding on protein, instead of sugar. If you choose a sweet bait and their feeding on protein at that time you will have an improper result of control.”

Whidden says you should choose a professional pest controller for the same reasons that you choose a surgeon for your surgery: you want the job done right and precise.

“A professional knows the biology behind each pest that he is treating,” he says. “In most cases the homeowner is throwing some sort of chemical at the pest hoping they get lucky.”

Whidden says a professional is looking for food source, harborage, and other conducive conditions that will enhance the problem. Acoording to him, chemicals are not always the answer and that educating the customer many times resolves the issues at hand.

In addition to their confusion about who to call, many people may also feel anxiety about balancing the desire to rid their home of pests with the worry about endangering their family with toxic chemicals. For those, individuals, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) may be the answer.

(IPM) is a technique that the EPA says is “an effective and environmentally sensitive approach to pest management that relies on a combination of common-sense practices.” is is a useful method which Eisenberg says his company has been using since the very beginning over 19 years ago.

“This method is a philosophy of solving pest problems by utilizing as little to no pesticides as possible,” he says. “The way this is accomplished is by correctly identifying the source of the problem and correcting it. This can be achieve by cleaning up an unsanitary area, building the pest out of the structure, fixing a leaky pipe, and sometimes if necessary, using a mild material that is targeted right at the infestation.”

Whitten agrees that IPM definitely works and has been around for several years. Unfortunately, he says, a lot of organizations are slow to adopt it.

“Education goes a long way in pest control.” he says. “Many times that is all it takes.

Eliminating the source that the pest thrives in will always have a positive result.”

We are moving to apartment that is kept very untidy and there are roaches all around. Planning to get the pest control and professional cleaning done. Not sure which one has to be done first. Will cleaning after pest control take away the effect of pest control? Thanks.

I live in Nevada and the termite problem just began. There is no sign of damage, only identification of several termites.

If you’re a home owner, then chances are that you’ve already tried the run of the mill lawn care products on the market to little to no success. There is a reason that professionals use the products they do (hint: it’s because they work, and they work well), and most consumers use the products they do because they are cheap, and they are marketed as viable alternatives to those very same professional products. However, there is no guarantee that you will see any results with them at all, so your only safe bet is to go with professional lawn care products for the healthiest lawn possible.

Top Notch Equipment

Professional lawn care products go far beyond your traditional herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers. You’ll actually be able to purchase equipment to make your job much easier and the work that you do much more effective. Be prepared to pay top dollar for professional products, though the saying “you get what you pay for” comes to mind when choosing between professional lawn care products and cheaper alternatives. Take professional lawn mowers, for example. They are more durable than normal lawn mowers, and they are far more versatile in the jobs they can tackle. If your yard is somewhat hilly or rugged, you may want to check into professional lawn mowers.

Anyone running a business certainly will want professional lawn care products over consumer models. The sheer volume of work that needs to be done requires equipment built to last, and consumer models are simply too prone to breaking from stress. Take equipment that spreads fertilizer on a yard, for example. A consumer model might be meant to be used once or twice a year, but lawn care professionals may be spreading fertilizer several times each day. You certainly wouldn’t want fertilizing equipment to break after a week’s use.

Also, some of the most powerful herbicides and pesticides are only available in professional lawn care products. Cheaper brands sacrifice quality for price so they can sell the product to more people, but those brands do a shoddy job at best of cleaning up a yard. Consumer pesticides and herbicides may market their brands as hurting only weeds or insects, but you may find whole patches of your yard dead after using these cheap brands. If you use those types of lawn care products, you might as well just burn your yard and save yourself a few dollars – the results will be the same anyway. For uncompromising effectiveness, try professional lawn care products.

It’s easy to kid yourself into believing that you know more about your lawn and garden than you really do. To move your efforts to the next level, you will need to get some help from someone who really knows what they are doing.

It requires hard work and skill to get a great lawn. It’s more than just keeping your grass cut regularly. Sometimes you will need a little lawn care help to get over the tricky problems.

Maybe you have weeds you can’t shift or advice on the right treatment at the right time of year. And there are always professionals around you can call on with the level of knowledge you need.

To maintain a great looking lawn that is lush and green, takes effort and making an annual plan can minimize effort and maximize results.

By doing this you will have a deliverable schedule that will ged rid of weeds and other problems early on, reducing the need for a lot more effort later in the year. Being pro-active earlier in the season, you will nip problems in the bud and infestations and infections affection your lawn will be a lot less likely or severe.

If you have had problems in the past, you can always call in professionals who you will find advertizing their services in yellow pages or at a local garden center.

There are also some great services, often local franchises, who visit on a monthly basis for a regular fee. They will take care of all your needs on a sliding scale for the level of services you want.

It’s a great solution if you feel out of your depth and are looking for serious lawn care help that is not too expensive and easy to budget for.

If you get a disease that affects your grass, bringing in lawn care help from someone who really knows what they are doing, will probably cost less than trying to beat the problem by yourself.

It’s easy to get stuck into trying to fix something that takes times and money by yourself – and still find it’s too big a deal for you.

So maybe it’s better to consider professional support sooner rather than later. Then you can settle back, do what you can do, like the mowing and watering (remember the plan?), get an expert in from time to time, and enjoy the lawn you have.

That’s a much better idea than worry yourself trying to make good a problem easy to solve by someone who knows what they are doing. This is a great time to leave your lawn care help to someone who really understands lawns professionally.