Moving to the country was a welcome respite from life in a congested suburb — until mice took up residence in our home.
Clearly, we needed a pest control service, but we were concerned about using pesticides — particularly around our children and pets. We didn’t want mice, but we also didn’t want to bomb our house with tons of toxic chemicals.
Residential customers will account for two-thirds of this year’s estimated $8.6 billion pest control & extermination industry, according to IBISWorld Inc., a Los Angeles-based industry intelligence firm. The company projects a 7.6% decrease in the industry’s revenue from last year, due to declining residential construction and purchases.
We contacted five pest-control services about our mice problem. We also wanted someone to take a look at a damaged piece of siding on our home’s exterior: We wondered if it harbored wood-boring insects, such as termites or carpenter ants. We sought out one local provider that marketed itself as “an environmentally conscious” pest-management company — the only such service we could find in our area.
All of the companies offered free termite inspections. But three of them wanted us to sign up for annual contracts without first dispatching a technician to survey our mice problem. One-time treatments were generally available, but we had to ask. The single treatments cost about half the amount of annual service and often came with only a 30-day guarantee. Contracts provide unlimited, year-round service — but they generally don’t cover termite damage, which can be extensive and expensive to repair.
The on-site inspectors were more knowledgeable than the telephone sales representatives we dealt with initially. The sales reps often stressed the array of insects the company’s treatments kill — including those that were not a problem for us. They also described pest-control treatments as “EPA-approved” and “safe,” but often didn’t know or wouldn’t reveal chemical names. Our inspectors, however, were generally sensitive to our preference for a conservative approach to pest management.
A telephone representative from Orkin, a subsidiary of Atlanta, Ga.-based Rollins Inc., heightened our anxiety by saying that two mice can produce 200 offspring in two months. Its quarterly service would include spraying along our home’s side and perimeter. The technician would set up bait stations for the mice. He also claimed that the process would ensure that mice would die outside as they searched for water. Another service we consulted said that was impossible — there’s no way to dictate where mice will ultimately expire. (Orkin didn’t respond to requests for comment.) The initial treatment for our 30-year-old, 2,800-square-foot home would cost $155, plus $95 every three months. A termite inspector who visited said our damaged siding had wood rot — but no termites — and did not offer to look inside.
A phone representative for Terminix, a franchise of ServiceMaster Co., in Memphis, Tenn., also said its quarterly visits would treat our mice — and up to 27 types of pests, including carpenter ants. The first visit would cost $130, plus $90 for each quarterly visit. A termite inspector said our siding had rotted, but we also had carpenter ants — a conclusion that no other inspector reached. Our basement, he said, showed evidence of carpenter ants, but not termites.
The service was open to just spraying the exterior of our home — and skipping the inside — if we preferred. But the treatment, he said, would require about two weeks to work. The quarterly service would include child- and pet-proof mice baiting stations. He also suggested that we buy an annual termite-protection plan for $359 — even though he didn’t think we had termites. He said it was a preventive measure that could save us cash in the long-run since, he said, termites cause an average of $3,000 in damage. A ServiceMaster spokeswoman said the inspector had 10 years’ experience, but that a follow-up inspection would be necessary to confirm the diagnosis.
Western Pest Services, another Rollins subsidiary, required upfront payment for its annual contract ($449, or $565 to include carpenter ant coverage). Its termite inspector also said our siding had rotted. He continued, however, to poke through dirt around our home’s entire perimeter — a common entry point for termites (which we, fortunately, didn’t have). He also looked in our basement and the garage — where he found a hole through which mice were entering our home. Bait stations, and plugging holes, would help eliminate mice, but they wouldn’t necessarily die outside, he said. We were impressed with the assessment, but didn’t want to plunk down $565 in advance.
A representative from Ehrlich Pest Control, a unit of Reading, Pa.-based J.C. Ehrlich Co., sent an inspector to assess our problems and wouldn’t discuss pricing via phone. The inspector concluded that we didn’t have termites or carpenter ants and carefully examined our basement crawl spaces and attic, where he found mouse droppings. He also discovered an enormous but inactive hornets’ nest in the eaves of our attic.
Our inspector said his service would pursue an “integrated pest management” approach to resolving our problem — plugging up holes, eliminating food sources such as dog food, baiting, and using pesticides only when necessary. The initial service was expensive — $350, plus $100 to remove the nest. A contract wouldn’t apply, but preventive maintenance was $45 a month.
EarthCare Pest Services, a local Philadelphia-based company, touted its services as “pest elimination with the environment in mind” — an approach that appealed to us. The owner conducted a rigorous inspection of our home, which included crawling along the garage perimeter and even moving our refrigerator, where we found a hole in the flooring through which mice entered our kitchen. We were horrified, while inspecting the pantry, to find a Pop-Tart that was gnawed by mice. He suggested cementing our garage perimeter, where exposed cinderblock holes provided an entry point for mice. He also found a hole in the floor of our basement crawl space. His reasonable price of $250 included cementing, baiting and removing the hornets’ nest — which he could do the next morning (and did). An annual contract for us would cost an additional $98 per quarter.
The experience has left us pretty grossed out, but at least we’re rid of that hornets’ nest — and we’re still termite-free.
Phoenix exterminator Invader Pest Management is committed to Exceeding your Expectations and our priority is protecting your health, safety and the environment.
Invader Pest Management is a customer service driven organization committed to providing environmentally responsible pest, termite and weed control services, protecting people, pets and property through the effective use of Integrated Pest Management Techniques.
Call Invader Pest Management at 623-435-0228 or schedule an appointment for a Free Pest Assessment of your property online at www.invader.net.
Original Article by Suzanne Barlyn for www.online.wsj.com
