You have found out that your house is infested with termites, or you have probably heard your daughter screaming and running away when she saw cockroaches or you have discovered that your electricity supply was halted by rats that chewed on the wires that supplies the current to your outlets or worst case scenario, smoke was seen from the fusebox and some explosions were heard and fire alarms went off. These are all reasons to hire a Pest control company nearby.............but how do you choose the right one?
Ask about the Technician's Competency and Training Certificate and License
The SERVICE TECHNICIAN is the individual who does the actual pest control work. The quality of the control of pests depends to a large degree on the training the technician has received and the professionalism of the technician on the job.
Most Pest Control companies offer services and boasts of their market share. Are the Service technicians well trained? Some companies train their technician by just letting them go and put them to work. A good technician must be able to correctly identify the specific pest from the rest. Technician's must have undergone training from the authorities in Pest Management such as the National Committee on Urban Pest Control (NCUPC). They must undergo competency training covering the Biology of Insect-Pest, Identification of Household, Structural and Stored products Pest, Proper usage of pest control equipment's and most important of all is the Safe handling of Pesticides. Sad to say, most companies don't have a Professionally trained and Licensed Technician. Only the owner of the Pest control company is licensed and not the Technician. They would just say "Technician's are under the direct supervision of a licensed PCO. We'll have you seen the licensed owner go with their Technician's during their routine job and supervise them? If the Pest control guy tells you they are licensed, ask them to show you their license and or certification. If they can't show it then probably you have to look for another company.
Don’t trust that the pest control technicians are licensed simply because they tell you they are. It is best to do your own research on this matter. Ask the company you are interviewing for their license numbers, and then verify them with the organization that gave the certifications. Remember, pest control licensing regulations vary. For more information on where to check the licenses for your particular area, you can call the Nat'l Committee on Urban Pest Control at (02) 484-0208.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that all certificates and licenses are created equal. Agricultural Pest is different from Urban Pest. Research each license and certification individually, and feel free to call the licensing agency to ask them about their requirements. Below are some questions you may want to ask when researching a license or certification for a company you are interviewing:
1. Is this license or certification obtained by simply paying a fee?
2. Does this certification require a certain number of hours of practice or education to earn?
3. Does the contractor have to do anything in order to maintain this license or certification?
4. How often does this license or certification expire?
Do they own a website? Check Their Online Reputation
Though every company will advertise that they are honest, dependable, and affordable, the reality is that there are many businesses that have none of those qualities whatsoever. Sometimes a company will attempt to advertise their experience by talking about how long they've been in business. Just because a company has been in business for 80 years doesn't mean they actually know how to get rid of your pests! Thanks to instant results on Google and Yahoo, it can be really easy to find out a company's online reputation quickly - if they even have one, that is. Online reviews, ratings, and rankings can help you find a company that backs up their promised value with actual value. For a quick search on Google just type Pest Control(area). Example if you are in Iloilo City just type "Pest Control Iloilo" or "Pest Control Bacolod" and so on and so forth. Check all those listed and call them for an appointment.
Know The Company's Employee.Take Advantage of the Free Inspection
Most pest control companies will offer you a free inspection of your property so that they can give you a quote for services. Take advantage of this free inspection to see what kind of employees the company hires. A good pest control agent will be able to effectively communicate what is going on in your home, what you can do to help prevent that from happening, and be able to answer any questions you may have, does not say bad things about competitors and are professional in every aspect. If you don't get that level of service from the employee, then that might not be the best company for you.
Do You Need to Get Rid of Some Pests?
Despite our best efforts, we can get pests in our homes that can bite, sting, and even leave disease. That's why it is so important to make sure that we get those pests out of our homes as soon as possible! This can easily be done when you hire a good pest control company. Use these ideas today to evaluate your own local options so that you get the pests eradicated for a fair price! You might as well consider hiring a Pest Control consultant before hiring a Pest control company to ensure you get what you pay. You can call my attention at 0919-3810710.
TERMITE PREVENTION TIPS
Whether you have just moved in to a new home or have been settled in one for years, it is important to keep up with termite prevention. Termites are focused in their pursuits, they are abundant in number, and they are probably nibbling on your home right now. One of the few insect colonies to eat continuously, a typical single termite colony can completely consume 2.3 linear feet of 2x4 pine in a single year. If that does not sound like much to you, consider the seriousness of the situation if that 2x4 was also one of the supporting beams of your house. Keep in mind also that where there is one termite colony there are usually others, clustered together in pursuit of food. Suddenly, that 2.3 linear feet seems significant, and it is, especially when it is multiplied four or five times.
Termites are one of the biggest contributors to home destruction, costing a staggering $1 billion in damages each year. Thanks to the importing of the voracious Formosan termite from East Asia, that amount continues to skyrocket. Think about the following numbers for a moment. A termite colony consists of anywhere from 350,000 to well over a million workers, soldiers, and swarmers (termites with wings). A single termite queen can lay thousands of eggs per day and live between 30 and 50 years. That means a queen can recoup her losses and repopulate her colony even after tremendous devastation. The best way to fight this foe is to prevent them from ever touching your home.
Before we can look at how to prevent termite infestation, let’s look at the conditions that attract these insects to an area:
Soil: Most termites are subterranean, meaning that they build their colonies in the ground. They love the soil and build elaborate tunnel systems, called galleries, extending up to three feet below the surface. Termites will often use this versatile building material to create mud tubes leading from their underground colonies to above ground food sources, like the wood in your home.
Wood: Termites will consume any material that contains cellulose, and since wood contains a great deal of cellulose, termites devour wood voraciously. If a single piece of wood touches the ground, be certain that a colony of termites somewhere will know about it. Although some subterranean termites will consume other materials like vegetation, dung and humus, their primary source of food, and their favorite, is wood.
Water: As with most living things, termites generally cannot survive without a source of water present. Whether in the form of a leaky faucet or the natural precipitation process of rain, termites will always seek some source of moisture to survive.
Now that the three conditions for termite survival have been identified, we can now look at how to prevent termites from infesting your home.
1. Identify and fix all water leaks in your home, both internal and external. As mentioned above, termites need water, and it does not matter where they get it. If the water source comes from your home, all the better for the colony. It means they do not have to work as hard. Eliminating their water source removes one of the three requirements for survival.
2. Remove any brush or heavy growth from around your home. Vegetation can create areas of intense moisture, which is necessary for colony survival. Termites like it wet, so try and disappoint them as much as possible.
3. Eliminate any standing or pooling water from around your home.
4. Store all excess building materials and firewood away from the house. Remember that wood is their primary food source. Scrap wood touching the ground is an open invitation to hungry termites. If your property is not large enough for wood storage away from the house, create barriers beneath the wood to prevent direct access to the termites. Thick concrete slabs or heavy duty metal stands can be used to raise the wood off of the ground.
5. Use treated lumber for any wooden structures that will have direct contact with the ground. The chemicals in treated lumber do not guarantee that termites will not invade the wood, but they can act as a deterrent for decks and patios made out of treated lumber. Home improvement centers now offer concrete supports that raise the wooden support beams for decks and patios off of the ground. This would be a great way to avoid wood to ground contact.
6. Avoid using mulch near your home. Mulch provides two things to hungry termites: a food source and a water source. The qualities of mulch that make it attractive for use in the garden are the very qualities that attract termites. If mulch is placed near the exterior of your home, it is only a small step for a colony to move into your walls. As an alternative to wood mulch, try using one of the newer rubber mulches now available at your local home improvement center. They have the look of mulch and the benefits of mulch without providing the risks.
7. Never bury waste lumber or wood scraps in your yard. It acts as a magnet to termites and directs them to your property.
8. Remove any dead trees, old stumps, or roots in your yard. As these items decay, they attract termites to the area by providing a food source. When the food is gone, the termite colony will look for new sources of food. This includes your house.
9. Seal any cracks or holes within the foundation of your home. This will help prevent easy access for wandering termites.
10. Keep all gutters and waterlines clean of debris. Clogged gutters and waterlines leak, creating pools of water close to the house.
11. Make sure your home is properly ventilated, including your attic and internal crawl space areas. Adequate airflow prevents the buildup of moisture needed by termite colonies.
12. Periodically, get your home inspected for termite damage. A once-a-year inspection can save your home with early detection. If termites are not found in the home, the trained pest control specialists can at least offer recommendations to help you prevent an invasion. They may catch something you missed.
So what happens if you take all of these precautions and termites still begin to munch on your home? Use a pest control specialist in your area to help you deal with the problem. Here are a few of the insect pest control options that are currently on the market:
Liquid Termiticide: This liquid pesticide is generally applied around the foundation of the house, as well as underneath the foundation. For new construction sites, the termiticide is applied to the graded soil as the home is being built, but for existing buildings, the foundation is partially dug out and drilled to ensure proper coverage. There are termiticides on the market that act as barriers and repellents to termite invasions, and there are termiticides that act as nerve poisons, killing the termites upon exposure.
Subterranean Bait: Rather than acting as a deterrent to termite invasion, termite baits attempt to eliminate the colony at its source. Bait stations are set in the ground every ten feet or so around the perimeter of the home. The treatment begins when untreated wood segments are installed in the bait units to determine if termites are active around the house. The units are checked once a week, and if live termites are found, the wood is replaced with a toxic bait that is ingested by the termites and carried back to the colony. The toxins in the bait affect the termites by preventing the molting process, causing them to die "within their shell." This long acting toxin allows the termites to both ingest the poison and carry it back to share with their colony. Special bait units can also be installed inside the home if termites damage is evident. A new series of bait traps have been developed by Dow Agrosciences to fight the more aggressive Formosan termite, which can penetrate cement, brick, heavy duty plastics, and high-pressure water lines just to get to food and water sources.
The best treatment option is a combination of termiticides and bait units setup both in the ground and throughout the house. Termites are hard to kill, and they are even harder to eradicate, so be tenacious in your efforts. Your best bet is to call a professional to help you. Over the counter solutions do not offer the same level of effectiveness that professional grade products do. Your house is one of your greatest commitments you will ever make. It is worth protecting the right way by getting the help of professionals who know what they are doing. In this case, an ounce of termite prevention really can take you far, ensuring a better chance of keeping these nasty bugs from eating up your investment before you have a chance to truly enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Read more: http://www.doityourself.com/stry/keeptermitesout#.UgRw_dKTSDk#ixzz2bRY5IgB7
