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One Time Application vs Pest Control Maintenance


Clients frequently ask how they know what pest control service they need since Mug-A-Bug, Inc. offers both one time applications as well as maintenance agreements.  The most honest answer is that ever situation is different; however, there are many aspects that can be considered in order to find the best resolution for each client.

 

  1. Pest Tolerance – Every person has a different level of pest tolerance. Basically, the client must determine to what extent pests will be tolerated within or around their home. Although it may be completely unacceptable to one client to see any pests in their home, other clients are okay with seeing a pest now and then. Since products that are applied at a home generally have a residual time of around 45-60 days, this is an important factor to consider.  Clients that have a low pest tolerance are typically best suited for a monthly or possibly bi-monthly (every other month) maintenance program (to ensure that residual products are consistently in place at the home), where as clients that have a high pest tolerance and do not mind seeing a pest now and then may elect to go on a bi-monthly or even quarterly maintenance program (where active product is allowed to completely wear off between services).
  2. Pest Pressure – Best described as the available habitat surrounding your home in which pests can exist. A home that is surrounded by concrete in the middle of the city typically has a lower pest pressure than a home on acreage surrounded by open fields, tall grasses and undisturbed landscape. On that same topic, areas that were previously open field and are now being developed can cause increases in pest pressure for surrounding areas as pests are driven out of their natural habitat.  Weather can also be a factor in pest pressure. During years where high amounts of snow or rainfall are received or we encounter unusual highs or lows in temperature, it is not uncommon for clients to experience increases in activity.
  3. Exclusion/Structure of the home – It is not uncommon for homes to have structural deficiencies that enable pests to gain access to the home. Our technicians are trained to inspect for such imperfections and to seal or advise the client on sealing/repairing the areas to decrease activity.  Common areas include sealing around windows, checking weather stripping, capping or screening vents and repairing construction gaps both interior and exterior on the home.  Another consideration on this aspect is doors and windows that lack screens or have screens that need replaced or repaired left open allowing pests to access the home. Some homes have structural issues that are difficult or expensive to repair, in those cases, pest problems may be continuous and maintenance may be the best option.
  4. Pest history – While some clients may not know the pest history on the home due to recently moving to the home, this is an important consideration for established residents. If your home has never experienced a pest problem in the past, it is important to consider what may have caused the increase in the presence of pests within the home in which items 3 & 4 should be considered. If weather is the only know cause, a one time application and a couple of follow up treatments may be all that is needed to obtain control.

 

In all situations, one thing that clients should keep in mind is that here at Mug-A-Bug, allow our clients 90 days from the time of their initial service to determine if they want to start a maintenance agreement, so there is no pressure to sign up immediately.  We feel that it is important for our clients to be given the chance to figure out what will work best for them.  Of course, if after speaking to one of our technicians the client wants to sign up immediately, we can absolutely do that as well.  Our maintenance programs are also flexible, so if a client finds that a maintenance program is too frequent or not frequent enough, a simple call to our office will enable adjustments to be made to fit their pest control needs.