Is the treatment safe for my children and pets?
Yes. All of the treatments we do are safe for your children and pets. We do ask that you keep your children and pets away from the immediate area to be treated until the spray has had time to dry, which usually takes about 20 minutes. Under most circumstances you are not required to leave your home. But if you would feel more comfortable not being present while your house is being treated, that is perfectly fine too.
How do I know if the ants I’m seeing are just a few ants, or a more serious problem like a colony in my walls, floor, or ceiling?
Sometimes it’s easy to be reasonably sure that there’s a colony in your home. Things like seeing fine sawdust or insulant coming from a crack in the wall, or hearing them chewing in the walls or ceiling. Other times we have to make the best educated guess given the evidence we have. If you continue seeing ants in your home for an extended period of time, or see an organized trail of ants going to and from your house, these are signs that you very well may have a colony in your house. Feel free to call and we can go over the treatment options to help with your specific ant problem.
I’m seeing sawdust. I think I have ants or termites eating my house.
We don’t have termites in this area, so we can rule that out. If you are seeing fine ground sawdust coming out of a crack in your house, it is most likely ants. The next step is understanding that those ants are chewing to expand an existing colony. Obviously this problem needs to be taken more seriously than if it were just a few ants wandering around outside.
While we understand that some homeowners like to try spraying themselves before calling a pest control company, this is one time when it can be counter productive to do it yourself. The spray you use will kill the worker ants that are out foraging for food and walk across your spray. But what it won’t do, is kill the ants and the queen in the colony itself.
The difference in the treatment we perform is that when the worker ants return to the colony, the treatment will transfer from them to the queen and the rest of the ants in the colony, which will then kill the entire colony, rather than just some of the workers. Another thing to keep in mind is that if you try spraying first and then contact us when the problem persists, there will be fewer worker ants remaining to take our treatment back to the colony.
Will the spray stain the floors, carpet, or siding on my home.
No. The treatments are a small percentage of active ingredient mixed with water and sprayed on in a liquid form. Once the spray is dry, it is basically invisible on almost any surface, except for some slight water spotting on glass. This water spotting can be washed off. If we have decided to perform an exterior treatment under your eaves or on the sides of your house, I will want to know how careful you would like me to be about getting spray on your windows. I can be more thorough and not worry about getting some on the windows, or I can be very careful and make sure not to get any on the windows, which may limit my ability to do as thorough of a job. The choice is solely yours and I will do my best to follow your specific instructions. Whether you wash your windows yourself, or hire someone to do it for you. If you schedule me before you plan to wash the windows, it will allow me to be more thorough knowing that I don’t have to worry about getting some on the windows.
I’m hearing rustling noises in my walls or ceiling. What could it be, and what can be done about it?
There are several possibilities of what could be making the noises. Mice, squirrels, bats, a pack rat, and even ants. The most likely culprit is usually mice. With the second being squirrels or a pack rat. The biggest two challenges with these types of calls, is diagnosing which critter is making the noise, and finding access to an area the animal is frequenting. In order to be successful in removing these critters, we have to be able to place either traps or bait stations in a location where they will find it. Things the homeowner can do to help with this process is looking for animal sign in the form of droppings, tracks, or access holes in and around the home. If we don’t have this information to tell us where to place traps or bait stations, success in dealing with these critters will be difficult to achieve. Often times we aren’t able to find any of these clues to help guide us, and the best we can do is assume it’s the most common option, mice. In these instances I will give the homeowner the option of placing bait stations in likely areas around the home is hopes that the guilty suspects will find them. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. Of all the work I do, these types of calls are the hardest to guarantee success. But I believe in being upfront and honest with the customer about the process, and let them decide if it’s worth a try.
How often should I have my house sprayed for pests?
Most of my customers are happy with the results they get from doing a spring and fall treatment. I also have plenty of customers that I treat just once a year for a specific pest issue like, ants, spiders, mosquitoes, etc. Then I have customers who either live in a location that has higher than normal pest problems, or they just want to be proactive and make sure they are staying ahead of the pests and preventing a problem before it arises. When you choose Vanish Pest & Weed Control to perform your pest control treatments, I don’t sign you up for any contracts, and you aren’t required to sign up for a predetermined number treatments. I discuss with each customer there pest control needs and goals. Then together we come up with a customized pest treatment plan to achieve those goals. But if any additional pest issues should pop up throughout the season, we have complete flexibility to adjust the treatment plan as needed. I simply charge accordingly for whatever work I perform.
