Is Quarterly Pest Control Worth It?

Preventive care is important. It’s why we go to the doctor regularly for checkups and take our cars in for service and oil changes. But preventative care is good for more than just our health and our cars.

If you have dealt with pests at your home or business, then you know just how annoying and difficult to eliminate they can be. Everything from termites to bed bugs can cause damage, even making it hard to live or work in the same place. A single treatment might be enough to eliminate some pests, but in other instances, it may take multiple treatments to completely eradicate the problem. And following up with preventative care can mean that the next infestation never makes it through the front door.

One-time pest control treatments can get rid of pests, but just one treatment may not be enough to keep the pests away for good. 

Pests can invade your home or property without your knowledge. In most cases, people find they have pests long after an infestation has taken hold. This could mean extensive damage, or worse, health concerns. 

When you have pests, you have two options:

• Hire a pest control professional to identify the pests and treat the problem, or
• Try to eliminate the pest with various DIY methods

While DIY treatment can work, the all-around best choice is to hire a pest control pro and let them handle things. A professional can get the job done quicker, and with more effective treatments. As an example, let’s say you are dealing with a roach infestation. You contact a pest control specialist who inspects your property and completes the treatment. 

Voila! Pests gone, right?

On the surface, it might seem like you no longer have to worry, but pests like termites, cockroaches, and bed bugs are a hardy bunch. In general, pests reproduce quickly—some in just days. It might prove impossible to precisely locate the pests, which means that some of the pests avoid that first treatment altogether. Perhaps most concerning, pests are becoming more resistant to insecticides and similar chemicals. 

With one treatment, you can hope that your pest problem is taken care of. And you might be right. But if you are wrong, and the pests make a resurgence in the days, weeks, or months after that first treatment, then you may be in for a lot more damage and a bigger expense than you would have with a quarterly treatment plan. Four comprehensive treatments per year will likely keep pests away for good. If they do show up, you’ll be able to catch a pest infestation immediately and it will be easier to get rid of them.

It can be tempting to tackle pests with DIY methods, but professionals can eliminate a lot of guesswork and save you time and frustration. 

The most important benefit of scheduling quarterly pest control service is that you get the help of a professional. They know what to look for when inspecting your home or business, they know the most effective treatment methods, and they are licensed to employ such treatments.

But not only will you benefit from their expertise, you will also save time. It takes considerable effort to figure out how to get rid of pests. You may not have time to devote to your pest infestation, and that is a problem. Early detection and quick treatments are the key. It is often best to leave it to the pest control pros whose only job is to keep your property infestation free. 

Failing to catch an infestation early may result in a big pest treatment bill and repair bills if you let infestations linger. Quarterly pest control allows you to budget for this expense ahead of time, instead of getting hit with the cost out of nowhere.

Don’t overlook quarterly pest control treatment warranties either. Pest control treatments every three months should keep pests away, but many companies offer warranties which provide additional treatments should you find pests outside of the scheduled treatment plan. You just need to make the call and a company rep will be out to treat your property at no extra cost. Warranties and coverages vary by company, so ask your pest control provider for more information.

The bottom line: when you have a pest infestation, the first treatment is not the end-all-be-all. Without additional treatments, pests are likely to pop up again. Quarterly pest control treatment can prevent pests and save you time and money!