| Summary
We offer cost-effective pest control service plans to suit many
residential situations. Our comprehensive annual plan is a
fixed-price service that includes most pests. The fixed
price covers all visits that are needed for control of
the pests. Our single-pest plans are appropriate for
people who have a single pest that usually needs
multiple treatments (e.g., carpenter ants or mice). We also offer general inspections
to assess your situation, and wood-destroying insect
inspections suitable for buying or selling a home. We
are licensed for wildlife control and treat for squirrel and bat control. See
our case studies to get a
feeling for our services in different situations.
Our residential plans do not include
termite treatments. We offer a
variety of termite treatment services, described on the termite page. Most termite
contracts are for more than one year because of the
nature of termites.
Our prices are usually not dependent
on the size of the residence, and we treat outbuildings
and pool areas too, usually at no additional cost. If
you have a real mansion, we might need to charge a bit
more. Please contact us to find out about
our seasonal and senior discounts.
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Service Plans
| Service
Plan |
Description |
| Comprehensive
Annual Homeowner's Plan |
Covers all pests in
the Pest Guide,
except for termites, squirrels, bats, and other
wildlife. Includes spring and fall exterior
treatment to discourage pests, and annual
full-house inspection. Runs from year to year
starting on any date. Can be transferred to new
owners if property is sold. |
| Carpenter
Ant Plan |
Covers all ants,
including carpenter ants, for the typical ant
season in eastern Massachusetts (spring through
fall). |
| Mouse
Plan |
Covers mice for two
to three visits, typically a month apart. This
is usually sufficient to control a typical mouse
problem. |
| Bees and
Wasps Plan |
Covers bees, wasps,
hornets, and yellow jackets for the typical
season in eastern Massachusetts (usually spring
through fall). |
| Other
Plans |
Other single pests
that may require multiple treatments are Indian
Meal Moths, millipedes, and lady bugs. Please contact us for details. |
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Inspections
| Inspection
Type |
Description |
| General Inspection |
Inspection of inside
and outside of residence for pest and pest
damage. Verbal report. Potential trouble areas
will be pointed out and suggestion given. Any
actual treatment would be negotiated and priced
separately. |
| Termite
Inspection |
Termite inspection
and estimates for recommended treatment is done
free of charge. However, if the problem is not
termites, then a fee will be charged for the
visit. We will be prepared to treat for most
non-termite problems if you want treatment. |
| Wood-Destroying Insect
Inspection |
[ tbs ] |
| Rodent
Inspection Before Demolition |
[ tbs ] |
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Other
Services
| Service
Type |
Description |
| Squirrel
and Bat Control |
Squirrels and Bats
require special intensive treatment that is
priced according to the situation. The treatment
usually includes trapping and sometimes closing
of entry points. We have a restricted service
area for these services. Please contact us for details. |
| One-Time Pest Services |
Some pests usually
require only one treatment for successful
control. In these cases, we can charge on a
per-visit basis. Contact
us for details. |
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Case
Studies
Comprehensive
Annual Plan: A house with summer wasps and
winter mice
An older home has a
history of wasps in the summer and mice in the winter.
The homeowner has tried to deal with these himself with
limited success. The wasps go away in the winter, and
the mice seem to leave in the summer, but he would like
to spend his time on other activities.
At our initial visit to
this client in late spring, we did a through inspection
of the house and discovered signs of mice and several
mouse entry holes, which we sealed. We also sealed some
areas around pipes that had signs of mouse activity, and
asked the owner to thoroughly clean the basement to
eliminate areas for mouse nests, and make inspections
easy. We put down a few mouse bait stations to monitor
mouse activity. We also found active carpenter ant
infestation that the owner wasn't aware of, though he
had seen a few ants. We treated the outside of the house
in the spring to discourage the ants and wasps, and
treated the area that had carpenter ants to eliminate
them and keep them from causing more damage.
The owner didn't notice
any more problems until mid-summer, when his wife
complained of spiders in the basement. We checked and
eliminated the spiders, and checked the mouse bait
stations that showed no sign of activity.
In the early fall, a big
wasp nest formed on the side of the house. We removed it
and also gave the house the fall treatment. No more
problems were reported and the homeowner was mouse-free
for the first year since he'd had the house. The owner
agreed to an annual contract for the next year to keep
the house mouse-free, and to make sure that new
carpenter ants did not infest his home.
Carpenter Ant Plan:
Large black ants are seen in the kitchen and dishwasher
area.
Large black ants were
often present in small numbers in this house except in
winter. However, in early summer, there was a sudden
increase in numbers and large numbers of them were seen
in the dishwasher and on the kitchen counter. Inspection
showed a carpenter ant nest in the wall in back of the
dishwasher where moisture and heat had damaged the wood
and created ideal conditions. The clients signed up for
a carpenter ant plan and the nest and kitchen were
treated. The exterior of the house was also inspected
and treated to discourage new infestation. A
recommendation was given to remove tree branches that
touched the house. After two weeks, the ants all but
disappeared. In the fall, there was an small but
annoying increase in ants again, and we treated the
outside again to discourage ants, and made a
recommendation that garbage be discarded every night.
General Inspection:
A family house is being prepared for new occupants
A family house, formerly the residence of elderly
parents, is being cleaned out and prepared for renting.
We were called in to do a thorough inspection. We
pointed out areas of old carpenter ant damage, but no
active nests. We also saw signs of a small but recent
mouse visit and pointed out some holes that mice could
get through. We recommended painting of the trim to
discourage carpenter bees, which had been a problem in
the past. The client had already contracted for repairs,
and renovations, so was happy to have this additional
information so their contractor could take appropriate
action.
Wood-Destroying
Insect Inspection: Inspection request by an real
estate agent for a house that is being bought.
A real estate agent
contacted us to inspect a house as part of the sales
transaction for his client. In this case, the buyers
were interested in knowing if there was any structural
damage from wood-destroying insects that they should
know about. We pointed out signs of old termite damage,
but the slab had been treated by another company and
there was no sign of active termites. There was some
rotted wood around a door frame, but we saw no signs of
carpenter ants there as the buyers had feared. We
produced a signed report detailing this for the agent.
Termite Inspection
and Recommendations: A swarm of flying insects
is seen inside a screened porch
A homeowner called with
reports of a huge mass of flying insects inside their
screened porch, in a sunny corner. The insects were
black and had "big wings". We found the
insects to be swarming carpenter ants and we removed
them, though we mentioned that a few more might appear,
but would be likely to die on their own. We inspected
the house and found no sign of carpenter ant or termite
infestation. We charged the client for a one-time
treatment, and recommended that they call if they saw a
sudden increase in crawling ants, or if another swarm
appeared.
Bees Nest Removal:
Bees are seen flying into a hole above the door to a
house. The bees are annoying and sometimes aggressive.
The residents have been using the side door out of fear
of being stung.
We determined that the
insects were honey bees and that they had formed a nest
inside the void above the door. To rid the house of
bees, it was necessary to open up the area and to remove
the bees and their nest. If we had simply killed the
bees, the nest would decay and leak honey and the area
could become stained and a breeding ground for ants and
fungus. Once the nest was removed, the bees disappeared,
and we made a temporary repair to the door frame. The
clients asked us to provide carpentry services at a
later date to restore the door area to its original
appearance.
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