When is that good deal not such a good deal?

From time to time I hear about those great deals, which all of us probably run into. Last week I got another one of those flyers in the mail on carpet cleaning – “Any size room steam cleaned & deodorized $4.95″ of course then the fine print – 2 room minimum, heavily soils carpet will require preconditioning. Oh and don’t forget travel charge applies to all areas.

Come on who are they kidding? By the time you add in all those hidden fees, it could (and probably is)  the same as a reputable Better Business Bureau company. By the way I also decided to do as search for their company at the BBB and it appears that there is an Alert on this company.

Its the same with pest control companies, I’m often amazed at the discrepancy of pricing and I ran into one this weekend. 4000 – 5000 square foot home, 4 bedrooms with a living room with Bed Bugs. My price started at $1250 and the other quoted price was $550. Bed Bugs are a serious and time consuming treatment protocol and this job would take take us most of the day to complete. I can understand shopping for the best price but lets consider some other factors?

1. What are the protocols? We issue a prep sheet which must be followed.
2. What are they using? We use Steam, with a dust material put into crack & crevices and wall voids and Phantom liquid spray around baseboards.
3. How long will they be there, estimate? For this size home probably 6 – 8 hours.
4. How long has this business been in business? 30+ years
5. Do they have reviews by BBB, Kudzu, MerchantCircle or anyone else? No complaints and plenty of reviews.
6. Are they licensed and insured? Office of Pest Management #8411 and we carry General Liability, Auto and Workman’s Compensation
7. Are they member so of Crimshield? CrimeFreeCircle Yes, since 2008.

Why did ProBest Pest Management get into carpet cleaning: Bed Bugs are the main reason.

The Bed Bug epidemic has spread across the USA at a rapid pace and people react with a sense of urgency and frustration. Often times people panic and react by immediately throwing things out and this leads to the spread of eggs and adults throughout the home including carpets. ProBest Pest Management decided to offer a service of pest treatment with carpet cleaning as a way of total and complete eradication. What better way than to steam everything including the carpets if needed. We offer steam, limited pesticides and follow-ups if needed.  ProBest immediately sought certification and so far 2 employees are “The Clean Trust” certified.

Safety Precautions for Total Release Foggers:

EPA has prepared this fact sheet to help users reduce potential hazards associated with total release foggers. Total release foggers, also known as “bug bombs,” are pesticide products containing aerosol propellants that release their contents at once to fumigate an area. These products are often used around the home to kill cockroaches, fleas, and other pests. Because the aerosol propellants in these foggers typically are flammable, improper use may cause a fire or explosion. In addition to this hazard, failure to vacate premises during fogging or reentering without airing out may result in illness.

There are several video’s that outline the proper use of these tools for pest control (vacate residence, do not use more than on label and ignition sources)  and with all the stories over the last few years its probably time for a detailed guideline on usage. I will add one more item, there is a place for this type of tool within pest control but bear in mind that improper use may make the bug go deeper into the walls or hiding place. This may actually make the situation worse and more difficult if you then must hire a Pest Management Professional.

Click to read the story Bees attack Tucson man trying to kill swarm and by the way if you’re in Tucson call our friends at http://www.azpest.com/

Bugs on the march, what’s it all about…

As a bug expert I’m always learning and staying current with the news about bugs, from new species to bugs that move especially around the U.S. On a visit to the Jacksonville Zoo I had the opportunity to do a little research on Caribbean crazy ant.   We now have in Texas another variety of crazy ant and its continually on the move, this little ant Rasberry Crazy Ant was named after the Pest Management Professional Tom Rasberry who identified it first in Texas.

These ants like to go into homes in search of food and often will interfere with electrical boxes. These ants also may drive out fire ants and the good news is that they don’t bite. So keep an eye out because it may just be a matter of time before they make their way to Arizona.