Troubleshooting reference
Start with symptoms, rule out homeowner-safe basics, and escalate conservatively when safety, structure, utility service, or water damage is involved.
Call soon
Termite swarmers, mud tubes, or hollow wood appear
Likely causes
- Subterranean termite colony
- Moisture-damaged wood
- Old treatment gap
Homeowner-safe check
Do not break all mud tubes before inspection; photograph and leave evidence.
When to call
Call licensed termite pro promptly for inspection, treatment map, and warranty terms.
Call soon
Bed bugs or bites after travel
Likely causes
- Bed bug introduction
- Hidden harborages
- Misidentified flea/mosquito bites
Homeowner-safe check
Bag suspect linens/clothes and avoid moving furniture room to room.
When to call
Call soon for inspection; early treatment is much cheaper than whole-home spread.
Call soon
Rodent droppings, scratching, or chewed wiring
Likely causes
- Mouse/rat entry gap
- Food source
- Nesting in attic/crawlspace
Homeowner-safe check
Wear gloves/mask for cleanup and do not vacuum fresh droppings with a household vacuum.
When to call
Call soon if wiring, insulation, or repeated entry points are involved.
Emergency
Wasps, hornets, or bees nest near entry
Likely causes
- Active stinging-insect nest
- Structural void colony
- Seasonal population peak
Homeowner-safe check
Keep distance and do not seal an active wall void entrance.
When to call
Call immediately if anyone is allergic, nest is indoors, or traffic path is affected.
Call soon
Cockroaches appear in kitchen or bath
Likely causes
- Moisture/food access
- Apartment/shared-wall migration
- Hidden harborage behind appliances
Homeowner-safe check
Clean food sources and use gel bait carefully; avoid foggers that scatter roaches.
When to call
Call if activity continues after sanitation or units share walls.
Routine
Ant trails keep returning
Likely causes
- Exterior colony
- Moisture source
- Wrong bait for species
Homeowner-safe check
Do not spray over bait trails; identify where they enter and remove food/moisture.
When to call
Call routinely if carpenter ants, wall voids, or recurring seasonal invasion are suspected.
Routine
Mosquitoes breed around yard
Likely causes
- Standing water
- Dense vegetation
- Neighboring drainage issue
Homeowner-safe check
Dump standing water weekly and keep gutters clear; use repellents per label.
When to call
Call for larvicide/barrier treatment if breeding sources remain or events require control.
Call soon
Wildlife is in attic, chimney, or crawlspace
Likely causes
- Open entry gap
- Nesting season
- Damaged vent/screen
Homeowner-safe check
Do not seal the opening until animals and young are removed.
When to call
Call wildlife/pest pro for humane removal, exclusion, and contamination cleanup.
Call soon
Pesticide odor or residue concerns after treatment
Likely causes
- Overapplication
- Poor ventilation
- Label/re-entry misunderstanding
Homeowner-safe check
Follow label re-entry directions and ventilate only as instructed; keep pets/children away.
When to call
Call the applicator for product name, label, SDS, and corrective steps.
Routine
Quarterly plan excludes the pest you have
Likely causes
- Coverage mismatch
- Specialty pest pricing
- Warranty exclusions
Homeowner-safe check
Read covered pests and retreatment terms before signing recurring service.
When to call
Call another licensed company if exclusions hide termites, bed bugs, rodents, or wildlife.
Maintenance schedule
Seasonal tasks
Spring
- In spring, seal new exterior gaps, move mulch off siding, and look for termite swarmers near windows or lights.
Summer
- During summer, empty standing water, watch wasp nest starts, and store pet food where rodents cannot feed at night.
Fall
- Before cold weather, inspect garage doors, crawlspace vents, utility penetrations, and attic screens for rodent entry gaps.
Winter
- In winter, track indoor cockroach, pantry-pest, or bed-bug sightings by room instead of spraying random products.
Interval tasks
Monthly
- Monthly, check bait stations, sticky monitors, droppings, gnaw marks, and moisture under sinks or appliances.
Annual
- Yearly, review termite bond, rodent exclusion repairs, pesticide labels, and whether covered pests match current problems.
Every few years
- Every few years, reassess wood-to-soil contact, crawlspace humidity, attic insulation disturbance, and wildlife-proofing around vents.
Cost components
Labor
Inspection, species identification, treatment planning, application, exclusion, monitoring, documentation, and follow-up visits. Pricing turns on species identification, access, preparation compliance, product selection, exclusion work, and follow-up visits.
Materials
Separate baits, monitors, dusts, liquids, exclusion materials, traps, PPE, labels, and specialty treatment equipment from the base allowance of baits, gels, dusts, liquid products, traps, stations, exclusion mesh/foam, monitors, PPE, and specialty heat/fumigation equipment.
Permits and inspections
Permits are most likely around restricted-use products, termite reports, wildlife rules, tenant notices, and commercial food sites. Confirm submittals and final signoff locally.
Broad range discipline
Read cost bands around a one-time treatment, a specialty infestation, exclusion work, and a recurring plan. General quarterly service is modest; termites, bed bugs, wildlife, and exclusion are specialty scopes with wider ranges and warranty terms.
What moves price
Pushes price up
- Specialty pest: termites, bed bugs, wildlife; added cost is usually tied to species identification
- Large or multi-unit infestation; added cost is usually tied to access
- Exclusion/repair work; added cost is usually tied to preparation compliance
- Follow-up monitoring and warranty; added cost is usually tied to product selection
Can reduce price
- Early detection; lower pricing is likelier when baits is clearly defined
- Good sanitation/exclusion; lower pricing is likelier when monitors is clearly defined
- Clear access to treatment areas; lower pricing is likelier when dusts is clearly defined
- Bundled recurring service; lower pricing is likelier when liquids is clearly defined
Hiring red flags
- Risk around termite treatment priced without species or activity evidence is waved away instead of priced and documented.
- No clear method is given for verifying product label, EPA registration, and re-entry interval.
- Savings rely on bypassing exclusion work before promising rodent control plus the records that prove the work.
- Coverage language skips retreatment limits for bed bugs, termites, wildlife, and moisture-driven pests, including callback responsibility.
- No license/product label/re-entry information.
- One spray promised to solve termites, bed bugs, rodents, and wildlife.
- No inspection before selling recurring plan.
- Ignores child, pet, garden, or allergy concerns.
Contract checklist
- Target pest, inspection findings, conducive conditions, treatment zones, and excluded pests with brands, sizes, locations, and exclusions.
- Product names, active ingredients, labels, application rates, re-entry rules, and pet or child precautions before work starts, including who schedules inspections.
- Preparation steps, sanitation or clutter requirements, exclusion repairs, moisture corrections, and follow-up schedule for access, protection, cleanup, and disposal.
- Termite graph, bait station map, rodent entry photos, wildlife one-way door plan, and disposal handling as unit pricing or written allowances.
- Retreatment warranty, missed-prep consequences, recurring plan coverage, cancellation terms, and license number; closeout requires photos, manuals, registrations, and lien releases.
- Target pest/species, inspection findings, treatment map, and covered areas.
- Product names, labels, EPA registration where applicable, re-entry and safety rules.
- Number of visits, retreatment warranty, exclusions, and sanitation/exclusion duties.
- License/applicator information and records provided after treatment.
- Specialty warranties for termites/bed bugs/rodents with transfer and renewal terms.
Warranty norms
Pest warranties are species-specific. Termite bonds, bed-bug retreats, rodent plans, and wildlife exclusions all use different rules, and most require sanitation, moisture repair, access, preparation, or exclusion work by the homeowner to remain valid.