Often, when we receive a call for our services from a possible new customer, it’s because they have a significant issue they need addressed. Maybe it’s a cockroach infestation, or they hear mice in the walls, or they’re seeing signs that some insect or animal is advertising their property.

The expectation is that we can come to the property and fix it. Sometimes we can. Other times, the issue is a bit more complex than that.

Pest Control is an Ongoing Service

Pest control is, in general, not a one time service. It’s an ongoing maintenance issue, similar to lawn care or roof cleaning. We come to your property every two or three months depending on the type of service and treat for many common household pests:

• Ants
• Spiders
• Cockroaches, etc.

There’s a temptation to view some of these as one time treatments. For example, if you have a cockroach infestation, it may be tempting to think that you can call a pest control company, have us apply a treatment, and move on.

But this is not the case, because it ignores something critically important about pests:

Pest invasions are typically not random events. It takes many, many pests to create an infestation. It takes at least two just to have enough babies to start an infestation, but even two is not typically enough.

What happened?

For an infestation to take place, there has to be enough openings around a property that pests can enter. There has to be pests outside of the property that are also breeding outdoors. There is often a trail or scent that is attracting more and more pests.

We can eliminate 100% of the pests on your property. But other pests are also going to try to enter, and – if you’re not still treating for pests – they’re going to get in and the infestation will come back. Pests do not stop coming to your property just because the ones indoors were treated.

So while we *can* provide a one time treatment, it doesn’t make sense to do so. Ongoing pest control is what keeps the infestations away.

Examples of One Time Services

With that in mind, there are some pest control treatments that can be one time events. These include, but are not limited to:

• Rodent Control – Rats, mice, and other animals can be a one time treatment. That is because part of treating for rodents involves cleaning and sealing their entrance points (something that is easier due to the size of the animals), which in turn means that your rodent infestation can be a one time event.
• Termite Control – There is a big risk of termites here in Virginia, so termite inspections are a good idea, but these infestations are typically fully eliminated after treatment and – while they can come back – there isn’t really a good prevention tactic anyway.
• Stinging Insects – Wasps and bees can come back fairly often, so this isn’t a one time treatment necessarily, and some wasps, like paper wasps do respond well to prevention, but in theory if you find a wasp nest on your near your property, we can remove it, and they aren’t especially likely to come back right away.

That’s about it. There are other pests that could benefit from a one time service. For example, we have some pretty cool mosquito technology here at ExtermPRO, so while mosquitoes typically benefit from ongoing treatment, this technology can be installed to keep them away without ongoing visits.

Still, it’s best to assume that any pest control issue you experience is an ongoing one, and not something to treat and then forget about. If you’re in our service area here in Northern Virginia, reach out to ExtermPRO today.