Expert Pest Control in Howard County, MD

Reducing Your Cost of Pest Control in Howard County For the Long Haul

The cost of pest removal in Howard County will vary greatly depending on the size and age of your home, level of infestation and more. Are the pests in an isolated area of your home such as the attic or kitchen? If pests go undetected for long periods they can eat through wood, walls, foundations and more which may need to be replaced, increasing your cost. *this is the most critical reason we recommend yearly inspections. When caught early enough no pest can cause enough damage to require remodeling. Have you checked your home for potential entry points? Under porches, roof top vents, cracked siding and even screen doors and windows are all potential entry points that you should keep secure.

Your cost will also be impacted by the technique used by your exterminator. While this will be necessarily influenced by the unique circumstances of your pest problem, many pest control companies in Howard County set themselves apart by specializing in one technique:

• Chemical Pest Control - Uses pesticides to eliminate pest upon contact. Rodents and wildlife can also carry poison back to their nests to kill additional pests. Chemicals are relatively cheap and it is easy to target specific problem areas or used to treat an entire home, business, or the surrounding outdoor property. Many homeowners want to avoid use of chemicals (particularly whole house fumigation) because they are concerned about safety of kids, pets, allergies and for the environment in general. If you have concerns we recommend reviewing these guidelines. Used properly and selectively by an expert pest control company in Howard County this is a safe and highly effective way to remove pests.
• Mechanical and Physical Pest Control - Physical pest control is where an exterminator does the trapping and/or blocking pests from the home while mechanical involves set traps. Examples include picking bugs off of plants, trapping wildlife, rodent traps and more. Taking preventative measures such as boarding up cracks in walls or flooring are necessary to prevent them from coming back.
• Organic Pest Control - Organic pest control utilizes alternative methods for more humane and environmentally friendly extermination. Organic exterminators in Howard County use pheromone traps, soap and horticultural oil based poisons and insecticides, naturally occurring bacteria like bacillus thuringiensis, and humane traps that either kill a pest immediately or do not kill them at all so they can be released elsewhere. These environmentally conscious methods will cost more and are more difficult to administer.

Pest control companies in Columbia, Ellicott City, Woodstock and Woodbine employ all of these tactics to battle a variety of pests that strike thousands of homeowners every year. From diagnosis, elimination, prevention and follow up for serious infestations:

• Ants: Usually just a minor nuisance, if left unchecked many ant species can do serious damage. Carpenter ants in particular feed on wood and can slowly destroy a home.
• Termite Control: Termites can be a homeowners worst nightmare as they are non stop eating machines that can be difficult to detect. If you see what looks like a flying ant and/or what looks like tiny tubes of mud on blistered or cracking wood, its time to call a termite company in Howard County right away. The bad news is property owners in Maryland are susceptible to dampwood, drywood and subterranean termites and none of these are treatable without fumigation. However when performed by a certified professional, fumigation is safe, won’t leave poison gas anywhere in your home and is very effective.
• Wildlife Control: Opossums, voles, raccoons, groundhogs and squirrels can invade your property and are best handled by wildlife control experts with traps and tools to take care of the problem as humanely as possible.
• Rodent Control: After you fail with cheap store bought traps you will need rodent removal in Howard County for mice and rats that build their nests in difficult to reach spots.
• Bat Removal: Our innate fear of bats turns out to be quite helpful as they are very able disease disseminators. Not only is direct contact dangerous, but bat droppings carry bacteria borne diseases and require professional decontamination. Bat control costs in Howard County start at $200.
• Bed Bug Control: Why does everyone hate bed bugs in Howard County? Likely because these nocturnal creatures feed on humans. Notoriously difficult to detect, it takes stronger fumigation to kill bed bugs than termites. The only way to save your furniture, linens and clothes is with professional bed bug treatment from a certified company.
• Bees and Wasps: A variety of stinging insects can plague Howard County property owners including wasps, honeybees, yellow jackets, carpenter bees and killer bees. If you have a hive or a swarm, do not attempt to remove it or you will likely just agitate the swarm and endanger yourself and anyone in the area. Pros in bee suits use environmentally safe gases to calm the hive and reduce these dangers. Aptera pros offer emergency bee removal in Howard County everyday.

What You Need To Ask

You need to ask the right question to make sure you hire the right Howard County pest control company that matches best with your infestation and knowing what went wrong in the first place can help you avoid future issues.

1. What qualifications and certifications do your pest control professionals have? The tools and products used are dangerous and many different levels of training exist. Federal law requires certification and training for exterminators in Howard County and additional Maryland regulations require certification. Aptera professionals have proven a commitment to ongoing education to make sure they are on top of industry changes and advancements. Membership in the NPMA (National Pest Management Association) is a good indication that they are not a fly by night company.
2. Who pays if there is damage to my property? You need to understand before work begins who will cover any damages that occur. Many pests hide away in tough to reach places that often involves removal of drywall and flooring that inherently pose risk to surrounding features in your home.
3. Do you offer a guarantee and what are the details of the guarantee? The purpose of a guarantee is to ensure that your pest infestation will be dealt with without spending additional money. The most important part when looking at a guarantee is the length of protection and caveats.
4. Does the price quoted include everything?
5. What precautions should I take to keep my family and home safe? Be sure to let them know of kids who live or play in the area, pets and any neighbors pets to avoid exposure. *Note - if a company does not have a well communicated safety policy this can be a red flag. They should provide you written instructions for larger jobs for termites or large infestations.
6. Is this pest control method safe for a pregnant woman or my children? Make sure to let your pest control company knows if a member of your household is pregnant. If the planned pest control method is unsafe, they may be able to offer alternative solutions.
7. How do you know the infestation has not spread? One of the top sources of complaints is that a company did not properly inspect the full property. Removing rats from your attic won’t help much if they also have a nest in your basement.
8. What follow up services are necessary? Many methods of pest control in Howard County require follow up inspections or additional services to ensure that the pest is fully eradicated from your property. Make sure that these costs are included in your quote.
9. Do you provide a detailed survey report? This report should cover all the areas of your home or business, outlining any areas which could be at risk for infestation.

It never hurts to do some background research for extra peace of mind when fumigating or using pesticides in or around your home. You can look at the NRDC's (Natural Resources Defense Council) pesticide guide and the NCHH's (National Center For Healthy Housing) hazard and prevention guide as a primer.

Matching the Best Pest Control Companies in Columbia, Ellicott City, Woodstock, Woodbine and Jessup

Most people don’t have the time to deal with their pests let alone weed through dozens of pest control companies in Columbia, Ellicott City, Woodstock and Woodbine to find the right balance of honesty, fairness and expertise. This is why Aptera has already whittled down your choices with phone interviews, background cross checks with trusted experts.

• Get a specialist - Look to compare pest control services in Howard County that specifically state they focus on your type of pest. The techniques for removing termites vs. bed bugs vs. bees vs. rodents and more are just too varied. Entire training and certification programs are dedicated to each type of pest so you need an exterminator with the same dedication.
• Interview multiple companies - Most people try to avoid it, but we highly recommend taking the time to have an on site walk through and meeting with each exterminator. If they take the time to thoroughly inspect your property and educate you, only then does it make sense to talk about pricing.

Howard County Cities Served