Bugs aren't just creepy crawlers. Insects like termites, ants, and bees can cause serious damage to a home or business over time. Fire ants, bees, wasps, and other stinging insects are a nuisance and a potential danger for highly allergic people. Using pest control services on a regular basis is one way to combat an explosion in the pest population.
While it's possible to order pest control on demand, a service plan ensures consistent care and evaluation. Before signing up for long-term services, a pest control services agreement should be drafted and reviewed to ensure the terms of both regular and special jobs are understood and spelled out in detail.
Scope of services
As the name implies, a service agreement must spell out the base services the pest control firm must undertake to fulfill the contract. This may be a combination of services designed to proactively fight numerous insects, such as roaches and termites, or targeted spray for one type of nuisance, such as winged insects. It should also specify how often the service is performed. An agreement can stipulate a regular appointment, such as monthly, or refer to a set number of as-needed bookings within a given time frame, like 12 sprays in a one-year period.
Treatments can include interior spraying, under-house access, and treatments at the apex of a home or business. The scope of services should specifically address the base areas to be sprayed on a visit, such as interior office spaces or bedrooms, and also detail any areas that should be left alone.
Add-on services
In addition to core services, pest control providers often offer a la carte service purchases for pest situations that pop up but are rarely sustained events. For example, wasps or fleas are consistent treatments during certain times of the year, but an infestation like bees is often a one-time problem requiring the relocation of a hive. The service agreement should feature a menu of other services with listed prices.
Billing, fees, and increases
One of the more important aspects of the service agreement is managing the money. It needs to spell out when billing occurs — upfront or monthly — and any and all extra fees for payment processing, card payments, or mailed statements. It should also address how and when price increases are handled. The agreement could lock in rates or share that the company reserves the right to raise rates with notice. Some contracts may also detail that rates will increase by a set percentage at specific intervals. As long as the terms are clear and agreeable, the contract should be ready to sign.
Contact a pest control service to learn more.
Most pest infestations can quickly get out of hand if you do not address them. There is a reason people joke about "breeding like mice." You can go from having two mice in your home to having hundreds in a matter of weeks! When you think there are pests inside your home, you need to take control, and quickly. You take control by calling in a pest control professional. They can use a combination of trapping, poisoning, and cleanup methods to eradicate the pests. Learn more about these methods and about other pest control topics on this website, created to educate people like you about the pest control industry.