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Okay, packing as I type...it dawned on me I should ask this ridiculous (to locals) question. We are moving into a new house, but I am afraid of spiders (black widows, mainly, and alligators, and snakes, but that's for another thread). Do most of you have your house sprayed/would you recommend it? How often is it done, and what is the general cost (house is 2200sq/ft)? Thanks in advance
Yes, our home is sprayed. Mostly we want to be sure not to get termites. So far I have not come across a snake. Alligators are not in my homes area,( or so we hope that continues.)
It is $65.00 a quarter plus a fee of $260yr. for termite treatment. That has containers permanently in the ground.
I know some people who pay about $35.00 per quarter.( for the bug spraying) They come once every quarter unless you find some bug that is around. We get like what to me is a waterbug but it is called silver wings or something simular...here.
I kept the company that was here when I moved in. However, I may change in time, because why should I pay more for the same service. Hummmmm?
Just to be clear, spraying does not prevent termites, your home needs to be termite treated if not already, then you pay a yearly fee for inspections, the containers in the ground are not to prevent termites but to let you know they are present.
Spraying does help eliminate other bugs from the house by killing them and leaving a residue to help keep killing them, it is harmless to people and pets. I use to have my house sprayed, I don;t remember what the quarterly cost was, I always knew when it was time to spray/my quarter was up, as I would start to get bugs.
13 years ago I bought these bug repellent things off an infomercial and placed one in the dining room and one in one of the bedrooms at the other end of the house, I don;t get bugs and have saved boo coo money, I have had a few spiders, waterbug over the years but that is it, I have less bugs than when I had a contract and mine was with one of the largest companies here. Now sugar ants I do get each year, with spraying or not.
We have always rented so that has been taken care of by the landlord, but, as Summering said, it is usually done quarterly. A perimeter spray inside and out should take care of most bugs (spiders, palmetto bugs etc), although it isn't going to help with the snakes and gators
We had a great bug guy in our first condo and I would highly recommend him (if I could think of his name) I haven't used him since because, like I said, I rent and the landlord takes care of it all. My mom and dad have used him though, so if you want a name PM me and I will ask them. The daughter of the owner has studied about ways to deal with the little critters that are less taxing on our environment. For example, my parents rented a house that was already being occupied by a large population of German roaches. Anyone who has ever had them knows they are hard to evict, but she managed to get rid of them with hair spray!
I am not a huge fan of spraying chemicals all over the place, but I am also not a huge fan of Palmetto bugs!
We use Lane's. It costs $55/quarter and is well worth it. They spray the outside perimeter only, so no chemicals at all inside our house and we never have a single bug.
I agree, get it done quarterly. I have a huge bug phobia and there are a lot of bugs here. I call them Jurrasic Park bugs because they are huge compared to what I'm used to anyway. I get sprayed quarterly and it's $60, well worth it but I still get a bug once in awhile. I also live in a wooded area. I know people that live in MB in a sub-division, leave their doors open on a nice day and still never see a bug. There are a lot of snakes here also but that is a different treatment. You can go online and do home remedies and learn what to do if you come across a snake or alligator. There are also brown recluse spiders which can be deadly or cause severe pain, again I would read about how to avoid getting them around your house and what to do if you get bit, etc...They like dark spaces and don't want to be near you anyway so I wouldn't pile wood or anything outside where they can hide in between logs for example. They also like to hide down in the water access outside so if you ever go to open the turn on/off for your water, don't just stick your hand in there, look first. Termites can be a real issue down here. Make sure you get gutters on your house if they don't already come with them. I was selling real estate and whenever I sold new construction, I would tell the builder to add gutters for free. I don't know why most don't do that here but it's important water doesn't gather around your house because thats what termites like. If you are buying a new house, it usually comes with a termite bond where you can just pay a fee every year for them to take care of it. We don't do that, my husband takes care of it himself. Hoenstly, the biggest bug issue I have had here is fire ants. They can be a nightmare. When you are used to walking barefeet, laying in the grass etc...your whole life and now can't because they are very common here. You have to always watch where you are walking, those suckers can even get you if you're in flip flops walking on a sidewalk or street. I found out I'm allergic and it's really painful and itchy. Some people don't get bothered by a bite or two but you don't know until it happens to you. They sell stuff at Lowes to treat your yard that works pretty well to pour on mounds or you can treat your whole yard.
Have some Benadryl on hand if your pet or yourself gets an allergic reaction.
I have some here just for that.
Our daughters Shih Tzu was saved by getting a half teaspoon when she passed out after too many fire ant bites. The doctors said that saved her. She had such an allergic reaction. ( 70+ bites)
Have some Benadryl on hand if your pet or yourself gets an allergic reaction.
I have some here just for that.
Our daughters Shih Tzu was saved by getting a half teaspoon when she passed out after too many fire ant bites. The doctors said that saved her. She had such an allergic reaction. ( 70+ bites)
This is a good point. Also, if you have dogs or cats you let outside research on internet to have a full first aid kit on hand in case of emergency. There are a lot of critters, bugs, whatever here that can really hurt a small animal.
Location: Lakewood NJ/Murrells Inlet SC/ N. Naples FL/Swainton NJ
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Our HOA takes care of the external treatments, internal treatments (if requested) and the termite inspections. We have very few bugs inside. What works great for the few that manage to visit are the small black mice sticky things placed in various (out of sight) areas around the house and the screened porch. I sprinkle a little corn meal in the center to attrack the critters. They get stuck and I dispose of the trap when it gets too gross (and replace it). No chemicals and works great!
Our HOA takes care of the external treatments, internal treatments (if requested) and the termite inspections. We have very few bugs inside. What works great for the few that manage to visit are the small black mice sticky things placed in various (out of sight) areas around the house and the screened porch. I sprinkle a little corn meal in the center to attrack the critters. They get stuck and I dispose of the trap when it gets too gross (and replace it). No chemicals and works great!
I'm sorry but that's inhumane. There are various other ways to trap mice and release somewhere else. I'm not attacking you, just saying this is not the best way or cruel free way.
Some HOA's take care of treatments but a lot of them do not. When moving into a sub-division they give a pkg explaining everything. Really, the Realtor or whoever you use to represent you in the transaction should find this info. out before buying.
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