Maybe you have a pest control company and you are wondering why you have to pay for a winter service?
You see the benefit of paying for Pest Control in spring, summer, and fall. Maybe you wonder how the winter service benefits you. ...Or does it only benefit the Pest Control company?
I care about this question! First, I will tell you who I am and why I care, then I will answer the question. My name is Brent. I live in Spanish Fork. My wife and I have five kids, a snake and a dog. Our dog's name is Willow, she is a poodle mix. And yes, we did get her during Covid :-)
I also own a small pest control company called LOCAL Bug Guy. If I did not own a pest control company, my wife would make me pay for Pest Control. The question of: Do I need pest control in the winter? I have stressed about this question ever since we moved to Utah from California 9 years ago.
So I have some insights! :-) I will share my insights; and then I will let you decide for yourself. In order to give you a clear answer I will break it down in 3 ways.
I don’t see bugs in the winter, so what am I paying for?
What about rodents?
How does the winter service benefit me?
Starting with 1: I don’t see bugs in the winter, so what am I paying for?
It is true. There are less bugs in the winter and so you will see less bugs. But there still are some. Here is my personal experience. I used to service a couple hundred customers in Spanish Fork.
In the heat of summer I got about 1 customer per day who had a surprise bug problem. They called and then I would go out for a free touch up service. In the winter it is about 1 per week… so about 5X less bug sightings in the winter vs summer. But still some.
The most common winter “bug” is spiders–usually in the basement. Last week we had friends in town from Texas. They were staying in my basement and they told me that they killed one spider down there.
This is embarrassing because I am the Bug Guy. And it made things slightly awkward at our “Friendsgiving” celebration. But it helps make the point that there still are some spiders and bugs in the winter.
In the winter I have also chased ants and Elm Seed Beetles out of customer’s homes. If you don’t know what an elm seed beetle is then think of a small Boxelder with a different pattern of black and red.
Spraying in the winter will help prevent those problems. Since your technician is working he will be available for those random emergencies. Plus, you don't want the bugs to overwinter in the warmth of your walls. This will help prevent spring bugs!
Do you need pest control in the winter? When it comes to just “bugs” you might not NEED it but it does do something! If you don’t want to worry about the occasional winter bug then keep up on the service. If you do it will also help prevent bug problems in the spring!
2: What about rodents?
In cold weather you see less bugs but more rodents. The cold weather drives the mice inside! I see mice in garages, basements, storage rooms, and even kitchens! Winter is the season for mice!
So the winter service can help with bugs but also with mice.
3: How does the winter service benefit you?
There are more mice but less bugs. The winter service can help with both! The winter service also makes it easier to fit your pest control bill into your budget.
Think about it this way. It takes a certain amount of money to keep a pest control company from going out of business. The company can either charge you that money over the course of 8 months or 12 months. It is easier to budget it over 12 months.
Do you need Pest Control in the winter in Spanish Fork? No. At least not as much as you need it during the heat of summer.
But it is nice to have and it does not hurt anything. It does help with the occasional bug or rodent. And it is easier to budget.
I don’t think you need pest control during the winter as much as you do during the summer. But I recommend it. Why? because it does help! And it does not hurt.
What is your opinion on pest control during the winter?
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