We sat down with Marc Buck, Branch Manager for our Morris Country Branch, to discuss pest control in our homes. We all know pest control is important if you have an infestation or see a large amount of any pest, but are there ways to prevent pests? Or at least mitigate the chance of a full-blown infestation? Marc has been with the company for 35 years now. He knows what it takes to keep our homes safe from all kinds of pests. Let’s hear from the expert!
Q: Hi Marc – thanks for taking the time to talk to us. You’ve been with Western Pest Services quite a while. What’s the craziest pest situation you’ve ever seen?
A: I actually saw an infestation of Oriental Cockroaches in a sub slab that stemmed from a broken sewage pipe. The entire lower level of the home including the block foundation walls were filled with literally thousands of roaches.
Q: Well, that sounds like a horror movie. Could it have been prevented?
A: The problem could have been taken care of much easier if the homeowner had not attempted to deal with the issue on their own. By applying the wrong material, they exasperated and spread the infestation. In addition, they waited to call a professional which allowed the population to increase substantially. Also, if they had a Home Protection Plan with us, we would have seen the issue early enough to take care of it before it became… like a horror movie. Our technicians are trained to see what others are not.
Q: It sounds like a Home Protection Plan could possibly help not only catch pests early but maybe prevent them. What pests does it cover?
A: Western provides the most comprehensive plan in the industry. Our Home Protection Plan covers common ants (excluding carpenter ants), bees (but not honey bees – we love them like everyone else does), carpet beetles, centipedes, cloth moths, clover mites, all types of cockroaches, crickets, earwigs, fleas, food infesting insects, ground beetles, millipedes, pill bugs, rats, mice, silverfish, sow bugs, common spiders, squirrels, wasp nests, and ticks inside the home. Our Home Protection Plan Plus adds coverage for carpenter ants if the homeowner needs it.
Q: It sounds like it would have been easier to ask what isn’t covered! After hearing all this, why would someone NOT have routine service done at their home?
A: In my 35 plus years with Western, I have seen many homeowners take a reactive approach to pest management. They wait until they have or find an issue to call us. Unfortunately, by this time many pest problems have progressed to a much more serious, and oftentimes more costly, level. This can be prevented by a regular preventative program such as the Home Protection Plan or Home Protection Plan Plus.
Q: Thanks for talking to us today. Is there anything else you think homeowners should know?
A: Yes! Western also provides a disinfectant service now. The Western PurClean™ treatment is a great way to kill 99.99% of almost 50 bacteria, germs, and viruses in homes – the product we use is even approved by the EPA to use against SARS-CoV-2. That happens to be the causal agent of Covid-19. We all know how important that is right now. It’s a great add-on treatment to have done while we are there for the many routine services that are included in the Home Protection Plan. I’m proud that we’re able to offer this public health and safety service in addition to our pest control services. Homeowners may not realize, but pest control is also about public health and safety, so it was a natural addition for us.
Thanks so much to Marc for taking time out of his busy day to talk to us. If you think you could benefit from a Home Protection Plan like the one Marc was discussing above or the Western PurClean™ disinfectant treatment, contact your local branch today.