Your home is a self-constructed paradise. When well-maintained, these living spaces can act as a source of rest, comfort, and positive energy for homeowners returning from their draining nine-to-five routines and looking to escape from the intrusiveness and busyness of the professional world.
To ensure your bedrooms and living areas are up-to-standard, you’ll want to eliminate disruptions and potential sources of stress, such as pest infestations. After all, who can cuddle up and unwind knowing rodents and insects have infested your bedsheets, closet corners, and kitchen spaces.
Mousetraps and insecticides are simple techniques to eradicate pests, but sometimes pest invasions pose a challenge for inexperienced homeowners. Once you’ve evaluated the infestation as severe, recruit the experts, like those employed at Moxie Pest Control.
Much like anything in life, professional pest control services don’t come free. Depending on the infestation’s severity, a homeowner may have to invest a generous chunk of change when resolving the situation at hand. Though a hefty price tag is relatively common, you’ll want to ensure you aren’t overpaying for pest control treatment services.
To avoid scams, you’ll need to gauge the average cost of pest control services. Those homeowners unfamiliar with the extermination costs should request quotes from multiple reputable pest control providers and calculate an average. Pro tip: A reliable and trustworthy pest control company shouldn’t ever request upfront payment or charge a customer for a quote.
Factors Affecting the Cost of Pest Control Services
Before researching average pest control costs, it’s critical to understand the factors that affect these totals. These factors include:
1. Type of Pests
A wide array of pests could infest your home. These household pests could come in the form of ants, termites, spiders, roaches, snakes, bats, etc. Note that some home intruders are more challenging to eradicate than others, hence the higher extermination costs.
2. Size of Your Home
Not surprisingly, the bigger your home, the pricier it will be to hire a team of pest control experts, as these providers will have to apply these professional-grade pesticides to areas of larger square footages. As a general rule of thumb, homes with larger square footages suggest more hiding spots for insects and rodents to seek refuge. With a greater number of dark corners and debris-ridden cabinets for pests to inhabit, exterminators will have to dedicate more time to resolving your current infestation.
3. Frequency of Visits
Despite popular misconceptions, a one-time visit is more expensive than periodic visits. Since routine visits mitigate damage and prevent reinfestation, your pest control treatment team can spend fewer hours eradicating pests on your property. However, if your infestation is minor and not recurrent, a one-time visit can be cheaper in the long-run.
4. Type of Product Used
Products used to treat different kinds of pests vary in cost. Unfortunately, some pesticides are costlier than others, directly impacting treatment service expenses.
For example, homeowners suffering from a bedbug infestation will spend significantly more than those homeowners combatting rat infestations. Before booking, verify the estimated cost of extermination with your pest control provider.
5. Location of Your Home
If your home is located in a remote area without a pest control company near you, it might cost you additional transport fees.
The Average Cost of Pest Control Services
Having reviewed the factors that influence pest control cost, you’ll need to pinpoint a total cost with your pest control provider of choice to avoid unpleasant surprises.
If the pest infestation requires a one-time visit, this will cost a homeowner an average price of $450. However, some pest infestations will require more than one treatment application. In such cases, the initial visit can cost anywhere from $50-$150. Follow-up visits will cost between $40 and $45 per month. Note that you can reduce this monthly cost if you hire the pest control company for a more extended period, i.e., quarterly or semi-annually.
To avoid feeling blindsided, don’t assume pest control treatments will cost the same regardless of the type of pests invading your home. Typically, eradicating common household insects such as mosquitos will cost you an average of $120 to $300. However, some exterminator services will cost you between $200 and $500. Why the discrepancy?
These totals will depend on the type of pests infesting your home. For instance, the extermination of ants will cost from $60 to $220. On the other hand, termite extermination services could set you back over $500.
Along with these treatment costs, you might incur an initial inspection cost of about $150. With these costs in mind, prevention is critical.
Below is a rundown of exterminator costs for some other common pests wreaking havoc in our homes.
- Spiders: $100-$275
- Roaches: $120-$160
- Bed bugs: $200-$400
- Bees and wasps: $150-$300
- Mice and rats: $150-$300
Remember, price shouldn’t be the only factor you consider when selecting a pest control company. Be sure to research other factors such as experience, professionalism, and customer service before hiring a pest control provider.
To Summarize
With pest control costs on a steady rise, having an exterminator overcharge you for their services can feel defeating. Refer to the above cost averages as a guide to ensure you pay the right price for the services you receive.
For insight into the most reliable pest control providers in your area, harness the power of social media, or make a quick phone call to a trustworthy colleague, friend, or family member for referrals. Don’t settle for subpar treatment services. Recruit a reputable extermination team for the pest-free home you’ve always imagined.