When you are a tenant who is entering into a new rental agreement or lease, you should do some research into local laws about who is responsible for any costs when it comes to pest control. You should also discuss the matter with the landlord prior to their being any pest problems and if there is not any mention of pest control in the agreement or lease you should request that there be something put in.
It is fairly standard across Ontario that landlords are responsible for ensuring that the rental space is inhabitable and pest control falls into this category. This means that generally speaking if there is a pest problem in a rental space the landlord will be the one responsible for the costs associated with bringing in a pest control operator and the costs of treatment.
However, the tenant will also have some responsibilities when it comes to pest control. As the tenant, you will be required to follow any aftercare instructions given after treatment and you will also have to take the steps needed to attempt to prevent any further pest problems. Failure to do so, means that in most cases the landlord will be legally allowed to raise the cost of rent in order to compensate for any excessive pest control costs.
If you are having any issues with pests and you have any questions or want to book an appointment with Cottage Country Pest Control, give us a call at 705-534-7863 or email us today.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
DIY Pest Control vs Hiring a Professional
Effective pest control requires a person to have the knowledge about a pest, their habits, life cycle, etc. More often than not a person who hasn't trained and isn't licensed as a pest control operator will not know all this information. To properly treat a pest problem you really have to be able to identify a pest properly. For example, say you live in Ontario and you have an infestation of cockroaches in your home. You know they are cockroaches, but are they German roaches, Oriental roaches, American roaches or Brown-Banded roaches?
Knowing which species you are dealing with is important, so you can use the right treatment options. However, pest treatments you can purchase as a consumer are not necessarily going to work to solve the whole problem. A lot of them may not be strong enough to solve your pest problem effectively and many may not work on every type of a specific species. Additionally pest control operators have access to treatments that are stronger and can be safer for use around people and pets and can last longer than a store bought treatment.
Finally pest control operators have more training and are licensed (or should be licensed) which means that they will know the treatments that will work on your pest problem and also the safest way to apply the treatment.
Hiring a pest control company can seem like a major investment and it definitely can be. But in the long run it can be cheaper to hire a pest control operator to come in when the pest problem is relatively small than to either attempt to solve the problem yourself (which could take multiple tries) or wait before contacting a pest control company. Waiting can lead to the problem becoming bigger and therefore more difficult to eradicate.
If you have a pest problem, give Cottage Country Pest Control a call at 705-534-7863 or email us today. We will be happy to answer any questions your have or to book you an appointment today.
Knowing which species you are dealing with is important, so you can use the right treatment options. However, pest treatments you can purchase as a consumer are not necessarily going to work to solve the whole problem. A lot of them may not be strong enough to solve your pest problem effectively and many may not work on every type of a specific species. Additionally pest control operators have access to treatments that are stronger and can be safer for use around people and pets and can last longer than a store bought treatment.
Finally pest control operators have more training and are licensed (or should be licensed) which means that they will know the treatments that will work on your pest problem and also the safest way to apply the treatment.
Hiring a pest control company can seem like a major investment and it definitely can be. But in the long run it can be cheaper to hire a pest control operator to come in when the pest problem is relatively small than to either attempt to solve the problem yourself (which could take multiple tries) or wait before contacting a pest control company. Waiting can lead to the problem becoming bigger and therefore more difficult to eradicate.
If you have a pest problem, give Cottage Country Pest Control a call at 705-534-7863 or email us today. We will be happy to answer any questions your have or to book you an appointment today.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Bed Bugs and Landlords
As a follow up to the post on bed bugs and tenants, today's post will be about some of the steps that a landlord should take in the event that bed bugs become an issue.
1. Plan ahead-talk to a pest control business in your area to get an idea about pricing and to also get a better idea of what will have to be done in the event that bed bugs become an issue. They should be able to give you some information about what they do for bed bugs, what has to be done before they can come in and treat and what has to be done after to ensure that their treatment is effective.
2. Be willing to hire professionals. All to often people are resistant to hiring a professional, which can lead to the problem becoming more expensive and difficult to treat. By treating the problem correctly the first time, you can potentially save money in the long run.
3. Be proactive. Provide your tenants with information before bed bugs become a problem. If they know what bed bugs are and what to look for, you can treat the problem sooner if and when there is an infestation.
4. Do not blame your tenants. Bed bugs can happen to anyone at anytime. They can travel on furniture, clothing, in luggage, etc.
5. Do repairs. Bed bugs do not always stay on beds. They can hide out in cracks, holes and gaps found around pipes, in baseboards, around electrical covers and more. By making these repairs you can reduce the number of places bed bugs could go.
6. Conduct inspections. If you've had a previous infestation of bed bugs then it's a good idea to do inspections every 4-6 months to ensure that the treatment is still working and that there hasn't been a new infestation.
It's important to know that these are just some of the things you should consider as a landlord. If you have any questions or want to book an appointment give Cottage Country Pest Control a call at 705-534-7863 or email us today.
1. Plan ahead-talk to a pest control business in your area to get an idea about pricing and to also get a better idea of what will have to be done in the event that bed bugs become an issue. They should be able to give you some information about what they do for bed bugs, what has to be done before they can come in and treat and what has to be done after to ensure that their treatment is effective.
2. Be willing to hire professionals. All to often people are resistant to hiring a professional, which can lead to the problem becoming more expensive and difficult to treat. By treating the problem correctly the first time, you can potentially save money in the long run.
3. Be proactive. Provide your tenants with information before bed bugs become a problem. If they know what bed bugs are and what to look for, you can treat the problem sooner if and when there is an infestation.
4. Do not blame your tenants. Bed bugs can happen to anyone at anytime. They can travel on furniture, clothing, in luggage, etc.
5. Do repairs. Bed bugs do not always stay on beds. They can hide out in cracks, holes and gaps found around pipes, in baseboards, around electrical covers and more. By making these repairs you can reduce the number of places bed bugs could go.
6. Conduct inspections. If you've had a previous infestation of bed bugs then it's a good idea to do inspections every 4-6 months to ensure that the treatment is still working and that there hasn't been a new infestation.
It's important to know that these are just some of the things you should consider as a landlord. If you have any questions or want to book an appointment give Cottage Country Pest Control a call at 705-534-7863 or email us today.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Bed Bugs and Tenants
Today's post is another bed bug post, but this one is for anyone who rents their home. As a tenant, you may be required to take certain steps before a pest control company comes in to deal with a bed bug infestation.
If you want to read any of our past posts on bed bugs you can do that here, here, here, here and here.
1. Wash all your bedding and any clothes or stuffed animals in the hottest water you can. Follow this with drying them for at least 1-2 hours. You should bag as much as you can afterwards to prevent them from becoming infested again.
2. Clean any unnecessary clutter and ensure that you provide access to all baseboards and keep the floors clear and move all furniture at least 2 feet away from the walls. This will make it easier for the pest control company to come in and do what they have to in order to solve your bed bug infestation.
3. Vacuum all crevices on your mattress/box spring, bed frame, baseboards, etc. Vacuum them daily and immediately empty the vacuum when your done.
4. When the pest control company comes to do their job they will likely give you additional instructions and steps that you will have to take to ensure that what they do will be effective.
If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact Cottage Country Pest Control. Give us a call at 705-534-7863 or email us to book your appointment or to discuss your concerns.
If you want to read any of our past posts on bed bugs you can do that here, here, here, here and here.
1. Wash all your bedding and any clothes or stuffed animals in the hottest water you can. Follow this with drying them for at least 1-2 hours. You should bag as much as you can afterwards to prevent them from becoming infested again.
2. Clean any unnecessary clutter and ensure that you provide access to all baseboards and keep the floors clear and move all furniture at least 2 feet away from the walls. This will make it easier for the pest control company to come in and do what they have to in order to solve your bed bug infestation.
3. Vacuum all crevices on your mattress/box spring, bed frame, baseboards, etc. Vacuum them daily and immediately empty the vacuum when your done.
4. When the pest control company comes to do their job they will likely give you additional instructions and steps that you will have to take to ensure that what they do will be effective.
If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact Cottage Country Pest Control. Give us a call at 705-534-7863 or email us to book your appointment or to discuss your concerns.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Do's and Don'ts of Bed Bugs
If you suspect an infestation of bed bugs or you know you have a problem:
DO NOT rule out that the bites may be caused by something else--an allergy, other insects, etc. Check your mattresses for signs of an infestation and if you are not sure or you can confirm you have them call a professional, such as Cottage Country Pest Control.
DO NOT begin sleeping in a spare bed, on your couch or at a friends or with family. You may spread the infestation to other parts of your home or to your friend's or family's home as bed bugs can travel in luggage, on clothing, etc.
DO NOT assume that the bed bugs will be just in your bed. Bed bugs can be found in sofas, baseboards, coffee tables, electrical sockets, bathrooms, kitchens, closets, carpets, etc.
DO NOT assume that you will be able to solve the problem in just one day. It may take multiple treatments through a pest control company such as Cottage Country Pest Control to rid your home of the infestation.
DO NOT set off a bug bomb or fogger to try and treat the infestation.
DO start dealing with cleaning your clothing and bedding. Wash what you can in the hottest water possible, followed by drying them in the dryer on hot for between 1-2 hours.
DO bag clothes and bedding immediately after washing a drying to prevent bed bugs from once again making their way onto the clothes and bedding.
DO ask questions and take notes. This can help you to remember what the pest control company tells you, what is being done to treat the infestation, what steps you need to take to help treat the problem, etc.
If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact Cottage Country Pest Control. Give us a call at 705-534-7863 or email us to book your appointment or if you have any questions or concerns.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)