Before a pest control visit in Rio Rancho, ask about the licence, what the inspection covers, what the report will contain, which treatments may be recommended and why, the re-entry time for each product, what a return visit includes and what the price depends on. A good answer is specific, in writing and checkable. A vague answer is a reason to ask again or to look elsewhere.
Key takeaways
- Ask who will attend and for the licence details before the visit is booked.
- Ask what the inspection covers, and what it does not.
- Ask for the report format in advance, and check that it names the findings and the actions.
- Ask which product classes may be used, and the re-entry time for each.
- Ask whether a return visit is included, and how many are expected.
- Ask what the quote depends on, and ask for the answer in writing.
What should you ask about the licence?
Ask for the technician’s name and licence number, the firm’s name and whether any licence is needed for the specific work. Check the number with the New Mexico Department of Agriculture before any product is applied.
A licence question is the easiest to answer and the most important. A firm that is operating properly can give the name and number on the phone, and can send the details in writing before the visit. The question is not a challenge; it is a routine part of hiring a trade that applies chemicals in a home.
Ask also whether the technician who attends will be the one whose name is given. A firm sometimes sends a different person from the one on the booking, and the caller should be told before the visit starts. The details should be checked against that person’s licence.
What does the inspection cover, and what does it leave out?
Ask what the inspection includes: the inside rooms, the outside walls, the attic and the crawl space, the outbuildings, the commercial storage or the shared voids. Ask what it does not include and why, so the gaps are visible before the visit.
A general inspection and a termite or wood-destroying organism inspection are different jobs with different reports. Ask which one is booked and whether the visit includes the other. A visit that is booked as a general check but is expected to answer a termite question will leave that question open, and the caller should be told before the visit.
Ask whether the attic and the crawl space are included, and what happens if access is blocked or unsafe. A reliable answer says that the unreached space will be recorded as not checked, rather than promising that everything will be looked at.
What will the written report contain?
Ask for the report format in advance. A good report lists the findings with their places, the actions taken, the items left alone and the reason, the recommended next step and the licence details of the person who attended.
The report is the document the caller keeps, so its contents matter. Ask whether it will be written on the day and sent in writing, and whether it will include photographs or a plan of the rooms. A report that says only that the property was treated, with no place or product class named, is not enough for the next visit to use.
Ask whether a finding that is not confirmed will be marked as unconfirmed, and whether a sample that goes to the Extension route will be recorded with its date. A report that is honest about what it does not know is more useful than one that is confident about everything.
Which treatments may be recommended, and why?
Ask which treatment methods the technician may recommend, what each is for and what each does not do. Ask whether sealing or sanitation will be recommended before any product is applied, and whether a broad spray is ever the first step.
A treatment should be chosen after the identification and the inspection, and it should be named in the report with its target and its place. Ask the technician to explain the reason for each method before it is applied, and to say what result the method is expected to show and when it will be checked.
A firm that offers a whole-building spray as the first step, without an inspection or an identification, is answering a different question from the one a caller should be asking. Ask why the method was chosen for the place, and ask for the answer in writing.
What is the re-entry time for each product?
Ask for the re-entry time for each product before the treatment, and ask for it again in writing when it is applied. The time comes from the product label and is different for each product and each room.
Re-entry times are part of the label, and the technician is bound to follow them. Ask to see the label before the visit, or ask for a copy of the directions for the products that are expected to be used. Keep the label with the report.
Ask also what to do with children, pets, food and food contact surfaces during the period, and whether the room must be closed. A firm that cannot give a clear answer should not apply the product until it can.
Is a return visit included, and how is the price set?
Ask whether a return visit is included in the quote, how many return visits are expected, and what each one checks. Ask what the price depends on, and ask for the answer in writing before the first visit.
This site does not publish a price for any service, and no price figure is given in this guide. The price is confirmed on site before any work begins. A quote that does not say whether the report, the return visit and the identification are included is a quote that needs more questions.
The usual things a price depends on are the pest and how far it has spread, the building or the premises, the number of visits and whether the work includes sealing or treatment. Ask the technician to name which of these affects your quote, and ask what would change it.
What should you check after the visit?
After the visit, check the report against what was said, keep the licence note with it, and check the open items on the date set. Call the office with any new sign, with the date and the place.
The report should match the conversation on the day. If it does not, ask for a correction in writing. A report that is wrong on an important point, such as a product name or a re-entry time, should be corrected before it is relied on.
Check the open items on the report on the date given, and note whether they have been done. A return visit that finds an item still open is the point at which the plan is judged, so the record matters.
What should you ask about the sealing and the repairs?
Ask whether sealing is included in the visit, what materials will be used, and which repairs are outside the pest work. Ask who will carry out any repair, and ask for the answer in writing before the visit.
Sealing closes the routes that pests use, and it is often the cheapest lasting step on the list. Ask whether the quote includes the sealing of the openings the inspection finds, or only the ones on a short list. A firm that includes the sealing in its quote should say which openings are included and which are left for a later visit.
Repairs are a different matter. A rotted sill, a cracked foundation or a broken window frame is a building repair, and a pest firm should say so and name the trade that should do it. Ask whether the firm will do any repair itself, and if so, what the repair covers and how it will be recorded.
What should you ask about monitoring and follow-up?
Ask whether monitoring devices will be placed, how often they will be read, who reads them, and what the follow-up visits cost or whether they are included. Ask how the decision to end the plan will be made and recorded.
Monitoring is a form of evidence, and the firm should say how the evidence will be read. Ask whether a count is recorded at each reading, and whether the devices are logged on a plan. A firm that does not plan to record its monitoring should be asked why.
Ask how many return visits are expected and what each one checks. A plan that ends with a final check is more reliable than one that ends when the caller stops calling. Ask for the criteria in writing.
What should you ask about the people in your home?
Ask how children, pets, older people and anyone with a sensitivity will be protected during the visit, and what the firm will do if someone is exposed. Ask for the answer in writing, and ask whether the technician has been briefed.
Every household is different. A home with a baby, a pet bird or a person with a respiratory condition needs a different preparation from a home without. The caller should say so when booking, and the technician should explain how the method and the product choice take that into account.
Ask what the firm does if a person or a pet is exposed to a product, and whether it has a route for advice. The answer should include the medical step first, and the label for the product should be available to the caller.
Frequently asked questions
Should I ask for a price over the phone?
You can ask what the price depends on. This site does not publish figures, and a price is confirmed on site before work begins. Ask for the answer in writing before the visit.
What if the firm will not answer my questions?
Do not book the visit until they have. A firm that cannot answer questions about the licence, the report and the product should not be trusted with a treatment in your home.
How many quotes should I get?
That is your decision. Ask each firm the same questions and compare the answers in writing. The question list is the same whichever firm you choose.
Can I ask to see a sample report?
Yes. A firm that uses a standard report format should be able to show you a blank copy or an example with the personal details removed.
Is it rude to ask all these questions?
No. A firm that is operating properly expects them. The questions are the ordinary checks that a careful buyer makes for any trade that applies chemicals in a home or a business.
Can I ask for references?
You can ask, but this site does not publish reviews or references and does not vouch for any firm’s references. A written answer from the firm about its licence, its report and its insurance is more useful than a reference.
Sources
- New Mexico Department of Agriculture, pesticide licensing under the Pesticide Control Act
- NMSU Cooperative Extension Service, Sandoval County office
This guide is general information for Sandoval County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.