Frequently Asked Questions
Some common questions about pests, our products, and our company.
How long have you been in business, and what is your experience with environmentally friendly treatments?
We have been in business as a licensed pest control company in Hawaii for over twenty two years, and have always used environmentally friendly products. We never let the lure of money lead us. For instance, for many years we did not treat for termites because we do not use products that are dangerous to the environment, to people or to pets. Once we discovered safe and effective products for termite treatment, (a treatment that is less expensive and longer lasting than tenting!) we began offering that product so homeowners can do it themselves.
Can I buy your products from you and apply them myself?
By law, we cannot sell most of the products that we apply. The professional products we use are long lasting products, because the life cycles of many pests are counted in weeks or even months. Then we supplement the long lasting products with baits and sprays. When homeowners want to treat their properties and pets themselves they face the dilemma that the products available to them have a short life, usually a couple of hours to a couple of days. This makes it difficult to overcome an infestation. Still, there are many valid uses for short lasting products, so for these applications we recommend the safe and effective products distributed by Green Mountain Resources. You can find them at www.CedarBugFree.com.
How long does a treatment take?
This will depend on a couple factors: the size of your house or yard being treated, the pest or pests we are treating. In general, a medium size family home and yard can be treated for fleas, ticks, ants, or roaches in about an hour, with no evacuation required. Mite and bedbug treatments take from one to two hours, with a three to four hour evacuation needed to let the fogging step of the treatment do its work. You technician call give you a time estimate along with the estimate of cost.
Do you require a yearly or quarterly contract?
We never require a contract. Although we have many customers on quarterly and annual programs, we also are happy to treat on an as-needed basis. We will send you a quarterly reminder card for ant, roach and yard treatments or an annual reminder for flea treatments, or well will give you a reminder call if you prefer.
What level of toxicity do your products have?
Traditional pesticides work by disrupting the nervous system of the pest, and are toxic to humans and pets for the same reason, they impact our nervous systems. If possible, we use products that kill insects by either dehydrating them or by causing their breathing pores to close, thus suffocating them. If we have to use products that work on the nervous system of the pest, we use them in extremely low dosages, so the toxicity rating is completely safe for people and pets.
Do your products smell bad?
The products are either odorless, or have a faint, pleasant smell. In some applications we use Cedar Oil products that make your home smell like a cedar closet. Most people like the aroma, which decreases over time, and is completely gone within 48 hours.
Why do you only guarantee flea and roach treatments?
We stand behind all our work. Our job is to eliminate the infestation and keep it from recurring, so whether there is a specific time guarantee or not, we will work with you to see it happens. With indoor powder flea treatments we also offer a written One Year Guarantee; starting with the second roach treatment, we guarantee against roach infestation for three months.
Are you more expensive than other companies?
Yes and no. Many of our treatments are less expensive. For instance, our ant and roach treatments may be a little more expensive than other spray-only methods but with our 3-month guarantee the overall cost is less. Our treatments for bedbugs are also generally less costly than traditional methods, and our treatments for bedbugs work!
Treating with our long lasting, effective yet environmentally friendly products is sometimes a bit more costly than the toxic sprays most pest control companies use. However, the products we use give you a treatment that will work and will last for months, or, in the case of the indoor carpet treatment for fleas, at least one year. Sprays are gone before the week is out, leaving your property vulnerable to the hatching of the next generation of pests.
Why don't you use tents or "tenting"?
Tents are not really a long-term solution for any type of pest. Tenting is also astronomically expensive, uses highly toxic chemicals, and is a safety hazard to you and your children and pets. Instead we offer Cedar Oil products that both eliminate the termites and keep them from coming back. Cedar Oil termite treatments are usually much less costly than traditional methods, and you don’t have to evacuate the home.
Do you treat wasps, bees, or spiders?
We can help with wasps, spiders, and carpenter bees. Carpenter bees are wood boring; we offer Cedar Oil products to treat the wood in much the same way you would treat for termites, with a wood penetrant the eliminates the infestation and prevents future infestations. Treating for other pests takes away a spider's food source, so a regular pest treatment will greatly reduce spiders.
Honey bees are protected by law and should be referred to the agriculture department of the University of Hawaii or to a local beekeeper who will come for the bees if the swarm is large enough. If bees are allowed make a hive inside a wall, you will need to hire a carpenter to open the wall up, which can be expensive and time consuming.
Do you treat for rodents?
We can and do treat for rodents, yet only for existing customers, as part of a larger treatment, or for property managers and realtors. If rodent control is all you need, we are happy to advise you how to safely treat for them on your own. For larger structures we use a combination of Cedar Oil fogging and traps, while for residences we provide professional traps and baits.
