Citizens of the DFW Metroplex have no lack of questions. But are they asking the right questions? Those who ask the most questions on the initial call, are calling all of the companies in the area that offer bed bug treatment. I think it would be very helpful to provide you a list of the right questions to ask these bed bug treatment providers, along with our answers to these same questions. These are questions that a citizen, inexperienced with bed bugs, would not think to ask. The answers to these questions will allow for an apples to apples comparison between providers.
Why would a person go down the list of bed bug providers and ask them the same questions? Or are they only asking one? Ding! Ding! Ding! What they really want to know is how much the bed bug treatment is. They want to see who has the lowest price. They may be on a very tight budget and may even have to sacrifice other things to make the treatment happen. Or they could be a person who refuses to pay more than they have to for the “same thing” they could get somewhere cheaper.
Both of these example citizen scenarios are admirable and commendable. After all at least they are doing the right thing by seeking out a professional company to exterminate the bed bugs instead of wasting time and money on do-it-yourself treatments that just don’t work.
Let’s say that you make your list of bed bug treatment providers AND you were able to obtain pricing from each of them. Would you only consider price? OR would you also consider what you will be receiving for that sum? When you compare the different ways that pest control companies kill bed bugs, there is a staggering difference between them. You could be comparing apples to pineapples if you are not asking the right questions.
Your Bed Bug Treatment Questions Answered
Citizens call Captain Heat for help with bed bugs every day, All Day Long. They text, email, fill out an online form, or even book appointments online. So Many of those conversations go exactly the same way. The citizens all ask the same questions every day. We could list and answer these questions in our sleep. The thing is about some of these questions, they are almost impossible to answer unless we see your situation. We have seen so many scenarios where we can only find one bug, and others where they are pouring out of the ceiling fixtures and outlets. If you are having a bed bug emergency, Do Not Spray Pesticide! Bookmark this page and contact us now! It will be here when you come back.
Questions About Pricing
The most common questions I get are regarding the price for bed bug treatment. Here are the top questions and answers about pricing.
Captain Heat’s Answer:
It’s the most common question by far. In fact it is usually the very first thing that a citizen will ask. It is also the hardest question to answer. To summarize the answer in written form, it would read: We need more information to determine the pricing. Are you looking for ball-park range pricing for heat treatment? Or are you also considering a Pesticide Treatment?
We need to know a lot of details about your place to give you an accurate price. If you must have a quote without one of our teammates inspecting then you can start by filling out this form and attaching pictures of each room to it. We will also need a picture of a bug so we can identify it before we can offer you a solution. The picture must be clear and close up enough that we can see the legs.
We never want to bait and switch. We would hate it if a customer thought that we baited and switched them. For example what if we gave you a lower price for bed bug treatment on the phone but then we arrived and the cost was double because we didn’t know that you were a gatherer of many many collectibles. Is that our fault for not asking the right questions? Is it the customer’s fault for not bringing up her extensive collection of things? It doesn’t matter because the customer will not be happy at all in this scenario because she will either pay double what we quoted over the phone, Or she can refuse to pay the higher price which leaves her with the bed bugs sand us with lost opportunity costs.
To get the lowest possible price, we must do an in-person inspection. We prefer to offer in person inspection to identify the pest and provide a more personal experience. We are sure to gather all of the necessary information during the in-person visit. Our over the phone answer is this: Are you in a house or apartment? Ok and what is your zip code. (If it is a house, AND it is in an area where we have someone available) we say “I would like to send a technician out there at x time on x day for free to take a look at the situation. “That is the best way that I can give you the best price for just the service that you need. ”
Captain Heat’s Answer:
Think about what you are saying. Because I have, A lot. You are basically asking me to bait and switch you. Are you really not going to hold me to the pricing that I give you over the phone? What if its four times what I say it is on the phone? I could say its going to be around $500 to heat. You (who may have been calling around all day) have not heard a price anywhere near that may jump through the phone to get on the schedule. You may even pay them the $500 and sign an agreement to pay extra if it costs more once they see it. Then a week later when the technician arrives looks at the home and writes up the invoice for $2000. Then he tells you if you cancel the treatment that you forfeit the $500 you paid them because it is in the agreement that you can not reschedule the day of treatment. Classic Bait and Switch. If you cancel now you have wasted a week and lost $500 so there’s no way your wife is going to be happy about you leaving her alone with the bed bugs to go on that fishing trip with your buddies this weekend.
If I had to give you a price over the phone I would take my time to ask you twenty questions about your home and your experience with the bed bugs. I would even ask you to send pictures of each of the rooms and pictures of the bugs.
Ok here is a question I can answer quickly. From June 2020 to June 2021 Our Average Price for All Heat Treatments performed in DFW and Houston was roughly $1700 including sales tax. Many of those heats were ones where we heated only one or two bedrooms and applied pesticide in all areas of the structure. Keep in mind that every job presents unique challenges or advantages. Challenges would cause us to do additional work, taking additional time, or make additional trips, to make sure all the bed bugs are dead. Advantages would be situations that allow the job to run more smoothly, require less team members to complete, less pesticide, and with few or no return trips expected.
The average price for a bed bug pesticide treatments is $700 including tax. Other than cost, the main difference between bed bug heat treatment and bed bug pesticide treatment is that you will not get anything close to instant relief with pesticide alone. It doesn’t matter what kind of pesticide it is, It will not kill all of the bed bugs in one day like the heat treatment does. In Fact, you may experience the opposite. Sometimes there is increased activity and even more biting that occurs after a pesticide treatment. The bed bug’s eggs will continue to hatch out because pesticide doesn’t sterilize them. This can go on for 30 to 45 days with our pesticide treatment. With other companies who are using the wrong chemicals it will take even longer.
It all comes down to how long it will take us to do the treatment, and how many crew members are needed.
The main things that increase our time a the job site have to do with how well you prepared your home prior to our arrival. When we inspect, we explain how you need to prepare for the bed bug treatment based on what we see when we are there. We also provide a detailed Checklist of preparation items you need to complete prior to our arrival on treatment day. It is very important to follow these instructions to make sure we can do our job correctly and thoroughly. If we arrive and the home is not prepared for treatment we may add a line item to your invoice and charge you to perform the required preparation at a rate of $250 per hour, per person. If there is too much preparation, if we have too little time, or if we do not have the crew available to do the preparation then we may demand that the treatment be rescheduled and we may charge a $250 rescheduling fee. If you are not going to prepare your home then please let us know before treatment day so we can discuss the terms with you and plan accordingly. We require preparation for both heat and pesticide treatments. Heat Treatments require more preparation.
Captain Heat’s Answer:
Texas, the Great State we all love, has laws regarding this. By law, a pest control company can not perform pest control services for a tenant of a commercial property without the consent of the owner or property manager. Our policy is to get written permission from the manager or owner. We want there to be clarity about between the three of us on two main things. One, Do we have permission from the owner or manager to provide services at the property? And Two, who will be paying for the treatment.
The owner or management may have a service company who they prefer to use. They may also require that you use that company for any services they provide whether it is Air Conditioning maintenance to Lawn and Tree Care.
There is a second part of the Texas Law mentioned earlier that we must comply with. We are required to provide documentation to the manager or owner Before and after pesticide application. If it is a multi unit building, then we must provide or post a written notice of Pesticide Application in a common area at least 48 hours in advance. This notifies the other tenants of the upcoming work in case they are sensitive to pesticide. After the treatment we must provide written documentation of pesticide application to the tenant AND the owner or manager of the property.
Don’t ask: Are you licensed, bonded, and insured?
I mean, bravo for making it seem like you are doing your due diligence! But are you really doing it by asking that question? No. Who is going to hold them accountable if they lie to you? And what will you do?
It is rare that a customer asks this question. But when they do, it is usually after they have decided to go with our company for treatment. And every time it is asked it is always asked in that same way. Three questions in one: “Are you licensed, bonded, and insured?” Every time. Do you think the customer ever checks if the company is licensed? No! Does the customer have any clue what state agency it is that licenses pest control companies in that state? No! If they did they would not be asking that question. Every state we have done business in requires that a pest control company must be licensed with (some division of) the State Department of Agriculture. In Texas, pest control companies are licensed through the TDA, (Texas Department of Agriculture). More specifically the Structural Pest Control Commission (SPCC), a Division of the TDA whose job it is to protect consumers and the environment from harm caused by pest control companies.
Ask This Instead: What is Your Companies’ TPCL Number? (Texas Pest Control License)
Then call (866) 918-4481 to reach the Structural Pest Control Commission to verify that the license is valid. You can also ask the SPCC when the last time the company verified their insurance with the state, the limits of their insurance, and if the company has any recent complaints (lets say) in the past two years. You can ask them anything really, whether or not they tell you is up to them. There is a way to verify the pest control license online but the lookup is completely terrible compared to other states. It is very difficult (especially for consumers) to perform the search correctly. That is why I suggested you call. You will (likely) be better served and waste less time.