pest control resources and faq

At Rove Pest Control we take pride in serving our customers and creating long term relationships with them. We have an excellent track record in both residential and commercial pest control services. We have always listened to our customer’s suggestions and concerns which has allowed us to create services that truly meet their needs.

What is an Associate Certified Entomologist? A pest control operator can become an Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE) after accumulating a minimum of 5 years of verifiable pest management experience, a current pesticide applicator’s license issued in the U.S. and the ability to pass a rigorous test on structural pest control knowledge. The major categories of competency covered by the ACE exam include:

• Basic entomology
• Identification, life cycles, and practical control measures for important structural pests
• Health impacts of pests
• Ecological principles pertaining to pest control
• Environmental impacts related to pest control
• Integrated pest management (IPM) principles
• Pesticide safety and health issues
• Pesticide technology, resources
• Organizations and associations of significance to the pest control industry
• Laws and regulations affecting the industry

In pest control, knowledge is king. Having this certification is one way companies can prove their knowledge and experience levels. Anybody can grab a can of bug spray and douse a room for the fleas that have been biting someone, but a pest control expert will know whether the issue is fleas, mites, bed bugs, medical, or something else. More knowledge and experience means more accurate treatment, more efficient treatment, quicker results, and faster detection of developing issues. A company that has an associate certified entomologist on staff indicates the company values individuals with a sense of pride and accomplishment as well as individuals who are dedicated to excellence.

Some pests threaten aesthetic properties of the home, others adversely affect the general enjoyment of the home, and other pests directly or indirectly damage the structure of the home itself. Clients working with us will receive assessments of current and potential threats based off of the structure, landscaping, and surroundings. Current issues may be addressed with specialized treatments and future issues may be prevented through treatments and/or environmental and/or behavioral changes. We work directly with our clients during each step of the process so issues are solved quickly and future issues are prevented ensuring that the aesthetic, practical, and actual value of the home are maintained or increased.

Wood destroying organisms in a structure will cause physical damage to the home that may affect core structural elements of the home. Other pests such as spiders decorating walls, trailing ants, chewing rodents, or other wandering insects may startle occupants or provide unsightly additions to the home. Unfortunately, a home covered in cobwebs will be valued differently than the exact same home that is pest free. Other insects such as bed bugs or mosquitoes directly attack the residents causing a change in perceived value of the home and property.

Preventive services include inspection and barrier treatments. Professional inspections help locate pest issues in their earliest stages, long before they become apparent to a homeowner. Strategically placed barrier treatments help eliminate points of entry into a structure and keep populations in check that would otherwise flourish with the protection of a home. Preventive measures can also include environmental adjustments such as landscaping adjustments, trash receptacle location analysis, moisture management, and many other specifics around a home.

It is just as important to choose a company that is licensed with the state as it is to choose a company with helpful staff. It is important that technicians and representatives both explain what is being done as well as help individuals avoid making control mistakes that may have negative health or legal ramifications. It is also important to find out about the methods of control on specific pests of concern to make sure the options align with those desired by the individual.

Pest control operators are required to be licensed through the Department of Agriculture. In order to be licensed, the Department of Agriculture, requires a company to meet certification and continuing education requirements as well as carry adequate insurance. In addition to the basic licensing requirements, some companies obtain additional licensing and certification in order to provide as many service options as possible to customers.

The best way to check a company’s reputation is to go online. Some companies have customer testimonials on the company website, but more can be learned from reading reviews on Google Maps, Snoball, Nextdoor, Thumbtack, Angi, and other online communities.

Signs of pest problems may include the physical presence of pests, evident water damage in wood, signs of chewing or gnawing, or through a professional inspection. A routine inspection by a professional once each season will allow a trained eye to catch issues and conducive conditions before they turn into more costly problems.

Some companies offer humane removal services where possible, but some do not. It is best to include this topic in the initial inquiry if it is of primary concern or interest. For every service we offer, we offer as many variations as we can to meet the needs of individual clients.

Basic preventive services for a broad spectrum of potential pests meant to maintain a barrier around the base of a home against crawling insects is the most common. The frequency will vary based on various surroundings and conditions that affect a location’s susceptibility to insects but 3-5 services per year is most common. Other service contracts are available for yards and specific plants or trees. In other cases, it is necessary to utilize service contracts geared toward control of a single, specific pest such as termites, mosquitoes, carpenter ants, bed bugs or others. Often times there are multiple ways to address a given scenario and the best choice will depend on the short and long term goals of the client.

Guarantees will vary depending on the type of pest being treated, how established the pest population has become, and the frequency of treatment. A more regular inspection and treatment rotation will yield a higher guarantee than a lower frequency. If the recommended service combination is accepted, it will typically be covered by a service guarantee under which the customer may have the company return free of charge to address new or recurring issues.

In most situations, the pests can be treated from the exterior, but there are some situations that will require interior access. In situations requiring interior access, the homeowner still does not necessarily have to be present, but may work with the company to coordinate convenient access.

Licensed pest control companies have access to products that are approved for use in food for consumption as well as products that require occupants to be away for a certain period of time. The choice of the methods and products to be used will be based on the need of the situation as well as the goals of the home or business owner. With any treatment performed, there are specific measures that can be taken to protect yourself and loved ones even further such as allowing products to dry and placing products in inaccessible areas. Special considerations and adjustments to service plans can be (and are often times) made to ensure the safest path is chosen.

There are a lot of basic pest control procedures that would not require a professional. In many instances, the convenience of having someone else worry about the pest control is the reason for relying on a professional. Many pests require special knowledge and understanding of the biological background of the specific pest as well as related pests. Some ants, if sprayed with a standard over-the-counter spray, will “bud” or split their colony into multiple colonies in order to avoid death and destruction. Treating psocids without addressing the moisture issue will lead to no results and a lot of frustration. Improper approaches to treating a yellow jacket nest may lead to a painful sting. Improper usage of heat sources can lead to home fire. Improper setting of traps can cause non-target species to be harmed. Improper poison placement may lead to poisoning children or pets. A recent case we dealt with involved mice that transported bait to a place of food storage that the homeowner never intended and could not have predicted without special training in pest control. This does not mean there are not certain situations that can be taken care of on your own. We recommend exploring treatment options with a professional to learn the pros and cons of your particular circumstance and deciding which direction is best to go.

Pets such as fish, cats, dogs, and others may be harmed if the proper precautions are not taken with treatments. Some treatments require a wait time before pets can resume access to an area, some require protective equipment around the treated area, and others may require nothing to protect the animal. It is best to inform us of pets that will be present and ask what the specific precautions are for the treatment to be done.

The bait boxes are manufactured to be tamper resistant. This means that:
-even a very small dog will not be able to enter the bait station to access the bait
-the pathway from entrance to bait is indirect so a dog could not reach in and paw the bait out
-most dogs are going to be incapable of chewing through the bait station even given months to do their nefarious gnawing. It is important to be aware of your individual dog’s capabilities and personality. I have met several labs that seem capable of giving the jaws of life a run for its money. If you have an unstoppable chewer, let our technicians know and we will work with you to determine the location that will be effective against the rodents while remaining inaccessible to your furry family member.

Mice have a feeding range of 10-25 feet. In situations of duplexes or other close quarters, this could draw a mouse onto your living space sooner than it otherwise would. The positive side of this is if you have mice hanging out within 25 feet of your food and living space, you want to knock them out of commission before they get a chance to reproduce and expand into your territory. Additionally, if mice are out wandering around, it is better for them to find their end than wait for them to create an entry point into your home or business.

For most treatments, you can be present with the technician while they treat. For some of the specialty treatments such as flea treatments, bed bug treatments or some stored product pest treatments, you may need to stay out of the treated area for 1-8 hours. If you are going to be facing a time window of staying out, we will work with you to coordinate a convenient time so you can go have some fun or do something productive while we take care of things on the home front.

Most products are not labeled for use where it is raining. Since pests don’t take rainy days off from terrorizing you, we have rainy day products and treatment methods designed to extend your protection regardless of the weather. If we do not have a great alternative for a particular pest in the given conditions, we will still take care of what we can and automatically schedule a follow up for the work that needs completed on a day where Mother Nature will cooperate.

The specifics of this question will depend on what your priority pests and surrounding environment consist of. If you are in an area that deals with rodents, winter is the rodents time to shine in homes and businesses. Winer visits not only target rodent populations directly, but also highlights entry points that appear differently at different points of the year. For structures in areas with significant overwintering pest populations such as box elder bugs, asian beetles, western conifer seed bugs, brown marmorated stink bug, etc., winter is a great time to apply products to areas where these adult insects take advantage of your structure to survive the winter. Some insects such as spiders, bed bugs, cockroaches, etc. have active life cycles year round that benefit (from a control perspective) immensely from continued attention during slightly slower reproductive rates. Most likely, you are in a situation where you have multiple reasons to put winter as your favorite pest control service of the year. Just give us a call and we can go over the specifics for your situation.

This answer depends a lot on the type of bait used, the size and sensitivity of the animal consuming the mouse, and how much bait the mouse has consumed versus metabolized. Because there is no simple answer, we maintain the bait stations within 50 feet of the structure being protected. Since mice typically have a feeding range of 30 feet, this keeps the mouse populations under check that are close enough to your structure to require attention. It also targets the mice least likely to interact with wildlife which tend to spend far more of their time away from your structure. We also use baits that require multiple feedings from mice which minimizes non-target interactions.

Fortunately most scorpion stings in people are uneventful. The Arizona bark scorpion is the only North American scorpion that is a threat to people. Even with this scorpion, reactions range from mild to severe. While most people will experience only pain, swelling, or skin irritation (or nothing), young children and older adults are most susceptible to severe reactions. The deathstalker scorpion is another scorpions to be aware of if you are traveling in the deserts of Northern Africa or the Middle East.

The number one way people get bed bugs is from them hitchhiking. The cleanliness of a home is no more an indicator of likelihood of bed bugs than it is mosquito bites. While only female mosquitoes feed on blood, both males AND females feed on blood and only blood for sustenance. Having clutter will increase the number of places that bed bugs can hide, but bed bugs are also happy to hid in, on, and around mattresses, box springs, baseboards, electronics, wall decorations, and anything else that happens to be close to a blood meal.

This is a very important and hot topic in the industry right now. Our treatments are designed to protect bees and butterflies. We have been monitoring the guidelines from the EPA and manufacturers very closely to ensure we do all we can to enhance the environment. We have even ran local tests on properties of customers we have been treating over the years to monitor local populations and abundance of pollinators such as bees and butterflies. In all of the tests, the pollinator counts have stayed the same or increased. We have dropped a few products from our lineup in order to keep this a priority.

Each location is locally managed and operated. Most phone customer service representatives reside in either the MN or WI markets, but a few of our team members have moved to other states and remained connected through technology. Ownership lives in the MN market and regularly spends time in each market.

The general policy is that if you took a discount directly tied to completing a specified length of service or number of services, you just need to pay back the discount taken if ending early. Some services have a few different setup options that would have different cancellation specifics, but we will outline that with you as we work through which option best fits your situation.

Yes. Most of our clients that we work with are setting up ongoing control to stay ahead of pests that would like to establish themselves and interrupt life. We realize that while some people have been with us for 20 years, some businesses and people have short term needs. We are happy to dive in and help in all types of situations. Just let us know what your goals are so we can plan accordingly.

If a rodent dies in a disposable trap, it can be thrown into the trash when first noticed. If it is in something like a multiple catch trap setup, you can have one of our technicians re-service the property if caught mice are noticeable. Most of our control efforts occur on the outside where we control exterior populations, diminish rodent pressure on the home, and block key entry points. In the rare occurrences that a rodent dies inside of the home in an area that is completely enclosed or out of reach, it probably won’t be found until a smell shows up. In these situations, the smell typically dissipates in 5-14 days. In order to help with this, there are odor absorption devices that can be placed in the area. In some cases, it might make sense to have a contractor open a wall and remove the rodent.

This question won’t have an answer in most cases until the pest expert performs the service. During the course of the service the pest expert will analyze entry points, pest populations, pest conducive conditions, and the goals of the program. Some situations may not end up needing any bait stations to be effective. Others may need 20 or 100 depending on size and needs. Additionally, as more information is gained through servicing, stations may need moved, reduced, or increased to better establish desired control levels.

Many woodpecker species have certain protections in place. Sometimes woodpeckers peck to make a hole into a void for a nest. Sometimes they peck to go after food. Many times they are simply pecking rapidly (called drumming) for the sake of it. It is what they are biologically wired to do. If you are dealing with woodpeckers, you can try repellants, scare tactics, or connect with a wildlife company. We would be happy to connect you with one of our affiliate network vendors.

If we are using the definition of a chemical being any substance that has a defined composition, then yes. Our products are clearly defined and calibrated for the specific pests and situations.
If we are using the definition of a chemical being a synthesized or man made composition that does not occur in nature, then some of the products we use fall into that category and others do not. When determining which products to use, we start with the pest at hand and look at the specific options available. If you prefer organic, natural, or time released products, we will let you know which options align with your pest goals, what the pros and cons will be, and help you select the best option for your situation.
It is important to note that not all treatments require a product or chemicals. Some treatments are done with heat, exclusion, mechanical, or other options. Some situations require monitoring and environmental adjustments. There are as many options for treatments as there are pests and pest goals combinations. Just let us know what you want to aim for and we will work with you to tailor treatment plans to your needs.

In literature, it is an ill tempered or unpleasant character typically characterized by nagging, scolding, or aggressive behavior. In the pest world, it typically refers to a small creature that is an aggressive hunter. Shrews are best known for hunting down mice and consuming them. They are also capable of catching and eating other wildlife such as birds. They are odd looking creatures with a pointed snout like that of a mole and the body of a mouse. I always wonder how they are able to chase anything down with their stubby little legs.

Yes, we do! We have several different organic or natural options for select pests. In most cases they can be just as effective with the right environmental adjustments. In some cases, the products may need applied more frequently or be paired with other cultural controls. When we design your service, just let us know organic is your goal and we will outline the options along with their expected effectiveness. In some cases organic and natural is the ost effective way to go. In others, it will take extra work, but we are happy to customize it as we are able.

Structural pest control products are designed to stay on top of the soil where insects and arachnids traffic. The EPA keeps a close eye on product design to avoid having anything leech into the soil or water systems. Special considerations will be included in the Groundwater Advisory portion of the label. Even termite treatments that dig down into the soil to target subterranean termites are set up to have the product stay in place until it breaks down over several years. If you have an on site well, please let us know about its location and any areas of runoff concern so we can look for any additional safeguards that need to be put into place.