(1) Get rid of all wood around your home that is not serving a purpose. Remove all wood debris and do not store fire wood up against your home’s exterior.

(2) Clean gutters and eliminate piles of lumber and/or debris where cockroaches can harbor.

(3) Do not allow pet food to sit out over night (food for cockroaches?).

(4) When a pest control company provides service, make sure the service includes work outside and inside every time, (there might be some exceptions to this for occupants that may have a sensitivity to certain indoor treatments). No shortcuts.

(5) Holes or cracks larger then one-fourth of an inch in your home should be stuffed with steel wool and then sealed with caulk or foam.

(6) Be aware of pest control companies that recommend only “minimum standard treatments”. We recommend Comprehensive Termite Treatment plans.

(7) Look for Termite-Pest Control companies that have “no deductible” on termite repair coverage.

(8) All pests need water. Repair any leaks or moisture issues in and around your home.

(9) Ask the contractor for customer references who have had work performed similar to yours.

(10) Use a well-known and reputable company who you can always find in the future, or be able to easily contact for any reason. You want an established company with an office that you can go to if you ever need personal contact. Check out the address of the contractor and see how long they have been in the area.

(11) Avoid contractors that do not contact you within 24 to 48 hours of your original contact with their staff.

(12) Avoid a contractor that drives an unmarked van or has out-of-state plates on his vehicles (unless the unmarked van is a support vehicle, for example, parts delivery vehicle).

(13) Comparison shopping should be based on reputation, reliability, experience and price “value”, not just the lowest price of all proposals presented.

(14) Require that any company representative (regardless of service category) consulting with you on your job, service or project, completely understand every detail about their product and services, product features and benefits, installation specifications, warranty information and the like.