Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
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Written By David Cusick
Last Updated February 2024
DeKalb is known to have many problems with common pests, similar to any city that big. Without a pest control treatment plan in place, the chance of recurring infestation is high.
There are many great exterminator options, so the team at Today's Homeowner has researched some of the top pest control companies in DeKalb to help you make the right decision. Keep reading to learn more about each exterminator.
Educational web content
Free inspections
Lack of hidden fees
Consistently high customer service reviews
Offerings of preventative treatments
Services Offered
Reviews praise customer service
Commitment to customer education
Transparent pricing
No-cost inspections
Services Offered
Consistently high customer service reviews
No-cost inspections
Educational web content
Services Offered
Transparent pricing
Educational web content
Free inspection policy
Services Offered
Lack of hidden fees
Free inspections
Commitment to customer education
Positive customer service reviews
Services Offered
Consistently high customer service reviews
Transparent pricing
Helpful homeowner content on its website
Free inspections
Services Offered
Transparent pricing
Consistently high customer service reviews
Free inspection policy
Services Offered
Offerings of preventative treatments
Helpful homeowner content on its website
Positive customer service reviews
No-cost inspections
Services Offered
Reviews praise customer service
Commitment to customer education
Free inspection policy
Lack of hidden fees
Services Offered
Free inspection policy
Educational web content
Transparent pricing
Consistently high customer service reviews
Services Offered
Today's Homeowner looks at dozens of datapoints on pest control companies to come up with our data-driven rankings. It's not possible for a company to pay for preferential treatment in our rankings. We look at the following key factors in determining who should top our list:
The Today's Homeowner team narrowed down the top pest control companies by looking at factors like customer satisfaction, types of pest control treatments offered, coverage, industry experience, and more.
This is how the top pest control companies ranked in DeKalb:
Founded in 1927, Terminix has almost 100 years of pest control industry experience. Terminix has received several awards for its service, including Angie's List Super Service Award 2017, Watauga County Best of the Best, and Triad's Best Exterminator.
Terminix provides both one-off extermination services and seasonal pest control. Additionally, every contract comes with a 30-day guarantee. Terminix’s general pest regimen consists of a home inspection and preliminary treatment, followed by three seasonal treatments over the course of a year.
Orkin has been around for over 100 years. Its exterminators have to undergo 160 hours of training. Plus, due to its large network, it can often provide next-day — or even same-day — visits.
Pests Orkin deals with includes cockroaches, yellow jackets, rats, moths, scorpions, mice, crickets, earwigs, bed bugs, hornets, and more. Once the first treatment, your Orkin expert will follow up to make sure the pests haven’t come back. If they have, your local technicians can assist.
Founded in 1925, Rentokil has almost 100 years’ worth of experience protecting residents from pests. In North America, Rentokil is the parent company of quite a few local pest control companies like Western Exterminator, J.C. Ehrlich, and Presto-X.
Rentokil provides integrated pest management (IPM) services, focusing on both eliminating current pests and preventing future infestations. Depending on where you live, Rentokil may cover wildlife like rodents, snakes, and birds.
Not all pest control providers are the same in reputation, skill set, and competence. Vetting providers helps you identify the right choice for your pest problem. Focus on these key factors when selecting a pest control company:
You should look for a pest control company that specializes in treating the pest you have, like rodents, roaches, bed bugs, or termites. The company should describe how they go about treating your type of pest.
When choosing a pest control provider, look for technicians with certifications in pest control methods from respected industry associations, such as the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), on top of proper state licensing. These credentials indicate that the technicians have completed proper training. Also ask about continuing education policies and total training hours.
Take some time to read online reviews on Google and Yelp before scheduling a pest control appointment. This can help you verify whether the company consistently provides quality service and positive experiences. Also check the Better Business Bureau for any complaints. Ask the provider whether technicians receive consistent training to stay current on the most up-to-date pest control methods. When you choose an exterminator from our list of the top pest control in DeKalb, you can rest easy knowing you're hiring an expert that meets our quality and review standards.
If you prefer more natural, eco-friendly pest control solutions, look for providers that have "green" certifications. If you’re dealing with larger pests, such as mice or raccoons nesting in trees, you can also ask about humane catch and release. Keep in mind that natural pest control options may be less effective. You may need to consider a more traditional route if dealing with a serious infestation. No matter your approach to pest control, all pesticides that are classified as greater than minimal risk are required to be registered with the EPA.
Leading pest control provides typically offer service guarantees for ongoing plans. This means that if pests remain after the initial treatment, the company will come back and re-treat your home for free until the infestation is handled. One-time treatments may not have reservice guarantees.
After selecting your top pest control companies, reach out to each one and ask questions such as these:
Review potential pest control companies based on their answers to these questions. This will allow you to select a qualified provider to effectively address your pest problem at a reasonable cost.
Many types of pests end up finding their way into DeKalb houses. Some are just harmless, but others can damage your home and your health. All of them can give homeowners anxiety. We reviewed around 10 million online conversations to identify the pests that were causing the most trouble for residents.
Our top picks for the best pest control companies are Terminix and Orkin. They're well known in the industry and help get rid of all common pests.
The best way to prevent a pest infestation is getting a pest control company to come to your home once every two or three months. Regularly spraying your property will stop insects and other wildlife from returning.
For the most part, the chemicals used in pest control are safe. Even so, they need to be handled by a trained exterminator to ensure they’re used properly and safely. After your house has been sprayed, your exterminator will recommend staying away from your home for a certain period of time. This is generally 2 to 4 hours, but can be up to 24 hours.
Whether you should do pest control yourself or hire an exterminator depends on your situation. You’ll want to take into consideration factors like how much the pest control will cost, what chemicals need to be used, and the size of the infestation. Additionally, you may want to also get professional pest control if you're concerned about safety.
In a city like DeKalb, where the cost of living is above average compared to other cities, the cost of pest control may be a concern. How much pest control costs varies depending on several factors, including what kind of pests are infesting your home and how bad the infestation is. A single visit can cost between $300 and $500, while a quarterly treatment plan is generally cheaper — around $100 to $300 a visit.
For apartments and homes, quarterly or bi-monthly pest control treatments are advisable. If you have a more serious infestation, however, you may have to get monthly treatments for a few months until the problem is resolved.
