Western Pest Services

A relatively new species to the area, the spotted lanternfly is also a problem around here. They will fly right into your head and can wreak havoc on local trees and plants. We can deal with them at every stage of life so don't wait with this one.

You should reach out to Western as soon as you see pest activity in your home or business.

Signs of pest activity in homes can be ant trails, paper nests, and spider webs. Droppings are often the first sign of a problem in businesses. Other signs are staining around pipe chases, openings, and tight areas. This shows that pests are moving in and out of these areas frequently.

Ant activity begins in late winter and early spring, due to the moist/mild weather. When the weather changes to being hot and dry, stinging insects like hornets, wasps, and yellow jackets become much more prevalent. Colder months drive the rodents inside structures for nesting materials, shelter, and food.

The residential pests that we experience the most in Essex County are ants and stinging insects. Businesses face a lot of rodents and roach activity in our area.

A good, soft rain can actually activate some of the products we use, making them more effective. If we are spaying, then that may need another application. We monitor the weather to make sure we are using the products according to the directions on the label when it comes to any weather events. No matter what the weather, our techs have been trained to place the spray in sheltered spots where treatment will be done and under edges where the rain may not hit. So, often, we don’t need to return before our next regularly scheduled visit.

It’s difficult to say because it will depend on if there are conditions that are contributing to the problem, the size of the infestation, and what treatment was chosen. The technician can give you an estimate on when you may start seeing results after they have fully inspected and assessed the situation.

Sometimes, yes. We do use products like sticky traps that can be placed while you’re there. And some treatments just require time for the product to dry, so just keeping people and pets away from it until it’s dry is fine. You can still be in the building. The time it takes for a product to dry can vary because of humidity in the air, but about 90 minutes is a good estimate. Our disinfectant treatment is quicker – about 20 minutes. Doing a bed bug treatment, on the other hand, will require you, your family or staff, and your pets to be out of the building until the treatment is done and for a certain time after. No matter what treatment is being done, we ask that you keep people and pets away from the technician while he/she is performing the services. No matter what service you’re having done, the technician will keep you fully apprised of the safest options for you and your family or staff.

Using over-the-counter treatments for pests can oftentimes exacerbate the issue. They can also interfere with the products a professional would use. Off-the-shelf remedies mostly repel pests – all that does is make them spread out to more hospitable areas of your home or business. Think about how hard it is to get rid of bed bugs. If you repel them into other rooms or into even better hiding spots, they will be harder to reach with the correct product and that could create an infestation. Also, we use products that are regulated by the EPA. Many over-the-counter products could cause issues to people and pets. If the product you used didn’t work, you may be tempted to use another. Many products should not be mixed, but how do you know which ones that includes? Nobody should be doing a chemistry experiment in their home or business. In addition, you may not use all of it. Getting rid of a chemical isn’t as easy as throwing it in the garbage, but you don’t want it around where kids can get to it. All of this will only create a longer period of time you’re living with pests and possibly a larger infestation that is increasingly difficult to treat. Not only are our technicians certified to use the products that will actually work, they are trained to use them only where needed and they take the excess product with them.

It’s important that our technicians take their time to treat efficiently and effectively. And just like price, how long a treatment takes is dependent upon several factors. Just some of those factors are: what service is being performed, is there an infestation, how large is the area being treated, are we treating to prevent future pests, and are we treating both outside and inside or just one? For some context, a normal, routine, exterior services takes about 25 minutes (depending on the size of the property) as long as there are no pest issues at the time of service.

The hours can be slightly different depending on the branch you’re calling, but typically we are open from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. EST Monday – Friday and from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. on Saturdays. Also, there is an emergency phone number you can get from the branch answering machine message. A manager is on call for emergency calls that come in outside of normal business hours.

As long as you have purchased a service agreement with Waltham Pest Services, our guarantee is we will treat your pest issue as many times as it takes to resolve it. It’s important to remember that many pest problems can take a few treatments and therefore, some patience is required. We wish we had a magic pest wand, but we don’t. We do, however, have technicians that are highly trained to be as effective as possible every time. The service tech will also give the customer a good time estimate on when they may start seeing results. Our money-back guarantee is also there should a customer be dissatisfied with the service for any reason.

Just like an estimate, the price is dependent upon the kind of pest issue you have, the location of the pests, and the size of both the infestation and the home or business. The best choice from a cost perspective is to purchase a plan that has routine services included throughout the year and also has emergency service visits for any pests covered in the plan at no cost. Those types of issues can certainly surprise you in between the routine visits, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be able to get treatment for them. Having frequent routine visits can catch a problem before it becomes an infestation – saving you the money you would spend on a larger problem. And per-service cost can go down when you plan more frequent visits. Consult your salesperson for a cost estimate and the most cost-effective ways to treat for your current pest issue.

We would much rather inspect your home or facility to see what’s going on so we can come up with a custom plan – and therefore a custom estimate, but for some general pest issues, we can do an over-the-phone quote. For more difficult pests like bed bugs or termites or for large infestations, we will have to inspect the area to be able to give you an accurate price.

Yes! Bonded, insured, and licensed.

The kind of product we use depends on the pest we are treating for. We live by this mantra: the label is the law! We always follow the instructed directions on the product’s manufacturer’s label, which is reviewed and approved by the EPA. Our technicians are also given and use the proper equipment and are trained to treat only where the product will have the most success (targeted treatment). That determination is based on the biology of the pest in question.

Oftentimes, we don’t. We use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) as much as possible. That strategy includes non-chemical in addition to chemical management techniques. We also have green products and lower-risk products such as baits that we use regularly. The point is to assess the situation and create the correct method of treatment (which may or may not include chemicals) to deal with that particular pest issue. Frequently, we use physical, mechanical, and preventative controls in lieu of going right for chemicals. The products we use are only a small part of our pest control strategy. IPM includes thoroughly inspecting, teaching you and your family or staff on how to make the area less hospitable to pests, and installing exclusions to keep the pests out in the first place. Our technicians are trained and certified for the chemicals we use. So, you can rest assured they are using the least amount possible in the safest manner possible to control your pest issue effectively. The technicians will also target the product so they only use it where the treatment will have the most success. It’s the most effective way with the least risk.

That answer is dependent on several different factors. The most important three are is the area’s conditions contributing to the pest issue, just how bad is the infestation, and what’s the biology of the pest. The Waltham Pest Services trained professionals will inspect and create a customized solution to your personal pest problem. Not only will they treat, but they will recommend things you can do to fix any conditions that may be contributing to the issue. We will also educate you, your family or staff, and anyone that is often on the property on what they can do to help keep them out.

Our number one priority has always been and always will be our customers. All of our technicians are trained to properly apply the products we use in accordance with the label directions that are approved by the EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). Technicians are licensed by their state, and we continuously train them throughout the year to make sure they are current on the best techniques for using the products.