How much to kill my bed bugs in Toronto? Who should I hire?
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| How much to kill my bed bugs? |
Much like buying a car, the answer depends on what you get for your money. A recent survey suggests that if you are trying to hire a bed bug exterminator in Toronto you should do your homework. Bed bug extermination costs in Toronto vary according to a number of factors. If you are calling a large company that employs numerous people (secretaries, office staff etc.) you are undoubtedly paying a premium for the extra overhead that they in-turn pass along to you, the consumer.
A person dealing with bed bugs in Toronto should understand that the Federal Government of Canada has only approved a very limited number of pesticides that can be used by ANY company for bed bugs. It doesn't matter how large or small the company is - they can only use those limited products!
So, with that in mind - it would makes sense to hire a smaller, less overhead-burdened company to handle your bed bug problem. But, that's not the whole story.
Procedure is everything!...Read on...
Larger companies, or companies that 'specialize' in bed bug removal in Toronto have certain protocols and procedures in place to ensure that a proper bed bug extermination is completed. In addition, these companies usually have 'policy and procedures' that also ensure your safety. In other words, what you can expect get with a larger company or one that specializes in bed bugs is an organized structure that internally governs how they do the job. In other words, they have checks and balances to ensure quality.
That's not to say that smaller companies don't get it right - simply that your chances of having a thorough job done by a larger or specialized company are better - Much better!
With the mass media coverage of the bed bug problem in Toronto hitting record levels in the past six months, there have been numerous companies - one man start ups - that have hit the market. Be careful not to jump at the lowest price.
Here are some tips to help you choose what type of company you should be looking for - Ask them about the following:
Credentials: Make sure that the company is licensed by the Ministry of the Environment of Ontario
Guarantee: Make sure that the company offers a service guarantee
Accredited: It is always best to deal with a company that is accredited by the Better Business Bureau
Specialization: Find a company that has a proven track record of exterminating bed bugs.
To get rid of bed bugs in Toronto, the pricing structure should be based around what type of home it is. For example, a 5 bedroom house will surely cost more than a bachelor apartment... but how much more?
Bed bug extermination pricing in Toronto, if graphed over the last year, would look like a roller coaster. One year ago the average price for a 4 bedroom home was almost $2000. Today, the average price should be somewhere around $800. Now, as we discussed, not all bed bug treatments are alike!
Your exterminator should include at least two treatments for whatever price they quote to you. This has to do with 'breaking the life-cycle' of the infestation. It is rare indeed for a bed bug problem to be adequately dealt with in only one service!
Make absolutely sure that the company you go with will never leave you hanging. Meaning, make sure they offer a written service guarantee - no company can guarantee that you're bed bugs will be gone in a certain length of time - no company can do that! Bed bugs are simply too unpredictable an insect for that to be genuine. What you should look for is a company that will guarantee that they will come back if you need them to and utilize different methods of extermination specific to your particular situation. This is referred to as IPM or Integrated Pest Management.
Beware of the guy that tells you that "one treatment should do it" or "...you don't need a written guarantee - I'll come back, trust me..." If you hear comments similar to this - move on!
At the very least, make sure the company you hire is BBB accredited! The Better Business Bureau hold companies to the highest ethical and moral business practices standards. The vetting process is intense and regular checks are done by the BBB on their accredited companies to ensure that those standards are constantly being met. Any bed bug exterminator you hire should be accredited by the BBB!
Pricing: Our latest research shows a sampling as follows:
4 Bedroom house, full treatment including steam as necessary:
Orkin $1,600 http://www.orkincanada.ca/
Toronto Exterminator.ca $799 http://www.torontoexterminator.ca/
Bed bug detection dogs Toronto
In addition, often times it may be important to have a proper bed bug inspection performed in your home or business - hotel - apartment etc. There are a number of bed bug dog detection companies that offer bed bug detection / inspection services using specially trained bed bug dogs in Toronto. It's a great idea that is proving very effective in detecting bed bugs. A bed bug dog can find even one bed bug or egg in a room, quickly and effectively. If you're not sure that you have bed bugs, best to call in the dogs. The price should not cost more than around $400 for a multi-bedroom house, seems expensive but it's well worth it! In any event, if you are considering hiring a bed bug dog in Toronto make sure they are NESDCA certified - this is the highest certification that can be obtained by a bed bug dog detection team.
To summarize, you should go with a company that specializes in bed bugs extermination. They should be willing to spend some time with you on the phone and in person discussing your bed bug problem when they arrive. They should utilize IPM or Integrated Pest Management (different methods) to solve your bed bug problem. Appropriate pesticide application, steaming, dusting and vacuuming should do the trick.
I live in Toronto and I have bed bugs!!!
ReplyDeleteStill looking for an exterminator to come in. I live in a two bedroom apartment in the Scarborough area. One company quoted me $845! I can't afford that! One guy quoted $199 but said he's only going to come one time - my understanding is that two visits should be made! Not sure what to do.
$845 for a bed bug extermination is rediculous! The $199 guy doesn't know what he's talking about! One spray is almost never enough. He'll take your cash and run - Definately DO NOT go with the low guy. Read the post above! it's good advice. A 2 bedroom should be around $445 or so and make sure they have some sort of guarantee if it takes more than those two!!! I used royal forest pest control for my problem about a year ago - it took the two that they offer that time to get rid of them.
ReplyDeleteI actually got them again last month - pretty sure from a trip to Mexico. Royal forest guarantees that they'll come back for 69 bucks if you need them to and I did. I never have to pay hundreds again. That guarantee alone is worth going with them!!!!!!! Can't stress that enough!!!!! Here, I'll make it easy for you:
http://www.royalpest.ca
Very thorough and concise information here, well appreciated and keep up the great work!
ReplyDeleteThe going rate for good service is around $500 for a one bedroom apt. up to $800 for a 3-4 bedroom house.
ReplyDeleteI just had my first treatment by Royal Forest Pest Control, I live in Mississauga. Very pleased. They were on time and the fellow they sent was extremely patient with me (I had alot of questions). I let my bed bug problem get out of hand and there were lots of them!!! The fellow they sent said I've probably had them for over 6 months. Shouldn't have waited that long to call someone in.
ReplyDeleteWe waited too long before calling too and it was worse than it should have been. We were getting bites for almost a month before we called. We also used royal forest pest control. Our bed bug treatment took longer than I thought it would because they don't spray kid's stuff and there were some bed bugs hiding in my daughters crib so the guy steamed it rather than treat it normally and it took some time to do that which was ok with me. It worked. I went over that thing with a flashlight and magnifying glass when I got home and it was good. No bites now for almost two weeks but the follow up visit is happening soon, I think the bugs are gone because the bites have stopped and we can't see any anymore. Once we know they're gone we're going to completely clean our place and put this behind us.
DeleteThat's the problem we had too... we didn't know we had them because we didn't react the bed bug bites! Saw one crawling (we didn't know it was a 'bed bug' at the time though) on our bed one night and used Google to see pics of the what turned out to be bed bugs. Creeped us right out when we knew what they were but we called a bed bug removal company to come in and take care of it.
DeleteWe had no idea that there was such a big bed bug problem in Toronto - who would have thought? I think that people just don't think of it until it effects them, until then it's someone else's problem.
Heat is the way to go! We had our entire house heat treated for bed bugs. They were in my son's room mostly. The heat worked great! We used Greentech and were very happy with them. It was more expensive but it was worth every penny!
ReplyDelete