My friend Matt recently suggested that I check my house for termites. As a first time homeowner, this is not really something I've ever done or even thought about doing before. He told me termites are easy to check for, especially with newer houses where the foundation goes in at the base, you can usually see little mud tunnels along your wall if there is a presence of termites in your house. So one day I went outside to check and wouldn't you know it...
My friend Xav was actually getting his house in Tucson treated for Tucson at the same time. He got quotes from Orkin and Five Star and apparently those were $1,700 and $900 respectively. Hearing those numbers freaked me out a bit..."uh oh, it's gonna be expensive." :(
My friend Jen didn't really know of anyone, but suggested Truly Nolan based on those notable yellow mouse cars they drive around. They were the first people to inspect my home, but seemed very lackadaisical in their inspection. They said stuff like, "yeah, those have been there for a while" and "here's what we'll do" without ever really doing anything more than just standing and looking at the exterior.
My friend Matt (the one who had me check for termites in the first place; thanks Matt!) suggested Got Bugs since he used them for his house in Tucson, albeit for other types of pest control. The inspection from Got Bugs was great and felt really personal. The guy did a full inspection of my home inside and out. He educated me on all kinds of termite-related things. I was very impressed with the inspection and the explanation of options.
My sister Elsa had also had her house treated for termites. She gave me a couple companies, one that she used and another her friend had tried. The first was Wildcat Exterminating. When Wildcat came out, the inspection was similar to Truly Nolan, but by then I had realized that the treatment is pretty much gonna be the same no matter what company I went with, so it was more a matter of price. The final company was A-Security Pest Control, a very small company that I felt had the most promise since my sister knew the owner, but when they called me they said they had driven by, taken a look at the foundations within the subdivision, and would mail me a proposal treatment. It seemed very quick and obviously not thorough at all.
So overall, here is was each company proposed to me:
Truly Nolan - $494 for treatment, annual warranty renewable for $150 a year
Got Bugs - $484 for treatment, annual warranty renewable for $125 a year
Wildcat Exterminating - $568 for treatment + 2-year warranty, extendable annual warranty renewable for $135 a year
A-Security Pest Control - $400 for treatment, annual warranty renewable for $165 a year
In the end, I decided to go with Wildcat Exterminating. I chose them mostly due to price (I get a 2-year warranty right off the bat for $100). It was really between them and Got Bugs since both treatments were identical. I hope the termites get exterminated and will be gone for good!
Landscaping! :)
So part of the Got Bugs inspection pointed out how the collection of weeds and tree debris can attract pests. As you know, the battle between me and my yard is never-ending due to the slope next to the west side of my house bringing in lots of water for weeds and the two large mesquite trees in the back that shed tons of leaves and pods. Cleaning the yard is a long and exhausting chore because of how bad it gets in my yard, that I finally decided to inquire about landscaping services that can clean my yard for me. My friend Jonathan found a very small landscaping company that is run by a Hispanic family. The father doesn't even speak great English, but the quality of work you get in return is as good as anyone's and you just can't beat their price.
For $275 they took out all the weeds around my house, cut out a few dead shrubs and large desert bushes in my front yard, and then raked and cleaned all the leaves and pods in the back. He told me I am not paying for hours, but for the work. They worked for 3 hours today and another 2 hours today and after all is said and done, the yard looks great! Wahoo!
South Side of Home with Slope:
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| Before |
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| After |
Backyard with 2 Mesquite Trees:
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| After |
