Gill’s Owner Brian Gill; Operations Manager Serge Bibeau
With the winter months approaching, you might start to notice a lot more insects and pests popping up inside your home. What’s causing this sudden influx of insects and what should you do to keep your home pest-free?
For answers, we went straight to the expert, Serge Bibeau, operations manager for Gill’s Pest Solutions. Bibeau, a licensed structural pest control and wood destroying insect specialist, has worked on residential and commercial properties for more than 30 years.
Here is what he told us to look for as winter approaches and how to keep your home pest-free all year round.
Q&A
Are the fall and winter months a time for the public to think about pest problems?
Absolutely! There are many insects and rodents that seek shelter indoors during the cooler months such as spiders, silverfish, stink bugs and mice. One of the things that we try to make sure to communicate to the public is that even though it’s cold outside, pest problems don’t end. By creating a protective barrier, customers’ homes will be protected during the winter months as well as being prepared for the spring influx of pests. Termites are 24 hours a day, 365 days a year; they are continuously feeding on wood year-round.
So what should a homeowner look for to determine if they have a pest problem?
There’s no such thing as a home that is 100 percent pest-free. You’re going to get insects inside of a house no matter how well sealed up it may be. As a homeowner, you’re going to be tipped off as far as sightings of insects, droppings and pest damage. Termites remain unseen and definitely require professional inspection to detect their presence in the home.
How should a new customer approach their first experience with pest control?
Since your home is your largest investment, you need to call a licensed professional that you can trust. Homeowners must make sure that the person they are hiring is licensed through the state of New Jersey and fully insured. At Gill’s, we perform a thorough visual inspection of your property at no charge. Once the inspection is completed, we can determine exactly what needs to be done to the property and then review this information with the homeowners. No pest control products will be applied until we have let the customer know exactly what we are recommending.
Is there a product or service that you suggest?
Our most popular service is our annual pest control program. On a quarterly basis, we will come out and inspect the property, do a preventive application and also treat any pest problems that are visually apparent. We also offer termite treatment services which consist of treatment and renewable annual warranties.
What if a homeowner is weary of pesticides or sprays?
In some cases we don’t need to use chemicals at all; we have a lot of natural and organic products. There are a lot of situations where we can use bait traps instead of sprays, or we can use natural products found in the environment to treat pest problems.
When is the best time to begin pest control treatment?
If there’s a problem, then there’s no wrong time to start. As a general rule of thumb, I suggest that the best defense against pests is to prepare and protect your home now, before insects attack. After all, the best defense is a good offense and being proactive now will help you in the coming months.
Gill’s Pest Solutions is located at 240 Commissioners Pike in Mullica Hill. For more information, call (856) 223-9770 or visit GillsLandscaping.com.
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Family Magazine, Volume 4, Issue 8 (October, 2013).
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