Pricing is based on a standard residential structure up to 2500 square feet or less. Please keep in mind we may have to adjust the price on site, however, any changes from the quoted cost will be confirmed with you before any treatment takes place.

If you have any questions or concerns about our treatment products or methods, please discuss them with your technician onsite and they will address your needs.

Payment is due at the time of the initial service. To reserve a place on our schedule, we do require a credit card be stored on file for all new clients, but you are welcome to use another form of payment at the time of service. Due to the complexity of our scheduling, we enforce a late cancellation/reschedule policy.  A $50 late cancellation fee will be applied if this initial service/inspection is cancelled with less than 1 business day (24 hours) notice. We understand that plans change and emergencies arise.  Please inform us as soon as possible so we can avoid this altogether.  Late cancellation charges will be billed to the credit card stored on file.

All new accounts are set up to receive invoices and service records by email.  Most of our clients prefer to set up automatic credit card payments for recurring prevention services, which keeps everything running smoothly and hassle-free.  

Every service performed by Rambo Total Pest Control will start with the technician arriving at your front door to discuss the problems you are experiencing, and to explain their next steps in finding your solution.

In order to resolve insect infestations, specific products and treatment methods must be utilized to impact your primary concerns. During your first service, our treatments will target your most problematic pests first. Our treatments will likely impact the wide variety of pests around your property, but we want to knock out your biggest problem first.

Next, the technician will perform an assessment of the home to determine what needs to be done in order to address your specific concerns.

During this assessment the technician will determine what the safest and most effective materials they should use based on the pest we are targeting, the areas to be applied to, the environment around your property, and the current weather conditions.

Before we initiate any work, the technician will discuss their findings with you. They will let you know if there are any conducive conditions around your property that are potentially contributing to the problems you are experiencing, or that can lead to problems down the road. They will review their treatment strategy and the service agreement with you as well.

The technician will start by brushing webs from entire perimeter – with a heavy focus on the eaves, exterior lighting, doors/windows, etc. They will treat interior and/or exterior of structure for control and prevention of insects and arthropods.  This may include ants (all types), spiders, roaches, wasps, yellowjackets, earwigs, silverfish, and other occasional invaders. Standard exterior prevention includes foundation areas, around doors/windows, exterior lighting, and other problem areas within five feet of the structure.

Once the service is complete, the technician will check out with you. They will review all work completed, answer any remaining questions you might have, and reaffirm what you can expect moving forward. At this time, they will also let you know if a follow up treatment will be needed.

Please feel free to ask your technician about anything you are concerned with, or would like more information on. We see our time together as an opportunity to empower you with knowledge, as the more you know, the better we can work together to resolve your problems.

Initial price starts at $349. Initial 12-month service agreements include a discount of $150 from the Initial service charge. This discount is only available at the time of the initial service. Quarterly price starts at $125/quarterly treatment.  If Monthly Servicing is determined to be necessary due to infestation severity or substantial conducive conditions, the monthly service price starts at $75.

Every service performed by Rambo Total Pest Control will start with the technician arriving at your front door to discuss the problems you are experiencing, and to explain their next steps in finding your solution.

In order to resolve rodent infestations, successful exclusion of the home is necessary. Exclusion is the process of sealing off existing rodent entry points into the crawlspace, attic, garage, or exterior siding. Exclusion cannot be performed from the interior living spaces. We must stop the rodents at the exterior walls where building materials like concrete, stucco, and siding are not easily gnawed through. Our standard package includes up to 30 minutes of exclusion work.

Next, the technician will perform an assessment of the home to determine what needs to be done in order to exclude (lock out) rodents from your home, and what strategy is needed for a successful trapping program. Rodent snap traps are usually placed in discreet out of the way areas like the crawlspace to ensure only rodents are exposed to them. This assessment will focus on areas you have identified as a concern as well as areas we have come to know as problematic for rats and mice. This may include areas such as the exterior perimeter, crawlspace, attic, and garage.

Before we initiate any work, the technician will discuss their findings with you. They will let you know if there is any necessary work that falls outside the standard approach, and if there are any conducive conditions around your property that are potentially contributing to the problems you are experiencing. They will review their trapping and exclusion strategy with you as well as what to expect from the rodents after the service is completed. They will also review the service agreement with you and make sure everyone is on the same page before getting started.

Rodents are some of the most adaptable animals on the planet. They will attempt to adapt to everything we do to get them out of your home. We have a standard approach to resolving these infestations, but every rodent infestation is unique, and we will need to adapt our services to resolve your infestation. We will return 5-10 days for a follow up appointment to make sure our exclusion is holding strong and to service our traps and bait stations.

Once the service is complete, the technician will check out with you. They will review all work completed, answer any remaining questions you might have, and reaffirm what you can expect moving forward.

Please feel free to ask your technician about anything you are concerned with, or would like more information on. We see our time together as an opportunity to empower you with knowledge, as the more you know, the better we can work together to resolve your problems.

Initial price starts at $449. Initial 12-month service agreements include a discount of $150 from the Initial service charge.  This discount is only available at the time of the initial service. Due to the many variables involved, we begin all rodent control services on a Monthly schedule and stretch the frequency to Quarterly once initial control is obtained.  Monthly pricing starts at $75 and Quarterly price starts at $125/quarterly treatment.

Every service performed by Rambo Total Pest Control will start with the technician arriving at your front door to discuss the problems you are experiencing, and to explain their next steps in finding your solution.

During your first service, our service will target your most problematic pests first. This package addresses both rodent and insect concerns. We will do our best to address as many of your concerns as possible, but it may require several visits to start to gain control of multiple issues. Please let your technician know what your priorities are.

In order to resolve insect infestations, specific products and treatment methods must be utilized to impact your primary concerns. During your first service, our treatments will target your most problematic pests first. Our treatments will likely impact the wide variety of pests around your structure, but we want to knock out your biggest problem first.

In order to resolve rodent infestations, successful exclusion of the home is necessary. Exclusion is the process of sealing off existing rodent entry points into the crawlspace, attic, garage, or exterior siding. Exclusion cannot be performed from the interior living spaces. We must stop the rodents at the exterior walls where building materials like concrete, stucco, and siding are not easily gnawed through. Our standard package includes up to 30 minutes of exclusion work. 

Next, the technician will perform an assessment of the home to determine what needs to be done in order to exclude (lock out) rodents from your home, what strategy is needed for a successful trapping program, and we will determine what the safest and most effective materials we should use based on the pest we are targeting. Rodent snap traps are usually placed in discreet out of the way areas like the crawlspace to ensure only rodents are exposed to them. This assessment will focus on areas you have identified as a concern as well as areas we have come to know as problematic for rats and mice. This may include areas such as the exterior perimeter, crawlspace, attic, and garage.

Before we initiate any work, the technician will discuss their findings with you. They will let you know if there is any necessary work that falls outside the standard approach, and if there are any conducive conditions around your property that are potentially contributing to the problems you are experiencing. They will review their treatment, trapping, and exclusion strategy with you as well as what to expect from the pests after the service is completed. They will also review the service agreement with you and make sure everyone is on the same page before getting started.

The technician will start their insect treatment by brushing webs from entire perimeter – with a heavy focus on the eaves, exterior lighting, doors/windows, etc. They will treat interior and/or exterior of structure for control and prevention of insects and arthropods.  This may include ants (all types), spiders, roaches, wasps, yellowjackets, earwigs, silverfish, and other occasional invaders. Standard exterior prevention includes foundation areas, around doors/windows, exterior lighting, and other problem areas within five feet of the structure.

Rodents are some of the most adaptable animals on the planet. They will attempt to adapt to everything we do to get them out of your home. We have a standard approach to resolving these infestations, but every rodent infestation is unique, and we will need to adapt our services to resolve your infestation. We will return 5-10 days for a follow up appointment to make sure our exclusion is holding strong and to service our traps and bait stations.

Once the service is complete, the technician will check out with you. They will review all work completed, answer any remaining questions you might have, and reaffirm what you can expect moving forward.

Please feel free to ask your technician about anything you are concerned with, or would like more information on. We see our time together as an opportunity to empower you with knowledge, as the more you know, the better we can work together to resolve your problems.

Initial price starts at $649. Initial 12-month service agreements include a discount of $150 from the Initial service charge. This discount is only available at the time of the initial service. Due to the many variables involved, we begin all rodent control services on a Monthly schedule and stretch the frequency to Quarterly once initial control is obtained.  Monthly pricing starts at $95 and Quarterly price starts at $145/quarterly treatment. 

Your technician will perform a targeted inspection for carpenter ant activity, nesting signs, and conducive conditions. Your pest technician will apply a perimeter treatment around the foundation, a wall void application in the area of the nest, and/or other treatment procedures as needed.  It is not uncommon for our clients to experience an increase in activity for a short while after the initial ant control service.  This is due to the colony reacting to the successful treatment strategies.  The materials we use to target ants are slow acting by design. You may continue to see Ant activity for 2 to 3 weeks in some circumstances.

Some structures may require additional services/charges to gain control.  This could be due to conducive conditions, construction style, nest locations, or other factors.

Moisture ants thrive in rotting wood, so if you have a moisture ant problem, you are most likely to also have a moisture problem. Your technician will perform a full assessment of the site to identify pest activity.  At this time your technician will also likely be able to point out any moisture issues so you can correct them.  After the inspection we do a perimeter treatment around the foundation of the home, and possibly drill and treat in the wall void in the location of the nest if needed.

(This is a lot of critical information. Please read)

Odorous House Ants can be difficult to control even for professionals. Although they are small, they are chemically sensitive with multiple queens to a nest.  This gives their colonies the ability to branch out and start nests in other areas if the colony feels threatened. It is highly discouraged to use any over-the-counter or DIY control methods on these pests. We use “non-repelling” methods which these ants cannot detect so the foragers transfer our products to the entire colony. The materials we use are slow acting and transferable by design. This allows the material sufficient time to spread throughout the colony before it starts to eliminate it. Typically, interior treatments consist of bait placements only, so there is no need to vacate your home during or after these services. The exterior perimeter/foundation area is treated with a liquid material, and we ask that all people and pets remain away from the treated area outside until the product has dried.

The combined gel baiting and spray treatment usually has a strong impact on their population within a few days, but we ask that you allow two weeks for the full effect of our treatment to take place.

Homes experiencing heavy levels of activity may require additional actions to resolve the problem in a timely manner. Your technician will determine the best follow-up plan to address your specific infestation. They may plan to call you a couple of weeks after the initial service to see how you are doing. They may also schedule a no charge follow-up service. If you still have activity after two weeks, and you have not heard from us, please feel free to call our office for assistance at 253-848-6000. There will be no charge if additional services are needed within your warranty period.

Severe infestations or homes with considerable conducive conditions may require monthly servicing to gain control. If this is a concern in your case, the technician will discuss it with you before initiating services at your home.

Due to the unique nature of Odorous House Ants, we feel that it is important for us to explain some of the challenges associated with their control.  Odorous House Ants are very sensitive to chemicals that are sprayed for their control so it is vital that no over-the-counter products are used.  This will interfere with, and possibly negate entirely, all of our control efforts.  If the ants are congregating in an area where they cannot be tolerated, we ask that the only control tactic you employ is to wipe them up with a damp paper towel and throw it in the trash.  Otherwise, we simply ask for you to exercise patience and allow for our treatments to take effect.

It is also important to discuss conducive conditions.  If there are competing food sources near our bait placements the ants will be less likely to consume our bait.  Please keep your kitchen and other areas clean and free of other food sources.  In order for the exterior perimeter application to be effective, we do encourage our customers to keep debris away from the perimeter and plants, trees and bushes to be trimmed at least two feet away from the structure.  This will force any ants that are coming and going from your structure to travel through our treatment zone.

In short, please do the following:

• Do keep the area clean of other food sources
• Do keep the exterior perimeter clean and free of stored debris
• Do keep trees, bushes and plants pruned away from the structure
• Do expect to see an increase in activity for the first week or two.  Due to the nature of

the strategy we are employing, we need the ants to bring these products back to the nest and distribute that material for the 90% of the ants that never leave the nest site.

• Do not spray, bait or do any chemical control outside of our service plan
• Do not disturb the ants from crossing our treated barriers
• Do not disturb the foraging ants from feeding on our bait placements

Pavement ants are a different species of ant that are found underneath and beside sidewalks, patios, and driveways. Because they live near homes, pavement ants sometimes make their way inside looking for food sources such as sweets, proteins, and dead insects. While cracks in foundations, basement floors and walls, plus concrete slabs may let them indoors initially, the crumbs, trash, and open food containers they find encourage them to return and become a pest problem. Pavement ants also like to feed on leftover pet food either inside or outside the home. Our treatment is focused around the paved areas cracks and crevices as well as the perimeter base of the foundation.

Thatching ants are large ants that build large debris pile nests made up foliage. Our thatching ant service may involve us to digging up the ant mound to treat the underground sections, then refill and retreat the dug-out area in order to eliminate the population. Other treatments may involve a topical and perimeter application around the mound with a transferable product that the ants will come into contact with and carry deeper into the nest. This service can be very labor intensive and time consuming when there are several nests. The size and number of nests needing to be treated can affect the cost of the service. The technician will inspect the areas of concern and provide you an additional bid, if necessary, before starting the service. Please keep in mind that we can only treat mounds that are on your property. If the mounds are offsite, a fence line treatment will help repel the ants from your property.

German Cockroach infestations are warrantied as preventative under our Insect Total Package and Rambo Total Pest Package. Established infestations will require a Cockroach Initial Service. Please see our Cockroach Services for a service description and pricing.

Roaches come in many forms. Most people in the Pacific Northwest will encounter German Cockroaches inside their kitchens, bathrooms, and common areas. These roaches are especially difficult to eliminate from a structure once they have established themselves. Recent studies have also shown that they are becoming more resistant to many insecticides making them even more problematic. Our approach is designed to eliminate infestations by using the roach’s own biology against them. Roches have some disgusting habits. They have cannibalistic tendencies and will eat their own dead. They are also Coprophagous, which means they will also eat their own feces. In fact, roaches begin their lives primarily eating the feces of the other roaches. These two distasteful habits make the bait products we use especially effective. Once the roaches eat the bait, it turns their feces toxic, and when the bait kills the roach, it turns the remains toxic. This repetitive continuous process goes on for dozens of cycles from a single feeding of bait.  We will also use mechanical trapping, growth regulators to prevent breeding, and material applications. This multifaceted approach has proven to be far more effective and safer than the spray everything approaches our industry has relied on for decades. Here are some things you can do to help us resolve this infestation as fast as possible.

• Keep food and food debris inaccessible to the roaches by cleaning regularly
• Take your trash out nightly
• Clean dirty dishes nightly
• Avoid clutter
• Clean hard to reach areas like under the stove
• Clean appliances like your fridge and stove
• Please attempt to leave our traps and baits where they are placed
• Please do not throw away traps or baits even if they look full or depleted
• Please follow the recommendations provided by your technician
• Please report activity levels to your technician

With our combined efforts we will have this problem resolved very quickly.

German Roaches are notorious throughout the pest control industry as being one of the most difficult pests to control. Recent field studies have shown that over the decades German Roaches have been becoming more resistant to insecticides. The old days of cleaning out all of your cabinets so that everything can be sprayed are no longer a suitable approach to controlling German Roach populations.

Our German Roach Control Service is a scientific approach with the objective of minimizing preparation work needed by our customers, immediate reduction in the infesting population, minimizing our customer’s exposure to insecticides, while providing lasting results.

The Initial German Roach Control Service is comprised of three separate appointments, about 14 days apart from each other. We do not provide additional treatments outside of this prescribed schedule.  You will likely still see some activity during this process.  Please do not use any over the counter or “natural” remedies, as they can interfere with our treatment process and extend the time before control is gained.  After these first three initial appointments we will proceed into a month-to-month prevention plan which can be cancelled at any time.  We will need to coordinate for interior access each service.

The first appointment is our initial inspection of the property to determine the magnitude of the infestation, and advise you as to a realistic timetable for resolution. We utilize a new method of baiting using two different baits that have proven to be unaffected by Roach insecticide resistance, and we will install special monitors which are designed with Cockroach biology and mannerisms in mind.  The first appointment requires no preparation by the customer and should take no more than 1hr.

The second appointment will follow about 2 weeks after the first. During this service, we will replace monitoring/trapping devices, and introduce a third bait material to help prevent resistance or aversion from developing. We will document the number of trapped Roaches and the amount of consumed bait. This is our best way to determine the true level of infestation and which areas contain heavier activity. This will also serve as an accurate measure of the Roach population reduction over time and help us determine the course of action during the third appointment. There is no needed preparation to be performed by the customer. This service will take no more than 1 hr.

The third appointment will follow about 2 weeks after the second appointment.  At this time, we will again assess and document population levels, replace monitors as needed, and continue our bait rotation in areas still showing activity.  At this time, we should have a clear understanding of any existing populations and can develop a clear plan for you moving forward, potentially introducing alternative treatment methods to reach any remaining population more directly.

Recommendations for reducing Cockroach infestations:

1. Keep all food items cleaned up and packaged in airtight containers.
2. Clean up any spills quickly.
3. Wash dishes and clean up cooking materials immediately after the meal is over.
4. Minimize clutter and densely packed storage areas.
5. Rotate stored food products. First in, first out, etc. Throw away any dry goods showing signs of insect activity.
6. Expect activity to continue for 2-4 weeks. There might be an increase in activity directly following our treatments.
7. Leave our insect monitors in place and call to report if activity is persisting.

If you do not opt to continue with the recommended monthly or quarterly services after the initial treatment, you will be covered for 30 days, although we do ask that you allow at least two weeks for our treatments to take effect. Recurring services are encouraged for optimal control.

Our rodent control program is designed to eliminate any current infestation in your home as well as to prevent any future rodent populations from entering the structure. Please see the Rodents Total Package Service Description for details to this service.

Rodents are among the most resourceful and adaptive animals on the planet. So much so that mankind has brought them with us everywhere we have gone, and why Rambo Total Pest Control singles them out as a separate part of pest control.

Rodent behaviors are similar but will vary from rodent to rodent. They learn, remember, and adapt to every situation.

Some of the common traits among rodents are:

• They are neophobic (cautious/scared of new things in their environment). This may cause them to, at first, avoid traps, bait stations, and other control methods.
• They are habitual. This will cause them to travel along the same paths, hide in the same areas, search for food in the same places, and stick to foods and water sources they have determined to be safe/reliable.
• They are drawn to warmth. Rodents lose a lot of their body heat through their tales. This makes our homes, outbuilding, decks, and vehicles constant targets of rodent probing.
• They are a community issue (every community). Even when we solve your rodent issue, there will still be rodent populations around your home, and your home will be subject to probing activity year-round. Areas with fresh water sources, available food sources, and safe harborage like buildings or dense foliage will always increase rodent populations and activity.

What you can do to keep rodents away:

• Keep the areas around and adjacent to your home free of clutter and dense foliage. Rodents want cover when they travel, and nest. Keeping bushes and plants thinned out, trimmed off of the ground, and off the structure will make your yard and home less appealing.
• Keep trees and bushes from contacting or overhanging the roofline. Many construction styles of roofs are designed with ventilation in mind, not rodents. Even the newest styles of roof are built with potential rodent entry points. The more you do to keep your roof inaccessible to rodents, the better.
• Keep fresh water sources and food sources around your home limited. Keep bird feeders, fruit bearing trees, and vegetable plants away from your home. Pick up after fruit or seed has fallen onto the ground, and harvest your vegetables as soon as possible.
• Be aware. Feeding birds and animals outdoors on your property will also feed and attract rodents.

How you can help us:

• Following your technicians’ recommendations is critical for us to gain and maintain control of your property.
• Please leave our traps in place and keep notes on any sightings or sounds you may hear so we can address those issues when we return.
• Please help limit conducive conditions around your home. This includes reducing alternative food sources, trimming foliage away from the home, and keeping tree limbs at least 4 feet away from the roofline.
• Limit any storage against the home and reduce clutter and dense foliage around the yard.

With our combined efforts we will have this problem resolved very quickly.

Some structures require that a new crawlspace access door and frame be built in order to successfully keep rodents out of a structure.  The standard cost to include a new treated lumber/cedar frame and ¾” plywood door, secured with bolt latches, is $349. Some crawlspace access doors require additional attention so these prices are subject to change once we perform our site assessment.  Your technician can easily provide you with pictures of our crawl door design, which is adaptable to be custom-built for almost any crawlspace entry area. Please note that these custom-built doors are not painted and the plywood door is not sealed. If the crawlspace door is exposed to the elements, it is highly recommended that you seal and/or paint it.

Many cities throughout Washington are now requiring specific guidelines establishing rodent abatement services before any construction demolition. Our Pre-Demolition Rodent Abatement Service satisfies those guidelines and will provide you with the certificate necessary to commence with demolition. Your assistance is necessary to satisfy these requirements.

The Pre-Demolition Rodent Abatement Service includes the initial assessment and installation of exterior grade tamper-resistant rodent bait stations.  Due to the unpredictable timeline for permits and other factors, RTPC will continue to service the bait stations on roughly 30-day intervals until either cancelled by the Contractor Company, or until RTPC personnel arrive on site and determine the demolition has commenced, whichever comes first. At the time of cancelation RTPC can provide a Rat Abatement Certification or other similar documentation, as requested by Contractor.

The Initial service price is $229 and the Monthly service price is $74. 

This price structure will include up to 4 bait stations on site.  Additional stations, if deemed necessary, will result in an additional $25 per installed station. Any extra services will be chargeable at the Monthly service price as mentioned above. Payment for initial service is due at the time of scheduling. A credit card will be securely stored on file and set up for automatic processing of payments for any monthly servicing. There will be no charge for the Bait Station Pickup/final service once cancellation notice has been received.

• The Rodent Abatement Program will begin no less than 15 days before the planned date of demolition, clearing, or grading activity.
• A site assessment will be performed to determine areas of potential rodent activity, potential nesting/harborage locations, and safety/environmental concerns.
• During the initial site assessment, every structure on the serviced property will receive at least one exterior bait station.
• Rodent bait stations will be removed from site at the end of the abatement period.
• Upon the final service to retrieve the rodent bait stations, any missing or damaged stations will be billed at $20 per rodent bait station.

Our standard Spider control service consists of brushing webs (within reach of our extension pole) from the exterior eaves, porch, light fixtures, and other spider harborages identified on the exterior of the structure, then treating those same areas as well as the foundation/perimeter with a residual insecticide. This brushing technique causes the spiders to leave their harborages in order to increase their exposure to our treatment. We also include with our initial service a localized application, or other control measures, inside the structure to combat any interior populations that may already be in place.

To fully prepare for the treatment ahead of time, please:

• Rake away leaves, prune back foliage, and remove any stacked items encroaching on the structure. We recommend that you keep at least a 1-2 foot area cleared around the perimeter of the foundation at all times.
• Keep pets away from treated areas until product has been allowed to dry (typically at least two hours).

Interior (if necessary):

• Interior treatments can vary from one situation to another.  Your technician can make an assessment on the best course of action.  Sometimes glue traps are utilized and sometimes we may want to use a liquid insecticide to treat harborages or cracks & crevices.  Please help our process by preparing the following action items:
  • Remove stored items, clothing, toys, or miscellaneous items off of the floors.
  • Pull furniture away from the wall in any areas you suspect to be spider/insect harborages, where practical. You can also direct your technician to any areas of concern while he or she is on-site.
  • If we are providing an interior spray treatment, make sure to vacate all people and pets from the treated areas for at least 2 hours during and after the service. Please be ready to vacate upon your technician’s arrival. Your technician will call when they are done so you can start the clock on your 2 hour vacate period. The treated area must be dry before reentry, so we ask that you do not re-enter the treated area(s) until at least 2 hours after the treatment has been completed.

***If you are going to pressure wash, deep-clean, shampoo carpets, etc. please do so prior to the scheduled treatment date. ***

Due to the solitary and stationary nature of spiders, they can take some time and effort to control. We do not guarantee 100% reduction in spiders, but this program will significantly decrease spider populations. Recurring services are recommended in order to have a lasting impact on their population.

PLEASE NOTE:

Obtaining satisfactory levels of spider control is extremely difficult with a single service. Spider control is obtained through regular consistent de-webbing of the home and multiple treatments over a period of time. A single service will reduce activity, but the level of control most people will expect comes with time and consistent treatments.

Please also note that if you are experiencing an ant infestation as well as heavy spider activity, we will need to fully address the ant infestation before targeting the spiders directly. Aspects of the services we provide for the ants will impact spider activity, but not to the level of control most people would hope for. The materials most effective for spider activity reduction are especially disruptive to the ant treatment process and can make ant infestations significantly worse while also increasing the amount of time it will take to eliminate the ant problem.

Our stinging insect (wasps, hornets, and/or yellowjackets) service includes treatment of any nests attached to your home or nests adjacent to your home (within 5 feet). If there are additional nests out in the yard, there may be additional charges associated with those services. Any nest that can be removed from the home will be removed to the best of our ability. Some parts of the nest may only be removed through scraping that can damage the siding and/or paint. We will not remove these parts of the nest to prevent damaging your home.

PLEASE NOTE:

Stinging insects will be foraging for building supplies and food during the spring and summer months. Flying activity may be experienced a considerable distance away from their nesting location (up to a quarter mile away). You may experience this kind of activity even when the nest is not on your property. This foraging behavior will cause stinging insects to hover around your eaves, plants, and your lawn. The materials we use on your home will help reduce new nests from being built, but it will not stop these foraging behaviors. If there is no nest to treat, we are unable to stop flying and foraging activity on and around your property.

Stored Product Pests (A.K.A Pantry Pests) are usually the result of an infested food that has been brought into your home from the store. They are very common in all sorts of dry pet foods and dry goods such as spices, cereals, grains, flours, pasta, candy, and more. The factory seal of your stored food may appear to be intact, but a closer inspection of all stored food will be necessary to find the infested product. Sometimes, the only indication of an infested sealed container is a hole the size of a pencil tip. Until that infested product is found and removed, the infestation will persist. Our treatment is only intended to help prevent secondary infestations and reduce live activity.

For our Pantry Pest treatment, all stored food products and utensils etc. will need to be removed from infested areas before service takes place. They can either be moved to another room or placed inside the refrigerator. Our technician will work with you to thoroughly inspect stored food areas and encourage you to discard any remaining containers that show any signs of insect activity. We will then treat food storage areas including shelves, walls, cupboards, etc. The crack and crevice treatment will extend as far as the insect activity signs do throughout other areas of the structure. A vacate of 2-3 hours for all people and pets is required during and after the service. Insect monitors or pheromone traps may also be used to help with continuing control as needed. We may need to enter the attic and/or crawlspace as part of this service, please make sure any items blocking access to these spaces are moved prior to our arrival.

Prior to our arrival:

1. If treatment is to take place in the cupboard/cabinet areas be sure to remove all food, dishes and other items from kitchen and pantry cupboards and place them inside refrigerator or in another room. Cover them with a bed sheet or plastic. During this process be sure to inspect each package for signs of insect activity.
2. Pick up items from the floor in the areas to be treated and move to another room.
3. Prepare to vacate for the amount of time necessary. Typically vacate is required prior to treatment commencing, plus 2-3 hours after the treatment is completed.
4. Upon your return, wash any horizontal food preparation surfaces like countertops and cutting boards with soap and water.

Recommendations for reducing Pantry Pest infestations:

1. Keep all food items cleaned up and packaged in airtight containers.
2. Clean up any spills quickly.
3. Rotate stored food products. First in, first out, etc. Throw away any dry goods showing signs of insect activity.
4. Expect activity to continue for 2-4 weeks. There might be an increase in activity directly following our treatment.
5. Leave our insect monitors in place and call to report if activity is persisting.

In the United States there are primarily three types of Termites known to cause structural damage to homes; Drywood Termites, Subterranean Termites, and Dampwood Termites. Luckily, here in the Pacific Northwest we only need worry about Subterranean Termites and Dampwood Termites. Our weather patters do not currently allow for Drywood Termite infestations to take hold.

When it comes to Dampwood Termites, we are fortunate that this pest almost never requires a material application to resolve. These Termites require constant high levels of moisture to survive and the wood they infest must also be heavily saturated. Due to this fact, all Dampwood Termite infestations can be corrected by correcting the conditions causing the excess moisture, and drying out the infested wood. It is also recommended that these areas of infestation also be removed and replaced with good wood. The moisture levels in this infested wood usually damages the wood past the point of salvage, even after being dried, and usually requires replacement. Identifying Dampwood Termites is also rather easy due to their large size and little loose pellets of frass they leave inside the damaged wood. This leaves only one Termite species that we have to deal with.

Subterranean Termites can due extensive damage to your home if left unchecked long enough. There are several local myths around these termites in Western Washington, such as it rains too often for them to be here, it gets too cold, or the soil type just does not allow Subterranean Termites to infest in these areas. Unfortunately, these are not true. Subterranean Termites can be found throughout the Sound and farther throughout the State.

Subterranean Termites live in a central nest in the soil. This nest can be several inches deep or several feet. A single colony can branch out in over 100ft in every direction and there can be several colonies within a single acre of land. They forage for food (wood) by detecting the chemicals released by wood as it decomposes in the soil, by going out in random directions to see what they can find, and by detecting thermal footprints in the soil. When a tree falls in the woods, they know it.

The materials we use to treat for Subterranean Termites are non-repellant, transferable, and slow acting, materials. Non-repellant means they cannot detect it, so they cannot avoid it. They will crawl through it without ever knowing it was there. They are transferable so that the Termites that encounter it will transmit it to the other Termites as they touch and feed each other. Lastly, it is slow acting by design. This allows for the material to transfer throughout the entire colony before it starts to destroy it. It is not uncommon to still see live activity up to a month or more after a treatment has taken place.

You will want to keep your records from your treatment, as they may become important to refer to when it comes time to sell your home. Our treatments come with a 5-year retreatment warranty. If you have any questions, please let us know.

Our Subterranean Termite Service is designed to eliminate Subterranean Termites that are currently infesting your home while also providing lasting protection for years to come.

Our treatments are going to stay focused in the soil up against the foundation of your home on all sides.

Wherever soil is adjacent to your foundation, we will dig a small trench about four inches wide and about two inches deep. We then inject into the trench, treat the soil removed from the trench, and then refill the trench. Where we encounter obstacles such as dense foliage or root systems that prevent trenching, we will use a long tube to inject down into the soil every twelve inches.

Wherever there is a slab (concrete) against your foundation, we will drill a small hole about the size of a nickel, into the soil under the slab. We then inject through these holes into the soil beneath. We are required to drill these holes about an inch or two away from the foundation and the holes are spaced twelve inches apart along the foundation. When we are finished, we will cork and fill the holes with standard gray concrete patch. The patches will be visible, but should fade over time.

Drilling holes to access the soil underneath is a necessary part of the structure’s treatment. Patios of brick or tile are susceptible to breakage. Sometimes there are alternative treatment methods to avoid drilling in sections, and sometimes small sections can go untreated, warrantied, and then if activity ever does appear in this area, the necessary drilling can take place. If you have any areas of concern, please point them out to your technician.

If your home has a crawlspace, we will also treat around any pier posts, plumbing, or HAVC that is in contact with the soil and your home. We will also treat along the inner foundation wall.

All of this is done to create a barrier around your home where if Subterranean Termites want to get to your home, they will have to cross the barrier.

Some situations will also call for treatments to take place inside the home or garage. Please speak with your technician for the details of any interior treatments.

Our technicians are highly trained and licensed to ensure this work is done with safety as the priority. Not just your safety, but the safety of the environment, water sources, edible plants, fruit bearing trees, pets, underground drainage, underground pipes/lines, and the home itself. Should you have any concerns, please discuss them with your technician.

Before the treatment takes place, please do the following:

• Any storage up against the house will need to be moved 12ft or more to allow space to work.
• Any pet toys, feeding/watering dishes, or children’s toys should be removed from the treatment area.
• Please leave a space in your driveway or at the street directly in front of your home available for our truck and tow trailer. In busy metro areas, please secure a place early in the morning for our vehicle. If we cannot park in front of the property, we cannot service the home.
• Please make sure there is active power and water to the property,
• Please make sure any prep work that the technician has deemed necessary has been completed. Sending photos of the prep work will help us greatly to verify the areas are ready to go. You can text them to your technician or email them to scheduling@rambopest.com
• During the day of the treatment, please keep all central air or HVAC turned off and all doors and windows closed. If your treatment is during a heatwave, you may want to make plans to go somewhere else while the work is being done.
• The treatment can be noisy. If you work from home or have important meetings that day, you will want to consider doing that work at another location.

Let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

Wood boring beetles (Anobiid, Lyctid, Bostrichid, Buprestid, and others) all have similar characteristics, but they are not all the same. Since the insects themselves are usually not at the surface of the wood during our investigation, identification of the species of wood boring beetles is often based on the available evidence at hand. This evidence may consist of things like: the size of the beetle emergence holes in the wood, the type of wood, the moisture content of the wood, or a number of other identifiers. Once we feel confident, we have determined if this is a reinfesting species of beetle or not, then we can begin developing a control plan.

To understand the wood boring beetle (WBB) control process one must first understand the basic biology of these insects. All WBBs that we encounter in Western Washington do the bulk of their damage during the larval (caterpillar or worm-like) stage of their development. Depending on the species of WBB, the moisture content of the wood, the ambient temperature, type of wood, and several other factors, a beetle could remain in its larval stage for years, sometimes decades. They are busy feeding on the wood and growing. Eventually the larva will reach its growth requirements and enter the pupal (cocoon) stage, usually near the outside edge of the wood. Once pupation is complete the adult beetle will chew its way out, leaving an exit hole in the outside surface of the wood. At this point, depending on the species of beetle and the environmental conditions, there may be a potential reinfestation, or the adult beetle may fly off to spend its adult (reproductive) life elsewhere.

Successfully treating the inner portions of a wood member is not feasible, so we focus on controlling the potential for reinfestation. We use a borate product called Bora Care, which is applied to all the available sides of a wood member (joist, beam, post, stud, etc). This material seeps into the outer surfaces of the wood and when the adult beetle chews its exit hole it ingests a lethal dose of the product, therefore eliminating the possibility of a generational reinfestation. The residual effect of this product can last for a very long time. With that said there will often be new emergence holes noticed for potentially years to come, due to the fact that there is no treatment which will control the larval stage.

The majority of these WBB infestations occur in the crawlspace underneath a house. In this damp environment conditions can exist which will encourage beetle reinfestation. The number one cause for significant beetle damage in a crawlspace is lack of, or poorly installed vapor barrier. Without a properly installed vapor barrier the moisture in the soil creates very humid air, which permeates into the wood, creating the ideal environment for many pests, including WBBs.

In order to provide a thorough treatment under a house it is necessary to first remove insulation from between the floor joists. This is a task that could be performed by the homeowner, or hired out to an insulation contractor or other qualified service provider. Once the insulation is removed our treatment can take place. Our service technician(s) will treat all exposed sides of each affected wood member in the designated area of the structure. The applied product must be allowed to dry before the insulation can be reinstalled, which could take a number of days.

As mentioned previously, this thorough treatment is not designed to eliminate all beetle life stages immediately. We expect there to be a continuation of activity potentially for years after the treatment. Therefore, warranty is difficult to define. The basic biology of these insects does not change though, so if vapor barrier is properly installed and conducive conditions are corrected, along with a proper treatment taking place, there is no reason an infestation would continue.

With all this stated, keep in mind that once a wood member is painted, stained, or otherwise sealed, the treatment method described above is no longer a viable option. If the area needing treatment has been sealed in any manner, it must be sanded down to bare wood before any treatment can be done. The other option is replacement. Sanding or otherwise preparing the area(s) for treatment would need to be done by the client or other qualified contractor prior to scheduling the treatment.

Our General Purpose Pest Assessment is, a service we schedule when the target pest has not been determined based on the initial phone conversation with our office staff.  This service charge is $150 and it will apply toward any pest control work you decide to have us perform on your structure within 30 days.  Your technician will inspect the areas of concern (which may include some or all of the following: crawlspace, attic, basement, exterior perimeter and/or interior). You will be informed of any conducive conditions that we come across, which often contribute to the pest issue.  We will also identify any target pest species that need attention, and provide a written proposal for an appropriate pest control plan to fix the issue. This service has proven very valuable in many unusual situations.  If we do not find any pest issues that need our attention, we will at least have provided you with peace of mind knowing that a professional has inspected your home.

***Under no circumstances should this service be confused with a “Complete Wood Destroying Organism Inspection”, “Termite Report”, “Form 99”, or other inspection required for a real estate or mortgage transaction.***  We do not provide that service and encourage you to seek out a professional company specializing in these types of reports if that is what you need.     

We may need to enter the attic and/or crawlspace as part of this service, please make sure any items blocking access to these spaces are moved prior to our arrival.

Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs and Seed Bugs Services are not provided under our Insect Total Package or Rambo Total Pest Package.

These pests are in the Hemiptera order of insects, also known as “true bugs”.  There are several varieties of hemipterans that are found in western Washington, some are native and some are invasive.  We have been receiving more calls on these insects this year (2018) than we ever have before.  At this time, we are not sure if this increase in activity is due to the weather patterns we had this year, or possibly a more permanent increase in their populations here.  That answer may not be known for several more years after we collect more data.

The most known name of this group of insects is Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB).  This is an invasive species which has been steadily migrating West since it was accidentally introduced in Pennsylvania in the late 1990s.  Our first interaction as a company with BMSBs was in 2015 at the Port of Tacoma.  These insects are known to hitchhike across the country and that is exactly what they had done in that instance.  Now they seem to be established here.

Some other varieties of true bugs are Western Conifer Seed Bug, Boxelder Bug, and several others.  True bugs can sometimes be a pest of various plants or crops, and they can sometimes be an overwintering pest inside attics and wall voids.  The best treatment to keep these pests from establishing inside a structure is typically a treatment done in the late summer or early fall, before they enter the attic or wall voids to overwinter.  Once they emerge from their overwintering location in the spring, they can be difficult to control.  It is always easier to prevent these problems than it is to solve them once they show up indoors.  We usually try to deter our clients from performing a treatment in the spring because that can cause these insects to die in the walls, which can potentially lead to odor issues and secondary pest infestations, like carpet beetles (dermestids).

It is also important to keep in mind that just because these insects are seen, they are not necessarily a pest.  Proper identification is key, as well as proper research before a chemical application is performed. Our Insect Total Package will address most of your common insect issues, and these services will impact the Stink Bug population on and around your home. We do not provide a warranty against Stink Bug activity, but if you are interested in keeping general insect levels down around your home, please review our Insect Total Package for details.

If you would like to explore this subject further on your own prior to our arrival we encourage you to check out this website. http://www.stopbmsb.org is full of valuable information on the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, and this page http://www.stopbmsb.org/stink-bug-basics/look-alike-insects will show you some of the other similar hemipteran insects we may see around here too.

Carpet Beetle Services are not provided under our Insect Total Package or Rambo Total Pest Package.

Carpet beetles are a type of dermestid beetle, they are versatile feeders and can feed/breed on many different materials. Their biology and behaviors can make them very difficult pests to control. Carpet Beetle will infest a food source, and the problem cannot be resolved until that food source is found and removed. Infestations can take root in hard-to-find inaccessible areas inside cabinet false bottoms, and wall voids. Locating these infestations can take hours, and there are even instances where infestations go undiscovered for years. This inspection process can take several hours in the best of scenarios, and can require that inaccessible areas are opened for further inspection. Sometimes, these inspections can end without the food source being located.

For this reason, we developed a self-guided Do-It-Yourself Inspection Sheet to see if the problem can be resolved without expensive professional assistance.  This sheet outlines the specific steps you can take to find and remove the infested food source. Unfortunately, material applications cannot resolve this infestation. The source must be found.

Due to the high cost of service, high probability of the infestation sources not being found, and that material applications cannot resolve the problem; this is a service we no longer provide. Please ask for our Do-It-Yourself Carpet beetle Inspection Sheet if needed.

Fly Services are not provided under our Insect Total Package or Rambo Total Pest Package.

Flies come in a staggering number of variations. Although the many different species look differently, behave differently, and feed on different food sources; their presence is almost always for the same reason. There is a food source attracting them, feeding them, sometimes housing them, and allowing them to reproduce. You can fog, spray, trap, and bait flies to the end of times, however; if the food source is not dealt with, their presence will persist. Applying materials to alleviate fly activity is only dealing with a symptom. It is a band-aid for a cut that needs a stitch. Although we do not provide fly services, we can often help you track down the problem so that you can resolve the issue at little to no cost. The key to tracking down the source is knowing the fly you are dealing with. If you can capture an in focus, up close picture of the top and/or side of the fly, we can often narrow down what kind of fly it is, and the steps you can take to correct the issue. Please feel free to send us an email with your information, what you are seeing, where you are seeing it, and any pictures you can get. Send them to scheduling@rambopest.com and we will see if we can offer you some no charge assistance.