Originally Posted by Yorkieabroad

I used to have professional pest control folk come - ABC, BAM etc, but about 4 years back I stopped. The service was being reduced, the prices were going up, and the effectiveness was going down. It started off about 50 per 2 months treating inside and out, and at the end I think it got to about $500 a year, but it was split out over 8 unevenly spaced visits, only treating outside.

I started doing it myself, and we have less problems than we ever had, and less chemicals getting squirted here there and everywhere, which was important as we have pets and kids. I do a regular visual of the foundation to check for termite tubes, ant/spider nests, other problems, and I do still use some chemicals - a once a year yard treatment for fire ants, and a once a quarter spray of the foundation (and the eaves I can reach) with particular attention to the weep holes. I haven't needed to treat inside at all. All in it probably costs $50 a year, and average 30 minutes a month.

Originally Posted by Bink

I still pay to get mine done but am considering dropping it to be honest and doing it myself also. Mine is $60 every other month. Have seen very little activity inside the house though to be fair. My problem is fire ants in the yard. I kill them, they move. I kill them again, they move again. I'm yet to find a solution that lasts more than about 4 weeks.

Originally Posted by Yorkieabroad

Have you tried Over and Out? Actually, this year I didn't use that as it wasn't in the stores, but it was the same sort of thing from Home Depot - treat the whole yard once, and it lasts "all season". I think they guarantee it for 3 months or something, but once a year seems to work for me. I hate to think what is actually in it.....I normally do it when we are about to go away - the day before Spring Break ideally, or just before a weekend away, so that it has time to soak in before the dog gets at it. It helps if the neighbours all do it at the same time, and I also go outside our propertyline and do a strip about 5' wide along the grass outside our fence.