FAQs

The key to making sure that pest prevention is safe is making sure products are used correctly and responsibly by a licensed, trained professional. Pesticides by their nature are designed to eliminate pests; however, when used correctly they do not pose a threat to people and household pets. As the consumer, you should always inquire about the products your technician is using. Labels of any products used in your home should be readily available to you along with the contact information for the manufacturer for questions about toxicity levels or ingredients.

Termite swarmers have a broad waist, straight antennae, and both wings are the same size. Ants have a thin, pinched waist, bent antennae, and their hind wings are smaller than the front wings.

All termite contracts are not created equal. First, determine what product will be used to protect your home. Termidor™ sets the industry standard in Formosan termite protection. Many companies try to imply that they use Termidor™ to treat termites, however, that usually means you have to get termites before they use it. If you already have termites, they only apply it to the specific area of infestation. Prevention is the key to protecting the integrity of your home, and Billiot Pest Control proudly uses Termidor™ to treat the entire perimeter of your property to ensure that termites stay away. Secondly, many pest control companies require you to retreat your property every 5 years which can be very expensive to property owners. Get all the facts to know the value of your long term protection!

Many of our customers are suprised that our pest control does not include the outdated technique of spraying a chemical solution along the baseboards of their home or business. Do-It-Yourself pest control is certainly an option for homeowners; however, most homeowners lack the knowledge and training to effectively treat pest problems. The critical components in treating any infestation include correctly identifying insect species and understanding their habits. For example, the Pharaoh ant only sends out 10% of its workforce at one time. Killing the ants that you see may temporarily treat the issue, but it will force the ants to move their colonies and then grow in numbers. 

Billiot Pest Control has made great strides to eliminate the use of unecessary chemicals that may not be applicable to the problems on your property. Billiot considers the ecology of the environment and all relevant interactions that any application of chemicals may have. Our goal is to maximize the effect of eliminating unwanted pests while minimizing the effects on the environment.

Prior to 1985 the termite control industry used a chemical known as Chlordane for termite prevention, it had a residual rate of 30 to 40 years. In 1985, the Environmental Protection Agency banned Chlordane due to safety concerns leaving companies to find alternative options. Between 1985 to about 1995, Billiot Pest Control along with many other companies were trying to find the best solution to prevent termites. During this same time, the invasive Formosan termites were becoming increasingly common. Fortunately, in 1995 Dow Agrosciences® developed the Sentricon® baiting system, and in 2000 Termidor® termiticide became available. Billiot Pest Control exclusively uses Sentricon which has the highest effectiveness in preventing and battling the aggressive Formosan termites. According to manufacturer guidelines, Termidor® termiticide has an average residual effect of 10 years. The Sentricon Always Active™ System has a monitoring system that keeps a preventative in place and never requires retreatment.

 Each year Billiot Pest Control offers a renewal inspection around your property. We are looking for any evidence of active termite activity inside and outside of your home. Our company is also looking for conditions that could be conducive to an infestation. With a liquid contract, we offer a courtesy spray of a liquid termiticide at a pest control strength which is the only regulated way to distribute this chemical without re-trenching the soil. This is NOT a retreatment. With the Sentricon Always Active inspection, we will look for signs of termites eating the contents of the bait stations and replace as needed.

While we do not always require a re-treatment of liquid contracts after 10 years, we do recommend it. If it is deemed that the property has conditions favorable to infestation, Billiot Pest Control reserves the right to cancel contract rather than renew it. Loyal customers will be offered a significant discount to retreat with a new Sentricon contract. The retreatment will include the installation of the baiting system and cores as needed. 

Do-It-Yourself pest control is certainly an option for homeowners; however, most homeowners lack the knowledge and training to effectively treat pest problems. The critical components in treating any infestation include correctly identifying insect species and understanding their habits. For example, the Pharaoh ant only sends out 10% of its workforce at one time. Killing the ants that you see may temporarily treat the issue, but it will force the ants to move their colonies and then grow in numbers.

Another issue that homeowners may find is that pesticides are often broadly labeled. A product may say that it treats termites; however, within the termite family there are several species. Only select products can help prevent Formosan termites and none of them can be sold “over the counter”. Before you invest in any product be sure that it will treat the very specific challenges you are facing.