10 best pest control companies in Guilford, Connecticut

In Guilford, you might face pests such as mice, cockroaches and flies. DIY prevention techniques may improve your pest issue, but you may need to hire a pest control company for an existing infestation. These pest exterminators in Guilford can identify the problem and treat it safely and effectively.

Letting a pest problem go untreated can introduce a variety of risks to you, your loved ones and your pets. Insects and small animals can cause permanent damage to your home, contaminate your food supplies and spread disease.

Hiring pest control professionals can substantially minimize the damage from an infestation. These specialists identify infestation hot spots and create tailored treatment plans that may include plugging cracks, using traps or spraying chemicals. When the proper fixes are implemented, you can get rid of infestations for good.

Find the best local pest control company for you in Guilford

Look for pest control companies in Guilford with at least 3.5 out of 5 stars on Google Reviews and a good rating on Better Business Bureau (BBB). Use the filters below to help you find the right company for your needs.

What are common pests in Guilford?

Though pests exist everywhere, they don't equally affect the same regions. The following pests are common in Guilford, and these are some signs of an infestation:

• Mice: If you have mice in your house, you may see one darting through a room or find droppings about the size of a grain of rice. Mice tend to chew on furniture and emit a musky smell. They make their nests from found materials and shredded fiber. Mice like to nest in tight spaces, so you may hear them rustling in your walls or ceilings.
• Cockroaches: Cockroaches come out at night and scatter when you turn a light on. With a heavy infestation, however, you may see them during the day. Their nesting spots tend to be in kitchens, basements and bathrooms. Cockroaches often leave droppings that look like brown or black specks, egg casings and brown stains on walls and floors. They can spread disease and worsen respiratory issues and allergies.
• Flies: Everyone sees the occasional fly buzzing around their home during the summer months, but if you see an unusually high number, there’s a good chance you have an infestation. Flies leave feces that look like clusters of black dots and often appear near kitchen sinks, high shelves and around trash. Another sign of an infestation is seeing maggots, which are fly larvae, in waste.
• Mosquitos: Standing water lures mosquitoes, so you’re at a higher risk of an infestation if you live in a wet climate or have bodies of water nearby. Mosquitoes are nocturnal — as the sun goes down, they emit a high buzzing noise and bite. You may not notice a bite until a few hours later, at which point the area around the bite appears raised and becomes itchy. Mosquitoes can carry diseases such as West Nile, dengue fever and malaria.
• Moths: Clothes moths and pantry moths are often seen as household pests. Clothes moths feed on wool and cotton, leaving trenches, silky furrows, tunnels and small tubes, which are larvae casings. Pantry moths breach plastic food packaging, leaving a web-like residue in pantry corners and on or in dried goods. Moths are naturally attracted to ripe fruits, light and fermented sugar.

How can you prevent pests in your Guilford home?

Fighting a pest infestation can be challenging, so preventative measures are the best method to prevent future problems. Though infestations often require expert intervention, you can take the following steps to keep pests away before they make their way into your home.

Schedule regular preventative pest control

Insects and small animals can cause serious issues for your home and health when left unchecked. The best way to stop these infestations before they start is to work with a pest control expert. They may recommend plugging holes, laying traps or spraying pesticides in key areas.

Cover, seal or eliminate food sources

Since pests are usually in search of sustenance, restricting their access to food sources will discourage them from settling in. Store food at least half a foot above the ground and slightly away from walls. Ensure food storage areas, sinks and counters are clean and disinfected when not being used. Promptly dispose of food waste and other garbage, and keep the spaces near trash cans and dumpsters clean.

Keep up with yard maintenance

Tall grass, leaves, standing water and trash create ideal habitats for insects and small animals. Maintaining a debris-free yard and regularly mowing your grass and trimming foliage are among the simplest ways to prevent an infestation from taking hold. Should you need expert lawn care assistance, look into whether national lawn care companies such as TruGreen operate in your location.

Seal off pest entrances

Sealing off entrances will deter insects and small animals from coming inside. Rats, for example, can squeeze into holes as small as a half-inch in diameter. Don't neglect cracks in your roof or siding, and remember to seal up broken window frames. Some pest control services specialize in pest prevention.

What are questions to ask your pest control provider?

To find a pest control company with the proper qualifications for your individual needs, ask the following questions during the hiring process.

Are your technicians properly licensed and insured?

Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) oversees the use of pest control chemicals. Moreover, the EPA requires restricted-use pesticide applicators and their supervisors to hold certifications according to the agency's standards and the laws of the affected states, territories and tribes.

Pest control technicians in Connecticut must pass an exam to get a Supervisory, Operational or Private Applicator License issued by the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environment.

What treatment schedule do you recommend?

The treatment plan a pest professional recommends will vary based on the location of the property, the severity of the infestation, the specific treatment method and the particular pest type. In most cases, pest control providers advise against relying on a single treatment to eliminate household pests, as there will likely be insects at various stages of their life cycles that may have laid eggs in hard-to-spot locations.

Pest control experts often recommend regular treatments, with some scheduled exclusively during the warmer seasons and others ongoing throughout the year. To prevent infestations from taking hold, they might also propose preventive treatments every two or three months to stop new infestations from forming.

How long will it take to get rid of pests?

How long it will take for your pest issue to be resolved depends on the infestation type and severity and the insect's life cycle. When the pest control professional applies the first treatment, you may see a decline in activity, but pests can return after they hatch, requiring further treatments. You may also notice increased activity after the first treatment, as it can drive pests from hiding places. Luckily, this should taper off within a few days.

Can I remain in my home during pest control treatments?

You should be able to remain in your home for some parts of the pest control treatment, such as sealing holes and cracks. If your service professional uses a pesticide, it may take a few hours before it's dry, during which time you'll need to vacate the premises.

Certain pest control treatments can take a while. For termite fumigation, the pest control company places a tent over your entire home for three days to release the pesticide. You'll have to find another place to stay during this process.

Are your treatments safe for my family and pets?

A skilled service technician has the knowledge to determine the appropriate amount of product to apply, the drying time required and when it is all right for children and pets to re-enter the treated space. Before administering any treatment, they should instruct you on which items such as food, animals and plants must be cleared from the area.

Do you offer any “green” pest control methods?

A number of pest control providers offer eco-friendly methods for managing infestations. This involves using methods that don't impact the environment as much as traditional chemical approaches. Examples of eco-friendly pest control include sealing potential pest entry points, using humane traps for rodents and using less harmful ingredients.

What do I do if pests come back?

Many pest control services have guarantees and warranties in place if pests return before a certain date. Companies may offer a single treatment or recurring treatments to resolve a stubborn pest problem. Ask your service provider what options they offer.

Our methodology for selecting pest control companies

The Homefront Local team employs a proprietary scoring algorithm that evaluates companies based on key factors you value, such as average customer review ratings and trustworthiness indicators. Our method for determining trust involves a comparative analysis of the number of reviews a company receives compared to its local competitors. This leads to companies that have earned more trust from your local community being awarded a higher score. We review national pest control companies against our full pest control methodology. We score pest control companies based on service options, safety and certifications, service guarantees and customer service.