Typical call: mice in a south Minneapolis bungalow basement
What homeowners notice
In the first cold weeks of autumn, scratching starts in a kitchen wall and droppings turn up along the top of a basement wall, behind the furnace and by the water heater.
What we do
The technician looks along the sill plate, the rim joist and the places where pipes and the gas line come through the foundation, sets snap traps where the droppings are heaviest and marks each gap that needs sealing. The price is confirmed before any work starts.
What to expect
Activity typically falls off over the next few visits as the traps clear what is inside and the entries are closed, and the homeowner is told which gaps to check before the next winter.
A homeowner sees burrow holes beside a detached garage and hears gnawing in the garage wall. Bird seed and an open compost bin sit near the alley fence.
What we do
The technician traces the runways, checks the garage slab edge and the base of the fence, sets tamper-resistant stations away from pets and children, and explains what to remove, such as feed and compost. Any sealing is quoted before it is done.
What to expect
Sightings typically drop as food is removed and the burrows are dealt with, and the homeowner learns why the alley side of the lot draws them in cold months.
Typical call: boxelder bugs on a sunny wall in Hopkins
What homeowners notice
In late September, hundreds of dark bugs gather on the south and west wall of a house with a boxelder tree nearby. A few have already found their way into a bedroom window frame.
What we do
The technician checks siding gaps, window and door frames, soffit vents and the dryer vent, treats the sun-facing walls where the bugs gather and notes the gaps that should be sealed. The price is confirmed first.
What to expect
Fewer bugs typically reach the inside, and the homeowner knows that the ones appearing on warm days in January are sheltering, not breeding, and that sealing in autumn is the lasting fix.
Typical call: carpenter ants at a porch in Minnetonka
What homeowners notice
As the ground thaws in spring, large black ants appear along a porch rail on a wooded lot near a creek, and fine sawdust collects under a window sill.
What we do
The technician checks the porch post bases, the window frames and the roofline for damp wood, follows the ants back to where they are nesting and explains the moisture that feeds the problem. Treatment is quoted before anything is applied.
What to expect
The visible ants typically thin out once the nest is treated, and the homeowner is told to fix the damp wood and trim branches touching the house.
Typical call: cockroaches in a downtown restaurant kitchen
What homeowners notice
In the middle of winter, a kitchen in an older downtown building sees small brown cockroaches near the dish pit and behind the cooking line, even though the sidewalk is under snow.
What we do
The technician inspects the dish area, wall voids, shared plumbing chases and floor drains, places monitors and gel bait and goes through the cleaning and storage habits that feed the problem. A written program and price are confirmed before the work.
What to expect
Activity typically falls over the next few visits, and the owner learns why heated buildings keep cockroaches active when the weather outside has stopped other pests.
Typical call: vole runways after the melt in Eden Prairie
What homeowners notice
As the last snow melts, a lawn shows winding tracks of dead grass and a few shrubs have been gnawed at the base.
What we do
The technician walks the lawn and beds to find the runways and active holes, checks the base of shrubs and young trees, and sets out a control plan with guards for the woody plants. The price is confirmed before any work starts.
What to expect
The grass usually recovers slowly, and the homeowner learns to expect the same pattern next spring unless the cover that hides voles under the snow is reduced.
Typical call: squirrels in an attic on a Wayzata lake lot
What homeowners notice
On a wooded lakeshore lot, a homeowner hears scrabbling in the roof early in the morning during a cold snap and sees a gnawed vent cover at the roofline.
What we do
The technician inspects the roofline, the chimney and the soffit vents from a ladder, identifies the entry, sets a one-way door so the animal can leave and plans a repair of the opening once the attic is clear. The price is confirmed beforehand.
What to expect
The noise typically stops once the animal has left, and the repaired opening keeps the next one out.
Two visits typical visit
Have the same problem?
Call and tell us what you see. We will tell you what it likely is and what it usually costs before anyone drives out.
