Do you have an ant problem? Spring can be a challenging time for homeowners, as warm days and a thriving growing season can mean household pests, especially ants, becomes more of a problem. Like many other household pests, the easiest way to get rid of ants is to prevent infestations in the first place. Fortunately, there are some very easy things you can do to help prevent ant infestations or to discourage ants from coming back if you have already had an infestation.
While you may not think of ants as a problem until you start to see them in your house, ant infestations actually start outside. Taking some simple steps outdoors can help keep ants from the perimeter of your home, which is one way to keep them from coming inside your home.
Cut back tree branches.
Ants and other pests use tree branches as a way to move from your yard into your home. If there are any tree branches overhanging your house, especially ones that actually touch your roof or your siding, trim them back. Keeping a distance of several inches between trees and your home can help prevent pests from using tree branches as a way to move from your yard to vulnerable spots in your house.
Cut back bushes and shrubs.
Like tree branches, ants often use shrubbery as a way to move into your household. They can climb, undetected, through the shrubs, and even use shrubs as living spaces or sources of food, then move into your household. Keep shrubbery cut back several inches from your home.
Remove mulch.
As much as we all love the look of freshly mulched flower beds, you want to keep mulch from touching the exterior of your home. It provides a great home for ants and can be especially attractive for damaging carpenter ants!
Clean your gutters.
Debris in gutters not only provides a food source for ants but can actually double as ant housing. In addition, if your gutters overflow and cause any type of minor leaks in your home, you have created another access point for ants.
While keeping the outside of your home in good order helps reduce the likelihood of ants, the number one tip for getting rid of ants is to keep a clean and organized kitchen. Only store food in your kitchen, immediately clean up any spills or crumbs in other rooms, and follow these basic kitchen cleanliness rules:
Store all food in airtight containers;
Do not leave dirty dishes for an extended period of time;
Immediately clean up spills or food debris; and
Make sure that there are no leaks or other water sources, which might attract pests.
If you follow these tips, you should reduce your chances of getting ants. However, if you have an existing ant problem and need professional help, Viking Pest can provide you with the fast, efficient, environmentally-friendly services you need at the price you want. Call us today to schedule a consultation.
HOW DO I PREPARE FOR MY FIRST PEST CONTROL SERVICE VISITS? (INTERIOR)
Common preparations include; cleaning the area to be treated, removing clutter, picking up pet food, and putting away open food.
All children’s toys and personal items should be picked up from the floor and moved outside of the treatment area.
It is recommended that all windows be closed prior to arrival.
People and pets must be out of treatment areas until the products have dried after the treatment. Some treatments may require additional, more specific, preparations. These will be communicated with you in advance of your service.
WILL TREATMENT AFFECT MY GARDEN?
If you have a garden, merely advise the technician of the location of any edible plants when they arrive. They will avoid treating near the garden.
Many of our materials may be safe when applied up to the dripline of the plants (the area the plant would drip on when wet). We will however implement a larger buffer than is required to further help protect your safety.
I HAVE A FISHPOND; CAN THE TREATMENTS NEGATIVELY AFFECT THE POND OR FISH?
Our technicians are careful to avoid sensitive areas, such as ponds, during treatments.
I HAVE A POOL; CAN THE TREATMENTS NEGATIVELY AFFECT THE POOL?
It will not affect your pool. Viking has carefully selected only the best materials with our primary concern being the safety of your family, pets as well as the environment. These materials are then carefully applied by our highly trained pest management professionals in a manner that all but eliminates contact with non-target treatment sites like pools and other sensitive environments.
WHAT SAFETY PROCEDURES MUST I FOLLOW AFTER TREATMENT?
Always consult your service report for product-specific precautionary requirements; these are emailed to you upon completion of the treatment.
Avoid all treated surfaces until dry. Once most materials have dried, they pose little risk and you may proceed as you normally would with your daily life.
Your technician will discuss any necessary safety precautions with you at the time of service.
I HAVE PETS, ARE YOUR TREATMENTS PET-FRIENDLY?
Viking’s certified technicians care about you, your family, and your pets. Please inform your service technician you have pets and s/he will take the necessary precautions.
Our programs are designed around people with pets and children in mind. Our products are carefully selected to minimize any effect on your family, pets or the environment.
Viking Pest also offers an Organic Pest control program that offers a range of non-pesticide treatment options.
Should you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Viking. We are always ready to answer your questions!
HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO STAY AWAY FROM MY PREMISES AFTER TREATMENT?
Most treatments do not require you to leave your home, though we do recommend you avoid contact with treated areas until dry (approximately one hour).
If instructions differ for the service being rendered, you will be notified prior to treatment.
For bed bug treatments we recommend 4 hours.
DO YOUR MATERIALS HAVE A STRONG ODOR?
Most of our materials have very low or no odor.
Some roach and bed bug treatments or power sprays may have an odor. These services will usually involve reentry time.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE THE TREATMENT TO WORK?
Most treatments will be effective within 10-14 days.
Some, like direct treatment of a hornet’s nest, will be effective in days.
Others, like the treatments for some ant species, can take around 2 weeks. If you see an increase in pests after treatment, that’s a good sign the service is working.
I NOTICED MORE BUGS THAN USUAL AFTER TREATMENT, WHY IS THAT?
It is common for insect activity to increase after successfully treating pest harborage locations because many of our products have a “flushing” effect design to eliminate the entire concern, not just what is being seen.
I AM SEEING ANTS IN BETWEEN MY SERVICE VISITS; WHAT CAN I DO IN THE MEANTIME?
Use a napkin or paper towel to kill the ants.
Once removed from the location/countertop/window, utilize an appropriate cleaning solution to clean away the trail to try and remove the pheromones the ants were trailing upon.
Do NOT use any type of pesticide product as it may cause budding in some ant species which would make the issue worse or it may contaminate baits or non-repellant products we may have applied.
WHAT HAPPENS IF IT RAINS AFTER MY SERVICE?
Our exterior treatments are designed to hold up in adverse weather conditions. Once a liquid treatment has dried, rainfall will not wash it away. The average dying time for our treatments is 2 hours.
DO YOU OFFER SERVICES FOR COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES?
Yes, Viking Pest offers a wide variety of services for commercial properties.
DO YOU PROVIDE SERVICES TO MOBILE HOMES?
Yes, Viking Pest provides pest control services to mobile homes, detached homes, row homes, apartments, condos, and more.
I HAVE TWO HOMES; DO YOU HAVE MULTIPLE LOCATIONS?
Yes, Viking Pest has multiple locations throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware. Viking has local pest control professionals servicing each area.
I JUST BOUGHT A NEW HOME, SHOULD I GET A PROFESSIONAL INSPECTION?
Purchasing a new home is a large investment. Every new homeowner should have their home professionally inspected for termites by a pest management expert.
The professionals at Viking Pest will carefully inspect for prior or current damage and provide you with a termite prevention or control treatment option to protect the structure of your home.
No, we do not have any products labeled for use on chipmunks.
DO YOU OFFER A SERVICE GUARANTEE?
Yes, Viking Pest does offer unlimited service requests. During your contracted service agreement, our team will re-treat if necessary, to get rid of unwanted invaders. Some limitations apply. – Yes, Viking offers a service warranty for the entire length of an active service agreement.
ARE BOTH THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR OF MY HOME COVERED?
Viking Pest Home Protection Plan services include both interior and exterior coverage of the home. Interior services should be scheduled ahead of time with a Viking representative.
DO YOU PROVIDE SAME-DAY SERVICES?
We can respond to emergency situations, typically within 24 hours. However, scheduling non-emergency calls is on a first-come, first-serve basis.
IF I PURCHASE YOUR HOME PROTECTION PLAN, HOW OFTEN DO I RECEIVE TREATMENTS?
Most Viking Home Protection Plans provide a Pest Shield to protect your home with seasonally timed visits (5 seasonally timed visits with a SMART Premier Home Protection Plan or 2 seasonally timed visits with a SMART Home or Convenience Home Protection Plan. For more information on the plans, you may call us at 800-618-2847
All plans include unlimited additional requests for covered pests. If you notice any pest activity in-between your scheduled preventative treatments, you can call Viking for unlimited service requests, meaning Viking will treat your home as necessary throughout the year.
ARE THERE ANY NOTIFICATIONS BEFORE SERVICES ARE PERFORMED?
Viking Pest’s Home Protection Plan is designed around our customers’ busy lives. As a result, all residential customers will receive a text message 1 week before their service AND another the day before.
And COMING SOON, customers will receive one annual email detailing their projected service schedule and service expectations.
For exterior treatments, you do not need to be home. However, if you like to be home or need to reschedule the service, please call 800-618-2847.
CAN MORE THAN ONE SERVICE BE PERFORMED DURING THE SAME APPOINTMENT TIME?
Depending on what the services are, this may or may not be possible. Sometimes, services do require specialized equipment and licensing that may require us to separate services.
AM I ABLE TO REQUEST A SPECIFIC TECHNICIAN FOR MY APPOINTMENTS?
Yes, though scheduling availability may be affected.
HOW LONG DO SERVICES TAKE?
The length of service varies depending on the pests being targeted and the size of the treatment area.
CAN THE TECHNICIANS PERFORM SERVICES WHEN I AM NOT HOME?
Yes, Viking’s Home Protection Plans provide a Pest Shield to protect your home with seasonally timed visits that are designed to protect your home from pests without the inconvenience of coordinating a time to be home for service.
If you are not going to be home during treatment, we ask to make sure all gates are unlocked around your property, so our technicians are able to access all exterior parts of your property to properly perform your treatment.
Unlimited additional services for covered pests provide the assurance that an interior or exterior service can be scheduled anytime you need.
WHY DO TECHNICIANS ONLY TREAT THE EXTERIOR AND NOT THE INTERIOR FOR MY THREE SCHEDULED APPOINTMENTS?
Most pest concerns emanate from the outside. We proactively treat the exterior of your home to prevent pest entry.
If you are encountering pest concerns inside or would like the interior of your home inspected, we would like to encourage you to schedule a visit at no additional charge.
WHAT IS THE TIME FRAME FOR CANCELING OR RESCHEDULING SERVICE?
Services may be canceled up to 48 hours prior to the scheduled treatment date.
Services may be rescheduled up to 24 hours prior to the scheduled treatment date unless in the event of an unforeseen circumstance.
WHAT METHODS OF PAYMENT CAN BE USED?
Viking Pest accepts checks (they must be mailed in), money orders, credit cards, and ACH payments. Credit card and ACH payments may be processed over the phone or through the Customer Connect portal.
HOW OFTEN DOES PAYMENT OCCUR?
Payment schedules differed between each plan, please refer to your contract for more details on your specific plans.
For more information, you may call Viking at 800-618-2847 and ask a Customer Care Center Representative to advise you of your payment plan.
WHY DO I PAY FOR MONTHLY INVOICES OR QUARTERLY PAYMENTS, IF I ONLY HAVE THREE APPOINTMENTS PER YEAR?
Payments for our pest control plans are evenly charged on a monthly basis to alleviate the pressures of one upfront cost and to assist with monthly budgeting for our customers. Your pest control plan can be paid in full at the beginning of your yearly service agreement if you do not wish to receive monthly payments.
Most maintenance plans include FREE unlimited service visits for pests covered under your plan should you require additional treatments. If you are noticing pest activity between service visits, give us a call to schedule your free treatment.
AM I ABLE TO PRE-PAY FOR SERVICES?
Services may be pre-paid by contacting a Viking representative at 800-618-2847. Pre-payments cannot be performed through the Customer Connect portal.
WHY AM I REQUIRED TO CONFIRM MY NAME, ADDRESS, EMAIL, AND PHONE TO LOOK UP MY ACCOUNT EVEN AFTER I GIVE MY ACCOUNT NUMBER?
With Viking having access to customers’ Personal Identifiable Information (PII), Viking has always and will always be vigilant in confirming customers’ information to ensure we are only speaking to account owners. This process is similar to calling a bank or utility company; as well all want to make sure we are speaking to an authorized person.
For reference, Viking Customer Service Reps are required to confirm the following when a customer calls in:
1. First and Last Name 2. Address on File 3. Telephone Number on File 4. Email Address
Additionally, by verifying the information above, we ensure we have the most updated information for customer communication including service notifications, service reports, and access to Viking’s customer portal.
HOW DO I SET UP MY CUSTOMER CONNECT PORTAL ACCOUNT?
To activate your Customer Connect Portal Account, please visit this page with step-by-step instructions with photos. https://www.vikingpest.com/customer-connect-portal/ Or, you may call Viking at888-395-1008 and ask a Customer Care Center Representative to please invite you to the customer portal.
HOW DO YOU ACCESS THE CUSTOMER CONNECT PORTAL AND WHAT RECOURSES DOES IT PROVIDE?
The Customer Connect portal may be accessed by visiting this link: https://vikingpest.pestconnect.com/login. The Customer Connect portal provides information regarding your account including service history, billing history, documents, material usage history, and the ability to ask questions, request services, or make payments.
I FORGOT MY USERNAME OR PASSWORD TO THE CUSTOMER PORTAL
A customer’s username for the Customer Connect Portal is an email address. If you are unsure about the email address used, please contact a representative at 800-618-2847.
Customers may reset their password by clicking the “forgot password” option on the portal’s main login screen.
I MOVED AND WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE MY ADDRESS ON THE CUSTOMER CONNECT PORTAL BUT AM NOT ABLE TO. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
If you have moved, please contact a Viking representative at 800-618-2847.