Typical jobs across King County

The calls we handle most often: what homeowners notice, what our technicians do, and what to expect.

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7 job stories

Typical job

What homeowners notice: Large dark ants wander across a kitchen floor at night, and a little coarse sawdust-like debris collects under a back window of an older house.
What we do: The technician follows the ant trail outside to a rotted stump near the fence, probes the soft window sill and the porch post, and notes the gutter that spills against the wall. Bait goes along the trail, the price is confirmed before any product is applied, and the stump and gutter are listed for the owner to deal with.
What to expect: Activity typically drops over the following visits as the colony takes the bait, and the owner is told which damp wood to repair so the ants have no reason to return.

About two hours typical visit

Typical job

What homeowners notice: Small brown cockroaches appear at night behind the refrigerator of a rented apartment, and a neighbor in the same stairwell has seen them too.
What we do: The technician checks under the sink, behind the stove and around the dishwasher, places monitor traps, puts small amounts of gel bait in the hiding places and notes gaps around the pipes. A message to management about inspecting the units on either side is suggested, and the price is confirmed first.
What to expect: Trap counts typically fall across the next visits when the neighboring units are dealt with too, and the tenant learns which habits slow a return.

About an hour typical visit

Typical job

What homeowners notice: In early September a steady stream of wasps flies in and out of a small hole at the edge of a lawn, and the family has stopped using the deck.
What we do: The technician keeps clear of the entrance until dusk, when most workers are inside, then treats the nest opening in protective clothing. Fallen fruit and an open bin nearby are pointed out, and the family is told how long to keep children and pets off the lawn.
What to expect: Wasp traffic usually falls away over the next day or two, and the owner is advised to check eaves and banks in spring for a new queen's early nest.

About 45 minutes typical visit

Typical job

What homeowners notice: Small pale yellowish-brown ants keep appearing along a bathroom baseboard in a mid-century house, and the floor near the tub feels slightly soft.
What we do: The technician enters the crawl space, finds a dripping drain line and damp joists beneath the bathroom, locates the nest in the wet wood and treats it. A written list covers the plumbing repair, the vapor barrier that has slipped and the vents that need clearing, with the price confirmed beforehand.
What to expect: Once the leak is fixed and the wood dries, activity typically fades, and the owner has a clear list of repairs for a plumber and a carpenter.

Two to three hours typical visit

Typical job

What homeowners notice: As the autumn rains set in, scratching starts inside a pantry wall of a mid-century rambler, and droppings turn up along the back of a bottom shelf.
What we do: The technician traces a gap around the gas line under the kitchen sink and a loose vent screen in the crawl space, sets snap traps along the wall where the droppings are heaviest and lists each opening to be packed with steel wool or mesh. Dry food is moved into hard containers, and the price is confirmed first.
What to expect: Catches typically taper off over the next visits as the openings are closed, and the household is told what a returning mouse would look like.

About 90 minutes typical visit

Typical job

What homeowners notice: Scratching at dawn comes from above the garage of a large lakeside house, and a corner of the soffit is chewed where a tall fir limb touches the roof.
What we do: The technician inspects the roofline and the attic, finds the chewed corner and a loose vent cover, and explains what can be done about any animal inside and what the law allows. Once the attic is empty, the openings are covered with sheet metal and heavy mesh, and the limb that bridges to the roof is flagged for an arborist.
What to expect: With the openings closed in metal, further entry is less likely, and the owner has a list of damaged wood and insulation to repair.

A morning typical visit

Typical job

What homeowners notice: After the first heavy rain of the fall, winged insects collect on a sill, and a fence post at the edge of a wooded lot is soft at its base.
What we do: The technician identifies the winged insects as dampwood termites, probes the fence post, a buried form board and a deck beam, and notes the wet ground where a downspout empties. The advice is to remove the infested wood, lift lumber off the soil and fix the drainage, with any treatment explained and priced first.
What to expect: The owner leaves with a map of the damaged wood and a plan that deals with the moisture, so the colony has no wet wood to return to.

About two hours typical visit

Call and tell us what you see. We will tell you what it likely is and what it usually costs before anyone drives out.