Pest control questions, answered

It depends on home size and how often I come out. The monthly plan runs $79 to $109 a month; for a typical 2,000 sq ft home that’s $89 a month, with the Battle Guarantee included. Bi-monthly and quarterly plans cost less per year with fewer visits. One-time visits start at $229. Use the price finder for your exact number.

Yes. It’s me, Kenny. That’s the whole point.

I choose materials and placement with kids and pets in mind, and I’ll tell you exactly what I used and how long to keep everyone off treated areas. Usually that means until it dries.

Not for outside service. Unlock the gate and keep the dog inside. He means well, but he’s a terrible assistant. For attic or inside work, someone needs to let me in.

No. No long-term contracts, ever. I built this business on happy customers telling their friends, and that’s how I want to keep it. I’d rather keep you because the ants stay gone.

Text me. On the monthly plan, if the problem I treated is still there or comes back before your next scheduled visit, I come back and re-service it free. That’s the Battle Guarantee.

Because it isn’t the best way to fix most problems. Every home has its own elevation, landscaping and pest pressure, so I treat the spots that matter with the material that fits. Less guesswork, less material where you don’t need it, and better results.

North County, from Carlsbad and Oceanside inland to Escondido, San Marcos, Vista, Fallbrook, Ramona and Poway, plus the neighborhoods just west of Poway: Rancho Bernardo, 4S Ranch, Del Sur, Rancho Peñasquitos, Carmel Mountain, Sabre Springs and Scripps Ranch. Not sure if you’re in range? Text me.

No. I’ll point you to someone good who does.

I walk the whole property with you, inside and out. I look for how pests are getting in, where they’re living and what’s drawing them. Then I treat, tell you what I used and where, and lay out the plan from there.

The first visit usually runs 60 to 90 minutes. Regular visits are shorter, but I don’t rush them.

Not much. Put pet bowls and kids’ toys away from the outside walls, unlock the side gates and keep pets inside while I work. If I’m treating inside, clear under the kitchen and bathroom sinks.

No. For most treatments you just stay off treated areas until they dry. I’ll tell you exactly how long before I leave.

Usually within a few days. Ant baits can take one to two weeks because the ants carry the bait back to the colony, which is the point. Seeing a few more for a day or two is normal. That’s the colony coming to dinner.

A light rain won’t undo it once it’s dry. After a heavy storm, text me and I’ll check whether anything needs a touch-up.

Only when it’s needed. Most problems are fixed from the outside in, which keeps material out of your living space.

Tell me what you grow and what’s in the pond. I work around edible plants, flowering plants that bees visit and water features, and I’ll choose materials and placement with all of that in mind.

It comes with the monthly plan. If the problem I treated sticks around or comes back before your next scheduled visit, I come back and re-service it free.

Yes. Text me and I’ll switch your plan or move your visit. Traveling, rain, whatever, it’s easy.

You pay after each visit, and you get a receipt every time. Paying the year up front saves you 5%. Text me if you have questions about a bill.

No. Text me and you’re done. No fee, no guilt trip.

In North County it’s almost always a rodent. I trap what’s inside, find how they’re getting in and seal it so they can’t come back.

Most yards are under control within a few weeks. Monthly Gopher Patrol keeps new ones from moving in off the hillsides.

Gopher mounds are fan-shaped with a plugged hole off to one side. Around here, it’s almost always a gopher.

The first real rain floods their tunnels, so they head for somewhere dry. Your kitchen is dry. And has snacks. A perimeter treatment before the rainy season heads that off.

That’s the invasive Aedes mosquito. It breeds in tiny amounts of standing water close to your house, which means the source is usually in your yard or a neighbor’s.

Yes. Battle Pest Control holds Structural Pest Control Registration PR 10191, and I hold Branch 2 Operator License OPR 15104. You can check both at pestboard.ca.gov.

I work Monday through Saturday, and I usually reply to texts within a couple of hours, Saturdays included.