What is a Pest Control Service Agreement and why are they useful?

Many of our commercial clients (and some domestic as well) choose to have a service agreement in place with us for their pest control. But what does it mean? And what are the advantages of this, rather than just giving us a ring when you find an issue?

What is a Service Agreement or Contract?

A pest control service agreement is a more proactive approach to pest control than just reacting when a problem is found. A technician will routinely (typically eight times a year) visit to inspect and carry out any remedial action if necessary. This allows any pest issues to dealt with proactively before they become a large scale issue.

Service agreements are not just restricted to food-related sites such as restaurants, factories and warehouses. We also work with stables, schools and shopping centres to name a few.

What pests can be covered by a Service Agreement?

As every site is unique, we would carry out a full survey and risk assessment to ensure that the service agreement covers the pests that are appropriate. The most common service agreement is for rats and mice, but we also have service agreements in place with clients for ants, cockroaches, rabbits, moles, pigeons and many more! In addition to this, we also offer Electronic Fly Killer (EFK) service and maintenance on a service agreement.

How often would a routine visit be?

Once again, this is very dependant on the site and the pests covered in the service agreement. Service agreements can vary from two routine visits a year for Electronic Fly Killer (EFK) maintenance to monthly visits for rats and mice.

Is there an additional cost if I see an issue before you are due to visit?

No, all emergency call outs and follow ups are included in the quarterly fee.

What are the advantages to having a Service Agreement or Contract?

These are some of the advantages of having a service agreement in place rather than reacting to pest control issues as they arise.

• The regularity of a visit from a profession pest controller allows for signs of pests to be identified before they become a problem.
• By being proactive in pest management, it minimises the need for reactive pest control.
• It can form part of Due Diligence in a food safety programme.
• All emergency visits and treatments are included in the quarterly fee.
• It allows for requirements/standards such as BRC, SALSA and AIB as well as supermarket specifications, to be met. For more information about these click here.
• It enables a partnership with the pest control provider to proactively attend to any housekeeping or proofing recommendations to minimise the risk of pests entering the premises.

If you would like to find out more about arranging a survey for a Service Agreement, get in touch with Pest Solution’s friendly and knowledgeable staff by clicking here.