Is Orkin Really Worth It?

I have gotten it sprayed before and with ants they just come back. I take borax and a little sugar mix and out it in spots they come in. This keeps them out and only costs a few dollars. I also, take a ant killer spray and spray outside. Since I did this at first sight, this is the first time in 10 years that I have stopped the ants right away.

I like supporting local businesses. I know I'm in Texas, so giving you names won't help you, but maybe you could ask around. That price sounds insane to me. I have a man who owns his own pest control company who comes out quarterly. He charges $67 each time, and he sprays inside and outside. We live on a small farm with tons of trees and pets, and we have never had a problem with bugs of any kind (knock on wood!). I would get other estimates if I were you.

i love love love my orkin lady
i had ants i sanitixed my kitchen washed my floor and counters every day and they still came back
tried one company the ants came bak
got orkin and they are gone
and let me tell you with a 14 month old there are snacks for the ants on the floor
but no ants

I personally would stay away from any chemicals around a young child. I'm not sure if this is true, but my great aunt said she got her house sprayed years back and somehow her house caught on fire and the investigator told because the chemicals they used were flammable. I think if that were the case, more houses would catch fire and there would be lawsuits.

But, regardless, chemicals are poisonous, I would stay away. We get the little red ants every spring; they get so bad they even crawl on walls and ceilings. They came again this year, but I poured liquid gel ant killer in the crack they were coming in thru and we haven't seen anymore since then.

I hear borax is good if you add it with something sweet to eat, but it's highly poisonous too, so if your baby or pet got a hold of it, you'll be worse off.

Search for organic ant control and see what you can find. But, I'd stay away from chemicals - they just aren't healthy.

Good luck.

My husband buys something to spray around the outside of our house every year. He does it himself. I've never noticed an odor & he has been doing it for the 6 years we've lived in the house. We have never had a problem with ants or any other bugs. I don't know what it's called but he always gets it at Home Depot, Menard's, etc. It seems to work & is much cheaper than using Orkin. I do have friends who have used a pest control company (not sure who) and were happy with the results. Good Luck!

Try Aarex...I think that's how to spell it..it's in the western burbs and cheaper than Orkin but just as good.

That price is outrageous. We had a terrible ant infestation this spring, and we called a locally owned pest control company. (My husband is a realtor, and this company is used for a lot of the termite inspections on home sales, so he knew their work to be very good.) They charge us $33/month, no contract, and will come back out for free if we need them to during the month. I would keep looking - we used Orkin before and they were fine, but that price is out of control!

I will say that after this local company treated for ants, our ant problem went away completely within a few days and we haven't seen an ant since. So you will get immediate relief from the ant problem.

We have sweet ants every year and have tried everything, a regular exterminator is the only way to keep our house ant free. We have also tried a few exterminators and the only one that has ever kept our ants in control is Pointe Pest Control. The best part is they use botanical pesticide solutions.

I have quarterly service and than if I get over run in between they will come back out for free. I can't say enough about them, we deal with this every year and they are the only ones that have kept our problem in check and their fees are no where near $700.

Pointe Pest Control
Address: 1275 Roosevelt Road, Suite 118
West Chicago, IL 60185
Phone: ###-###-####

don't get it sprayed unless you move out for 2 or 3 days.. they can say it doesn't harm anyone.. but i know one person who had a baby in the house after house was sprayed.. and he got very ill.. he had seizures.. he was 6 months old.. it only happens llike one in a million.. but i wouldn't do it.. get some ant spray like raid.. spray outside you house.. by all the windows and door ways.. spray inside.. leave windows open.. and let someone take the baby for the day.. you need to find out where they are coming from... like are their more in the kitchen.. then spray that area really good.. spray outside that area really good.. good luck.. don't spend the money yet..

Hi, I also heard oatmeal it expands in their stomach and they explode. Try natural first, also they won't cross a chalk line, I believe. Google it!!!!!!!!!!!! Take care A.

i have no experience with ants, but i had fleas brought in the house by my dogs who got them from some stray cats in the yard. i tried every home remedy and ended up spending quite alot of money buying do it yourself foggers, sprays, and things like that. i also had to pay out for getting the dogs cleaned every time the fleas came back,. in the end nothing worked and i really wish i had called orkin first. their prices were very reasonable and affordable and they got rid of the fleas with the first visit to my home. no one ever got sick or had any problems with the chemicals and at the time i was 6 months pregnant and my other kids were 5 and 6, also had the 2 dogs in the house. i would do it and just be cautious on where the baby will crawl and clean clean clean, when they are done and the ants are gone. good luck

We had HORRIBLE carpenters ants a few yers ago (probably more like 6 years ago) and called in I think Terminix. Just like we you had had them for a few years and at that point they were so bad nothing "OTC" would get rid of them. Well, it turns out we had a large tree in our yard that was dying and totally hollow. The bug guys told me that all of the chemicals in the world would not get rid of the ants until we had the tree removed, so we did. It worked. We still get a few now and then. Now, it did not cost anywhere near $700 for the bug guy, I cannot remember what it was, but I am SURE that we would not have paid more than a couple hundred. I am not sure what kind of ants you have, but if they are carpenter, then you should look around your house for any kind of dead tree, mulch ( a big no no for ants) or anything else that you attract them to your home. Good luck!!

What sort of ants are they?

For some kinds of ants, you can put down regular cream of wheat on the floor. They eat it, it expands and it pops their exoskeleton, killing them.

At our old house we had a brick patio and there were ants everywhere. We would go to the local hardware store (home depot, lows, orchard supply hardware) and get malathion. We would use the cheap $10-20 dollar paint sprayer and spray a solid line all along the base of the house (ours was concrete slab). This kept them from coming in the house and we would spray on the bricks when needed too. We only had ants come in the house once in 5 years. At our current house we do use Orkin but the amount they are quoting you is outrageous and I would not pay it. We pay like $94 every 2 months and they cover all bugs in and out of the yard from grubs in the grass to spiders, ants, and fleas. They know we have little kids, our guy has a little one too and we've never had a problem. When they've sprayed/fogged in the house for fleas I made sure to wipe down surfaces and vacuumed. We did stay out for 6-8 hours and they say you only need to be out for 3-4 or until the carpet is dry. Both the malathion and any chemical isn't good for kids but I can't handle ants in the house either and am glad we haven't had the horror story problems that some of my friends have had. The malathion did keep the bugs out all year, we treated every 1-2 months as needed. The nice thing with Orkin or any other is you may only have them come out every 2 months but they will come as often as you need them if you are having issues. Good luck.

I grew up in a house where we didn't use any chemicals to get rid of bugs and we used vinegar to clean. Well, when my daughter was in her crib the ants were getting into it. I freaked out and called Orkin. We have had Orkin in every house since and have never had any issues. I also have three cats and three dogs and four kids.

Can you google some more exterminators and price check? I pay my person about $340 a year for four sprays (and he will come out extra if needed at no extra charge). I live in Bartlett and he's in Elgin. He might even go out your way. I have had really bad carpenter ant problems -- we live in a slightly wooded area in town and all the neighbors have problems and use various exterminators. None use Orkin though. Let me know if you'd like the number for the guy I use. He owns his own company.

we had a contract with a-1 exterminator. They charge 500.00 (i think) for the year. They have 4 scheduled visits and will come out in between for no additional charge if you have any pests/insects in between. They used a gel that stayed in place and the ants came and ate it. WE have two very young children and the spray was a concern for us too. In the peak seasons they did have to come out more than once (about a month and a half apart) but the ants did go away right after they were here. Very professional staff and pretyy good about getting to your house right away.
Good luck, I hate ants too.

go to myownpestcontrol.com you can order the same pesticides the pros use. we have those asian lady bugs and i have pretty much taken care of them on my own with this company. there prices are great its not like the crud that HD sales its the real deal. Just use common sense wear latex gloves long sleeves and glasses. wash clothes after doing a cycle you know what i mean. Be sure to do the outside perimeter of your home as well as the inside. good luck

Yes......what all these other people don't know is that Orkin comes every month! They are the best in the business, and spray inside and outside the whole house! Their products are SAFE, they come from plant extracts...NOT chemicals. maybe some of you need to get your facts straight before you answer questions, all it takes is a little real research.

Ants aren't dirty little beasts. I once ate some Cheerios with ants in it. They weren't that bad. I was so mad that there were ants in my cereal that I ate those little buggers and taught them a lesson. Delicious!!!! I have Orkin come and spray every 2 months. They do a great job by the way.