AB-Con Frequently Asked Questions

Most treatments require you to stay off treated areas until the product has dried. In most cases, this is a 1-2 hour period. Since AB-Con only treats problem areas on the interior, you are able to stay in untreated parts of your home.

Yes, our initial one-time service comes with a 4-week warranty from date of service.

Termite treatments are warranted for one year and are renewable.

Yes, we do. All of our office staff are fully trained and our years of experience allow us to be able to give price quotes right over the phone, with no obligation. If we can’t answer your question over the phone we will send a technician to your house for a free inspection and estimate. Click Here to Request A Free Estimate!

Our Coverall Protection plan offers the best protection of your home. Complete one-time indoor, outdoor service. Offering two free service calls within the given year (if needed) covering insects indicated on your Service Agreement.

Depending on the product used, it is common to see an increase in activity following service. Some materials are actually designed to attract pests because they share it with others in their nest. The increase in activity will subside over time as more pests die from feeding on the bait.

Increased pest sightings are also common after service because the pests are exposed to a product that is an irritant.

Absolutely. We are a fully licensed and registered business with the state of New Jersey and fully insured.

It generally takes 7 to 10 days for most services to be fully effective. We recommend giving the materials 7 to 10 days to work before calling to request an additional service. Certainly, if you have concerns or are in doubt, please contact us.

Check any and every hotel room for signs of a bed bugs infestation before you bring in your luggage.

Remove the blankets on the bed and lift up the mattress at all four corners and check the box springs. Check the sheets and blankets – they leave behind brown or red spots.

Check furniture, upholstery and hollow bedposts, as well as crevices behind baseboards, pictures and even torn wallpaper.

Large infestations of bed bugs can create a musty, sweet odor.

Elevate your luggage and other items. Carefully inspect the hotel’s luggage rack. If there are no signs of bed bugs on it, use it to keep your suitcase off the floor and away from the bed.

Pull the luggage rack away from the wall. This will reduce the likelihood of the insect crawling up the wall and getting into your things.

Check your luggage while repacking and once you return home, to ensure you haven’t picked up unwelcome visitors. Bed bugs are great hitchhikers, so be sure to check your luggage and clothing for bed bugs before bringing luggage back into the bedroom. You may want to unpack in a utility room or garage.

Although State mandates don’t allow us to use the word “safe”, the products that AB-Con uses are extremely consumer friendly – which means: no odor, won’t harm grass or plants and don’t stain. They are considered mammal friendly and have the longest lasting residuals on the market. More importantly, they are applied only by licensed professionals who follow the application directions precisely as described on the product labels.

Our advanced termite control treatment will take a single day, or less, with very little upset to your daily routine. Methods vary with each house, depending on the type of foundation or basement, construction materials, number and type of porches, patios, chimneys, etc. By digging narrow trenches along walls and drilling through horizontal surfaces and into voids, materials can be applied where they will kill termites within your home and block the colonies re-entry.

• Seal any cracks and holes on the outside of the home, including areas where utilities and pipes enter the home. Check all windows and door frames.
• Screen vents and openings to chimneys.
• Keep attics, basements and crawl spaces well ventilated and dry.
• Repair fascia, soffits and rotted roof shingles; some insects are drawn to deteriorating wood.
• Replace loose mortar and weather-stripping around the basement foundation and windows.
• Clean away weeds and leaves from the perimeter of your home.
• If you suspect a pest infestation in your home, contact AB-Con to inspect and treat the pest problem.

Probably not, because bed bugs can survive extreme temperatures (up to 113 degrees Fahrenheit) and are extremely difficult to kill, treating for an infestation requires the use of a licensed, professional pest control operator with specific experience treating for these pests.

Yes, they have the ability to chew through wood, and in some cases can be worse than Termites.

Most likely. In the New Jersey region, the Carpenter Ant is one of the largest and more prominent ant species.

If this is your first encounter with a termite treatment, you should become acquainted with a term used by entomologists and pest control operators. The term is POST-TREATMENT SWARM and this is what it means to you:

Termites may swarm several weeks after even the most thorough treatment has been rendered to your home. This should not cause undue alarm, but it would help if you understood how and why it happens.

If you look at termite advertising, you will notice that the professionals say TERMITE CONTROL rather than TERMITE EXTERMINATION. This is done because the principles involved in eliminating termites from your home are quite unlike those used for any other insect. Your pest control operator made a chemical barrier in the soil around your home. Its purpose is to make it impossible for termites to travel back and forth from the soil to the timbers in your home.

Termites carry moist soil to the wood to keep the moisture-sensitive WORKERS healthy. Once the treatment has been made, the termites can no longer humidify their galleries and they start to die. The control is complete when the wood dries out to the point where the humidity is so low that termites cannot survive. In some homes, this takes place rapidly and in others, it may take several weeks.

Fortunately, the destructive WORKERS die considerably before the nondestructive SWARMERS. Nature has endowed the SWARMERS with the ability to withstand much drier environments than the WORKERS – this is because the SWARMERS must come out into the open to reproduce. Therefore, their bodies have been adapted so they can survive in a dry atmosphere. The WORKERS, on the other hand, never come out into the open because the humidity is too low for their survival.

So, if you should have a POST-TREATMENT SWARM, don’t feel that the treatment was unsuccessful. Termite control takes a number of weeks for complete results because it is dependent upon the drying out of the wooden structures in your home.

1. Look for a Termite and Pest Control company with a proven history of successful exterminations and positive feedback from customers who were completely satisfied.
2. Always deal with a qualified, licensed, certified and insured pest management company
3. Ask friends, neighbors, and co-workers to recommend pest control companies they have used successfully and how satisfied they were with the service. You can also ask the firm for customer referrals and contact the referrals.
4. Evaluate pest control companies that are members of national, state and local pest management associations such as the National Pest Management Association – NPMA, the New Jersey Pest Management Association – NJPMA, and the International Pest Control Operators – IPCO. It will indicate if they have access to up to date information and techniques – and can apply them to your situation. Pest Control Associations offer their members educational opportunities to keep them abreast of new technology and other developments. These organizations also have codes of ethics to help members strive to meet quality standards.
5. Are they a member of the Better Business Bureau, what is their rating and are there any outstanding complaints? If not, call your local Chamber of Commerce for the same information.
6. Do they have a brick and mortar business, or just a P.O. Box? What good is a guarantee, warranty or a long-term contract if they are mixing chemicals out of their basement or van?
7. How many years have they been practicing pest control in South Jersey? A new company has not had time to establish a reputation yet – which means you cannot be sure of what you will get or what kind of experience they have.
8. Before signing a contract, be sure to fully understand the nature of the household pest to be exterminated, the extent of the infestation, and the work necessary to solve the problem.
9. If a guarantee is given that shows they stand behind their work. Understand what it covers, how long it lasts, what you must do to keep it in force, and what kind of continuing control, prevention, and management are necessary.
10. Don’t be rushed into a decision. Since you are paying for professional knowledge as well as skillful application of pesticides, look for someone whose judgment you can trust. Be wary of the commissioned salesperson trying to sell you services you do NOT need.

 

11. Sleep on it (remember again, these people will be coming into your home or business). If you still feel comfortable with the firm and their contract the next morning, sign and make sure that you get a fully executed copy (signed and dated by both parties).

Flea Treatment Preparation

PRE-TREATMENT CHECKLIST:

• Clear all floor surfaces, including items on closet floors, under beds, and furniture.
• On the day of the treatment, vacuum your carpets, rugs, drapes, and furniture, including under cushions of upholstered furniture. Vacuum wood and tile floors with special attention to grooves and cracks. This will remove any loose flea eggs, pupae, and larvae. Pay special attention to wall/floor junctures and all areas frequented by pets.
• Seal vacuum bag in a plastic bag and dispose of the bag outside in a covered receptacle.
• Mop any tile, vinyl or wood flooring after vacuuming.
• Be sure to clean thoroughly all areas frequented by cats, i.e. table tops, window sills, etc.
• Remove pet food and bowls from the floor, remove litter boxes.
• Clean the pet’s bedding the day of the treatment to remove fleas.
• Remove all bedding and launder the day of the treatment in the hottest water the fabrics can tolerate.
• Clean basement and garage floors with soap and water if pet spends time in these areas. Pay particular attention to wall/floor junctures.
• Clean areas around dog houses and other outside areas where pets have access. (Maximum effectiveness of treatment will be achieved if the lawn is cut prior to treatment).
• Cover aquariums and turn off air pump (freshwater fish only).
• Close all windows and doors.
• Turn off ceiling fans before treatment, also change your thermostat about 2 degrees just so the a/c heat will not come on during treatment. This will allow your home to stay comfortable.

DURING TREATMENT:

• Remove all pets during treatment. Do not let pets return home until after treatment dries.
• Pets must be professionally treated or dipped the same day as the flea treatment.
• Leave the house for at least 3 hours or until the sprayed areas are completely dry.

POST TREATMENT:

• Ventilate by opening doors and windows.
• Clean all countertops, tables, pet dishes and any food processing surfaces.
• Turn on aquarium aerators.
• Do NOT clean the carpet or floors with detergents or cleaners for at least two weeks. Doing so can result in removal of the residual effects the chemicals are meant to have on remaining fleas or eggs that may hatch in the next few weeks.
• In 10 to 14 days, place a white cloth on the floor where most of the flea activity was present. If many fleas are noted, please call AB-Con to re-treat these areas.

NOTE: It is common to see a few fleas for up to 2 weeks after treatment. These are adult fleas which are emerging from their cocoons. They should not reproduce and should be killed in a few days after contacting the residual insecticide.

TO AVOID FUTURE INFESTATIONS:

• Be sure to keep your pet(s) on long-term flea control medication, best chosen by your pets’ veterinarian.
• Thoroughly vacuum the home every day for at least two weeks. Be sure to dispose of the bag after each vacuuming in an exterior trash bin.