An Interview with The Bug Master

– Please describe a little bit about your company and the services you offer.

The Bug Master is a local, family owned Austin pest control provider. We have over 30 years of experience handling all pest control issues. From big commercial accounts like HEB to your next door neighbor, we address general pest control, termites, rodents, bed bugs, ants, roaches, and spiders. We stand behind all services 100% with a money back guarantee.

– What is your position at The Bug Master?

My name is Keld Ewart. I am the Marketing Coordinator. I develop product lines, conduct market research, and try to communicate our brand to the community. I want you to know who we are, and trust us to come in your home or business to provide you with a value in service when you need it.

– What advice can you give to prevent pests from entering the home?

1. Caulk goes a long way. You want to make sure the structure is sealed off from pest. Stuff weep holes around the base of your home, make sure your doors close tightly. Caulk any crack and crevices around windows. Wire mesh screen over all roof vents. Just make sure the home is sealed tight from insects and rodents.

2. Trim back vegetation and mow your yard. You don’t want ANY plants touching your home or its roof. Trim back ornamental bushes and trees. You also want to limit harborage for pests. Get rid of brush piles, standing water, keep in mind that rats love bird seed. All this will help get rid bugs and rodents.

3. For termites, if your home is on a cement slab, you want to make sure the soil level around your home is lower than the slab. If flower beds or the ground level is above the slab line you create an easy access point for termites to enter unnoticed.

– What are the most prevalent pests found in Texas? How do you go about getting rid of these pests?

Here in Central Texas the big ones are termites, bed bugs, rodents, and general pest like ants, roaches, spiders, and scorpions.

The process to get rid of each of these is different. For general pest you want to get rid of harborage areas to discourage pest populations. Then you want to create a barrier and keep the pests outside your home. Prevention is a big deal and is our focus for these types of pests.

A termite treatment is a much more intense treatment. To get rid of termites you need to create a barrier to protect your home. Since termites come from underground you need to dig around the home and put a product in the ground that will kill termites.

Bed bugs require an intense and invasive treatment. You will need a professional to put out products that will kill bed bugs. This means an intense crack and crevice treatment with chemical products and elements of heat, like steam.

Rodents require a trapping process and then you need to seal up the structure. So the first step is getting rid of rodents, then make sure they can’t get back in.

– What are some precautions to take to avoid the risk of bed bugs?

Generally bed bugs are brought home from traveling. When you travel, try to stay in reputable hotels. DO NOT throw your clothes on the floor of a hotel room. When you get home put all your cloths directly into a washing machine, then the dryer. The dryer will kill bed bugs.

– Once the new homeowner moves in, are there any precautions they should take relating to pest control within the first couple weeks?

If you are buying a property, you want a Wood Destroying Insect Report, or a WDI. This is an intense termite inspection usually required in a real estate transaction. After moving in prevention is the way to go. Get rid of habitat and prevent problems. Trim trees and bushes. Get rid of brush piles and standing water. Make sure the soil level is a good 2 inches below the slab. I would always stuff weep holes and make sure vents in the attic are sealed off. This prevents creepy crawlers and rodent from getting in. Beyond all these steps, you can also look into a general pest control program to keep the home pest free. We offer monthly and quarterly maintenance program that provide prevention and a strong warranty.

– What type of Green pest Control services you offer?

Green pest control services are becoming more and more popular especially for our Austin customer base. In response to this customer trend we have developed a complete line of green pest control services. We offer green termite treatments with a new product developed by Dupont called Altriset. This is an impressive termiticides that will ONLY EFFECT termites. The industry standard termiticides have not historically been this way. We also have a full line of botanical based products for general pest control and flea treatments.

– What are the most difficult kinds of projects?

We are in the service industry; we serve customers in their homes and businesses. People naturally expect a high level of customer service under those circumstances. Exceeding customer expectations is a constant challenge for us. It is a never ending struggle that requires good communication to set realistic expectations and make sure all Bug Master team members are providing the specific service bought by the customer. This can be more difficult than it sounds because all our services are customizable based on the specific customer needs and the property being addressed.