Commercial pest control in Port Elizabeth
It depends on the type of business. A kitchen, a shop and a food-processing site don't automatically need the same plan or the same visit frequency.
True Clean assesses commercial pest work in Port Elizabeth case by case. We do a lot of once-off jobs, and we also arrange recurring work where that is what the site needs.
Written by Diederik Visser
Operations, marketing and pest control at True Clean. Seven years in pest control.
First-hand information recorded .
How do you decide what plan a business needs?
I look at the type of business, the site, the pest problem and what the client needs. That decides the treatment and how often we should be checking it.
Some businesses have roughly three-monthly preventative visits. Others need more frequent attention. It isn't a fixed schedule just because the address is commercial.
On many of our business jobs, that means a preventative visit about once every three months, with rodent checks and baiting where the site needs them. Food-related premises may need a different plan. I want to know what the business does and what is happening there before recommending the work.
When might visits need to be more frequent?
A food-processing site may need monthly attention. With a serious infestation, such as a heavy cockroach problem, we've had to arrange treatment twice a month for a while and then return to monthly visits.
Those are examples from our work, rather than rules for every business. The plan needs to suit the actual site, treatment and pest pressure.
The twice-a-month example is about getting an existing heavy infestation under control. Once the activity is under control, the visits can return to the ongoing arrangement we have agreed with the client. We review the work against what the site needs.
What do you check on recurring visits?
On a kitchen visit, I look under the counters and inside the cupboards as well as the surfaces people see while working. For rodent work, I check for activity each time I go in. The visit needs to tell us what is happening now, even where the client hasn't phoned about a new sighting.
If something needs correcting, I do both parts: write it on the report and physically tell the client. That gives them the written record and a chance to understand what I found while I am there.
What records does the client receive?
The service report records which pesticides were used, how much was used and which areas were treated. The client also receives the invoice.
Tell us about your site's reporting or audit requirements before we quote. We need to establish what is required rather than assume a standard report meets every industry's needs.
Those details are about the actual visit: the product, amount and treatment areas. If your business needs particular records for its own processes, raise that before we agree on the work so we can confirm the documentation you need.
Do you only work on ongoing contracts?
No. We do a lot of once-off commercial jobs. For recurring monthly or quarterly work, we also use service-level agreements.
We'll discuss the scope and arrangements with you. There's no single plan or fixed term being offered on this page.
A business can contact us about a problem that needs dealing with now without first assuming it needs a long ongoing arrangement. If regular visits are appropriate, we can discuss monthly or quarterly work and the service-level agreement that goes with it. The site assessment and the client's needs come first.
Questions we get asked
Is three-monthly treatment right for every business?
No. It is a common arrangement on some of our jobs, but the industry, site and problem decide what needs doing.
Can you help with a once-off infestation?
Yes. We do once-off commercial jobs as well as recurring work. Tell us the pest, the premises and what you've been seeing.
What does the work cost?
Commercial pest control is quoted for the site. Size, business type, pest pressure, treatment and visit frequency all need to be taken into account. No two sites are the same.
See the travel charges by area for work outside Port Elizabeth/Gqeberha.
Prices can change. We keep the site up to date as best we can, and the price we quote you before we start is the one you pay.
Tell us what you're seeing
Tell us where the problem is and what you've noticed. We'll take it from there.
Or phone 061 905 0514 if you'd rather talk to a person.