We called Smithereen to handle a nest of yellowjackets (we initially thought it was wasps, but they identified them as YJs) that had developed in the siding of one of our first story windows. We had tried to get rid of them ourselves via OTC insecticides but after several sprays determined we needed professional exterminators. I can't speak to how Smithereen responds to other pests, but as far as this case went I would say "professional" is an inaccurate assessment of their services.
We ended up scheduling three visits in total. For the first, the technician came armed with nothing more than his own spray can of insecticide - from all appearances (and, as I soon observed, results) no different than the $5 can I'd purchased from Home Depot and used myself. I don't want to lay this lack of preparation on the tech's shoulders, however. The poor guy didn't even have a ladder to reach the window siding in question; he ended up needing to borrow mine! I don't know how Smithereen determines how or what equipment to send out with their techs, but when the pest itself is capable of FLIGHT and tends to NOT nest at ground level, I would imagine a ladder should be the bare minimum. Regardless, I was lucky enough to have my own that was JUST tall enough to get the tech where he needed to go. He then proceeded to spray the hole. And... that was it. Granted, he was able to soak it from angles I hadn't been able to reach myself (me bracing the ladder for him might have helped), but in the end that was all he did, or could do given the equipment he had. He told me to wait until the following day and use some caulk to fill in the hole, as by then all the yellowjackets should be dead and gone. I blindly trusted that the insecticide he used, which LOOKED very similar to the one I had used, was, presumably, of a more "professional" strength.
The yellowjackets were back by the following morning, so that hope was quickly dashed.
We scheduled a follow up, and the tech returned with insecticide and, again, no ladder. This time he offered to caulk the hole himself immediately after spraying, which I appreciated as I'd paid a lot for someone to come and do what I'd already basically done. He sprayed the hole again, filled it with caulk, and went on his way. Alas, within an hour or two it was clear the caulk had seeped down the hole and left it open, and since the insecticide did nothing the YJs returned within a few hours.
I scheduled one more look (which the customer service rep claimed was "beyond the scope of their guarantee"; despite it being listed as 30 days he said that they only typically do "two visits" before they charge you again; I pushed back and he relented, but still...). This time I got a new tech who, again, had no ladder, but claimed he had a "much stronger insecticide" than the previous tech that could "kill on contact" (why that hadn't been employed in the first place I don't know). But this guy was far more apprehensive on the ladder and didn't feel comfortable doing the caulk, so he simply sprayed from where he was comfortable and told me I should do the caulking once the insecticide had dried in a couple of hours. I just went to do so before writing this review, and... the yellowjackets are alive and well and presumably redecorating.
Needless to say, I'll be looking elsewhere for help with any stinging, flying pest issues in the future. I hope Smithereen learns how to better equip their techs for problems like ours, or at the very least comes clean with future customers if wasps, bees, yellowjackets and the like just aren't in their wheelhouse. read more
