Skip to main content
Fernwell Pest Management · PDX

integrated pest management · no greenwashing

Eco & safety, stated plainly

Least-toxic-first is a work order, not a slogan. Here's the ladder we climb, the re-entry times for everything we apply, and the five refusals that define how Fernwell operates.

the ladder

Five rungs, climbed in order — every job

  1. 01

    Identify

    Species first. A third of 'termite' calls are ants; a third of 'bed bug' calls aren't. Nothing gets applied to an unidentified pest.

  2. 02

    Exclude

    Seal the gap, screen the vent, sweep the door. Physical fixes outlast every product we carry, so they come first on the work order.

  3. 03

    Remove the reason

    Moisture, food, harborage. You get a written habitat list with every job — fixing the gutter is often the treatment.

  4. 04

    Treat — least-toxic first

    Baits and growth regulators before broadcast products. Crack-and-crevice before bands. Bands before anything wider — and 'wider' almost never happens.

  5. 05

    Monitor & verify

    Numbered monitors, interceptor cups, follow-up visits. A job is done when the evidence says so, not when the invoice is paid.

Hands sealing the gap along a door frame with a caulking gun — exclusion work that keeps pests out without any product
fig. 05 — a sealed gap outlasts any spray

product honesty

We're not "chemical-free." We're precise.

We're not a 'no-chemicals' company, and we won't pretend to be one — we're a right-chemical, right-dose, right-place company. When a job can be solved with a sealed gap and a vacuum, that's the quote you'll get.

'Natural' doesn't automatically mean safer: dose, placement, and exposure decide risk. A locked exterior bait station is safer for your dog than a 'botanical' spray across the lawn.

Every product we use carries an EPA registration, and every visit note lists what was applied, where, and at what concentration. Ask your tech to walk you through it — they like it when people ask.

kids, pets & timing

Re-entry times, published

The same table your visit note repeats. Tell us about aquariums, reptiles, and birds when you book — they're more sensitive than cats and dogs and change what we use.

Re-entry times by treatment context
Where & what Product class Kids & pets
Exterior foundation band Pyrethroid, low-pressure coarse spray Keep kids & pets off treated surfaces until dry — typically 1–2 hours
Interior crack-and-crevice Gel baits & dusts placed inside voids No re-entry wait — placements are out of reach by design
Kitchen roach program Gel bait + insect growth regulator Stay out of the kitchen during the visit only; surfaces are never treated
Wasp nest treatment Targeted aerosol/dust at the nest Keep the nest area clear for 24–48 hours while stragglers return
Exterior rodent stations Anticoagulant bait in locked, anchored stations None — stations are tamper-resistant; never used indoors

the refusals

Five things we won't do, at any price

  • No blanket interior baseboard spraying on routine visits — it's theatre, and it's the first thing we cut
  • No rodenticide inside living spaces, and no glue boards, period
  • No treating honey bees — swarms get referred to a local beekeeper for relocation
  • No calendar-based termite contracts on homes with no evidence of termites
  • No 'general spray' without an identified target pest — if we can't name it, we don't treat it
A boy sitting on a wooden living-room floor petting a yellow Labrador while his family watches from the kitchen
fig. 06 — re-entry times published for every product class we use

next step

Questions we didn't answer here?

The FAQ covers contracts, rain, whether you need to leave the house, and why 'natural' isn't a safety guarantee. Or ask a technician directly — they like it when people ask.

or call (503) 555-0164 — Mon–Fri 7:30 am – 5:30 pm · Sat 8 am – 1 pm

Sample site by SearchPod