Orkin Review 2023

Written By: Amy Poole

Edited By: Andrew Dunn

Orkin is one of the country’s most prominent pest management companies, with over a century of expertise and 400-plus locations around the U.S.

The company handles most types of pests in both homes and commercial buildings, using environmentally responsible methods to locate and kill pests while maintaining the ecological balance of the earth. 

In this article, we’ll go over the services Orkin offers, the pros and cons of hiring this company, and what it’s like to work with the company.

Pros and cons of Orkin

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Orkin services

Orkin is able to handle a veritable laundry list of pests. The company says it has experience eradicating: 

• Ants
• Bed bugs
• Beetles
• Carpenter ants
• Centipedes
• Millipedes
• Cockroaches
• Flies
• Crickets
• Earwigs
• Fleas
• Mites
• Mosquitoes
• Moths
• Rodents
• Silverfish
• Spiders
• Stinging pests
• Stink bugs
• Termites
• Ticks 
  

But the company also specializes in preventing pests from becoming a problem. Orkin says it uses advanced technology to keep track of conditions that might bring pests inside your home, and then offers you a plan to stop a potential infestation. 

General pest control

Your Orkin specialist will examine your residential or commercial building to assess where the pests are nesting and how they enter the building. The team’s targeted treatments and advanced technology can tackle infestations and prevent them from returning.  Here’s the process, as the company describes it.

• Step 1: Investigate. Orkin inspects your home, including outside areas, for current or potential pest issues.
• Step 2: Protect. A team of experts treats whatever pest issues they find. This step includes removing any wasp nests or spiderwebs. 
• Step 3: Fortify. Orkin technicians will seal, plug, caulk and secure cracks and gaps in your home or commercial building to prevent insects from entering. 
• Step 4: Keep Watch. The team then installs pest monitors in areas insects are commonly found, such as bathrooms, kitchens, utility rooms and garages.
• Step 5: Report. Orkin will create a detailed report of services they’ve provided as well as any suggestions or recommendations they have to help keep your home pest-free.
• Step 6: Follow Up. If you sign up for an ongoing plan, you’ll have regularly scheduled visits. An Orkin specialist will keep in touch between the scheduled visits should you encounter a pest problem and respond to any pest emergencies. 

Termite Control

If your problem is termites in particular, Orkin has a few different methods of combating them. Once the current termites are eradicated, the technicians will generally use one of the following methods to keep them from coming back.

• Liquid termite treatments. These are used within building foundations to act as a protective barrier to avoid future infestations.
• Dry foam and OrkinFoam. These products expand to spread into hard-to-reach areas, such as interior and exterior walls, water pipes, heating ducts and voids.
• Bait monitoring. This type of treatment is used to disrupt the termites’ molting processes, stop termite growth and provide continuous preventative treatment without damaging your property. 

Bed bug services

Orkin’s bed bug exterminators diagnose, treat and remove bed bugs using a treatment plan that suits the infestation. Technicians typically begin by examining the primary room with a bed bug infestation, plus any adjacent rooms to avoid missing any bugs. Orkin then attempts to disrupt the bed bug life cycle by killing eggs and nymphs.

Once your current issue is under control, Orkin will monitor common areas of your home where bed bugs enter to make sure they don’t come back.

Mosquito services

Orkin’s seasonal mosquito control service begins with a thorough inspection to locate mosquitos and their nests. Orkin then applies a combination of synthetic and natural insecticides to areas where water collects and common mosquito resting sites. This helps prevent eggs from hatching and producing more mosquitoes.

Extra services

In addition to solving pest infestations, Orkin offers preventative care plans year-round to eliminate pests, plus a special program for new homeowners who want to make sure their home doesn’t become a haven for bugs. Orkin also offers other, related home services they can knock out alongside your pest control.

Seasonal pest control 

This service aims to prevent an infestation from forming by targeting pests when they’re more active, including these seasons: swarm, breeding, high, prep, invader and shelter. Knowing these core seasons allows specialists to arrange an appointment to stop pests in their tracks. 

New Homeowner Pest Prevention

After you close on your home, you can hire Orkin to come in and do a complete inventory of the property, looking for potential future pest problems. This includes any obvious signs that pests are present, such as hollowed-out wood, leaky pipes, dark and moist basement and overgrown vegetation. 

If you’ve already moved into your home, specialists can check for plumbing leaks, clean gutters, seal windows, trim low-hanging trees, clean the attic, or install door sweeps to keep pests out. 

Home Services

Orkin’s home services all revolve around preventing pests – but they’re also common tasks you might hire another contractor for. These services include:

• Attic insulation. Orkin Therm and Orkin Comfort Zone insulation services provide an extra defense against pests.  
• Gutter cleaning. Orkin LeafStopper cleans gutters, prevents pests and minimizes water damage.
• Moisture control. Orkin DryZone reduces humidity indoors to protect pipes and improve energy efficiency. 
• Lawn treatments. This tackles pests, weeds and diseases that could harm your lawn.
• Wildlife management. This management service helps you to control wildlife, such as squirrels and raccoons, that trespass on your property. 
• Sanitization. Orkin VitalClean kills 100% of bacteria and viruses on non-porous surfaces.

How much does Orkin cost?

Unfortunately, Orkin doesn’t specify the cost of any of its services on its website. This is because the company states that each customer receives a customized plan that takes the insect problem, surrounding environment and your home into consideration. 

A highly trained Orkin specialist will inspect your premises, assess the severity of the situation, devise a treatment plan, apply these methods and monitor the situation for long-lasting results. 

Where is Orkin service available?

Orkin provides services in 49 states, and most of them have many different Orkin branches. California has a whopping 58 of them, and Florida has 45. Alaska is the only state where Orkin does not offer pest control. 

Working with Orkin

If you’re interested in hiring Orkin, you can start the process by calling them directly at 855-765-9834 or requesting a call-back through an online form. Orkin’s website has a drop-down of available dates and times to receive a call back to get your quote and set up an inspection.

Once you’re on the phone with an Orkin representative, they’ll ask you about the types of services you’re interested in, such as bed bug inspection or termite control. The quote you get will be personalized based on the infestation you have, the size of your property and where you live. 

Orkin reviews

Here are some Orkin pest control reviews from past customers to provide insight into the company’s professionalism and reputation.

“Great service called yesterday. They were here promptly this morning, and the tech was very professional and extremely helpful. Great job, *****!” — J.B, BBB.org.

“Very professional young man came to inspect the property. Took the time to explain everything. He answered all of our questions. Gave us his card and told us to call if we had any more questions”. — Deborah M, BBB.org.

“Monday, August 8, 2022, I have made several attempts to get an answer to my question. I posted to Orkin a month ago. I failed to get a reply/answer to my question despite my numerous requests for an answer. I used their website to post questions and also ask them why they haven’t responded in a timely manner. I don’t recommend these Orkin “*********************” to anyone. It is rude not to respond to a customer’s inquiry at the time of the service within a reasonable amount of time. I have been waiting more than a month now. I have told them I am hard of hearing and require a response via email, not through a voicemail. I also informed them via their website that I no longer require their services from this point on. And God help me if they do continue treating my place. There is no “discontinue services” button on their website, which I suspect one has to do by calling their number. Hello… guess what? I’m deaf”. — Nathan H, BBB.org.

Our conclusion

Overall, Orkin is a reputable company with many years of experience and a team of specialists that help to treat and prevent pest infestations. Companies generally don’t get so large without a strong track record of serving customers, and Orkin is no exception.

We wish that Orkin made it easier to evaluate its services and pricing. But in general, Orkin can quickly provide a custom treatment plan based specific to your home. With the company’s extensive experience with all manner of pests, you can be relatively certain they’ll be able to help you. Plus, there are additional services available that many other pest providers don’t offer, including inspecting new homes and providing attic insulation to make your property less desirable for pests.