HOA Pest Control in Tempe, AZ

A homeowners association answers for the places everyone uses and nobody personally owns. When a resident finds a scorpion by the pool or a black widow in a gate latch, the call goes to the board. Common-area work is a different job from pest control in Tempe for a single house: the board needs a written scope, notices for residents and a record it can show at the next meeting. Kekoa is a one-owner business, so size matters here. Kai will tell you whether your community is a fit.

What is an HOA board responsible for?

The CC&Rs set the line between association property and private lots, and that line decides who pays. Beyond that, a board has three duties worth planning around.

• Upkeep. The association must maintain the common areas it owns or controls.
• Public health. Maricopa County's Environmental Health Code expects whoever owns or controls a property to act against rodents, roaches and flies before they take hold.
• Hiring properly. State law calls for any pest management business to carry a state license, issued by the Department of Agriculture. A board can verify any vendor on the state lookup. Weed control falls under its own category, so confirm that too.

Condominiums have a default in statute. Under A.R.S. 33-1247, unless the declaration says otherwise, the association maintains the common elements and each owner maintains the unit.

Ask your manager or attorney about anything in the governing documents that touches on vendor contracts. This page is general information.

HOA pest control in Tempe, AZ: where the pests are

Block walls top the list. A University of Arizona Extension publication reports that 95% of bark scorpions in one study chose hollow block walls as refuge, and it recommends stuccoing and capping them. Long perimeter walls, the backbone of many East Valley communities, are the first place to look.

Other trouble spots include:

• Pools and decks. Extension warns that damp, discarded pool towels attract scorpions. Pump rooms and storage closets are also cool and damp.
• Gates and kiosks. Black widows and wasps settle in hollow posts, keypads and mailbox clusters.
• Greenbelts and irrigation boxes. Water and shade attract scorpions, crickets and ants, and bees can move into valve boxes.
• Clubhouses. Kitchens, restrooms and trash areas are all open to roaches.
• Citrus and palms. Fallen fruit and heavy skirts can attract roof rats.

What should a common-area plan spell out?

A short written scope saves a lot of meetings. Cover these items:

• A map or list of each area included, and any left out
• Target pests and how a resident report is handled
• Visit frequency, by area and by season
• Whether weed control is included, and which category of license covers it
• Who sends notices, and how far ahead
• What each visit produces for the board

Keep private lots out unless the board says otherwise, and be clear with residents about it. Private patios, roof spaces and the inside of owners' walls are the usual arguments, so name them. Owners who want interior help can ask about monthly pest control for their own home. A quiet community may ask how far a schedule can stretch, and the quarterly pest control page covers what a longer gap gives up.

How do you run treatments around residents?

Residents use pools, paths and playgrounds at all hours, so timing takes some thought. Here is how a season can run:

1. Scope the site. The board or manager walks the common areas with Kai if the job is a fit.
2. Set the calendar. Pick visit dates around pool hours, events and landscape crew days. Weekdays until 5 and Saturday mornings are Kai's working window.
3. Notify residents. The manager sends the date, the areas and the stay-off time for people and pets.
4. Treat. Work follows label directions, with placement thought through for pool decks, playgrounds and pet walks.
5. Report. The board should ask for a summary and a list of what was used.
6. Review. Look at resident reports each quarter and change the plan if needed.

Which records should the board keep?

Boards change, and a new treasurer should be able to pick up the file. Keep these:

• The signed scope and any changes
• A dated record of each visit
• The list of products used, which a Google reviewer reports getting from Kai at monthly visits
• Resident complaints and how each was answered
• Notices sent
• Repairs such as capped walls, fixed irrigation leaks or sealed gates

What sets the cost for a community?

Kekoa has no posted HOA rate, and the number comes from the site. Expect the following to matter:

• Size of the community and length of block wall
• Number of pools, clubhouses, gates and kiosks
• How often each area needs attention
• Whether weed control is included, and how much gravel it covers
• Notice or reporting requirements

Tempe-area communities vary a lot. A gated townhome site with one pool is a small job next to a master-planned community with miles of block wall and several amenity centers, and that second kind may be too large for one person. Turf greenbelts, citrus and palm skirts each add ground to cover, and a board that wants a written report after every visit adds time. Ask Kai to price common areas apart from weed work, so the board can compare bids line by line.

Why Kekoa for a smaller association

• The board knows who is on site. It is Kai, the owner, on every visit.
• He also handles weeds. One reviewer says he addresses weeds as well as pests, and that is useful for a gravel common area.
• Scorpions come up often in his reviews. Several customers mention fewer or no scorpions after service.
• Straight talk. Family owned, with "No sales gimmick" in the Google description, and an honest answer if your community is too large for one person.
• Timekeeping. Customers report a reminder the day before and on-time arrivals, so a pool closure or gate code can be arranged around a known visit.

Kai is based in Tempe, and associations in nearby Chandler, Gilbert and Sun Lakes are welcome to ask. Call (209) 563-1650 with the community name and a rough map of the common areas.