Ants on the counter, a mouse in the garage, or wasps under the eaves can make a widower feel like the house is getting away from him. A pest control plan can take that worry off the list, but only if you read it before you sign. The paper is written to protect the company as much as the customer, so read it as if you were the one who has to call and complain.

Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.

What to do tonight

Gather every pest control paper in the house and put it on the kitchen table. Find the renewal date, the cancellation notice period, and the phone number or form used to cancel. Check whether the current plan renews on its own. Then walk the house with Dad and write down the problem spots: under the kitchen sink, the gap under the garage door, the basement window well, the spot where the siding meets the deck. Keep the list with the paperwork. The technician will need it, and Dad will remember the places he has already seen.

Questions to ask before you say yes

Ask exactly what is treated. Interior only, or exterior too? Does the plan include the garage, the attic, the crawl space, and the yard edge along the foundation? Ask how many visits happen in a year and whether they are scheduled in advance or booked only when you call. Ask what happens between visits if the problem returns. Get the answer in writing, because a phone promise about a free return visit is not the same as a line in the contract.

Ask what the plan leaves out. Wildlife such as squirrels, raccoons, bees in a wall, and rodents in the attic often sit outside a basic plan, and the removal may be billed separately. Ask whether the technician will need access to the garage or basement when no one is home, and who holds the keys. Ask who has to be present at each visit and whether Dad must leave the house or move a car or a pet during treatment.

Ask about the products used in the house. Ask for the label or safety information sheet for each product and keep a copy with the contract. Ask how long people and pets should stay out of a room after a treatment, and write that down for the family. This is a household safety question about products in the home, so get the answer in writing from the company.

How to compare two companies

Put the two contracts side by side. Check the same five items in each: what is covered, how many visits, what the renewal rule is, what the cancellation route is, and what is excluded. A plan that looks cheaper on the surface can cost more if the exclusions cover the very pest you have. Do not compare on the sales call alone. Compare on the page.

When to call right away

Do not wait for the next scheduled visit if you see droppings in the kitchen, a bite on anyone, a nest inside a wall, or a swarm near a door. Call the company that day. If anyone in the house is known to react badly to stings, ask the doctor what the emergency plan should be before a wasp nest is found, not after.