[villages07]

Hawkeye,

Congrats...great decision!!!

It is a good idea to have a pest control company. Most of the major players here treat the exterior perimeter of your house...creating a barrier that prevents bugs from coming in. I have Massey and they do pest control 4 times a year...annual cost is about $250. Other companies may be less.

As for termite protection, if you are buying a new house, you should have a one-year warranty so don't need to do anything now. In a year, you'll have to decide if you want to spend $100-$125/year for termite protection insurance. Most companies simply do annual inspections and treat if there is a problem. Some will do ongoing preventative treatments.

Of course, once you're here you can decide how much of lawn care, weed and feed, and pest prevention you want to do yourself. When you're not here permanently, you pretty much have to contract out for these services.