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My complaint is regarding Cedarcide's pestigator system, and more importantly the lack of customer response that I've received. I am actually one of five neighbors in Edmond, OK (Oklahoma City suburb) that purchased the pestigator units at the same time for our yards last May (2008). I had my professional yard company install the pestigator originally and it did not work right off the bat. We found that the backcheck valve was faulty and bought a new valve (on my own dime). We then found that we were going through the cedar oil concentrate way too fast and had to adjust the meter way below its lowest setting. I lost the whole summer last year tinkering with it. We winterized it before the winter came and when I went to start it up this year, we found another valve broken. So right now I feel like a sucker having spent $1400 for a piece of equipment that never has worked properly (not to mention the extra money for the valve and the labor for installation and maintenance by my local irrigation company). In addition, I’ve not had good customer service to date. I've been calling and trying to talk to someone for over two months now and have not heard back. If I’m not able to get some sort of positive feedback, then I’m just going to give up on the stuff after I go through what I’ve got manually.
The lesson that I've learned regarding a mosquito control system, is to go with someone local that maintains responsibility for it until it works properly.
We were led to the Cedarcide products primarily because of problems with chiggers, and secondarily to control fleas on our two dogs.
First, a comment on the Cedarcide website. It is very difficult to navigate, and finding complete information on specific products offered and information on how to use them is a challenge. The site is amateurish at best. However we were very intererested in the notion of using an all natural product to combat our chigger problem, so we overlooked the awkward website.
We purchased the Best Yet for the pets (and us), four bags of the "granules" (which is in fact simply cedar sawdust), and the PCO concentrate to spray on the lawn and exterior structures.
We began by spreading a healthy amount of "granules" over our entire yard, concentrating on the borders and areas will taller vegetation. Then we mixed the PCO DOUBLE the required strength for chiggers (as listed on the product) and commenced to spraying the entire lawn, all building and fence surfaces, etc. We followed up with the same treatment several days later, once again spraying the ENTIRE lawn. To be safe, we sprayed the entire lawn at the increased dosage a third time.
After all these treatments, both my wife and I have gotten NUMEROUS chigger bites. My wife has even gotten chigger bites simply walking out to the back yard and back. (we have an immaculately manicured lawn....no unkempt areas).
During this time we also kept our two small dogs sprayed daily with the Best Yet.
I can see absolutely no improvement whatsoever for our chigger problem. As for fleas, I honestly can't say. Our two dogs are scratching as much as they were before, however we haven't spotted any fleas. Whatever it is that is causing *them* to itch is clearly still present.
I would also add that after spraying our yard with the multiple treatments, I still see numerous ants. But I think the thing that really convinced me that the product simply doesn't work was when, after spraying my arms and legs UNTIL SHINY WET with the Best Yet, I looked down and saw two mosquitos biting me.
We just wasted $400 on a product that simply does not work. And we WANTED this to work in the biggest way. But as it is, our search for an effective pesticide to kill chiggers remains.
Perhaps (?) the product will solve your flea problem. I can say though, withought question, that it will NOT solve your chigger problem, or help with mosquitos.
On Apr 15, 2009, iyababa Great Barrington, MA wrote:
I ws excited to find a "100% natural" product. But I am sensitive to some substances and this is one of them. I'm sorry to say I'm EXTREMELY disappointed with the response from Cedarcide when I told them I want to return the quart I bought. They were rude, dismissive, and ignored the fact that I have a negative reaction to their product. After a bit of research, I found I'm not the only person dissatisfied. The state of New York found that "CedarCide caused or allowed the sale of 1,350 containers of CedarCide pesticides that were misbranded" Check for yourself:
It makes me wonder: what's actually in the bottle and what am I reacting to?
They demanded a 25% restocking fee on top of the $8 shipping it will cost me (and this in spite of the fact that they already charged $17 shipping, more than double the shipping cost). Nevertheless I will return the product because I can't use it.
Cedarcide products may be good for you; they are not good for me. If it's good for you, enjoy it, but in case it's not I recommend you buy the smallest spray bottle and test it out.
It was a $37 mistake to deal with these people. It's a mistake you don't have to make.
