How To Choose a Pest Control Company
The most important step is choosing the right pest control company for the job. You may consider a company's qualifications, methods, years of experience, customer reviews, and service prices.
Below, we explore the details of each factor.
Does the company have a valid license and permits to perform pest control?
Per the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), all pesticide applicators and their supervisors must be certified at the state level. The EPA does set minimum standards of competency, but all pesticide applicators in Alabama must be licensed through the proper state regulatory agencies.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
Pest control companies can optionally obtain additional certifications such as the GreenPro Service Certification. This certification is granted once a company has shown that its treatment methods are more environmentally friendly and demonstrated that it also holds itself up to certain other standards, such as up-to-date employee training. A company can also earn other certifications from trade organizations like QualityPro to further verify its methods and practices.
Pest control companies can also belong to certain professional organizations. When a company joins an organization like the National Pest Management Association(NPMA) (or a state-level organization), it receives access to resources, education, and a network of other pest control experts with whom to compare methods. This can offer additional peace of mind that a company is following industry best practices.
Professional Experience and Specialties
You can gain some insight into a pest control company's experience level by finding out how long it has been in operation. The company's website and local reviews can also tell you whether the company has experience dealing with the specific species of pests invading your home. You can reach out to a representative directly to learn this information if it is not available online.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can look up a company's rating and reviews on the Better Business Bureau (BBB), check out local review sites and social media to see what homeowners near you think, or verify its license standing through the Alabama licensing board.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
The cost of pest control can vary based on things like your location, the type of pest being treated, the size of your house, and other factors.
When thinking about the cost of services, you should first look into whether a company offers free on-site estimates as part of its services. This can inform you whether the company fits into your budget. Also look into a company's guarantees: If the problem is not resolved, or if it returns, does the company provide additional treatment until the problem is satisfactorily handled?
Safety and Treatment Methods
Your preferences regarding safety for yourself, your children, your pets, and the environment may affect which provider and treatment methods you choose.
Safety
Ask your pest control expert if the chemicals they're using are low toxicity or non-toxic, and if not, what precautionary measures they plan to take. Any pesticides that are not minimum-risk chemicals need to be registered with the EPA. Your pest control provider should be able to provide you with information about all chemicals they are going to use.
Treatment Methods
Many pest control companies are now exploring cleaner and greener pest management that can be implemented before (or instead of) chemical pesticides. Many are following the practice of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which goes as follows:
- Figure out what pests are causing the problem and determine if immediate action is needed.
- Decide on the safest course of action.
- Use a combination of mechanical, cultural, biological, and physical controls to manage the pest problem.
- Use chemical controls only when absolutely necessary, and always along with other methods for effective long-term pest management.
- Observe the results and continue with additional pest control as needed.
