How To Choose a Pest Control Company
The most important step is picking the right pest control professional for the job. You might take into consideration a company's qualifications, treatment methods, years of experience, customer reviews, and price of services.
Below, we discuss each factor in more detail.
Does the company have a valid license and permits to perform pest control?
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), all pesticide applicators and those that supervise them must be licensed at the state level. The EPA maintains minimum competency standards, and the Arizona regulatory agencies take care of the granting, maintaining, and revoking of licenses.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
Pest control companies also have the option to obtain additional certifications such as the GreenPro Service Certification. This certification is given once a company has proven 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 training for employees. A company can also earn other certifications from QualityPro or similar trade organizations to further support its methods and practices.
Pest control companies can also join certain professional organizations. When a company obtains membership in 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 experts with whom to compare treatment methods. This can offer extra peace of mind that a company is following industry best practices.
Professional Experience and Specialties
A pest control company's website can tell you how many years it has been in operation and what species of pests it specializes in exterminating. Online reviews can also offer some insight into a company's experience dealing with a specific pest. If this information isn't available online, you can try calling the company directly.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can look up a company's rating and reviews on the Better Business Bureau (BBB), read social media and local review sites to find out what others in your area have to say, or verify its license standing through the Arizona licensing board.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
Cost is an important consideration when choosing a pest control company. Cost may be determined by your location, the size of your house, the type of pest being treated, and other factors.
Certain pest control companies offer a free on-site estimate to help you match services to your budget. You can also see if it offers a satisfaction guarantee.
Safety and Treatment Methods
Your choice of pest control provider might be influenced by how eco-friendly a company's pest control servicesare, in addition to how safe its methods are around your family and pets.
Safety
You will want to understand the precautions for the pesticides being used in your home, for the sake of your family, your pets, and yourself. Your pest control provider should provide information about all pesticides they will be using, whether they are low toxicity or non-toxic, and (if not) what safety measures will be used. All pesticides (except minimum-risk ones) should be registered with the EPA.
Treatment Methods
You can ask if your pest control provider will begin with more natural and lower-toxicity treatment methods before moving on to harsher chemicals.
Many companies now use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to eliminate pests while reducing personal and environmental risks. The steps of IPM are as follows:
- Identify problem pests and determine if immediate action is required.
- Decide on the safest course of action.
- Manage the pest problem using a combination of biological, cultural, physical, and mechanical controls.
- Use chemical controls only if needed, and always with other techniques for effective long-term pest management.
- Evaluate outcomes and implement additional pest control as needed.
