How To Choose a Pest Control Company
It's important to choose the right pest control treatmentfor you. Factors you might consider include qualifications and licensing, treatment methods, years of experience, customer reviews, and cost.
Below, we dive into detail on each of these factors.
Does the company have a valid license and permits to perform pest control?
All pesticide applicators, as well as those that supervise them, should be licensed via the appropriate Arizona regulatory agencies. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established minimum standards of competency, but issuing, maintaining, and revoking licensing is handled at the state level.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
A pest control company can optionally apply for additional certifications from trade organizations like QualityPro to support its methods and standards. One particular certification is the GreenPro Service Certification, which is given to any company that can demonstrate that its methods are more eco-friendly. A company that receives this certification also needs to maintain certain employee training standards.
There are certain professional organizations in which pest control companies can hold membership. When a company obtains membership in an organization like the National Pest Management Association(NPMA) (or a state-level organization), it gets access to resources, education, and a network of other pest control experts with whom to compare methods. This can give you extra peace of mind that a company is following industry best practices.
Professional Experience and Specialties
You can get some insight into a pest control company's level of experience by looking at how many years it has been in business. Local reviews and the company's own website can also inform you whether a company has the experience needed to deal with the specific species of pests invading your home. You can contact a representative directly to learn this information if you can't find it online.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can browse reviews and recommendations on social media or local review sites, look up a company's Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating, or check the status of its license through the Arizona licensing board.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
The cost of pest control can vary based on things like the size of your house, the type of pest being treated, your location, and other factors.
When thinking about the cost of services, you should verify whether a company includes free on-site estimates as part of its services. This can help determine whether the company fits into your budget. Also consider a company's guarantees: If the problem is not resolved, or if it returns, will the company provide additional treatment until the issue is handled satisfactorily?
Safety and Treatment Methods
Your choice of pest control provider might be influenced by how eco-friendly a provider's pest control management solutionsare, as well as how safe its methods are around your family and pets.
Safety
All pesticides used by your company (except those that are classified as minimum-risk) need to be registered with the EPA. Your pest control technician should supply information on each pesticide they will be using. They should be able to tell you whether the pesticides are low toxicity or non-toxic, and if not, what safety precautions will be taken.
Treatment Methods
Many companies will begin with more environmentally friendly solutions before using harsh pesticides, following a framework called Integrated Pest Management (IPM). When using IPM, the following steps are taken:
- Figure out what pests are causing the problem and determine whether immediate action is required.
- Decide on the safest course of action.
- Manage the pest problem using a combination of physical, biological, mechanical, and cultural controls.
- Employ chemical controls only when required, and always in combination with other controls for effective long-term pest management.
- Evaluate outcomes and implement additional pest control as needed.
