How To Choose a Pest Control Company
Hiring the right company for you is the most important step in the pest control process. You may take into consideration a company's qualifications, treatment methods, years of experience, customer reviews, and price of services.
Below, we dive into detail on each factor.
Does the company have a valid license and permits to perform pest control?
All pesticide applicators (and those that supervise them) are required to be certified at the state level. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets minimum standards of competency, but all pesticide applicators working in the state of California should be licensed via the necessary 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 awarded once a company has shown that its treatment methods are more eco-friendly and demonstrated that it also maintains certain other standards, such as up-to-date training for employees. A pest control company can also earn other certifications from QualityPro or similar trade organizations to further support its methods and practices.
Pest control companies can also belong to various professional organizations. When a company becomes a member of an organization such as 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 give you additional peace of mind that a company follows industry best practices.
Professional Experience and Specialties
The number of years that a pest control company has been in business can shed some light on its experience dealing with pests in your area. Online reviews or the company's own website can also inform you whether it has the experience necessary to deal with your particular pests. If you cannot find the answers to your questions online, contacting the company directly is an easy way to learn about its areas of expertise.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can read reviews and recommendations on local review sites or social media, verify a company's rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB), or check the status of its license through the California licensing board.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
Things like the type of pest being treated, the size of your house, your location, and other factors can all affect the price of pest control.
You can look into whether a company provides free on-site estimates (to determine if it fits in your budget) and what sort of guarantees it offers. Often, a company will provide a guarantee that if it does not solve your pest problem, it will keep coming back until it does.
Safety and Treatment Methods
Your preferences regarding safety for yourself, any children or pets, and the environment might affect which provider and treatment methods you choose.
Safety
Your pest control expert should be able to discuss the safety of any pesticides they plan to use. They should be able to clarify whether the pesticides are low toxicity or non-toxic, and if not what safety precautions will be in place to protect your family, your pets, and you. Any pesticides that pose greater than a minimum risk must be registered with the EPA.
Treatment Methods
Many companies are using options for more environmentally friendly solutions before relying on harsh pesticides.
One common way of making pest control safer and more eco-friendly is Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The steps of IPM are as follows:
- Identify the source of the pest problem and determine if immediate action is required.
- Decide on the safest course of action.
- Manage the pest problem using a combination of physical, cultural, biological, and mechanical controls.
- Employ chemical controls only if needed, and always along with other techniques for effective long-term pest management.
- Observe the results and provide additional pest control as needed.
