How To Choose a Pest Control Company
It's important to choose the right pest control expertfor you. Things you may consider include qualifications and licensing, treatment methods, years of experience, customer reviews, and cost.
Below, we discuss each of these factors in more detail.
Does the company have a valid license and permits to perform pest control?
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established minimum standards of competency for pesticide applicators, but licensing is overseen at the state level. All pesticide applicators and their supervisors in California must be licensed through the proper state regulatory agencies.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
A pest control company can receive optional certifications from trade organizations like QualityPro to support its methods and standards. One particular certification is the GreenPro Service Certification, which is granted when a company can demonstrate that its methods are more environmentally friendly. Companies that receive this certification also need to maintain certain employee training standards.
A pest control company can also belong to various professional organizations. Joining an organization such as the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) or a state-level organization grants a pest control company access to resources and education, plus a professional network to compare best practices with. Joining one of these organizations is not mandatory, but it can help show that a company follows 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 eliminating. Local reviews can also give you some insight into a company's experience dealing with specific pests. If you can't find this information online, you can try calling the company directly.
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 its licensure status through the California licensing board.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
Things like your location, the type of pest being treated, the size of your house, and other factors can all influence the price of pest control.
You can find out whether a company provides free on-site estimates (to determine if it fits in your budget), as well as what kind of guarantees it has. Often, a company will guarantee that if it does not resolve your pest problem, it will keep coming back until it does.
Safety and Treatment Methods
When picking a pest control provider, you want to choose one that will help keep you, your family, and your pets safe. You might also prefer an environmentally-conscious provider.
Safety
Your pest control expert should be able to explain the safety precautions of any and all pesticides that they're going to use. They should be able to answer questions about whether the pesticides are low toxicity or non-toxic, and if not what safety precautions they will put in place to protect you, your family, and your pets. Pesticides that pose above a minimum risk must be registered with the EPA.
Treatment Methods
Many companies are now exploring cleaner and greener pest management that can be implemented before (or in place 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 whether immediate action is needed.
- Determine the best and safest course of action.
- Use a combination of mechanical, cultural, biological, and physical controls to manage the pest problem.
- Use chemical controls only if needed, and always along with other methods for effective long-term pest management.
- Observe the results and provide additional pest control as needed.
