How To Choose a Pest Control Company
When choosing a pest control company, you want to find the best one to meet your needs. You may consider a company's qualifications, treatment methods, years of experience, customer reviews, and service prices.
Below, we discuss each factor in more detail.
Does the company have a valid license and permits to perform pest control?
All pesticide applicators, as well as those that supervise them, need to be licensed via the appropriate California regulatory agencies. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established minimum standards of competency, while providing, maintaining, and revoking licensing is handled at the state level.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
An optional certification that might be worth looking for is the GreenPro Service Certification. In order to receive this certification, a pest control company needs to both demonstrate that its practices are more eco-friendly and uphold certain technician training standards. Companies can also obtain other certifications from QualityPro or similar trade organizations to further back up their work.
Pest control companies can also become members of professional organizations. When a company joins an organization such as the National Pest Management Association(NPMA) (or a state-level organization), it receives access to education, resources, and a network of other pest control professionals 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 look at a company's years in business to help determine how much experience it has taking care of various pests in Novato. You can also browse its website or read customer reviews to decide whether it has the right kind of experience handling the species of pests you are looking to get rid of. If this information can't be found online, contacting a representative directly is a good way to learn more.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can verify a company's legitimacy using the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and social media or local review sites. You can also check with California's licensing board to verify the status of a company's license.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
Pest control costs can vary based on things like your location, the type of pest being treated, the size of your house, and other factors.
When considering the cost of services, you should first look into whether a company provides free on-site estimates as part of its process. This can inform you whether the company fits into your budget. Also take into account a company's guarantees: If the problem is not fixed, or returns, does the company provide additional treatments until the problem is resolved satisfactorily?
Safety and Treatment Methods
When it comes to picking a pest control provider, you want to choose a company that will keep you, your family, and your pets safe. You might also prefer an eco-friendly provider.
Safety
You should ask your pest control technician if they plan to use low toxicity or non-toxic pesticides, and if not, what sort of precautionary measures they plan to take. All pesticides that are not considered minimum-risk chemicals must be registered with the EPA. Your pest control provider should be able to supply information about all pesticides that they plan to use.
Treatment Methods
Many companies are now trialing options for more eco-friendly methods of pest control before jumping into using harsh pesticides.
One common method for making pest control safer and greener is Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The steps of IPM are as follows:
- Identify problem pests and assess whether immediate action is needed.
- Determine the best and safest course of action.
- Use a combination of physical, biological, mechanical, and cultural controls to manage the pest problem.
- Use chemical controls only when absolutely necessary, and always in combination with other controls for effective long-term pest management.
- Evaluate outcomes and provide additional pest control as needed.
