How To Choose a Pest Control Company
It's important to choose the best pest control professionalfor you. Along with a company's qualifications and treatment methods, you may also look into how long it has been in business and what the reviews are like. Finally, you'll likely want to consider the cost of services.
Below, we dive into detail on each of these factors.
Does the company have a valid license and permits to perform pest control?
While the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established minimum standards of competency for pesticide applicators, licensing is handled at the state level. All pesticide applicators (and their supervisors) in California should be licensed by all the necessary state regulatory agencies.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
An optional certification that could be worth looking for is the GreenPro Service Certification. To get this certification, a pest control company needs to both demonstrate that its practices are more environmentally friendly and maintain certain technician training standards. Companies can obtain other certifications from trade organizations like QualityPro to further support their work.
Pest control companies can also become members of professional organizations. Pest control companies can obtain membership in both state-level organizations and national organizations like the National Pest Management Association (NPMA). By being a member of these optional organizations, a company helps support its reputability and gains access to education, resources, and a network of professionals with whom to compare best practices.
Professional Experience and Specialties
In general, a company displays information like years of experience and specialities on its website. Local reviews can also tell you whether a company has experience dealing with a specific pest. If you're unable to find the information you need online, you can contact a company representative directly to get the answers to your questions.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can look for reviews and recommendations on social media or local review sites, view a company's Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating, or check the status of its license through the California licensing board.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
Cost is an important consideration when picking a pest control company. Cost may be determined by the size of your house, the type of pest being treated, your location, and other factors.
Certain pest control companies offer a free on-site estimate to help you figure out if it fits into your budget. You can also see if it offers a guarantee of satisfaction.
Safety and Treatment Methods
Your choice of pest control provider might be affected by how eco-friendly a provider's pest control management solutionsare, in addition to how safe its methods are around your family and pets.
Safety
Your pest control expert should use low toxicity or non-toxic pesticides whenever possible. If they plan to use pesticides that don't fit into one of these categories, your technician should explain what safety precautions they plan to use to protect you, your family, and your pets. Any pesticides that pose more than a minimum risk need to be registered with the EPA.
Treatment Methods
Many companies are now trialing options for more environmentally friendly methods of pest control before relying on harsh pesticides.
One common way of making pest control safer and greener is Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The steps of IPM are as follows:
- Identify the source of the pest problem and determine whether immediate action is required.
- Determine the best and safest course of action.
- Manage the pest problem using a combination of biological, cultural, physical, and mechanical controls.
- Employ chemical controls only when absolutely necessary, and always with other solutions for effective long-term pest management.
- Evaluate outcomes and provide additional pest control as needed.
