How To Choose a Pest Control Company
When picking a pest control company, there are a number of factors you can consider to make sure you choose the best one for you. Things you might consider include qualifications and licensing, treatment methods, years of experience, customer reviews, and cost.
Below, we explore the details of each of these factors.
Does the company have a valid license and permits to perform pest control?
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), all pesticide applicators and their supervisors are required to be certified at the state level. The EPA does set minimum standards of competency, but all pesticide applicators in California need to be licensed through the proper state regulatory agencies.
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 obtain this certification, a pest control company needs to both demonstrate that its practices are more environmentally friendly and maintain certain training standards for its technicians. Companies can earn other certifications from QualityPro or similar trade organizations to further back up their work.
Pest control companies can also belong to certain professional organizations. Companies can be members of the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), or state-level organizations. NPMA membership provides companies with access to resources, education, and a network of other pest professionals. While not required, membership in professional organizations helps demonstrate a company's reputability.
Professional Experience and Specialties
You can gain some insight into a pest control company's level of experience by seeing how long it has been in business. The company's website and local reviews can also clue you in as to whether the company has the experience needed to deal with the specific species of pests invading your home. You can always contact a representative directly to learn this information if it is not available online.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can look for reviews and recommendations on social media or local review sites, verify 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 size of your house, the type of pest being treated, and other factors can all influence the cost of pest control.
You can look into whether a company offers free on-site estimates (to determine if it fits in your budget), as well as what sort of guarantees it provides. Often, a company will guarantee that if it does not resolve your pest problem, it will continue treatment until it does.
Safety and Treatment Methods
Your choice of pest control provider might be affected by how eco-friendly a company's practicesare, in addition to how safe its methods are around your family and pets.
Safety
All pesticides (except those that are determined to be of minimal risk) should be registered with the EPA. Your pest control technician should be able to provide you with information on every pesticide they will be using. They should inform you whether these chemicals are low toxicity or non-toxic, and if not, what safety precautions they plan to take.
Treatment Methods
Organizations looking to reduce their reliance on chemical pesticides often follow practices such as Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Using IPM involves a series of steps:
- Identify the source of the pest problem and assess whether immediate action is needed.
- Decide on the safest course of action.
- Use a combination of biological, cultural, mechanical, 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.
- Assess the outcome and provide additional pest control as needed.
