How To Choose a Pest Control Company
When hiring a pest control company, you want to make sure that you find the best one for you. You may consider a company's qualifications, methods, years of experience, customer reviews, and service prices.
Below, we explore the details of each factor.
Does the company have a valid license and permits to perform pest control?
Per the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), all pesticide applicators and their supervisors are required to be certified at the state level. The EPA sets minimum standards of competency, but all Connecticut pesticide applicators need to be licensed through the proper state regulatory agencies.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
A pest control company can optionally apply for 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 eco-friendly. These companies also need to maintain certain training standards for employees.
Pest control companies can also be members of various professional organizations. While not required, membership in organizations like the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) or state-level organizations help show a company's reputability. Organizations like the NPMA provide access to education, resources, and a network of professionals with whom to compare best practices.
Professional Experience and Specialties
Browsing a pest control company's website can tell you how many years it has been in business and what kind of pests it specializes in eliminating. Online reviews can also offer some insight into a company's experience dealing with specific pests. If this information isn't available online, you can try reaching out to the company directly.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can verify a company's legitimacy using local review sites or social media as well as the Better Business Bureau (BBB). You can also check with Connecticut's licensing board to see the status of a company's license.
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 price of pest control.
You can look into whether a company offers free on-site estimates (to determine if it fits in your budget) and what type of guarantees it has. Often, a company will 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 may influence the provider and the treatment methods you choose.
Safety
Your pest control technician should be able to explain the safety precautions of all pesticides that will be used in your home. They should be able to explain whether the pesticides are low toxicity or non-toxic, and if not what safety precautions they plan to use to protect your family, your pets, and you. Pesticides that pose greater than a minimum risk must be registered with the EPA.
Treatment Methods
Many companies are now trialing options for more eco-friendly pest control management solutions before moving to harsh pesticides.
One common method for making pest control safer and more eco-friendly is Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The steps of IPM are as follows:
- Figure out what pests are causing the problem and determine whether immediate action is needed.
- Decide on the safest course of action.
- Manage the pest problem using a combination of physical, cultural, biological, and mechanical controls.
- Use chemical controls only when required, and always along with other techniques for effective long-term pest management.
- Observe the results and provide additional pest control as needed.
