How To Choose a Pest Control Company
When hiring a pest control company, you want to make sure that you find the right one to meet your needs. Some things you might consider include licensing and qualifications, 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) sets minimum competency standards for pesticide applicators, but licensure is regulated at the state level. All pesticide applicators and supervisors in Florida must be licensed through the proper state regulatory agencies.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
Pest control companies also have the option to obtain additional certifications such as the GreenPro Service Certification. This certification is awarded once a company has shown its methods to be more environmentally friendly and demonstrated that it also holds itself up to certain other standards, such as up-to-date training for employees. A pest control company can also earn other certifications from trade organizations like QualityPro to further verify its methods and practices.
Pest control companies can also be members of certain professional organizations. Companies can belong to the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), or state-level organizations. Membership in the NPMA gives companies access to resources, education, and a network of other pest professionals. While not required, membership in professional organizations helps back up a company's reputability.
Professional Experience and Specialties
You can gain some insight into a pest control company's experience level by looking at how long it has been in operation. Local reviews and the company's own website 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 reach out to a representative directly to learn this information if it is not available online.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can verify a company's legitimacy using social media or local review sites as well as the Better Business Bureau (BBB). You can also check with Florida's licensing board to verify the status of a company's license.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
Cost is an important consideration when choosing a pest control company. Cost may be determined by the type of pest being treated, your location, the size of your house, and other factors.
Certain pest control companies offer a free on-site estimate to help you determine 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 environmentally friendly a provider's pest control management solutionsare, in addition to how safe its methods are around your family and pets.
Safety
Your pest technician should use low toxicity or non-toxic pesticides when possible. If any pesticides used don't fit into one of these categories, your technician should explain what safety precautions they will put in place to protect your family, your pets, and you. Pesticides that pose more than a minimum risk should be registered with the EPA.
Treatment Methods
It is now common for companies to begin with more environmentally friendly solutions before employing pesticides, using a technique called Integrated Pest Management (IPM). When using IPM, the following steps are taken:
- Identify problem pests and determine if immediate action is required.
- Determine the best and safest course of action.
- Manage the pest problem using a combination of physical, cultural, biological, and mechanical controls.
- Employ chemical controls only when absolutely necessary, and always in combination with other solutions for effective long-term pest management.
- Observe the results and implement additional pest control as needed.
