How To Choose a Pest Control Company
Choosing the best pest control professional for you is important. The qualifications of and treatment methods used by a company are important to consider, as well as its years of experience and customer reviews. Of course, you will also want to consider cost.
Below, we discuss each of these factors in more detail.
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 must be licensed at the state level. The EPA maintains minimum competency standards, and the Florida regulatory agencies handle the issuing, maintaining, and revoking of licenses.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
Pest control companies can also obtain optional certifications such as the GreenPro Service Certification. This certification is granted once a company has shown that its treatment methods are more eco-friendly and demonstrated that it also maintains certain other standards, such as up-to-date employee training. A pest control company can also earn other certifications from QualityPro or similar trade organizations to further back up its practices and methods.
Pest control companies can also hold membership in various professional organizations. While not required, membership in organizations such as the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) or state-level organizations help to prove a company's reputability. Organizations like the NPMA provide access to education, resources, and a network of professionals with whom to discuss best practices.
Professional Experience and Specialties
Looking at a pest control company's website can tell you how long it has been in business and what kind of pests it specializes in exterminating. Online reviews can also provide some insight into a company's experience dealing with a certain type of pest. If you're unable to find this information online, you can try calling the company directly.
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 Florida's licensing board to see the status of a company's license.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
The cost of pest control can vary based on things like the type of pest being treated, the size of your house, your location, and other factors.
When thinking about the cost of services, you should try to determine whether a company includes free on-site estimates as part of its process. This can help determine whether the company fits into your budget. Also consider a company's guarantees: If the problem is not fixed, or if it returns, does the company provide additional treatments until the problem is handled satisfactorily?
Safety and Treatment Methods
Your choice of pest control company might be influenced by how environmentally friendly a company's pest control management solutionsare, as well as how safe its methods are around your family and pets.
Safety
Your pest control expert should use pesticides that are low toxicity or non-toxic any time they can. If any pesticides they intend to use don't fit into one of these categories, your technician should explain what safety precautions will be used to protect you, your family, and your pets. Any pesticides that pose more than a minimum risk are required to be registered with the EPA.
Treatment Methods
Many pest control companies are now exploring more eco-friendly pest management that can be implemented before (or in place of) chemical pesticides. Many are following the practice of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which goes as follows:
- Identify problem pests and assess whether immediate action is required.
- Decide on the safest course of action.
- Manage the pest problem using a combination of biological, cultural, mechanical, and physical controls.
- Use chemical controls only if needed, and always in combination with other methods for effective long-term pest management.
- Assess the outcome and provide additional pest control as needed.
