How To Choose a Pest Control Company
The most important step is picking the right pest control company for the job. A company's qualifications and treatment methods are important to consider, as well as its years of experience and reputation in customer reviews. Of course, you 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 those that supervise them must be licensed at the state level. The EPA sets minimum standards of competency, and the Florida regulatory agencies handle the granting, maintaining, and revoking of licenses.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
Pest control companies can obtain optional certifications from QualityPro or similar trade organizations. These certifications can help you evaluate the quality of a company's products. For example, the GreenPro Service Certification indicates comprehensive and effective pest control methods that are safer for people and the environment.
Pest control companies can also hold membership in various professional organizations. When a company joins an organization like the National Pest Management Association(NPMA) (or a state-level organization), it gains access to resources, education, and a network of other pest experts with whom to compare methods. This can give you extra peace of mind that a company is following industry best practices.
Professional Experience and Specialties
You can gain some insight into a pest company's level of pest management experience by looking into how long it has been in operation. Local reviews and the company's own website can also inform you whether a company has the experience needed to deal with the specific species of pests that are afflicting your home. You can contact a representative directly to learn this information if it is not available online.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can look at a company's rating and reviews on the Better Business Bureau (BBB), explore social media and local review sites to learn what homeowners near you think, or verify its license standing via the Florida licensing board.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
For many people, cost is one of the most important factors when looking for pest control. Cost can be influenced by factors like the size of your house, your location, and the type of pest being treated.
You can look into whether a particular company offers free on-site estimates (to determine if it fits in your budget), and what sort of guarantees are provided. Often, a company will guarantee that if your pest problem isn't fixed by its treatment, it will continue to treat until it is.
Safety and Treatment Methods
Safety is an important consideration when deciding on a pest control company, and you might prefer a provider who uses more natural, environmentally friendly pest control management.
Safety
Be sure to ask your pest control expert if the chemicals they're using are low toxicity or non-toxic, and if not, what sort of precautionary measures they plan to take. All pesticides that are not considered minimum-risk chemicals should be registered with the EPA. Your pest control provider should be able to supply you with information about all chemicals they plan to use.
Treatment Methods
Many companies are using options for more eco-friendly treatment methods 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:
- Figure out what pests are causing the problem and determine if immediate action is required.
- Determine the best and safest course of action.
- Manage the pest problem using a combination of mechanical, cultural, biological, and physical controls.
- Employ chemical controls only if needed, and always along with other methods for effective long-term pest management.
- Assess the outcome and implement additional pest control as needed.
