How To Choose a Pest Control Company
Hiring the best company for you is the most important step in the pest control process. In addition to a company's qualifications and treatment methods, you might also consider how long it has been in business and what the reviews look like. Finally, you'll likely want to look at the cost of services.
Below, we discuss each of these factors in more detail.
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 must be licensed at the state level. The EPA maintains minimum competency standards, and the Florida regulatory agencies take care of the issuing, maintaining, and revoking of licenses.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
Pest control companies can also obtain optional certifications like the GreenPro Service Certification. This certification is awarded once a company has proven that its treatment methods are more eco-friendly and demonstrated that it also holds itself up to 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 methods and practices.
Pest control companies can also belong to certain professional organizations. Pest control companies can join state-level organizations in addition to national organizations such as the National Pest Management Association (NPMA). By being a member of these optional organizations, a company helps support its reputability and gains access to education, resources, and a network of professionals to compare best practices with.
Professional Experience and Specialties
For the most part, a company displays information like its specialities and years of experience on its website. Local reviews can also help you figure out if a company has experience dealing with a particular pest in your area. If you're unable to locate the information you need online, you can reach out to the company directly to get the answers to your questions.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can look up a company's rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB), read reviews on local review sites or social media, or check the standing of its license via the Florida licensing board.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
For many people, cost is one of the main deciding factors when picking a company for pest control services. Cost can be influenced by factors like the size of your house, the type of pest being treated, and your location.
You can take into consideration whether a specific company offers free on-site estimates (to determine if it fits in your budget), and what kind of guarantees it provides. 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
Your choice of pest control company might be affected by how environmentally friendly a company's pest control servicesare, in addition to how safe its methods are around your family and pets.
Safety
Ask your pest control provider if they plan to use low toxicity or non-toxic pesticides, and if not, what precautionary measures they plan to take. Any pesticides that are not minimum-risk chemicals should be registered with the EPA. Your pest technician should be able to supply information about all pesticides they are going to use.
Treatment Methods
Many companies will begin with more eco-friendly solutions before employing harsh pesticides, following a technique called Integrated Pest Management (IPM). When using IPM, the following steps are taken:
- Figure out what pests are causing the problem and determine whether immediate action is needed.
- Determine the best and safest course of action.
- Use a combination of biological, cultural, mechanical, and physical controls to manage the pest problem.
- Employ chemical controls only if needed, and always along with other solutions for effective long-term pest management.
- Observe the results and implement additional pest control as needed.
