How To Choose a Pest Control Company
It's important to choose the best pest control companyfor you. You may take into consideration a company's qualifications, treatment methods, years of experience, customer reviews, and service prices.
Below, we discuss each factor in more detail.
Does the company have a valid license and permits to perform pest control?
All pesticide applicators (and those who supervise them) must be certified at the state level. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established minimum standards of competency, but any pesticide applicators working in the state of Illinois must be licensed via the necessary state regulatory agencies.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
Pest control companies can optionally obtain additional certifications like the GreenPro Service Certification. This certification is granted 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 company can also earn other certifications from trade organizations like QualityPro to further support its methods and practices.
Pest control companies can also belong to various professional organizations. Companies can obtain membership in 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 control companies. While not mandatory, membership in professional organizations helps demonstrate a company's reputability.
Professional Experience and Specialties
How long a pest control company has been in business can give you some insight into its experience dealing with various pests. Online reviews or the company's own website can also inform you whether it has the experience needed to deal with your particular pests. If you cannot find the answers to your questions online, reaching out to the company directly is an excellent way to learn more.
Reviews and Recommendations
Resources that can be used to verify a company's legitimacy include social media, local review sites, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Additionally, you can verify the status of a company's license through the Illinois licensing board.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
It's important to think about cost when hiring someone for pest control. Cost can be influenced by the type of pest being treated, your location, the size of your house, and other factors.
Companies will often offer free on-site estimates at the beginning of their process, to help you determine whether it fits into your budget. You can also ask whether a company offers a satisfaction guarantees, meaning that if your pest problem is not solved by the initial treatment, it will continue returning until it is.
Safety and Treatment Methods
It's important to consider safety when selecting a pest control provider, and you might prefer a provider who employs more natural, environmentally friendly treatment methods.
Safety
Your pest control expert should be using low toxicity or non-toxic pesticides any time they can. If they plan to use pesticides that 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. Pesticides that pose more than a minimum risk need to be registered with the EPA.
Treatment Methods
Many companies are now exploring more environmentally friendly pest control solutions that can be used before (or instead 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.
- Determine the best and safest course of action.
- Manage the pest problem using a combination of physical, biological, mechanical, and cultural controls.
- Employ chemical controls only when absolutely necessary, and always in combination with other controls for effective long-term pest management.
- Observe the results and continue with additional pest control as needed.
