How To Choose a Pest Control Company
Choosing the best pest control expert for you is key. In addition to a company's qualifications and treatment methods, you may also look into how long it has been in business and what the reviews are like. Finally, you'll likely want to look at the cost of services.
Below, we explore the details of each of these factors.
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 need to be licensed at the state level. The EPA maintains minimum competency standards, and the Illinois regulatory agencies take care of the granting, maintaining, and revoking of licenses.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
Pest control companies can optionally obtain additional certifications such as the GreenPro Service Certification. This certification is awarded once a company has proven its methods to be more environmentally friendly and demonstrated that it also maintains certain other standards, such as up-to-date training for employees. A 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 belong to various professional organizations. When a company joins an organization like the National Pest Management Association(NPMA) (or a state-level organization), it gets access to resources, education, and a network of other pest control experts with whom to compare treatment methods. This can give you additional peace of mind that a company is following industry best practices.
Professional Experience and Specialties
In general, a company displays information like its specialities and years of experience on its website. Online reviews can also help you figure out if a company has experience dealing with a specific pest. If you're unable to locate the information you need online, you can speak with a company representative directly to get the answers to your questions.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can browse reviews and recommendations on social media or local review sites, verify a company's Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating, or check the status of its license through the Illinois licensing board.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
Cost is important when hiring a pest control company. Cost can be affected by the type of pest being treated, the size of your house, your location, and other factors.
Many companies offer free on-site estimates before starting work, 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
Your preferences regarding safety for yourself, your children, your pets, and the environment might influence which provider and treatment methods you choose.
Safety
Your pest control expert should be able to discuss the safety of all pesticides that they're going to use. They should be able to answer questions about whether the pesticides are low toxicity or non-toxic; if they are not, they should explain what safety precautions they will put in place to protect your family, your pets, and you. Any pesticides that pose more than a minimum risk are required to be registered with the EPA.
Treatment Methods
You can ask if your pest control expert will begin with lower-toxicity, more natural methods before using harsher chemicals.
Many companies now use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to eliminate pests while reducing personal and environmental risks. The steps of IPM are as follows:
- Identify the source of the pest problem and determine if immediate action is needed.
- Determine the best and safest course of action.
- Use a combination of physical, biological, mechanical, and cultural controls to manage the pest problem.
- Employ chemical controls only when required, and always along with other controls for effective long-term pest management.
- Evaluate outcomes and provide additional pest control as needed.
