How To Choose a Pest Control Company
When choosing a pest control company, you want to find the right one for you. You may consider a pest control company's qualifications and treatment methods as well as its years of experience and customer reviews. Of course, there is also the cost of services to consider.
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 those that supervise them must be licensed at the state level. The EPA sets minimum competency standards, and the Illinois 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 optionally obtain additional certifications such as the GreenPro Service Certification. This certification is granted once a company has proven its methods to be more eco-friendly and demonstrated that it also holds itself up to certain other standards, such as up-to-date training for employees. A company can also earn other certifications from trade organizations like QualityPro to further back up its methods and practices.
Pest control companies can also become members of professional organizations. When a company joins an organization like the National Pest Management Association(NPMA) (or a state-level organization), it gains access to education, resources, and a network of other pest control professionals with whom to compare methods. This can give you additional peace of mind that a company is following industry best practices.
Professional Experience and Specialties
A pest control company's website can tell you how long it has been in operation and what kind of pests it specializes in exterminating. Local reviews can also give you some insight into a company's experience dealing with a specific pest. If you're unable to find this information online, you can try calling the company directly.
Reviews and Recommendations
Resources that can be used to verify a company's legitimacy include the Better Business Bureau (BBB), social media, and local review sites. You can also confirm the status of a company's license via the Illinois licensing board.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
Things like your location, the type of pest being treated, the size of your house, and other factors can all influence the price of pest control.
You can look into whether a company provides free on-site estimates (to determine if it fits in your budget) and what kind of guarantees it offers. Often, a company will provide a guarantee that if it does not eliminate your pest problem, it will continue treatment until it does.
Safety and Treatment Methods
When picking a pest control provider, you want to choose a company that will help keep you, your family, and your pets safe. You may also prefer an eco-friendly provider.
Safety
Your pest control expert should be able to discuss the safety of all pesticides that will be used in your home. 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 plan to use to protect your family, your pets, and you. Any pesticides that pose greater than a minimum risk are required to be registered with the EPA.
Treatment Methods
Many pest control companies are making the switch to using more natural and eco-friendly treatment methods before, or instead of, harsh chemical pesticides. Some utilize a program called Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The steps of IPM are as follows:
- Identify the source of the pest problem and determine whether immediate action is needed.
- Decide on the safest course of action.
- Use a combination of mechanical, cultural, biological, and physical controls to manage the pest problem.
- Use chemical controls only when absolutely necessary, and always along with other techniques for effective long-term pest management.
- Evaluate outcomes and continue with additional pest control services as needed.
