How To Choose a Pest Control Company
It's important to choose the right pest control solutionfor you. You might take into consideration a company's qualifications and treatment methods as well as its years of experience and customer reviews. And of course, there's the cost of services to consider.
Below, we explore the details of each of these factors.
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 maintains minimum standards of competency, and the Indiana regulatory agencies take care of the issuing, maintaining, and revoking of licenses.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
One optional certification that could be worth looking for is the GreenPro Service Certification. In order to obtain this certification, a pest control company must both show that its practices are more environmentally friendly and uphold certain training standards for its technicians. Companies can obtain other certifications from QualityPro or similar trade organizations to further back up their work.
Pest control companies can also become members of professional organizations. Becoming a member of an organization such as the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) or a state-level organization grants a pest control company access to education and resources, as well as a professional network to compare best practices with. Belonging to one of these organizations is not required, but it can help show that a company follows industry best practices.
Professional Experience and Specialties
Looking at how long a company has been in business can help determine how much experience it has dealing with pests in your area. You can also browse its website or read customer reviews to figure out whether it has experience eliminating the species of pests you are dealing with. If you cannot find this information online, contacting a representative directly is a great way to learn more.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can look up a company's rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB), browse reviews on social media or local review sites, or check the standing of its license via the Indiana licensing board.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
For many people, cost is one of the most important factors when looking for pest control services. Cost can be determined by factors like the size of your house, the type of pest being treated, and your location.
You can take into consideration whether a certain company offers free on-site estimates (to determine if it fits your budget), and what sort of guarantees are provided. Often, a company will guarantee that if its treatment doesn't resolve your pest problem, it will continue to come back until it does.
Safety and Treatment Methods
Your choice of pest control provider might be affected by how eco-friendly a provider's pest control management solutionsare, in addition to how safe its methods are around your family and pets.
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. All pesticides that pose more than a minimum risk should be registered with the EPA.
Treatment Methods
You can ask if your pest control provider will start with eco-friendly and lower-toxicity treatment methods before employing harsher chemicals.
Many companies are using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to treat pest infestations with minimal personal or environmental risk. The steps of IPM are as follows:
- Identify problem pests and assess whether immediate action is needed.
- Determine the best and safest course of action.
- Manage the pest problem using a combination of biological, cultural, mechanical, and physical controls.
- Employ chemical controls only when required, and always along with other solutions for effective long-term pest management.
- Assess the outcome and implement additional pest control as needed.
