How To Choose a Pest Control Company
The first step is choosing the best pest control professional for the job. Factors you may consider include qualifications and licensing, treatment methods, years of experience, customer reviews, and cost.
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 sets minimum standards of competency, and the Iowa regulatory agencies handle the issuing, maintaining, and revoking of licenses.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
Pest control companies also have the option to obtain additional certifications such as 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 maintains certain other standards, such as up-to-date employee training. A pest control company can also earn other certifications from trade organizations like QualityPro to further back up its methods and practices.
Pest control experts can also belong to professional organizations. Pest control companies can obtain membership in state-level organizations in addition to national organizations like 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 other professionals to compare best practices with.
Professional Experience and Specialties
You can get some insight into a company's level of pest management experience by seeing how many years it has been in operation. Local reviews and the company's own website can also tell you whether a company has experience dealing with the specific species of pests invading your home. You can always contact the company directly to learn this information if you can't find it online.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can view a company's reviews and rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB), read social media and local review sites to learn what others in your area have to say, or verify its license standing through the Iowa licensing board.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
Cost is important when picking a pest control company. Cost may be determined by the size of your house, your location, the type of pest being treated, and other factors.
A pest control company may offer a free on-site estimate to help you figure out if it fits into your budget. You can also look at whether it offers a satisfaction guarantee.
Safety and Treatment Methods
Your choice of pest control provider might be influenced by how environmentally 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 provider should be able to discuss the safety of all pesticides they plan to use. They should be able to clarify whether the pesticides are low toxicity or non-toxic, and if not 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 technician will begin with eco-friendly and lower-toxicity treatment methods before employing harsher chemicals.
Many companies have started to use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to reduce personal or environmental risk when treating pest infestations. 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.
- Use a combination of biological, cultural, physical, and mechanical controls to manage the pest problem.
- Employ chemical controls only when required, and always along with other techniques for effective long-term pest management.
- Observe the results and continue with additional pest control as needed.
