How To Choose a Pest Control Company
Hiring the best company for you is the most important step in the pest control process. Along with a company's qualifications and treatment methods, you might also look into how long it has been in business and what the reviews look like. Finally, you'll likely want to consider 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?
While the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets the minimum standards of competency for pesticide applicators, licensing is taken care of at the state level. All pesticide applicators (and their supervisors) in Kansas need to be licensed by all the necessary state regulatory agencies.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
One optional certification that could be worth looking for is the GreenPro Service Certification. To earn this certification, a pest control company must both demonstrate that its practices are more eco-friendly and maintain certain training standards for its technicians. Companies can also obtain other certifications from trade organizations like QualityPro to further back up their work.
Pest control companies can also belong to certain professional organizations. A pest control company can obtain membership in both state-level organizations and national organizations such as 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 gain some insight into a pest control company's level of pest management experience by finding out how long it has been in operation. Local reviews and the company's own website can also inform you whether a certain company has experience dealing with the specific species of pests invading your home. You can 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), explore local review sites and social media to find out what other people are saying, or verify its license standing via the Kansas licensing board.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
Things like the size of your house, your location, the type of pest being treated, and other factors can all affect the price of pest control.
You can look into whether a company offers free on-site estimates (to determine if it fits in your budget) and what sort of guarantees it offers. Often, a company will guarantee that if it does not take care of your pest problem, it will keep coming back until it does.
Safety and Treatment Methods
Your preferences regarding safety for yourself, any children or pets, and the environment might affect which provider and treatment methods you choose.
Safety
You want to ensure that you understand the precautions for the pesticides being used in your house, for the sake of your family, your pets, and yourself. Your pest control expert should be able to supply information about the pesticides they intend to use, whether they are low toxicity or non-toxic, and (if not) what safety measures they plan to take. All pesticides (except minimum-risk ones) should be registered with the EPA.
Treatment Methods
Many pest control companies are now exploring cleaner and greener pest management that can be implemented before (or instead of) chemical pesticides. Many are following the practice of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which goes as follows:
- Figure out what pests are causing the problem and assess whether immediate action is needed.
- Decide on the safest course of action.
- Use a combination of biological, cultural, mechanical, and physical controls to manage the pest problem.
- Use chemical controls only when required, and always with other methods for effective long-term pest management.
- Assess the outcome and implement additional pest control as needed.
