How To Choose a Pest Control Company
The first step is hiring the right pest control professional for the job. You may consider a pest control company's qualifications and treatment methods as well as its customer reviews and years of experience. And of course, there's 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?
All pesticide applicators, as well as those that supervise them, must be licensed via the appropriate Kentucky regulatory agencies. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established minimum standards of competency, but issuing, maintaining, and revoking licensure is handled at the state level.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
An optional certification that may be worth looking for is the GreenPro Service Certification. In order to receive this certification, a pest control company needs to both show that its practices are more eco-friendly and maintain certain technician training standards. Companies can obtain other certifications from QualityPro or similar trade organizations to further support their work.
Pest control companies can also belong to various professional organizations. When a company becomes a member of 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 methods. This can offer additional peace of mind that a company follows industry best practices.
Professional Experience and Specialties
Looking at how long a pest control company has been in business can help determine how much experience it has handling various pests in Covington. You can also look at its website or peruse customer reviews to decide whether it has the right kind of experience handling the species of pests you are dealing with. If this information is not available online, getting in touch with a company representative is a good way to learn more.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can check a company's reputation using social media or local review sites as well as the Better Business Bureau (BBB). You can also check with Kentucky's licensing board to verify the status of a company's license.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
For many people, cost is one of the main deciding factors when looking for pest control. Cost can be affected by factors like the type of pest being treated, the size of your house, and your location.
You can think about whether a particular company offers free on-site estimates (to determine if it fits in your budget), and what kind of guarantees it provides. Often, a company will guarantee that if your pest problem isn't fixed by its treatment, it will continue to treat until it is.
Safety and Treatment Methods
Your preferences regarding safety for yourself, your children, your pets, and the environment may affect which provider and treatment methods you choose.
Safety
Your pest control provider should be able to explain the safety precautions of all pesticides they plan to use. They should be able to answer questions about whether the pesticides are low toxicity or non-toxic, and if not what safety precautions they plan to use to protect your family, your pets, and you. Pesticides that pose more than a minimum risk need to be registered with the EPA.
Treatment Methods
You can ask if your pest technician will start with more natural and lower-toxicity methods before trying harsher chemicals.
Many companies have started to 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.
- Manage the pest problem using a combination of mechanical, physical, biological, and cultural controls.
- Use chemical controls only when absolutely necessary, and always along with other solutions for effective long-term pest management.
- Evaluate outcomes and implement additional pest control as needed.
