How To Choose a Pest Control Company
Choosing the best pest control company for you is important. You might consider a company's qualifications, methods, years of experience, customer reviews, and price of services.
Below, we discuss each factor 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 maintains minimum standards of competency, and the Maryland regulatory agencies handle the granting, maintaining, and revoking of licenses.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
Obtaining additional optional certifications can help show that a pest control company is reputable. One of these is the GreenPro Service Certification. To obtain this certification, a company must show that its methods are more environmentally friendly and that its employees receive up-to-date training. Other various certifications can be earned through trade organizations like QualityPro.
A pest control company can also belong to professional organizations. Pest control companies can obtain membership in state-level organizations as well as national organizations like the National Pest Management Association (NPMA). While not mandatory, membership in these organizations helps prove a company's reputability and gives it access to resources, education, and a network of professionals to compare best practices with.
Professional Experience and Specialties
You can look at a pest control company's years in business to help determine how much experience it has dealing with common pests in Annapolis. You can also browse its website or look through customer reviews to decide whether it has the right kind of experience handling the species of pests you are struggling with. If this information is not available online, speaking with a company representative is a good way to learn more.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can verify a company's legitimacy using local review sites or social media as well as the Better Business Bureau (BBB). You can also check with Maryland's licensing board to see the status of a company's license.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
Things like the size of your house, the type of pest being treated, your location, and other factors can all influence the price of pest control.
You can learn whether a company provides free on-site estimates (to determine if it fits in your budget) and what type of guarantees it offers. Often, a company will provide a guarantee that if it does not resolve your pest problem, it will keep coming back until it does.
Safety and Treatment Methods
Safety is an important consideration when deciding on a pest control company, and you might prefer a provider who uses more natural, eco-friendly treatment plans.
Safety
All pesticides (except those that pose only a minimum risk) should be registered with the EPA. Your pest control expert should be able to provide you with information on all the pesticides that they will be using. They should inform you whether these chemicals are low toxicity or non-toxic, and if not, what safety precautions will be in place.
Treatment Methods
You can ask if your technician will start with more natural and lower-toxicity methods before employing harsher chemicals.
Many companies now use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to eliminate pests while reducing personal and environmental risks. The steps of IPM are as follows:
- Identify problem pests and assess whether immediate action is required.
- Decide on the safest course of action.
- Manage the pest problem using a combination of biological, cultural, mechanical, and physical controls.
- Employ chemical controls only if needed, and always along with other techniques for effective long-term pest management.
- Assess the outcome and implement additional pest control as needed.
