How To Choose a Pest Control Company
There are several factors that you can consider when choosing the best pest control treatment methodfor you. You might take into consideration a company's qualifications and treatment methods as well as its years of experience and customer reviews. Of course, there is also the cost of services to consider.
Below, we dive into detail on 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 their supervisors need to be licensed at the state level. The EPA sets minimum standards of competency, and the Massachusetts regulatory agencies take care of the granting, maintaining, and revoking of licenses.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
Pest control companies can earn the GreenPro Service Certification, which requires a company to show that its practices are more eco-friendly and that its employee training is up to date. Trade organizations such as QualityPro offer additional certifications. While not required, these can help demonstrate that a pest control company is reputable.
Pest control professionals can also belong to professional organizations. When a company becomes a member of an organization like the National Pest Management Association(NPMA) (or a state-level organization), it receives access to education, resources, and a network of other pest professionals with whom to compare methods. This can offer additional peace of mind that a company is following industry best practices.
Professional Experience and Specialties
You can look at a pest control company's years in business to help determine how much experience it has handling common pests in Chicopee. You can also browse its website or read customer reviews to decide whether it has the right kind of experience handling the species of pests you are dealing with. If you cannot find this information online, getting in touch with a company representative is a good way to learn more.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can browse reviews and recommendations on social media or local review sites, look up a company's rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB), or check its licensure status through the Massachusetts licensing board.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
Things like your location, the size of your house, the type of pest being treated, and other factors can all affect the cost of pest control.
You can look into whether a company provides free on-site estimates (to determine if it fits in your budget) and what kind of guarantees it offers. Often, a company will provide a guarantee that if it does not take care of your pest problem, it will continue treatment until it does.
Safety and Treatment Methods
Your choice of pest control company might be influenced by how eco-friendly a company's pest control management solutionsare, in addition to how safe its methods are around your family and pets.
Safety
All pesticides used by your company (except those that are classified as minimum-risk) should be registered with the EPA. Your pest control technician should provide information on each pesticide they plan to use. They should inform you whether these chemicals are low toxicity or non-toxic, and if not, what safety precautions they plan to take.
Treatment Methods
Pest professionals looking to reduce their reliance on chemical pesticides often follow practices such as Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Using IPM involves a series of steps:
- 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 mechanical, cultural, biological, and physical controls.
- Employ chemical controls only when required, and always along with other methods for effective long-term pest management.
- Observe the results and implement additional pest control as needed.
