How To Choose a Pest Control Company
When picking a pest control company, you want to find the best one for you. You may take into consideration 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 has established minimum competency standards, and the Minnesota regulatory agencies handle the granting, maintaining, and revoking of licenses.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
A pest control company can optionally apply for additional certifications from trade organizations like QualityPro in order to verify its methods and standards. One particular certification is the GreenPro Service Certification, which is given when a company can demonstrate that its methods are more environmentally friendly. These companies also need to maintain certain training standards for employees.
Pest control experts can also obtain membership in professional organizations. A pest control company 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 education, resources, and a network of other professionals with whom to compare best practices.
Professional Experience and Specialties
You can get some insight into a pest control company's level of pest management experience by finding out how long it has been in business. Local reviews and the company's own website can also inform you whether a company has the experience needed to deal with the specific species of pests that are afflicting your home. You can contact the company directly to learn this information if it is not available online.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can view a company's reviews and rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB), check out social media and local review sites to see what other people are saying, or verify its license standing through the Minnesota licensing board.
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 look into whether a company provides free on-site estimates (to determine if it fits in your budget), as well as what kind 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
When it comes to picking a pest control provider, you want to select one that will keep you, your family, and your pets safe. You'll likely also prefer a provider that is eco-friendly.
Safety
Your pest control expert should use pesticides that are low toxicity or non-toxic when possible. If they plan to use pesticides that don't fall into one of these categories, your technician should explain what safety precautions they plan to use to protect you, your family, and your pets. All pesticides that pose more than a minimum risk are required to be registered with the EPA.
Treatment Methods
Many pest control companies are making the switch to using more natural and environmentally friendly treatment methods before (or instead of) harsh chemical pesticides. Some use a program called Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The steps of IPM are as follows:
- Figure out what pests are causing the problem and determine if immediate action is needed.
- Determine the best and safest course of action.
- Use a combination of biological, cultural, mechanical, and physical controls to manage the pest problem.
- Employ chemical controls only if needed, and always along with other controls for effective long-term pest management.
- Assess the outcome and continue with additional pest control solutions as needed.
