How To Choose a Pest Control Company
The most important step is picking the right pest control professional for the job. Important factors include the company's qualifications, its treatment methods, experience and reviews, and of course the cost of services.
Below, we dive into detail on each of these factors.
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 Missouri regulatory agencies. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established minimum standards of competency, while issuing, maintaining, and revoking licensing is handled at the state level.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
A pest control company can optionally apply for certifications from QualityPro or similar trade organizations in order to support its standards and methods. One particular certification is the GreenPro Service Certification, which is given to any company that can demonstrate that its methods are more eco-friendly. These companies also need to maintain certain employee training standards.
Pest control companies can also belong to certain professional organizations. When a company becomes a member of an organization such as the National Pest Management Association(NPMA) (or a state-level organization), it receives access to resources, education, and a network of other pest control experts with whom to compare treatment methods. This can give you additional peace of mind that a company follows industry best practices.
Professional Experience and Specialties
You can gain some insight into a pest company's experience level by seeing how many years it has been in business. Local reviews and the company's own website can also inform you whether a certain company has the experience needed to deal with the specific species of pests invading your home. You can reach out to a representative directly to learn this information if you can't find it online.
Reviews and Recommendations
Resources you can use to check a company's reputation include the Better Business Bureau (BBB), local review sites, and social media. Additionally, you can check the status of a company's license via the Missouri licensing board.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
Pest control costs can vary based on things like your location, the type of pest being treated, the size of your house, and other factors.
When considering the cost of services, you should verify whether a company provides free on-site estimates as part of its services. This can help determine whether the company fits into your budget. Also consider what guarantees a company offers: If the problem is not resolved, or if it returns, does the company promise to offer additional treatments until the problem is satisfactorily resolved?
Safety and Treatment Methods
Your choice of pest control provider might be affected by how eco-friendly a provider's pest control servicesare, in addition to how safe its methods are around your family and pets.
Safety
Make sure to ask your pest control provider if the chemicals they're using are low toxicity or non-toxic, and if not, what precautionary measures they will have in place. All pesticides that are not considered minimum-risk chemicals should be registered with the EPA. Your pest technician should be able to supply information about all pesticides that they plan on using.
Treatment Methods
Many companies are now exploring more eco-friendly 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 determine whether immediate action is needed.
- Decide on the safest course of action.
- Manage the pest problem using a combination of biological, cultural, physical, and mechanical controls.
- Use chemical controls only when required, and always in combination with other controls for effective long-term pest management.
- Assess the outcome and implement additional pest control as needed.
