How To Choose a Pest Control Company
There are a number of things you can take into consideration when choosing the best pest control treatment planfor you. Some things you might consider include licensing and qualifications, treatment methods, years of experience, customer reviews, and cost.
Below, we dive into detail on each of these factors.
Does the company have a valid license and permits to perform pest control?
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), all pesticide applicators and their supervisors need to be licensed at the state level. The EPA maintains minimum standards of competency, and the Nebraska regulatory agencies take care of the granting, maintaining, and revoking of licenses.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
Pest control companies also have the option to obtain additional certifications such as the GreenPro Service Certification. This certification is given once a company has shown that its treatment methods are more environmentally friendly and demonstrated that it also maintains certain other standards, such as up-to-date training for employees. A company can also earn other certifications from trade organizations like QualityPro to further back up its methods and practices.
Pest control companies can also belong to certain professional organizations. Holding membership in organizations like the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) or state-level organizations is not required, but helps confirm that a company follows industry best practices. The NPMA gives companies access to education, resources, and a network of pest professionals with whom to discuss methods and practices.
Professional Experience and Specialties
How long a company has been in business can tell you something about its experience dealing with various pests. Online reviews or the company's website itself can also enlighten you about whether it has the experience necessary to eliminate the particular pests that are plaguing you. If the answers to your questions aren't available online, contacting the company directly is an easy way to learn about its areas of expertise.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can look at a company's rating and reviews on the Better Business Bureau (BBB), explore local review sites and social media to hear what other people are saying, or verify its license standing via the Nebraska 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 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), as well as what kind of guarantees it provides. Often, a company will guarantee that if it does not solve your pest problem, it will keep coming back until it does.
Safety and Treatment Methods
It's important to consider safety when choosing a pest control professional. You might also prefer a provider who uses more natural, environmentally friendly pest control management.
Safety
Your pest control expert should use pesticides that are low toxicity or non-toxic when possible. If any pesticides used don't fit into one of these categories, your technician should explain what safety precautions they will put in place to protect your family, your pets, and you. All pesticides that pose more than a minimum risk need to be registered with the EPA.
Treatment Methods
You can ask if your pest control provider will start with eco-friendly and lower-toxicity methods before moving on to harsher chemicals.
Many companies are now using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to reduce personal or environmental risk when treating pest infestations. The steps of IPM are as follows:
- Identify problem pests 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 in combination with other methods for effective long-term pest management.
- Assess the outcome and provide additional pest control as needed.
