How To Choose a Pest Control Company
The most important step is picking the right pest control professional for the job. A company's qualifications and treatment methods are important to consider, as are its years of experience and customer reviews. Of course, you will also want to think about cost.
Below, we discuss each of these factors 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 their supervisors need to be licensed at the state level. The EPA sets minimum standards of competency, and the New Mexico regulatory agencies take care of 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 back up its methods and standards. One particular certification is the GreenPro Service Certification, which is awarded to any company that can demonstrate that its methods are more environmentally friendly. These companies also need to maintain certain employee training standards.
Pest control companies can also belong to various professional organizations. A pest control company can join both state-level organizations and national organizations like the National Pest Management Association (NPMA). By being a member of these optional organizations, a company helps support its reputability and gains access to resources, education, and a network of other professionals with whom to compare best practices.
Professional Experience and Specialties
A pest control company's website can tell you how many years it has been in business and what kind of pests it specializes in eliminating. Local reviews can also give you some insight into a company's experience dealing with a certain type of pest. If this information isn't available online, you can try calling the company directly.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can view a company's rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB), look for reviews on local review sites or social media, or check the standing of its license via the New Mexico licensing board.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
Cost is often a deciding factor when picking a pest control company. Cost may be determined by the type of pest being treated, your location, the size of your house, and other factors.
A pest control company may offer a free on-site estimate to help you match services to your budget. You can also see if it offers a guarantee of satisfaction.
Safety and Treatment Methods
Keeping yourself, your family and your pets safe is an important consideration when picking a pest control provider. You might also prefer one that uses eco-friendly pest management treatment methods.
Safety
All pesticides (except those that pose only a minimum risk) need to be registered with the EPA. Your pest control technician should be able to supply information on every pesticide they are using. They should inform you whether the pesticides are low toxicity or non-toxic, and if not, what safety precautions will be taken.
Treatment Methods
Many companies are now trialing options for more eco-friendly pest control techniques before jumping into using harsh pesticides.
One common way of making pest control safer and more eco-friendly is Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The steps of IPM are as follows:
- Identify problem pests and determine if immediate action is needed.
- 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 with other controls for effective long-term pest management.
- Assess the outcome and provide additional pest control as needed.
