How To Choose a Pest Control Company
Choosing the best pest control expert for you is important. You might take into consideration a company's qualifications and treatment methods in addition to its years of experience and customer reviews. Of course, there is also the cost of services to consider.
Below, we explore the details of 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 those that supervise them must be certified at the state level. The EPA does set minimum standards of competency, but all Tennessee pesticide applicators need to be licensed through the proper state regulatory agencies.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
There are additional optional certifications that can help show that a pest control company is reputable. One example is the GreenPro Service Certification. For this certification, a company must show that its methods are more environmentally friendly and that its employees receive up-to-date training. Other certifications can be obtained through QualityPro and similar trade organizations.
Pest control companies can also be members of certain professional organizations. Pest control companies can join both state-level organizations and national organizations such as the National Pest Management Association (NPMA). While not mandatory, membership in these organizations helps prove a company's reputability and gives it access to resources, education, and a network of professionals with whom to compare best practices.
Professional Experience and Specialties
You can get some insight into a company's experience level by looking at how many years it has been in business. The company's website and local reviews can also inform you whether the company has experience dealing with the specific species of pests that are afflicting your home. You can contact a representative directly to learn this information if you can't find it online.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can verify a company's legitimacy using social media or local review sites as well as the Better Business Bureau (BBB). You can also check with Tennessee's licensing board to verify the status of a company's license.
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 cost of pest control.
You can learn whether a company offers 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 take care of your pest problem, it will keep coming back until it does.
Safety and Treatment Methods
Your choice of pest control provider might be affected 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
You can ask your pest control provider if they are going to use low toxicity or non-toxic pesticides, and if not, ask about what precautionary measures they will take. Any pesticide that has been deemed above minimum risk should be registered with the EPA. Your pest control company should be able to provide information about all pesticides to be used, as well as how safe they are around people and pets.
Treatment Methods
Many pest control companies are now exploring greener and cleaner pest control solutions that can be used before (or in place of) chemical pesticides. Many are following the practice of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which goes as follows:
- Identify problem pests and assess whether immediate action is required.
- Determine the best and safest course of action.
- Manage the pest problem using a combination of physical, biological, mechanical, and cultural controls.
- Use chemical controls only if needed, and always in combination with other controls for effective long-term pest management.
- Evaluate outcomes and continue with additional pest control as needed.
