How To Choose a Pest Control Company
There are several things you can take into consideration when choosing the best pest control expertfor you. A company's qualifications and treatment methods are important to consider, as are its years of experience and reputation in customer reviews. Of course, you also want to think about cost.
Below, we dive into detail on 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 need to be licensed at the state level. The EPA maintains minimum standards of competency, and the Tennessee 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 standards and methods. One particular certification is the GreenPro Service Certification, which is granted 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 experts can also belong to 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 gains access to resources, education, and a network of other pest control experts with whom to compare methods. This can give you additional peace of mind that a company follows industry best practices.
Professional Experience and Specialties
Typically, a company will list information like years of experience and specialities on its website. Online reviews can also tell you whether a company has experience dealing with a particular pest in your area. If you're unable to find the information you need online, you can reach out to the company directly to get the answers to your questions.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can check a company's Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating, look for reviews on local review sites or social media, or check the standing of its license via the Tennessee licensing board.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
Cost is often a deciding factor when choosing a pest control company. Cost may be determined by your location, the size of your house, the type of pest being treated, 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 satisfaction guarantee.
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 a provider that employes eco-friendly practices.
Safety
Your pest technician should use low toxicity or non-toxic pesticides any time they can. If any pesticides used don't fit into one of these categories, your technician should explain what safety precautions will be in place to protect you, your family, and your pets. All pesticides that pose more than a minimum risk should be registered with the EPA.
Treatment Methods
You can ask if your pest control provider will start with more natural and lower-toxicity options before trying harsher chemicals.
Many companies are now using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to eliminate pests while reducing personal and environmental risks. The steps of IPM are as follows:
- Identify the source of the pest problem and assess whether immediate action is needed.
- Decide on the safest course of action.
- Use a combination of biological, cultural, physical, and mechanical controls to manage the pest problem.
- Use chemical controls only when absolutely necessary, and always in combination with other techniques for effective long-term pest management.
- Observe the results and provide additional pest control as needed.
