How To Choose a Pest Control Company
It's important to choose the right pest control solutionfor you. Some things you might consider include qualifications and licensing, treatment methods, years of experience, customer reviews, and cost.
Below, we discuss each of these factors in more detail.
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 those that supervise them must be licensed at the state level. The EPA has established minimum standards of competency, and the Texas regulatory agencies take care of the issuing, maintaining, and revoking of licenses.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
A pest control company can receive optional certifications from trade organizations like QualityPro 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 eco-friendly. These companies also need to maintain certain training standards for employees.
There are certain professional organizations that a pest control company can be a member of. Pest control companies can join both state-level organizations and national organizations such as 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 to compare best practices with.
Professional Experience and Specialties
A pest control company's website can tell you how long it has been in business and what kind of pests it specializes in eliminating. Local reviews can also provide some insight into a company's experience dealing with a specific pest. If you can't find this information online, you can try calling the company directly.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can look up a company's rating and reviews on the Better Business Bureau (BBB), read social media and local review sites to find out what other people are saying, or verify its license standing via the Texas licensing board.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
Pest control costs can vary based on things like the size of your house, your location, the type of pest being treated, and other factors.
When considering the cost of services, you should try to determine whether a company includes free on-site estimates as part of its process. This can inform you whether the company fits into your budget. Also consider what guarantees a company offers: If the problem is not fixed, or returns, does the company provide additional treatments until the problem is handled satisfactorily?
Safety and Treatment Methods
Safety is an important consideration when selecting a pest control expert, and you might prefer a provider who employs more natural, environmentally friendly pest control management.
Safety
Be sure to ask your pest control provider if they will be using low toxicity or non-toxic pesticides, and if not, ask about what precautionary measures they plan to use. Any pesticide that poses greater than minimum risk must be registered with the EPA. Your pest technician should be able to provide information about all of the pesticides that will be used in your home, in addition to how safe they are around people and pets.
Treatment Methods
Companies often start with more environmentally friendly treatment options before using harsh pesticides, following a framework called Integrated Pest Management (IPM). When using IPM, the following steps are taken:
- Identify problem pests and determine if immediate action is required.
- Determine the best and safest course of action.
- Use a combination of biological, cultural, physical, and mechanical controls to manage the pest problem.
- Employ chemical controls only when required, and always with other solutions for effective long-term pest management.
- Evaluate outcomes and provide additional pest control as needed.
