How To Choose a Pest Control Company
The most important step in the pest control process is hiring the right company for you. You might consider a pest control 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?
While the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established minimum competency standards for pesticide applicators, licensure is taken care of at the state level. All pesticide applicators (and their supervisors) in Texas must be licensed by all the necessary state regulatory agencies.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
Pest control companies can earn the GreenPro Service Certification, which requires a company to show that its practices are eco-friendly and that its employees receive up-to-date training. QualityPro and similar trade organizations also offer other certifications. These are not required, but can help show that a pest control company is reputable.
Pest control professionals can also hold membership in professional organizations. Companies can be members of the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), or state-level organizations. Membership in the NPMA gives companies access to resources, education, and a network of other pest professionals. While not mandatory, membership in professional organizations helps demonstrate a company's reputability.
Professional Experience and Specialties
Browsing a pest control company's website can tell you how many years it has been in operation and what kind of pests it specializes in exterminating. Local reviews can also provide some insight into a company's experience dealing with a specific pest. If you're unable to find this information online, you can try contacting the company directly.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can look at a company's rating and reviews on the Better Business Bureau (BBB), read local review sites and social media to hear what homeowners near you think, or verify its license standing through the Texas licensing board.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
For many people, cost is one of the most important factors when hiring for pest control services. Cost can be affected by factors like your location, the size of your house, and the type of pest being treated.
You can consider whether a certain company offers free on-site estimates (to determine if it fits in your budget), and what kind of guarantees it provides. Often, a company will guarantee that if your pest problem isn't fixed by its treatment, it will continue to treat until it is.
Safety and Treatment Methods
Your preferences regarding safety for yourself, your children, your pets, and the environment might affect which provider and treatment methods you choose.
Safety
Be sure to ask your pest control technician if the chemicals they're using are low toxicity or non-toxic, and if not, what sort of precautionary measures they plan to take. Any pesticides that are not minimum-risk chemicals need to be registered with the EPA. Your pest control provider will be able to supply you with information about all of the pesticides that they plan to use.
Treatment Methods
Nowadays, many companies are exploring more environmentally friendly pest control solutions that can be used before (or instead of) chemical pesticides. Many are following the practice of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which goes as follows:
- Identify problem pests and determine if immediate action is required.
- Decide on the safest course of action.
- Manage the pest problem using a combination of physical, cultural, biological, and mechanical controls.
- Employ chemical controls only if needed, and always along with other techniques for effective long-term pest management.
- Assess the outcome and provide additional pest control as needed.
