How To Choose a Pest Control Company
The most important step in the pest control process is hiring the right company for you. Some things you might consider include licensing and qualifications, treatment methods, years of experience, customer reviews, and cost.
Below, we dive into detail on each of these factors.
Does the company have a valid license and permits to perform pest control?
All pesticide applicators (and those that supervise them) need to be certified at the state level. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established minimum standards of competency, but any pesticide applicators working in Texas should be licensed via the necessary state regulatory agencies.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
One optional certification that may be worth looking for is the GreenPro Service Certification. To obtain this certification, a pest control company must both demonstrate that its practices are more environmentally friendly and maintain certain training standards for its technicians. Companies can obtain other certifications from QualityPro or similar trade organizations to further back up their work.
Pest control companies can also join various professional organizations. While not required, membership in organizations like the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) or state-level organizations help show a company's reputability. Organizations like the NPMA provide access to resources, education, and a network of other professionals with whom to share best practices.
Professional Experience and Specialties
How long a pest control company has been in business can shed some light on its experience dealing with the pests that live in Lubbock. Online reviews or the company's website itself can also inform you whether it has the skills and experience needed to eliminate the particular pests that are plaguing you. If the answers to your questions aren't available online, reaching out to the company directly is an easy way to learn more.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can look for reviews and recommendations on social media or local review sites, verify a company's Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating, or check its licensure status through the Texas licensing board.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
For many people, cost is one of the most important factors when looking for pest control. Cost can be determined by factors like your location, the type of pest being treated, and the size of your house.
You can look into whether a company offers free on-site estimates (to determine if it fits your budget), and what kind of guarantees are provided. 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 choice of pest control provider might be affected by how eco-friendly a company's practicesare, in addition to how safe its methods are around your family and pets.
Safety
You should ask your pest control technician if the chemicals they're using are low toxicity or non-toxic, and if not, what kind of precautionary measures they plan to take. All pesticides that are not considered minimum-risk chemicals need to be registered with the EPA. Your pest technician should be able to supply information about all of the pesticides that they plan to use.
Treatment Methods
Many companies have started offering options for more environmentally friendly pest control techniques before employing harsh pesticides.
One common method for making pest control safer and greener is Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The steps of IPM are as follows:
- Identify the source of the pest problem and determine if immediate action is needed.
- Decide on the safest course of action.
- Use a combination of physical, cultural, biological, and mechanical controls to manage the pest problem.
- Use chemical controls only when required, and always with other methods for effective long-term pest management.
- Evaluate outcomes and implement additional pest control as needed.
