How To Choose a Pest Control Company
Hiring the right company for you is the most important step in the pest control process. You may consider a company's qualifications and treatment methods as well as its years of experience and customer reviews. Of course, there is also the cost of services to consider.
Below, we discuss each of these factors in more detail.
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 certified at the state level. The EPA sets minimum standards of competency, but all Texas pesticide applicators should be licensed through the proper state regulatory agencies.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
Pest control companies can also obtain optional certifications such as the GreenPro Service Certification. This certification is given once a company has proven its methods to be more environmentally friendly and demonstrated that it also maintains certain other standards, such as up-to-date training for employees. A pest control company can also earn other certifications from QualityPro or similar trade organizations to further support its practices and methods.
Pest control companies can also belong to certain professional organizations. Membership in organizations such as the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) or state-level organizations is not mandatory, but helps confirm that a company follows industry best practices. Membership in the NPMA gives companies access to education, resources, and a network of pest professionals with whom to discuss methods and practices.
Professional Experience and Specialties
The number of years that a pest control company has been in business can tell you something about its experience dealing with the pests that live in Mesquite. Customer reviews or the company's own website can also help you figure out whether it has the skills and experience needed to handle your specific pest problem. If the answers to your questions aren't available online, reaching out to the company directly is a great way to learn more.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can read reviews and recommendations on local review sites or social media, verify a company's rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB), or check the status of its license through the Texas licensing board.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
Things like the size of your house, the type of pest being treated, your location, and other factors can all influence the cost of pest control.
You can look into whether a company offers free on-site estimates (to determine if it fits in your budget), as well as what sort of guarantees it has. Often, a company will guarantee that if it does not solve your pest problem, it will continue treatment until it does.
Safety and Treatment Methods
Your choice of pest control provider might be influenced by how eco-friendly a provider's pest control management solutionsare, as well as how safe its methods are around your family and pets.
Safety
Ask your pest control provider if they will be using low toxicity or non-toxic pesticides—if not, ask about what precautionary measures they will take. Any pesticide that has been deemed above minimum risk needs to be registered with the EPA. Your pest technician should supply information about all pesticides to be used, in addition to how safe they are around people and pets.
Treatment Methods
Nowadays, many companies are exploring more environmentally friendly 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:
- Figure out what pests are causing the problem and assess whether immediate action is required.
- Determine the best and safest course of action.
- Manage the pest problem using a combination of biological, cultural, physical, and mechanical controls.
- Use chemical controls only if needed, and always along with other controls for effective long-term pest management.
- Observe the results and continue with additional pest control as needed.
