How To Choose a Pest Control Company
There are a number of things you can weigh when selecting the right pest control treatment methodfor you. You may consider a pest control company's qualifications and treatment methods in addition to its customer reviews and years of experience. And of course, there's 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?
All pesticide applicators (and those who supervise them) are required to be certified at the state level. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets 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?
Pest control companies can also obtain optional certifications like the GreenPro Service Certification. This certification is given once a company has shown that its treatment methods are more eco-friendly and demonstrated that it also maintains certain other standards, such as up-to-date training for employees. A company can also earn other certifications from trade organizations like QualityPro to further verify its practices and methods.
Pest control companies can also belong to certain professional organizations. When a company obtains membership in an organization such as the National Pest Management Association(NPMA) (or a state-level organization), it gets access to resources, education, and a network of other pest professionals 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 specialities and years of experience on its website. Local reviews can also help you determine if a company has experience dealing with a specific pest. If you can't get the information you need online, you can call the company directly to get the answers to your questions.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can verify a company's legitimacy using social media or local review sites as well as the Better Business Bureau (BBB). You can also check with Texas' licensing board to verify the status of a company's license.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
It's important to think about cost when hiring someone for pest control. Cost can be affected by the size of your house, the type of pest being treated, your location, and other factors.
Often, companies will offer free on-site estimates as part of their process, to help you determine whether it fits into your budget. You can also ask whether a company offers a satisfaction guarantees, meaning that if your pest problem is not solved by the initial treatment, it will continue returning until it is.
Safety and Treatment Methods
Your preferences regarding safety for yourself, your children, your pets, and the environment can affect the provider and the treatment methods you choose.
Safety
Make sure to ask your pest control provider if the chemicals they're using are low toxicity or non-toxic, and if not, what kind of precautionary measures they will have in place. All pesticides that are not considered minimum-risk chemicals must be registered with the EPA. Your pest control provider should be able to supply information about all of the pesticides they are going to use.
Treatment Methods
Many companies will start with more environmentally friendly options before employing harsh pesticides, using a technique called Integrated Pest Management (IPM). When using IPM, the following steps are taken:
- 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 mechanical, physical, biological, and cultural controls to manage the pest problem.
- Employ chemical controls only when required, and always along with other methods for effective long-term pest management.
- Assess the outcome and provide additional pest control as needed.
