How To Choose a Pest Control Company
It's important to choose the right pest control professionalfor you. You may consider a company's qualifications, methods, years of experience, customer reviews, and price of services.
Below, we dive into detail on each factor.
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) sets minimum standards of competency, but any pesticide applicators working in the state of Utah must be licensed via the necessary state regulatory agencies.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
One optional certification that might be worth looking for is the GreenPro Service Certification. In order to get this certification, a pest control company needs to both demonstrate that its practices are more eco-friendly and maintain certain training standards for its technicians. Companies can also earn other certifications from trade organizations like QualityPro to further back up their work.
Pest control companies can also belong to various professional organizations. Being a member of organizations such as the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) or state-level organizations is not required, but helps show that a company is reputable. Membership in the NPMA gives companies access to resources, education, and a network of pest professionals with whom to discuss practices and methods.
Professional Experience and Specialties
Looking at how long a company has been in business can help determine how much experience it has dealing with common pests in Sandy. You can also explore its website or look through customer reviews to figure out whether it has experience eliminating the species of pests you are dealing with. If this information can't be found online, calling the company directly is a good way to learn more.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can verify a company's legitimacy using the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and local review sites or social media. You can also check with Utah's licensing board to verify the status of a company's license.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
Things like your location, the type of pest being treated, the size of your house, and other factors can all affect the price of pest control.
You can look into whether a company provides free on-site estimates (to determine if it fits in your budget) and what sort of guarantees it offers. Often, a company will provide a guarantee that if it does not solve your pest problem, it will keep coming back until it does.
Safety and Treatment Methods
Your choice of pest control provider might be influenced by how environmentally friendly a company's pest control management solutionsare, as well as how safe its methods are around your family and pets.
Safety
Your pest control provider should be able to explain the safety precautions of all pesticides that will be used in your home. They should be able to explain whether the pesticides are low toxicity or non-toxic, and if not what safety precautions they plan to use to protect you, your family, and your pets. Any pesticides that pose more than a minimum risk must be registered with the EPA.
Treatment Methods
Many pest control companies are making the switch to using more natural and greener treatment methods before, or instead of, harsh chemical pesticides. Some utilize a program called Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The steps of IPM are as follows:
- Figure out what pests are causing the problem and determine if immediate action is needed.
- Determine the best and safest course of action.
- Manage the pest problem using a combination of biological, cultural, mechanical, and physical controls.
- Employ chemical controls only if needed, and always with other methods for effective long-term pest control management.
- Assess the outcome and implement additional pest control as needed.
