How To Choose a Pest Control Company
There are several factors that you can weigh when choosing the right pest control solutionfor you. Factors you may consider include qualifications and licensing, treatment methods, years of experience, customer reviews, and cost.
Below, we discuss each of these factors in more detail.
Does the company have a valid license and permits to perform pest control?
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), all pesticide applicators and their supervisors need to be licensed at the state level. The EPA has established minimum competency standards, and the Virginia regulatory agencies take care of the granting, maintaining, and revoking of licenses.
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 must both demonstrate that its practices are more environmentally friendly and maintain certain training standards for its technicians. Companies can earn other certifications from QualityPro or similar trade organizations to further support their work.
Pest control companies can also become members of various professional organizations. A pest control company can obtain membership in state-level organizations in addition to national organizations such as the National Pest Management Association (NPMA). By being a member of these optional organizations, a company helps support its reputability and gains access to resources, education, and a network of other professionals to compare best practices with.
Professional Experience and Specialties
You can get some insight into a pest control company's level of experience by finding out how long it has been in business. Local reviews and the company's own website can also let you know whether the company has experience dealing with the specific species of pests that are afflicting your home. You can call the company directly to learn this information if it is not available online.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can look up a company's rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB), browse reviews on local review sites or social media, or check the standing of its license via the Virginia licensing board.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
For many people, cost is one of the main deciding factors when hiring for pest control. Cost can be influenced by factors like your location, the type of pest being treated, and the size of your house.
You can think about whether a specific company offers free on-site estimates (to determine if it fits in your budget), and what kind of guarantees are provided. Often, a company will guarantee that if its treatment doesn't resolve your pest problem, it will continue to come back until it does.
Safety and Treatment Methods
Your choice of pest control company might be influenced by how environmentally friendly a company's pest control management solutionsare, 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 precautionary measures they plan to take. All pesticides that are not considered minimum-risk chemicals need to be registered with the EPA. Your pest control provider will be able to supply information about all of the pesticides that they plan to use.
Treatment Methods
Many companies are using options for more environmentally friendly solutions before relying on harsh pesticides.
One common method for making pest control safer and more eco-friendly is Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The steps of IPM are as follows:
- Identify the source of the pest problem and assess whether immediate action is required.
- Determine the best and safest course of action.
- Use a combination of biological, cultural, mechanical, and physical controls to manage the pest problem.
- Use chemical controls only when required, and always in combination with other methods for effective long-term pest management.
- Assess the outcome and continue with additional pest control as needed.
