How To Choose a Pest Control Company
The most important step is choosing the best pest control professional for the job. You might take into consideration a company's qualifications, treatment methods, years of experience, customer reviews, and cost of services.
Below, we dive into detail on each factor.
Does the company have a valid license and permits to perform pest control?
While the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets the minimum competency standards for pesticide application, licensing is taken care of at the state level. All pesticide applicators (and their supervisors) in Washington should be licensed by all the necessary state regulatory agencies.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
Pest control companies can optionally obtain certifications from QualityPro or similar trade organizations. These certifications can help you assess the quality of a company's products. For example, the GreenPro Service Certification indicates comprehensive and effective pest control methods that are safer for humans and the environment.
Pest control companies can also become members of professional organizations. Membership in organizations like the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) or state-level organizations is not required, but helps show that a company is reputable. When a pest control company joins the NPMA, it gains access to education, resources, and a network of professionals with whom to discuss practices and methods.
Professional Experience and Specialties
You can gain some insight into a pest company's level of experience by seeing how many years it has been in business. Local reviews and the company's own website can also inform you whether a company has the experience needed to deal with the specific species of pests invading your home. You can always call the company directly to learn this information if you can't find it online.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can look at a company's rating and reviews on the Better Business Bureau (BBB), explore local review sites and social media to hear what other people are saying, or verify its license standing through the Washington licensing board.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
Pest control costs can vary based on things like your location, the type of pest being treated, the size of your house, and other factors.
When considering the cost of services, you should try to determine whether a company includes free on-site estimates as part of its process. This can inform you whether the company fits into your budget. Also look into what guarantees a company offers: If the problem is not fixed, or if it returns, will the company provide additional treatments until the problem is satisfactorily handled?
Safety and Treatment Methods
Your choice of pest control provider might be affected by how environmentally friendly a provider's practicesare, in addition to how safe its methods are around your family and pets.
Safety
Ask your pest control expert if the chemicals they're using are low toxicity or non-toxic, and if not, what sort of precautionary measures they will have in place. Any pesticides that are not minimum-risk chemicals should be registered with the EPA. Your pest technician will be able to provide information about all of the pesticides they plan on using.
Treatment Methods
Many companies have started offering options for more eco-friendly methods of pest control before jumping into using harsh pesticides.
One common way of making pest control safer and more eco-friendly is Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The steps of IPM are as follows:
- Identify problem pests and determine whether immediate action is required.
- Decide on the safest course of action.
- Use a combination of biological, cultural, mechanical, and physical controls to manage the pest problem.
- Use chemical controls only if needed, and always in combination with other solutions for effective long-term pest management.
- Observe the results and provide additional pest control as needed.
