How To Choose a Pest Control Company
It's important to choose the best pest control professionalfor you. Along with a company's qualifications and treatment methods, you may also look into how long it has been in business and what the reviews look like. Finally, you'll likely want to consider the cost of services.
Below, we dive into detail on 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) has established minimum standards of competency, but all pesticide applicators working in the state of Washington should be licensed via the necessary state regulatory agencies.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
An optional certification that might be worth looking for is the GreenPro Service Certification. To obtain this certification, a pest control company needs to both demonstrate that its practices are more eco-friendly and uphold certain training standards for its technicians. Companies can obtain other certifications from trade organizations like QualityPro to further back up their work.
Pest control companies can also hold membership in various professional organizations. When a company joins an organization such as the National Pest Management Association(NPMA) (or a state-level organization), it gets access to education, resources, and a network of other pest professionals with whom to compare treatment methods. This can offer additional peace of mind that a company follows industry best practices.
Professional Experience and Specialties
You can look at a company's years in business to help determine how much experience it has dealing with common pests in Spokane. You can also explore its website or peruse customer reviews to determine whether it has adequate experience with the type of pests you are struggling with. If this information is not available online, calling the company directly is a good way to learn more.
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 Washington's licensing board to verify the status of a company's license.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
Pest control costs can vary based on things like the type of pest being treated, the size of your house, your location, and other factors.
When thinking about the cost of services, you should confirm 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, does the company provide additional treatment until the issue is satisfactorily handled?
Safety and Treatment Methods
Your choice of pest control company might be influenced by how environmentally friendly a provider's practicesare, as well as how safe its methods are around your family and pets.
Safety
Be sure to 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 are going to use. Any pesticides that are not minimum-risk chemicals need to be registered with the EPA. Your pest control provider should be able to provide information about all pesticides they plan on using.
Treatment Methods
Many companies have started offering options for more eco-friendly methods of pest control before employing 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:
- Figure out what pests are causing the problem and determine whether immediate action is required.
- Determine the best and safest course of action.
- Use a combination of biological, cultural, physical, and mechanical controls to manage the pest problem.
- Use chemical controls only if needed, and always with other techniques for effective long-term pest management.
- Assess the outcome and continue with additional pest control as needed.
