How To Choose a Pest Control Company
The most important step in the pest control process is hiring the right company for you. Factors you might consider include licensing and qualifications, 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?
All pesticide applicators (and those that supervise them) must 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 Colorado should be licensed via the necessary state regulatory agencies.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
Pest control companies also have the option to obtain additional certifications such as the GreenPro Service Certification. This certification is awarded once a company has proven its methods to be 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 QualityPro or similar trade organizations to further support its practices and methods.
Pest control companies can also belong to various professional organizations. When a company joins an organization such as the National Pest Management Association(NPMA) (or a state-level organization), it receives access to resources, education, and a network of other pest professionals with whom to compare methods. This can offer extra peace of mind that a company is following industry best practices.
Professional Experience and Specialties
The number of years that a pest control company has been in business can shed some light on its experience dealing with various pests. Customer reviews or the company's own website can also help you figure out whether it has the experience necessary to deal with your particular pests. If the answers to your questions aren't available online, calling a representative is an excellent way to learn about the company's areas of expertise.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can browse reviews and recommendations on local review sites or social media, verify a company's rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB), or check the status of its license through the Colorado licensing board.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
It's important to think about cost when hiring a pest control company. Cost can be influenced by the type of pest being treated, your location, the size of your house, and other factors.
Many companies offer free on-site estimates before starting work, to help you determine whether it fits into your budget. You can also ask whether a provider offers a satisfaction guarantee, 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 choice of pest control company might be influenced by how eco-friendly a company's pest control servicesare, in addition to how safe its methods are around your family and pets.
Safety
Ask your pest control technician if the chemicals they're using are low toxicity or non-toxic, and if not, what kind of precautionary measures they plan to take. All pesticides that are not considered minimum-risk chemicals should be registered with the EPA. Your pest control provider should be able to provide you with information about all chemicals that they plan to use.
Treatment Methods
It is now common for companies to start with more eco-friendly solutions before employing pesticides, following a framework called Integrated Pest Management (IPM). When using IPM, the following steps are taken:
- Identify problem pests and determine whether immediate action is required.
- Determine the best and safest course of action.
- Manage the pest problem using a combination of mechanical, physical, biological, and cultural controls.
- Employ chemical controls only when absolutely necessary, and always with other controls for effective long-term pest management.
- Assess the outcome and continue with additional pest control as needed.
