How To Choose a Pest Control Company
When picking a pest control company, you want to make sure that you find the best one for you. You may consider a company's qualifications and treatment methods in addition to its customer reviews and years of experience. And of course, there's the cost of services to consider.
Below, we dive into detail on each of these factors.
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 those that supervise them need to be certified at the state level. The EPA sets minimum standards of competency, but all Illinois pesticide applicators must be licensed through the proper 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 that its treatment methods are more environmentally 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 trade organizations like QualityPro to further back up its practices and methods.
Pest control companies can also become members of certain professional organizations. Pest control companies 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 gain some insight into a pest company's level of pest management experience by looking at how many years it has been in operation. Local reviews and the company's own website can also tell you whether a company has the experience needed to deal with the specific species of pests that are afflicting your home. You can contact the company directly to learn this information if it is not available online.
Reviews and Recommendations
Resources that can help you verify a company's reputation include the Better Business Bureau (BBB), local review sites, and social media. Additionally, you can confirm the status of a company's license through the Illinois licensing board.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
It's important to think about cost when hiring a pest control company. Cost can be affected by the size of your house, the type of pest being treated, your location, and other factors.
Often, companies will offer free on-site estimates at the beginning of their process, to help you decide whether it fits into your budget. You can also ask whether if your company has a satisfaction guarantee, meaning that it will continue to treat your pest problem until it is solved.
Safety and Treatment Methods
Your choice of pest control provider might be affected by how eco-friendly a company's practicesare, in addition to how safe its methods are around your family and pets.
Safety
Be sure to ask your pest control technician if they plan to use low toxicity or non-toxic pesticides—if not, ask about what precautionary measures they plan to use. Any pesticide that presents above a minimum risk needs to be registered with the EPA. Your pest technician should supply information about all of the pesticides used, as well as how safe they are around people and pets.
Treatment Methods
Many pest control companies are now exploring greener and cleaner pest management that can be implemented before (or in place of) chemical pesticides. Many are following the practice of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which goes 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.
- Use a combination of physical, cultural, biological, and mechanical controls to manage the pest problem.
- Use chemical controls only when required, and always with other controls for effective long-term pest management.
- Observe the results and implement additional pest control as needed.
