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 might take into consideration a company's qualifications and treatment methods as well as its customer reviews and years of experience. And of course, there's the cost of services to consider.
Below, we explore the details of each of these factors.
Does the company have a valid license and permits to perform pest control?
All pesticide applicators (and those that supervise them) need to be certified at the state level. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets minimum standards of competency, but any pesticide applicators working in North Carolina must be licensed via the necessary state regulatory agencies.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
Pest control companies can obtain optional 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 is given to companies that use comprehensive and effective pest control treatment that is safer for humans and the environment.
Pest control companies can also belong to certain professional organizations. When a company becomes a member of an organization like the National Pest Management Association(NPMA) (or a state-level organization), it gets access to education, resources, and a network of other pest experts with whom to compare treatment methods. This can offer extra peace of mind that a company follows industry best practices.
Professional Experience and Specialties
Looking at a company's website can tell you how many years it has been in business and what type of pests it specializes in eliminating. Online reviews can also give you some insight into a company's experience dealing with a specific pest. If you're unable to find this information online, you can try calling the company directly.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can view a company's Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating, explore reviews on social media or local review sites, or check the standing of its license via the North Carolina licensing board.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
Things like the type of pest being treated, the size of your house, your location, and other factors can all influence the price of pest control.
You can learn whether a company offers free on-site estimates (to determine if it fits in your budget), as well as what kind of guarantees it offers. Often, a company will guarantee that if it does not eliminate your pest problem, it will keep coming back until it does.
Safety and Treatment Methods
When picking a pest control provider, you want to select one that will help keep you, your family, and your pets safe. You'll likely also prefer an environmentally-conscious provider.
Safety
Make sure to 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 will have in place. Any pesticides that are not minimum-risk chemicals must be registered with the EPA. Your pest technician will be able to provide information about all of the pesticides that they plan on using.
Treatment Methods
Many companies have begun using more natural treatment methods before, or instead of, harsh chemical pesticides. Some employ a program called Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The steps of IPM are as follows:
- Identify problem pests and determine if immediate action is required.
- Determine the best and safest course of action.
- Use a combination of mechanical, physical, biological, and cultural controls to manage the pest problem.
- Employ chemical controls only when required, and always in combination with other techniques for effective long-term pest management.
- Observe the results and provide additional pest control as needed.
