How To Choose a Pest Control Company
The most important step in the pest control process is hiring the right company for you. The qualifications of and treatment methods used by a company are important to consider, as well as its years of experience and customer reviews. Of course, you also want to consider cost.
Below, we explore the details of each of these factors.
Does the company have a valid license and permits to perform pest control?
Per the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), all pesticide applicators and those that supervise them need to be licensed at the state level. The EPA has established minimum standards of competency, and the Pennsylvania regulatory agencies handle the issuing, maintaining, and revoking of licenses.
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
Pest control companies can optionally obtain additional certifications like the GreenPro Service Certification. This certification is awarded once a company has shown that its treatment methods are more environmentally friendly and demonstrated that it also holds itself up to certain other standards, such as up-to-date employee training. 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 join certain professional organizations. Holding membership in organizations like the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) or state-level organizations is not mandatory, but helps verify a company's reputability. The NPMA gives companies access to education, resources, and a network of pest professionals with whom to discuss practices and methods.
Professional Experience and Specialties
Generally, a company will list information like years of experience and specialities on its website. Local reviews can also tell you whether a company has experience dealing with a particular pest in your area. If you can't get the information you need online, you can speak with a company representative directly to get your questions answered.
Reviews and Recommendations
You can browse reviews and recommendations on local review sites or social media, verify a company's Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating, or check its licensure status through the Pennsylvania licensing board.
Cost of Services and Guarantees
Cost is important when hiring someone for pest control. Cost can be affected influenced by your location, the size of your house, the type of pest being treated, and other factors.
Many companies offer free on-site estimates at the beginning of their process, 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 environmentally friendly a company's practices are, in addition to how safe its methods are around your family and pets.
Safety
Be sure to ask your pest control provider if they plan to use low toxicity or non-toxic pesticides—if not, ask what precautionary measures they plan to use. Any pesticide that presents above a minimum risk needs to be registered with the EPA. Your pest control company should provide information about all pesticides to be used, in addition to how safe they are around people and pets.
Treatment Methods
Many companies will start with more environmentally friendly options before using harsh pesticides, following a framework called Integrated Pest Management (IPM). When using IPM, the following steps are taken:
- Identify the source of the pest problem and assess whether immediate action is required.
- Determine the best and safest course of action.
- Use a combination of biological, cultural, mechanical, and physical controls to manage the pest problem.
- Employ chemical controls only when required, and always with other techniques for effective long-term pest management.
- Assess the outcome and implement additional pest control as needed.
