How To Choose a Pest Control Company
It's important to choose the right pest control company for you. Some things you may consider include qualifications and licensing, treatment methods, years of experience, customer reviews, and cost.
Below, we discuss each of these factors in more detail.
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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 all pesticide applicators working in the state of Texas must be licensed via the necessary state regulatory agencies.
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Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
One certification that pest control companies can earn is the GreenPro Service Certification, which requires that a company show that its practices are environmentally friendly and that its employee training is up to date. QualityPro and similar trade organizations also offer other certifications. These are not required, but can help demonstrate that a pest control company is reputable.
A pest control company can also belong to professional organizations. When a company becomes a member of an organization like the National Pest Management Association(NPMA) (or a state-level organization), it gains access to resources, education, and a network of other pest experts with whom to compare treatment methods. This can offer additional peace of mind that a company is following industry best practices.
Professional Experience and Specialties
The amount of time that a company has been in business can tell you something about its experience dealing with various pests. Customer reviews or the company's own website can also inform you whether it has the experience necessary to eliminate the particular pests that are plaguing you. If the answers to your questions aren't available online, contacting the company directly is a great way to learn about its areas of expertise.
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Reviews and Recommendations
Resources you can use to check a company's reputation include local review sites, social media, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Additionally, you can check the status of a company's license via the Texas licensing board.
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Cost of Services and Guarantees
Things like your location, the size of your house, the type of pest being treated, and other factors can all affect the cost of pest control.
You can look into whether a company provides free on-site estimates (to determine if it fits in your budget), as well as what kind of guarantees it has. Often, a company will guarantee that if it does not resolve your pest problem, it will keep coming back until it does.
Safety and Treatment Methods
Your choice of pest control provider might be influenced by how environmentally-friendly a provider's practices are, as well as how safe its methods are around your family and pets.
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Safety
You can ask your pest control technician if they plan on using low toxicity or non-toxic pesticides--if not, ask about what precautionary measures they will take. Any pesticide that poses greater than minimum risk must be registered with the EPA. Your pest technician should be able to supply information about all pesticides that will be used in your home, in addition to how safe they are around people and pets.
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Treatment Methods
You can ask if your technician will begin with lower-toxicity, more natural options before employing harsher chemicals.
Many companies are now using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to eliminate pests while reducing personal and environmental risks. The steps of IPM are as follows:
- Identify the source of the pest problem and determine whether immediate action is needed.
- Determine the best and safest course of action.
- Manage the pest problem using a combination of physical, biological, mechanical, and cultural controls.
- Use chemical controls only when required, and always along with other techniques for effective long-term pest management.
- Evaluate outcomes and provide additional pest control as needed.
