How To Choose a Pest Control Company
There are a number of things that you can weigh when choosing the best pest control company for you. Things you might consider include licensing and qualifications, treatment methods, years of experience, customer reviews, and cost.
Below, we explore the details of each of these factors.
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Does the company have a valid license and permits to perform pest control?
While the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established minimum standards of competency for pesticide applicators, licensing is taken care of at the state level. All pesticide applicators (and their supervisors) in Texas should be licensed by all the necessary state regulatory agencies.
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Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
One optional certification that could be worth looking for is the GreenPro Service Certification. In order to get this certification, a pest control company must both demonstrate that its practices are more environmentally friendly and maintain certain training standards for its technicians. Companies can earn other certifications from QualityPro or similar trade organizations to further support their work.
Pest control companies can also belong to certain professional organizations. Pest control companies can obtain membership in state-level organizations in addition to national organizations like the National Pest Management Association (NPMA). While not mandatory, membership in these organizations helps prove a company's reputability and gives it access to resources, education, and a network of other professionals to compare best practices with.
Professional Experience and Specialties
How long a company has been in business can tell you something about its experience dealing with various pests. Online reviews or the company's website itself can also enlighten you as to whether it has the skills and experience needed to deal with your particular pests. 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
You can check a company's rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB), explore reviews on local review sites or social media, or check the standing of its license via the Texas licensing board.
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Cost of Services and Guarantees
Things like your location, the type of pest being treated, the size of your house, and other factors can all influence the cost of pest control.
You can learn whether a company provides free on-site estimates (to determine if it fits in your budget), as well as what sort of guarantees it provides. Often, a company will guarantee that if it does not solve your pest problem, it will continue treatment until it does.
Safety and Treatment Methods
Safety is an important consideration when deciding on a pest control provider, and you might prefer a provider who employs more natural, environmentally-friendly methods.
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Safety
Your pest technician should be using low toxicity or non-toxic pesticides any time they can. If any pesticides used don't fit into one of these categories, your technician should explain what safety precautions will be used to protect your family, your pets, and you. All pesticides that pose more than a minimum risk must be registered with the EPA.
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Treatment Methods
Nowadays, many companies are exploring greener and cleaner pest management that can be implemented before (or instead 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 whether immediate action is needed.
- Decide on the safest course of action.
- Manage the pest problem using a combination of biological, cultural, physical, and mechanical controls.
- Use chemical controls only when absolutely necessary, and always in combination with other solutions for effective long-term pest management.
- Evaluate outcomes and provide additional pest control as needed.
