How To Choose a Pest Control Company
The most important step in the pest control process is hiring the right company for you. Along with a company's qualifications and treatment methods, you might also look into how long it has been in business and what the reviews are like. Finally, you'll likely want to consider the cost of services.
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 their supervisors must be certified at the state level. The EPA sets minimum standards of competency, but all Texas pesticide applicators must be licensed through the proper state regulatory agencies.
-
Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
An optional certification that could be worth looking for is the GreenPro Service Certification. In order to earn this certification, a pest control company needs to both show that its practices are more environmentally friendly and maintain certain training standards for its technicians. Companies can also earn other certifications from QualityPro or similar trade organizations to further support their work.
There are several professional organizations in which pest control companies can hold membership. When a company becomes a member of an organization such as the National Pest Management Association(NPMA) (or a state-level organization), it gains access to education, resources, and a network of other pest control professionals with whom to compare methods. This can offer extra peace of mind that a company is following industry best practices.
Professional Experience and Specialties
A company's website can tell you how many years it has been in operation and what species of pests it specializes in eliminating. Local reviews can also give you some insight into a company's experience dealing with a specific pest. If this information isn't available online, you can try contacting the company directly.
-
Reviews and Recommendations
You can view a company's reviews and rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB), check out local review sites and social media to hear what others in your area have to say, or verify its license standing via the Texas licensing board.
-
Cost of Services and Guarantees
Things like the type of pest being treated, your location, the size of your house, 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) and what kind of guarantees it has. 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
It's important to consider safety when deciding on a pest control provider, and you might prefer a provider who employs more natural, environmentally friendly methods.
-
Safety
You want to ensure that you understand the precautions for the pesticides being used around your home, for the sake of you, your family, and your pets. Your pest control technician should supply information about the pesticides they plan on using, whether they are low toxicity or non-toxic, and (if not) what safety measures they plan to take. All pesticides (except minimum-risk ones) need to be registered with the EPA.
-
Treatment Methods
Many companies are now trialing options for more environmentally friendly methods of pest control before moving to harsh pesticides.
One popular way of making pest control safer and greener is Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The steps of IPM are as follows:
- Identify problem pests and assess whether immediate action is required.
- Decide on the safest course of action.
- Use a combination of biological, cultural, mechanical, and physical controls to manage the pest problem.
- Use chemical controls only when required, and always with other solutions for effective long-term pest management.
- Assess the outcome and implement additional pest control as needed.