How To Choose a Pest Control Company
When choosing a pest control company, you want to make sure that you find the best one to meet your needs. Important factors can include a company's qualifications, its treatment methods, experience and reviews, and of course the cost of services.
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?
Per the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), all pesticide applicators and their supervisors need to be licensed at the state level. The EPA has established minimum standards of competency, and the Massachusetts regulatory agencies take care of the granting, maintaining, and revoking of licenses.
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Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
There are additional optional certifications that can help show that a pest control company is reputable. One example is the GreenPro Service Certification. For this certification, a company must show that its methods are more environmentally friendly and that its employee training is up to date. Other various certifications can be obtained through trade organizations like QualityPro.
There are various professional organizations in which pest control companies can hold membership. Membership in an organization such as the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) or a state-level organization grants a pest control company access to resources and education, in addition to a network of professionals with whom to compare best practices. Joining one of these organizations is not mandatory, but it can help indicate that a company follows industry best practices.
Professional Experience and Specialties
Browsing a company's website can tell you how long it has been in operation and what kind of pests it specializes in eliminating. Local reviews can also offer some insight into a company's experience dealing with a specific pest. If you can't find this information online, you can try contacting the company directly.
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Reviews and Recommendations
You can read reviews and recommendations on social media or local review sites, verify a company's Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating, or check its licensure status through the Massachusetts licensing board.
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Cost of Services and Guarantees
Things like the size of your house, the type of pest being treated, your location, and other factors can all affect the price of pest control.
You can learn whether a company offers free on-site estimates (to determine if it fits in your budget) and what type of guarantees it provides. Often, a company will provide a guarantee that if it does not take care of 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 uses more natural, environmentally-friendly methods.
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Safety
All pesticides that will be used (except those that are determined to be of minimal risk) need to be registered with the EPA. Your pest control provider should provide information on all the pesticides that they will be using. They should inform you whether these chemicals are low toxicity or non-toxic, and if not, what safety precautions will be in place.
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Treatment Methods
Many companies have started offering options for more environmentally friendly methods of pest control before employing harsh pesticides.
One common way of making pest control safer and greener is Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The steps of IPM are as follows:
- Identify the source of the pest problem and determine if immediate action is required.
- Decide on the safest course of action.
- Use a combination of physical, biological, mechanical, and cultural controls to manage the pest problem.
- Employ chemical controls only when required, and always with other solutions for effective long-term pest management.
- Assess the outcome and provide additional pest control as needed.
