How To Choose a Pest Control Company
The most important step is selecting the best pest control professional for the job. You might take into consideration a company's qualifications, methods, years of experience, customer reviews, and service prices.
Below, we explore the details of each factor.
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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, licensure is taken care of at the state level. All pesticide applicators (and those who supervise them) in Florida need to be licensed by all the necessary state regulatory agencies.
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Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
Pest control companies can earn the GreenPro Service Certification, which requires a company to show that its practices are environmentally friendly and that its employee training is up to date. Trade organizations such as QualityPro offer additional certifications. These are not required, but can help demonstrate that a company is reputable.
Pest control companies can also hold membership in various professional organizations. A pest control company can join both state-level organizations and 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 with whom to compare best practices.
Professional Experience and Specialties
Browsing a company's website can tell you how many years it has been in operation and what type of pests it specializes in eliminating. Online reviews can also give you some insight into a company's experience dealing with a certain type of pest. If you're unable to find this information online, you can try calling the company directly.
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Reviews and Recommendations
Resources you can use to check a company's reputation include the Better Business Bureau (BBB), local review sites, and social media. Additionally, you can verify the status of a company's license via the Florida licensing board.
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Cost of Services and Guarantees
Cost is probably high on your list of priorities when hiring someone for pest control. Cost can be affected influenced by the type of pest being treated, your location, the size of your house, and other factors.
Companies will often offer free on-site estimates as part of their process, to help you decide whether it fits into your budget. You can also ask whether if your company has a satisfaction guarantee, meaning that it will continue to treat your pest problem until it is solved.
Safety and Treatment Methods
Your choice of pest control company might be influenced by how environmentally-friendly a provider's practices are, in addition to how safe its methods are around your family and pets.
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Safety
Be sure to ask your pest control provider if the chemicals they're using are low toxicity or non-toxic, and if not, what kind of precautionary measures they are going to use. Any pesticides that are not minimum-risk chemicals should be registered with the EPA. Your pest technician will be able to provide information about all chemicals they are going to use.
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Treatment Methods
You can ask if your technician will start with more natural and lower-toxicity options before moving on to 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 if immediate action is required.
- Determine the best and safest course of action.
- Use a combination of mechanical, cultural, biological, and physical controls to manage the pest problem.
- Use chemical controls only when required, and always along with other controls for effective long-term pest management.
- Observe the results and provide additional pest control as needed.
