How To Choose a Pest Control Company
When picking a pest control company, you want to make sure that you find the right one to meet your needs. You may consider a company's qualifications, methods, years of experience, customer reviews, and price of services.
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?
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maintains minimum standards of competency for pesticide applicators, but licensure is regulated at the state level. All pesticide applicators and supervisors in New York need to be licensed through the proper state regulatory agencies.
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Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
Pest control companies have the option to obtain certifications from trade organizations like QualityPro. These certifications can help you assess the quality of a company's products. For example, the GreenPro Service Certification recognizes comprehensive and effective pest control methods that are safer for people and the environment.
Pest control companies can also obtain membership in professional organizations. When a company obtains membership in an organization such as the National Pest Management Association(NPMA) (or a state-level organization), it gains access to resources, education, and a network of other pest control experts with whom to compare treatment methods. This can give you additional peace of mind that a company is following industry best practices.
Professional Experience and Specialties
You can gain some insight into a company's experience level by seeing how many years it has been in business. Local reviews and the company's own website can also clue you in as to whether a company has the experience needed to deal with the specific species of pests that are afflicting your home. You can contact a representative directly to learn this information if it is not available online.
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Reviews and Recommendations
You can look at a company's rating and reviews on the Better Business Bureau (BBB), explore local review sites and social media to learn what other people are saying, or verify its license standing through the New York licensing board.
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Cost of Services and Guarantees
It's important to think about cost when hiring a pest control company. 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 at the beginning of their process, to help you determine whether it fits into your budget. You can also ask whether a company offers a satisfaction guarantees, meaning that if your pest problem is not solved by the initial treatment, it will continue returning until it is.
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 should 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 control provider should be able to supply you with information about all chemicals that they plan to use.
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Treatment Methods
Many companies are making the switch to using more natural treatment methods before (or in place of) harsh chemical pesticides. Some follow a program called Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The steps of IPM are as follows:
- Identify problem pests and determine if immediate action is required.
- Determine the best and safest course of action.
- Use a combination of physical, cultural, biological, and mechanical controls to manage the pest problem.
- Use chemical controls only when absolutely necessary, and always in combination with other controls for effective long-term pest management.
- Observe the results and continue with additional pest control as needed.
