Choosing between pest control companies – 4 questions to ask

Maybe you are one of the lucky ones. But for many of us, dealing with insects and creepy crawlies in the house is a normal experience of life.

It’s what you do after seeing those bugs inside your home or company that makes the biggest difference.

There are plenty of do-it-yourself remedies, and they run the gamut from homeopathic and organic to full-on pesticide exterminations, baits and repellants. But how do you know if they’ll work? And how do you know if you’ve applied them in the correct amounts and in the locations sure to produce the most effective defense?

These are questions you can answer on your own, but it will require a commitment on your part – a commitment to both educational research and old-fashioned trial and error experience.

Both of these facets also require time, and the simple fact of modern life is that time is not often in abundance.

If you find yourself in this common predicament, perhaps the next question to ask is, “should I employ pest control companies to do what I do not have time for?”

Answering this question properly also requires some time and effort – but not nearly as much as DIY pest control.

First, you will want to have a complete look at each of the potential pest control companies to employ and determine which best suit you. There are hundreds of contractors at your fingertips, and choosing the right one for you means answering some key questions:

What is my pest problem, and does the pest control service contractor understand that problem completely?

It’s no good employing a company that specializes in shutting out termites if you’re dealing with invading ants. Most pest control companies are able to handle all manner of insects and vermin, but it’s certainly worth talking with the company beforehand, describing your problem, and judging their prescribed fixes.

Are they fully certified?

Trust is always key in any business relationship, and you can trust Quality Pro certified companies. Administered by the Foundation for Professional Pest Management, Quality Pro certifies over 450 of the top pest management companies. Good business practices and standards are key components of earning the certification. To become Quality Pro certified, a business must meet nearly 20 different criteria including developing a customer communications policy, conducting background checks, maintaining insurance and warranty coverage and ensuring that employees are tested and trained to the highest industry standards. Quality Pro companies demonstrate above-average skills in business operations, environmental stewardship, consumer relations and technician testing.

Will the company in question offer a free quote?

If a pest control company is serious about your business they should be willing to listen to your problems, visit your home of company and deliver, in writing, an estimate of what it will take to fix the problem.

Are they convenient to my location?

This pertains to both convenience and knowledge. If your employing a company to deal with your problem, you want a company that is familiar to the problems you may face, as well as a company that will be able to easily schedule a time to meet you at your home or company. A company located nearby should make flexible scheduling easier (so you can pick a time that works best for you). It will also improve the chances that the pest control employee will have seen situations just like yours many times over and know immediately how to handle the issue. (If you live in the woods you don’t want to employ a company only used to dealing with city dwellings – they offer very different issues and solutions.)

Ask and answer all of these questions and it should make sorting through pest control companies a much easier task.