Tips on Finding a Pest Management Professional
Interested in finding a qualified pest management professional?
Here are some helpful tips for finding the right pest control
service:
- Evaluate pest control professionals and companies that are
members of national, state or local pest management
associations.
- Ask friends and neighbors to recommend pest control companies
they have used successfully and how satisfied they were with the
service.
- Always deal with a qualified and licensed pest management
company. Consider asking to see the license or other credentials of
the pest control professional that comes to solve your pest
problem.
- If a sizable amount of money is involved, get bids from several
pest management companies.
- Don't rush a decision. Since you are paying for professional
knowledge as well as skillful application of pesticides, look for
someone whose judgment you can trust.
- Before signing a contract, be sure to fully understand the
nature of the household pest to be exterminated, the extent of the
infestation, and the work necessary to solve the problem.
- Find out if the pest control company has liability insurance to
cover any damages to your house or furnishings during
treatment.
- If a guarantee is given, know what it covers, how long it
lasts, what you must do to keep it in force, and what kind of
continuing control, prevention and management are necessary.
- Buy value, not price. Beware of companies that offer bargains
that sound too good to be true.
- Be wary of companies that comes to your home uninvited and
offers to give your house a free inspection for pests. They may try
to scare you into authorizing immediate and costly treatments.
- Homeowners can call state pest control regulatory agencies for
information regarding the status of pest management companies. In
most states the regulatory agency is the State Department of
Agriculture.