It is rightly said that prevention is always better than cure. Pests at home, office and land can be prevented and kept under control through appropriate hygiene protocols and constant sanitisation measures. However, sometimes our habitats are infested with pests to a point that the only way to get rid of them is to engage a professional pest control service.
The task of selecting a pest control service is itself a major one. Often, the infestations might have reached a level where the decision needs to be taken quickly. It is still recommended that you still take a look at the different agencies that service your area and evaluate them on certain criteria so as to ensure that your money is not wasted and your space is free of the unwanted pests for the foreseeable future.
Let us look at some tips for selecting a pest control service.
1. Look at Past Experience – Pest control is a serious business and it is important to find out how many years has the agency been in the business. Further, it would not be too much for you to ask them for a list of references. Once you get the references, you should contact them and ask them if they were satisfied by the services. Only then should you consider evaluating them on other parameters. This is one of the most important tips for selecting a pest control service.
2. Check License and Qualification – This business is heavily regulated mostly because there are numerous environmental concerns with respect to the use of pesticides. It is therefore a good idea to check whether the agency has the requisite licenses to practice in your state or locality. It is also worthwhile to look at the qualifications of the technicians that will be delivering the service to ascertain whether they are up to the task at hand.
3. Compare Prices Against Value Delivered – Once you are satisfied with the experience and licensing of the service, the next important criteria is to obviously consider the money factor. Many times, we look at the services delivered and compare various options solely on the basis of the price. However, the best way to go about making the decision is to ask for written estimates from multiple services that work in your locality, ascertain what shall be the nature of the financial agreement, negotiate the terms of payment and finally analyse which is the one that makes the most economic sense.
4. Analyse their Customer Service – One of the most important identifiers of a quality extermination service is the level of their customer engagement and satisfaction. You should note the first interaction with the service and see if your concerns are being understood by the agents and are they able to direct you to the proper person for that particular issue. Next you should consider whether you are explained the detailed procedure and products that the service will entail and how that will solve your problem. Post the service, if there are any new issues that crop us, the business should be willing to handle them too.
5. Due Importance to Safety Aspect – A large number of the situations require that the pest control service use their pesticides in an environment where there are other flora and fauna. In such a scenario, it is crucial to discuss low toxicity options that cause least environmental damage. Some other questions that you might want to consider include whether the employees would be wearing proper protective equipment and what shall be the protocol to be followed in case there is any untoward incident.
6. Transparency is equally important – In this context, transparency is also equally important. The company must be willing to disclose the products and their respective ingredients that they will be using. The effectiveness and environmental impact of the products must be discussed. For instance, the service must inform you about the average time after which a repeat service will be necessary.
Selecting a pest control company is more often than not a long term decision. Some pest control services require you to have a contract with them spread over at least a few years so that repeat services can be rendered and complete extermination can be achieved. It is important to always consider non-chemical exterminator services if the infestation is at a very initial stage.
Needless to say, pest control is an expensive business and every penny spent must be worth it. The responsibility lies not just with the service but also at your end. Once the service is complete, you must follow all the guidelines and directions mentioned to you by the personnel to the tee. If you follow all of the above tips and do your bit, there is no reason why your home, office or lawn will not be free of pests.
