How To: What you should be considering if you’re hiring a professional for Pest Control

Pests, bugs, creepy crawlies...  Whatever you call them, sometimes you simply cannot get rid of them on your own no matter how hard you try.  Plus, if you’re trying to manage your pest problems by yourself or if you have a great big infestation, you might need something more powerful than you will be able to get your hands on.  This means that you’ll need to call a certified pro.

Before you do though, it’s important that you consider a few things that can help you to stay safe – and pest free – for your money.

• Know the company you’re hiring to help you take care of your pests.  Make sure that they are insured and bonded because you want to protect yourself and your family from any liability should someone be hurt while getting rid of pests in your home.
• Be sure that you know who’s a technician and who’s not.  You should ask to see identification, certification and license before you let them come into your home.  What’s more, you need to be sure that it’s all current.  In most states, technicians will have to be certified and will have to go to training each year so the license doesn’t expire.
• What does the representative for the pest control company know?  In other words, if you ask lots of questions about controlling pests, the pesticides used and the methods of the pest control company, can the technician answer them?  Look for honesty in answers that indicate that even if the representative doesn’t know they can find out.
• It’s also important to talk to your friends and neighbors to find out who they recommend to help you control your pest problem.  You might also want to check with the pest control association in your state.  It might also be a good idea to ask the company for references if you weren’t able to get any from friends.
• How does your technician look?  Maybe they have a uniform, maybe not, but appearance really makes a difference, so make sure that your service provider is clean and looks professional.  You should also make sure that all of the chemicals, truck and equipment look up to par and professional.
• What kind of contract will you have to sign?  Can you get what you need with service that is done every few months or will you need to have service done every month.  A sales agent will recommend that you go as frequent as possible to help make a sale, so it’s up to you to see past that.  Read all find print on the contract they ask you to sign and be sure that you totally understand what you’re paying for before you decide to sign it.
• How much is your pest control going to cost?  You want to consider it, but you also want to get great service.  If you’re told that you can pay so much for one service call and the service will be enough to solve your problem and it doesn’t go away, then you’re going to wind up paying more than you planned.  Know that the lowest price isn’t always your best option.
• Much of the time, chemicals will be used to get rid of pests.  That doesn’t mean that you don’t want to know what they are.  So, be sure and ask and expect answers to what can happen with the use of the chemicals, what they are used for and what they are.  You might also want to ask about options that don’t include the use of chemicals. You also want to make sure that your service agent can give you a copy of the MSDS, or “material safety data sheet,” as well as a label for every chemical that is being used.
• What kind of service are you getting?  This is kind of like a “bedside manner” for the bug killer.  You should be able to tell your technician about what’s going on, you should also have the chance to point out things you’ve heard or seen and be able to feel confident that your service rep has a good idea of what’s going on.  It’s their job to ask you.  After discussing all of these things, your technician should take a good long look at your structure and find the pest problem before finally determining what kind of treatment your home needs.
• Your service representative should recommend that you have a follow up appointment to help you decide if you need to take preventative measures.  Whether this appointment comes while you’re having your home treated, before or after will depend on what services you’re having.  If you have an area that can potentially be a “safe place” for pests, your service rep should tell you about it and recommend how you can clean it up.  If you have an issue with the structure of your home, it’s likely that your tech won’t wait until after the service because you might need to have your home fixed.
• After each service is done, your tech should offer you a report that details what services were done and what needs to be done for follow up.  There might also be a section for advice for you the customer.  Make sure that your report details the costs of your services.

Last of all, make sure that your pest control company offers a guarantee and be sure to read all the contract extras to find out what you are responsible and how to make sure that the guarantee sticks if you need to.