14 million households in the United States reported seeing roaches in their homes in the last 12 months. Now, one or two cockroaches running around is no big deal. But what happens if you’re dealing with a much bigger problem?
Perhaps your pets are overcome with itchiness and little bites are starting to show up on your body too. Or you’re noticing the telltale signs of termites eating away at your home’s structure. If so, it’s time to call a pest control service.
Working with the right professionals ensures the best service and a permanent solution to your pest problem. Check out this guide to eight questions to ask to find the best pest control service.
1. What is the Extent of Your Exterminators Training and Experience?
This is a vital question for any pest control company because the last thing you want is inexperienced technicians handling the job. Getting rid of pests is no easy feat and the more experienced an exterminator, the smoother the job will go.
An established and professional pest control service will ensure the adequate training of their technicians and will retain top talent. If you ask this question and the management is hesitant to answer or gives a vague reply, then tell them to hit the road! An expert company will be more than willing to tell you about their extensive training and experience in the business.
2. Are Your Exterminators Licensed, Bonded, and Insured?
This is an absolute non-negotiable when hiring professional pest control. The exterminators that handle the job need to be licensed and insured as per countrywide and state laws. Each state has its own requirements for licensing so ensure that the company you hire meets your state’s criteria.
Of course, insurance is vital too — this includes professional and general liability. If something gets damaged or goes wrong during the extermination process, you don’t want to be held responsible.
3. What Method Will You Use?
Depending on the pests in your home and the company, the methods for getting rid of pests vary. It’s important to understand how a company determines which method to use and which treatment they will use in your home. There are factors that influence the pesticides used such as the regional laws and the types of pests.
You’re no expert, but you want to ensure that the company you hire is. Ask questions such as ‘what pests are in my home?‘, ‘are they common in my area?‘, ‘how will you eliminate the infestation?‘
These questions will help you determine the knowledge, skill, and expertise of the company.
4. Do You Provide Written Quotes and Stick to Them?
When you speak to different pest control companies, they’ll give you a verbal quote that is attractive simply to persuade you into hiring them. When companies are quick to give excellent verbal quotes, you may find yourself slapped with hidden costs along the way.
Find a company that provides written quotes and honors them. A technician should inspect your home and then calculate and write up a quote based on the inspection.
5. Do You Use Pet, People, and Plant Safe Products?
Some of the pesticides and chemicals that are successful in getting rid of household pests may be harmful to other living organisms. The last thing you want to do is expose your family, furkids, or plants to toxic chemicals.
Find out the names of the products that the company uses so you can conduct some of your own research, too. If they use eco-friendly products then this is a good green light as you know it’s going to be safe.
To keep your pets safe, speak to the pest control company about which animals live in your home so that they can advise you on whether the treatment is safe for them or not.
6. How Should I Prepare for the Treatment?
This is an important question to ask that will have a different response depending on the treatment. A professional and expert company knows exactly how important it is for homeowners to cooperate and do their bit. You need to be willing to heed the advice of the company and take the necessary steps to prepare.
If you have an ant infestation, preparation may include simply cleaning certain rooms. However, you may have to pack up all of your belongings and remove furniture and clutter to tackle a bed bug infestation.
7. What If the Treatment Doesn’t Work?
Dealing with a pest infestation is tiresome — especially if you have to pack up your belongings and move your pets out of the house for a period. So, what happens if the treatment doesn’t work? Even the most experienced exterminators can tell you that surprises can always happen.
A reputable pest control service will be able to reassure you of their treatment, and the warranties they will stand by if the treatment happens not to work.
8. What Do Their Online Reviews Say?
This is a question you need to ask yourself and do a quick online search to answer it. The online community is a fantastic place to find out about people’s experiences with pest control companies. Take some time to read through online reviews to get an understanding of how a company does its work and customers’ overall satisfaction with it.
The more excellent reviews the better! But keep in mind that there will always be an unhappy customer even with the most experienced, reputable company. Avoid hiring a service that has mostly bad reviews or no reviews at all.
Time to Call a Pest Control Service
If you’re dealing with a pest infestation in your home, you should get hold of a pest control service immediately. The longer you leave the infestation, the worse it will get. That being said, it’s important that you work with experts who will tackle the problem efficiently and permanently. Ask the right questions and hire the best people for the job!
If you’re searching for a reputable pest control company, then you’ve finally struck gold. Get in touch with us today for a quote that we’ll stand by!
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