Eventually, pests happen. Whether it’s a rat or rodent infestation, a serious bug problem or something more serious like termites, you will need to hire a professional pest control company. In most cases, you can rely on them to rid your home of a problem, thanks to their expertise. However, not every professional is trustworthy. Of course, everybody want to find a low-cost pest control company. But how can you be sure you’re hiring the right company? And how can you be sure it knows how to handle a pest problem?
Check for a License
Most states issue pest control licenses to certified individuals who have completed the proper training and authorization requirements. The laws are different for each state, so you’ll need to refer to your local government agency’s portal for more information. A large majority of states maintain a list of licensees, and it can usually be found through your local Department of Agriculture or Department of Pesticides.
Ask to see the company’s license information, and ensure it’s current when applicable. Issued licenses can expire, and you want to be sure the professional you hire has a current and up-to-date license.
Find Out if the Company Has Liability Insurance
Any reputable business will be insured so that it can pay for damage, losses or various problems caused by employees. This includes damages incurred to your house, furniture or belongings during treatment. Insurance also covers company employees should they be injured on your property.
Don’t confuse this with the term bonding or being bonded, they are not the same thing. A bonded company offers a guarantee of performance and completion, and it’s required by law. That means if it causes damage to your home, the company must reimburse you.
One of the biggest differences between the two is that a bondholder must repay the bonding company after a claim is made.
You should never substitute a bond for proof of insurance.
Check for Experience and Work History
A reputable business will have plenty of references to offer. If you’d like some, it’s as easy as asking.
It’s also a great idea to get the contact information for previous customers and get in touch. Ask them how satisfied they were with the company’s service. Did they complete their work in a timely and appropriate fashion? Were there complications along the way from the company itself or any of its employees?
In most states, there’s a regulatory pesticide agency the same that issues licenses so you can contact the agency and find out if the company you’re considering has received any serious complaints or infractions.
Will The Company Review Their Contract With You?
Before signing a contract for any low-cost pest control company, be sure the proper source reviews the information with you. Company employees should be willing to provide more information about a particular clause or topic that you’re interested in. If they refuse to go over the contract with you, or they’re less than helpful, then be wary.
In addition, be sure the contract explicitly mentions the nature of the pest issue, how bad the problem really is and how the company plans to eliminate said problem. It should detail in full how much work is required of the company to remove the pests from your home.
What Treatment Plans Do They Offer?
Find out as much as you can about the treatment plan the company plans to use. Some of the more important things to look at include:
- What pests will the treatment address?
- How bad is the problem and what will happen if you don’t use treatment?
- What ingredients are used in the pesticide the company uses?
- What adverse effects will there be — if any — from the pesticides?
- How and where will the pesticide be applied?
- Is there a need to avoid contact with the pesticide or leave your home?
- Are there alternatives to the pesticide on offer, and do any of them employ nonchemical forms?
- Are there any special instructions you need to be aware of?
- What can be done to protect your home from future pest infestations and how should you follow up treatment?
- How many times will the pest control company need to visit your home for treatment?
- How long will it take for the treatment to take effect?
How Will They Handle a Botched Job?
Pests are highly unpredictable, even for professionals. In the event that you still have a pest issue after they visit — or the job is botched in some way — it matters how the company handles themselves. A reputable low-cost pest control company will always do a follow-up. They will work with you to correct the problem and ensure the pests are eliminated.
Before the job starts, it’s almost impossible to ensure that a company will handle things well, but you can still ensure the company guarantees its work and has the proper credentials. So why let your home value depreciate because of household pest infestations?
Photo Credit: Steve Snodgrass
Thanks for the tips about what to look for in a pest control company. A friend of mine recently found some cockroaches in his house. I know he was looking for a good removal service. I’ll have to show him a copy of this post. Thanks for sharing!
My pleasure, Joel.
Like you mentioned, no one is immune to bug problems, and it can happen to everyone. Checking for experience and work history will tell you what you need to know about the reliability of the company. I will keep these things in mind as I look around for a pest control company!
This is great advice for finding a good pest control company. I haven’t been able to find anything about pest control companies that get rid of brown recluse spiders. Maybe it’s not a very common infestation. I will definitely look around online. Thank you for sharing!
Did you say b – b – b – b- brown recluse spiders? Eww. Remind me never to spend the night at your house, Wendy!
This is some great information, and I appreciate your suggestion to find a pest control company that will review their contract with you. I like to be thorough when signing things, and I want to make sure I understand everything before making a final decision. I’ll definitely look into finding a pest control company that will help me go over the contract and clarify any points of confusion. Thanks for the great post!
If they need to visit my home multiple times, I would need to know about it so I can plan my schedule accordingly. My husband and I need to hire an exterminator because we have had a spider problem for a few weeks and it’s getting out of control. Thanks for posting these tips, I will make sure to ask about that when we shop around.
My dad and I found that my grandma is having some problems with rodents. We have tried getting rid of them ourselves, but nothing we do seems to work. At this point we need to call a pest control service, but we aren’t sure what kind to go with. This helped us know what to look for and I hope that we can find one soon.
Give my best to grandma!
I agree a lot with the idea of checking your home seasonally for pests. I think that it is important to check especially for mice. What do you think is the best way to control them?
Get a cat … or two.
That is cool that good pest control companies will review their contract with you. I don’t always understand this kind of stuff. So it is good that someone will review the contract with me before I hire them for pest control. When should I mention I want to review it with them?
I would imagine that having a license would be a way to ensure that they do a good job with your extermination. My wife and I have a terrible ant problem in our home so maybe we should find someone who is licensed.
Yeah, you probably should, Jeff. I’m not inviting you to any of my picnics until you do.
I’ve been wanting to hire a pest control company to protect my house. Thanks for the advice about going over the contract and making sure that it states the nature of the pest problem and how they’re going to deal with it. Thanks for the help in picking a pest control company.
You’re very welcome, Sarah.
I can really relate to your point about the pests being really unpredictable. It’s reassuring to know that the company will do a follow up to see if anything went awry. I think we have mice in the basement. We’ve tried a variety of traps but nothing is working. We’re going to look for an exterminator soon.
I would imagine that getting information about a service from past clients would be a good way to ensure they are legitimate. My husband and I need to hire a pest service for our home so we’ll have to be sure to find one with plenty of positive reviews.
Great advice here, Len. Thank you.
Nick
You’re welcome, Nick.
My wife called me at work because while she was doing laundry she found a bunch of mice running around our basement. You stated that any reputable business will be insured so that it can pay for the damage, losses or various problems caused by employees. Do most pest control treatments have a chance of resulting in the need for insurance?
I’m not sure what percentage of pest control treatments are considered risky, Derek — but that’s really not the point. What’s important is that the pest control company is insured for any eventuality that may occur.
Thanks for your comment.
Great article! As a pest pro, I love your article. Don’t forget to check different review sites like google and angie’s list. There are many great companies and a few bad ones.
I agree that you would want to check for experience and work history when hiring a pest control company. I would imagine that this would apply when you are doing your research. This would also be something important to bring up in an interview as well.
These are some great tips for hiring a good pest control company. Finding a company that has liability insurance is important. You never know what might happen while getting rid of pests, so that is a good thing to check.
You mentioned that you should ask the pest control service what kind of treatment they plan on using, and if it will be necessary to leave your home for a while. A close friend of mine found a bit of a termite infestation in his home and is in need of pest control services. If he’ll need to leave his home for some time, he’ll need to work that in his schedule. I’ll make sure that he asks the pest control about the treatment specifics.
Thank you for this great information! I didn’t even know that our pest control companies are supposed to be licensed.
You say at the end that the company could potentially botch the job they did on your home – what would a botched job look like with pest control, more bugs?
Yes … more bugs, Lindsey. Bigger ones too. In fact, if the job is really botched, it will result in bugs that are big enough to eat a small pet.
Licenses are definitely important. How would it feel to hire some guy who says he’s a pest control specialist, and then find out he doesn’t even have a license? No thanks!
I hear ya, Fitz. And if you’re really unlucky he may even botch the job!
Speaking with past clients is a great idea! Another thing to consider would be to find if the solution is animal friendly if you are worried or concerned about your pets.
Thanks for talking about how important licenses are when looking for a professional pest control company — I was burned once before. Remember to take your time and do your research. Then compare several companies and hopefully you can find one you trust.
Woodpeckers have started to become a little bit of a problem, and I am wanting to find a pest control company to help get rid of them. I agree that reliable companies will carefully explain their contract to me. That way I know that how much work is required in full detail, and know that they won’t over charge me for it.
Ewwwww!!!! I’ve got a terrible bed bug infestation in my house. When I woke up this morning I found one on my arm!!!
Hopefully, I don’t spread them to my family and friends!
It is a good idea to make sure that you ask how long the treatments will take — one scam company I called said it would take three years of weekly service to get rid of the bed bugs in my house. I told them that by the time they were finished the bed bugs would have already left on their own because I wouldn’t have any blood left anyway!
I’m looking for a great pest control service to use ever since I saw some ants in our home. It is getting so bad now that the last time I had dinner guests over, one of them found a couple of the little guys in the box mashed potatoes I had served them. How embarrassing!
Sounds like quite a dinner party!
I’ve been thinking about getting a pest control service for my home, and I think that some tips would be helpful. I’m going to have to do a little research and see what local pest control options are best!
My sister recently found a family of rodents living in her basement and wants them gone as soon as possible. I wish she would do some research and find a good pest control company in her area to help her get rid of the uninvited guests in her basement.
You can learn a lot about a company if you take your time and do your research. This is something I would recommend to everyone before they sign with a company.
We really need a pest control company’s help. We’ve got way too many ants in our kitchen, and I honestly have no idea how to get rid of them. I’ll be sure to follow your advice and check potential contractors for state-issued licenses. That seems vital.
I agree that you want to consider if a pest control service has a proper license. My husband and I hired a pest service to help get rid of the termites under our home but they weren’t licensed. They took our money and didn’t get rid of the termites.
My parents moved into their new home and there are roaches everywhere. I forwarded this article to Dad and told him I’m not visiting until he gets rid of them!
My sister and her family just moved into their new home in the mountainside and there are signs of pests.
You don’t say! They should probably call an exterminator.
My husband and I are looking for someone to get rid of some termites, so we’ll have to check their license. The last time we got screwed. We don’t want to get screwed again.
Two months later and you’re still having termite trouble, Hannah??? If you follow the tips laid out in this article, you’ll find a reputable company.
A company should always be willing to provide more information or go over a particular clause or topic you may be interested in or have more questions on. If they don’t this is a red flag and time to move on.
We just discovered that there are termites in our basement when I saw some discarded wings while cleaning it.
An expired license is as useless as none at all. Choosing a company with proper qualifications will ensure you get the best service.
I think talking to a potential company’s previous clients is a smart idea. We discovered that we had termites after my husband noticed a shallow wood on our attic.
Great article!!!
I came here because of the termites in our barn house. My husband noticed it when he was curious about the holes on a wooden pole there.
Thanks, Arya!
My family and I just moved to home near a field, and we’ve discovered the home has a small mouse problem. Your article had lots of great tips. Thanks!
A company that is licensed and insured not only provides peace of mind that the company is trustworthy and reputable but you also don’t have to worry about being liable if there is an accident on your property.
My wife and I have been thinking of getting a new house, and we are concerned that we won’t be able to stop bugs coming into our house from the lake nearby.
I’ve never asked for references from any company before, but I’ll try it out when we hire someone to look at the ants in our kitchen.
My wife and I have been thinking of getting a pest control specialist out to our house since my wife has noticed some of our food storage has tiny bite marks. I will be sure to tell my wife that we should try and find a pest control company with insurance!
We just discovered our house is infested with termites. I appreciate the great tips for choosing a service that could help us remove these pests.
My brother was working in his basement when he noticed a large infestation of termites in his walls. He should probably hire a pest control company to go and eradicate the infestation as quickly as possible.
Yeah … he probably should.
My wife and I are having a problem with mice in our garage. I’m supposed to be “the man of the house” and this helped me feel prepared to find a pest control company I can be confident in.
Forget the pest control company. The man of the house should take care of the mice all by himself. I mean herself!
I’ve been looking for a low cost termite control company. I’m going to have to look for a good treatment plans do they offer and see what we can find!
Me and my boyfriend moved into our new apartment and we wanted to make sure that there were no pests in it. Unfortunately, we found out it has fleas infested with bubonic plague, which is why I agree with you — everybody needs to make sure that their pest control company has all the needed licenses to operate!
Interesting. Call me a cynic, but something tells me you don’t really live in Bangladesh.
Los Angeles, maybe; but Bangladesh … nope.
Thanks for sharing this. I really found this very helpful.
Hi! Last night, my friend found out that we have mice in our basement. I hate mice. I just wanted to say I found your article to be really helpful too. Thanks, Len.
There are many pest control companies that offers affordable services.
Thank you, Len, for the well-explained information. Keep sharing!