Finding A Good Pest Control Team
Tips For Finding A Pest Expert You Can Count on
Finding a good pest control team is not easy. Why? Because you’re often bombarded with confusing claims or simply bad or misleading information. From high pressure sales and super low prices to unqualified contractors and ineffective pest treatment methods. How do you ever find a good pest team?
Here’s a guide to help you choose a qualified, competent pest technician that you can count on.
What To Look For When Selecting A Pest Company
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Reliability
Look for a reliable and trusted pest controller. By choosing a reliable service, you can trust that they’ll take every measure to ensure that your property is free of pests. Some reliable pest controllers even provide a guarantee. This ensures that if pests start reappearing anytime within the warranty period they will return to treat it for free.
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Experience
Look for a well-established and experienced pest service within your area that has been servicing businesses and households for quite some time. Check out if the company has loyal customers. If they do, then they will provide you with excellent services as well.
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Appropriate Licensing
One must have a license to be allowed to undertake any pest activities in Queensland. Pest management licenses are issued by the Queensland Department of Health. However, there are some technicians out there that operate illegally or via loop holes in the current regulations.
To ensure you stay on the right side of the law, look for a pest expert that is properly licensed for the work they are doing. And never hire a contractor who can’t show you proof of licensing.
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Insurance
Protect yourself and your home or business by choosing a pest service that is insured. Make sure the contractor carries professional indemnity and public liability insurance for their services as well as workers compensation insurance. This will ensure that you and your home will be protected financially if any accident or damages occur.
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Bonded
Hiring performance bonded contract pest contractors, with long tenure and consistent standards will protect you from the contractor’s mistakes or misdeeds. So you should find out if the service provider is bonded before signing the contract.
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Training
Sadly, there’re a lot of individuals doing pest control that have not had any formal training in how to correctly eliminate pests. These people may take advantage of you if don’t perform due diligence. Ask yourself: Are the technicians properly trained in best industry techniques?
Proper training ensures that you get the best quality of service for your money. So find out if the contractor has received relevant training and accreditation from recognized bodies.
A good company should employ trained technicians and possess certifications, such as ISO9001 Certification or PestCert. These certifications provide added assurance that their staffs have undergone rigorous training.
You should also determine is the company specialises in a certain area of pest management. Some technicians offer only residential pest control where as others may have experience in large commercial and industrial clients.
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Effective pest elimination methods
Look for a pest technician who uses the best and latest techniques to remove pests from homes and businesses. An experienced service provider who uses methods that have been honed throughout the years is probably the best choice. They will be able to handle any challenges that your property may pose and give you the best possible results.
Tips On How To Find The Best Pest Technician
Here are some specific strategies for identifying a pest company you can count on.
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Word of the Mouth
Word of the mouth is one of the best ways to find a good pest team. You should start by asking family members, friends, co-workers or even neighbours whether they know any good pest controller in your local area. There’s always a good chance these people have used a pest control service and can refer you to them.
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Reviews
Research the service provider; read reviews, check the contractor’s online presence and get to know their brand values. Check out what previous customers are saying about their experience with the company. Were these customers satisfied with the company’s service? How did they rate the company, overall?
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Ask for referrals
Before you pick any pest controller, make sure you can trust them. Ask for referrals and references of the pest management business from past customers. Verify these referrals and call the numbers to find out what these customers have to say about their experience with the service provider.
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Local Government Licensing Websites
Local government licensing agencies will be able to tell you if a contractor is properly licensed to provide pest services. Queensland Department of Health (www.health.qld.gov.au) maintains a database of all licensed pest management technicians. You can check a contractor’s license with them on their website or by calling them.
Trade associations, particularly the Australian Environmental Pest Managers Association (AEPMA), are another place where you can verify a contractor’s license. Actually, you should ensure that the contractor is a member of AEPMA . Their members are fully insured and abide by a laid down code of conduct and ethics.
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Google
The search engine is probably the easiest and most effective way to find a good pest team. Just type “pest control” and Google is going to spit out a long list of service providers in your area. You can localise your search, check reviews, contact the company through their website, and more, all via Google.
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Yellow pages
Traditional Yellow Pages may seem old-fashioned, but it is still a great and valuable resource for finding local businesses. You can also use online yellow pages if you don’t want to use the manual version. To locate service providers in your area, just visit yellowpages.com and enter the key word “pest treatments”.
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Ask questions
Don’t shy away from asking questions. This is the only way you can find the best pest team. Ask the service provider:
- How long have you been in business?
- Are you licensed, bonded and insured?
- Do you guarantee your work?
- Can you provide all of the services that I need?
- What methods do you use?
- What chemicals do you use and what are your safety procedures?
- Will you create a custom scope of work for my building? Are your technicians properly trained in best industry techniques?
- What is your inspection process?
Reputable and trustworthy companies are always willing and eager to answer your questions and address your concerns. If a contractor is not comfortable with your questions, it’s a red flag and you should look elsewhere.
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Get price quotations
Once you’ve selected a few candidates with reputable reviews, narrow it down to the teams in your price range. Ask for a quote from each of them, until you find a few service providers within your price range. If none of the highly rated companies are in your price range, consider adding more money to your budget.
The most important thing to remember is to take your time and do your research. Once you feel confident, follow your gut and you should be able to find a good pest control team you can rely on.
