Enter your keyword

Top 10 Considerations When Hiring a Pest Control Professional

Top 10 Considerations When Hiring a Pest Control Professional

Top 10 Considerations When Hiring a Pest Control Professional

Of late we have attended quite a few jobs where we have had to fix up or give second opinions on other companies work, especially for termite work. This has included wrong treatments being applied, incorrect chemicals used for the job and false information on termite reports. We even had a client with a report that stated her sub-floor was inspected when her home was built on a concrete slab! Sometimes the cost to the client can be quite substantial and can have a huge impact on the clients life and finances.

With so many pest control companies out there we thought we would put together this little blog post which has our top ten considerations when hiring a Pest Control Professional so that you know you are getting the right advice for your home.

1. The Technician

All technicians need to be fully licenced in Western Australia. At any time you should be able to request to see the technicians licence and obtain the licence number. Western Australia requires that pest control technicians are licenced and have completed their Certificate III in Pest Management as a minimum.

2. The Company

Is the company fully insured? Insurance is expensive and but is essential to protect your property and protect against liability. Visit the company’s website. Does it appear professional? Is it knowledgeable? Does the company’s values correspond with your own?

3. Knowledge

The technician and office staff should be knowledgeable enough to answer your pest control questions. There may be a question or two that they don;t know off hand and if so, they should be willing to find out the answer and let you know. It is better to hear an honest ‘I don’t know, but I’ll find out,” than to be given a wrong or made up answer.

4. Professional Appearance

When the technician comes to you door, their uniform and overall appearance should be clean and professional. The ute, equipment and chemicals should also provided you with a secure feeling of professionalism.

5. Testimonials

Does there website have testimonials from other clients. Also check out the company’s Facebook page as this is where people can leave an honest review!

6. Price

The lowest price is not always the best deal!! If a company says it will solve your problem in one service for $X and the problem still exists after you have paid for that service, you haven’t saved any money. Instead, you will likely need to start over with another service provider and end up paying a great deal more than if you had chosen a quality over price the first time. Different chemicals range greatly in price and quality chemicals can cost a lot more than the cheap and nasty products. They can also be a lot more toxic to your family and pets! A good pest control company should also offer a service-free period or guarantee ensuring that the problem is solved.

7. Service

Before starting any service, the technician should talk with you to discuss exactly what the problem is, find out where and what you’ve seen or heard and ask probing questions to ensure they fully understand the pest problem. Following this discussion the pest control technician should inspect your home or building through a professional eye, identify the pest or pests, and set a treatment plan.

8. Chemicals

In most cases the technician will use chemicals for elimination, but the technician should be willing to discuss the chemicals they expect to use, any possible adverse effects and if there are any non-chemical options. Always be wary of companies that aren’t willing to talk about the products they use! Upon request, the technician should be able to provide a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for each chemical used.

9. Documentation

After completing the service, you should receive a report if required detailing the service and a copy of your tax invoice that details the service costs. Termite reports should be thorough and include photographs of the site. A one page tick and flick sheet simply isn’t thorough enough when protecting your home!

10. Building Inspections with add on Termite Inspection

When purchasing a new home you are required to have a Building Inspection & Pre-Purchase Termite Inspection completed. Some building inspectors have now been able to take an extra course and complete both the building inspection and termite inspection at the same time. We have found on numerous occasion that the quality of these termite reports are being compromised. Unfortunately a building inspector can’t gain the same amount of knowledge and experience in a short course that a quality pest controller has. If any termite issues are found, they are unable to recommend treatment or advice, so you will then have to seek out and pay for the service of a pest control company anyway!

We hope this information will help you make better decisions when it comes to hiring a pest control professional for your home.

If you would like more information about our services, please click here to contact us.

Top 10 things to consider when hiring a pest control professional in Perth