Bed Bugs!!! YUCK

In case you haven’t noticed pest control services have become very popular as of late. This is due to the huge increase in bed bug activity throughout the nation. Bed bugs are spreading so quickly that they soon will reach epidemic status. As the problem becomes larger more individuals are entering the industry looking to make a buck off of a hot trend.

As a consumer you need to know a few things about the pest control industry in order to make an informed decision about who to call.

The pest control industry has been around for many years and has a notoriously bad image. In fact, if someone says the word exterminator it conjures up a picture of a man spraying baseboards with a can filled with pesticides (not very professional). Unfortunately, this can be true but in most instances those operators are being weeded out naturally by the poor service they provide.

The “new” generation of PMP’s (pest management professionals) are well educated business people who have embraced changes within the industry. The days of splash and dash are over and have been replaced with inspection, judicious pesticide usage, and follow up. The new breed of PMP knows the business top to bottom and steps in tune with regulatory changes and uses new technology to their advantage. These new generation companies are more likely to be found advertising via word of mouth, internet and through professional networking.

As a homeowner you must realize that all PMP’s are NOT created equal . Here’s how to spot the good ones:

  1. They have and are not afraid to tell you their personal and business occupational license numbers.
  2. They can provide you with the information confirm above state minimum insurance.
  3. They have references.
  4. They belong to their state and national organizations; further they should be certified QualityPro from the National Pest Management Association. The QualityPro designation truly separate the fly by night companies and the one’s in it for the long haul.
  5. They can explain exactly what the process is for controlling your pests, what they will use, and how long it will take.
  6. They provide you with MSDS sheets as well as label information for the products they use.
  7. Their appearance should be that of a professional, if it’s not, dig deeper.

Finally, use your gut–if something doesn’t seem right it probably isn’t. Good luck finding a true professional because it turns out that when the lights go out at night the bed bugs will bite after all.