Why Shop for Pest Control Services?

All pest control companies are not created equal in professionalism, program value, safety, and quality of service! This is complicated further because there are so many pest control options for homes and businesses.  How do you make the right choice?

Many licensed pest control companies meet the minimum standards to legally perform treatments for the consumer; this merely makes them qualified to inspect and treat your home.  However, few hold the same level of expertise, experience, or have the internal resources (bench) to back them up in difficult scenarios.  Even fewer companies in our region have a strong organizational structure and such a strong/deep bench of talent with layers of local support.     

We equate a pest control license to a teenager who just received their driver’s license.  The new license makes them legal, not expert at driving.  The same applies to pest control licenses.  Once an applicator passes the state required exams, holds a business license, and purchases minimal liability insurance, they can sell pest services to residential and commercial businesses regardless of their level of expertise.  Their knowledge and experience vary greatly, and many are learning as they go.  Performing pest control services is not for novices without constant on-the-job training and guidance from proven experts.

Experience and expertise are what really separates licensed pest control operators from true professionals within the industry.  Continuous training beyond that required by each state to recertify applicator licenses is another key differentiator.  Most pest control operators cannot afford to hire and maintain in-house trainers or sufficient supervisors and expert field trainers.  Instead, the manager/owner/supervisor is spread too thin, especially during busy season, as a jack of all trades.  They must rely on suppliers and trade associations to provide training when offered, not necessarily when needed.   

Here are some helpful consumer questions to ask when deciding on a pest control company for your home or business:

Experience & Expertise:

• How long have you been in the pest control business?
• Are you a full-service pest control company?

General Pest (all ants, stinging insects, cockroaches, mice, rats, spiders, crickets, etc.)
Bed bugs
Mosquito/Tick
Fall Invaders (stink bugs, lady bugs, cluster flies, etc.)
Termite and wood boring beetles

• Are you and all your service personnel licensed applicators?
• How long do you train your field staff before allowing them to work independently?

4-6 weeks is minimum for residential (JP’s criteria)
3-4 months is minimum for commercial (JP’s criteria) services

• Do you have any degreed entomologists on your staff?
• How many Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE) accredited employees do you employ?

ACE accreditation (no degree required) is not equal to a degreed entomologist (4+ years specialized science degree from B.S. to PhD degrees)

• Do you have a dedicated Technical/Education Manager on staff?

What are their credentials/educational level/industry experiences combination to qualify them as expert?

Trust & Recognition:

• How will I recognize your employees?

Business license number and brand name on vehicles?
Professionally uniformed service professionals?
Visible employee photo identification badges worn on uniform?

• Do you conduct background screens on candidates before hiring?

Criminal background audit?
Driving record audit?
Illegal drug panel screening?
Verification of former employment?

Reliability & Safety:

• How deep is your field employee bench strength to fill in when staff call out or schedules time off?

Ask how many employees do you have in the field for my area?
Ask how many employees do you have in total?
Ask how many field support supervisors do you have?

• What level of liability insurance do you carry to protect my home or business if accidental damage occurs?

Accidents do happen and you need to make sure that type of liability is covered by the company not you.
Ask if the employees are covered by workers’ compensation insurance?

• What kind of safety training is required at your company for all field service employees?

Ladder safety?
Respirator fit test?
Safety masks upon request?
Driver safety training?
First aid training?
Pesticide use, disposal, spill, and storage training?
Equipment use and maintenance training?
Bump caps for head protection?
Protective eye wear while treating required?
Vehicles monitored by GPS for safe driving practices?
Internal Safety Committee who meets quarterly to improve job safety?

Program Offerings:

• What pests are covered by your general pest control program?
• What pests are not covered and why?
• Do you offer various payment plans for your programs?
• What type of warranties/guarantees do you offer with an annual program? 
• How soon can I receive service?

At JP Pest Services, we pride ourselves on expert, effective, and friendly service backed by a team of over 200 professionals who receive the highest level of training available in our industry.  JP employs degreed entomologists and ACE field staff who lead our technical and safety in-house training programs.  We offer our field and office staff in-house technical boot camps and JP University training opportunities that teach basic to advanced skills and information that enable our people to be recognized as among the best professionals in the industry. 

For nearly 100 years, JP Pest Services has invested in the advancement of its people so that they can better serve customers.  Our Service Professionals are thorough, knowledgeable, and driven to provide results that lead to customer satisfaction and peace of mind.  Of course, there are less expensive options, but as we said from the start, “you get what you pay for and not all pest control companies are equal.”