Bed Bugs Exterminator: How to Pick the Right Company

Bed bugs are very difficult to get rid of. For one thing, they hide everywhere. They also can easily spread from one person to another’s belongings, from building to building, or from room to room in a building as people move about. It’s easy to think a bed bugs exterminator can get the job done, but not all of them are the same. It’s not only about treatment but extermination and prevention. Cost is another factor, with concerns over effective pest control being affordable. How do you know they’ll totally take care of the bed bugs and make sure they won’t return? Here is information on how to choose the most effective company for your bed bug infestation.

Why choose a pest control company for your bed bugs?

There is one excellent reason to choose a pest control company for getting rid of your bed bugs, and that is: it’s more effective than going at it yourself. Home remedies and consumer pesticides often aren’t enough for complete extermination. A pest control company uses several methods using spray and other chemicals rather than pesticides alone.

1. Ask About Experience

Just like looking for competency in anything else, experience matters. The pest control company should have previous experience in the extermination of bed bugs in particular. Ask the representative for a list of previous clients as well as the company’s quality of their work as well as their ultimate success in the extermination of bed bugs. Read online reviews by previous customers about the company and look up the company’s website. If you can, ask your friends and family for recommendations of and experiences with local pest control companies.

2. Look for Credentials and Liability

You wouldn’t want a builder to work on your house who isn’t properly licensed and certified, so why go with any bed bug exterminator?

Not only should your pest control company be licensed and continuously certified, but have official membership in a local, state, or national organization. You can verify licenses by calling your state’s Department of Agriculture.

Liability is also important. Your pest control company should have both insurance and bonding to protect the company as well as your property, respectively. To make sure of this, ask if they carry general liability and worker’s compensation insurance as well as if their employees are bonded.

3. Must Have Dealt with Situations Similar to Yours

Every bed bug situation is different. Extermination of bed bugs in an apartment building, a home, or an office building is all unique situations that call for specialized treatment of the infestation and prevention for the most effective pest control. Ask if the pest control company has dealt with bed bug infestations like your situation.

4. Must Do a Physical Inspection

There’s no way for a pest control company to be prepared to deal with your bed bug infestation if the employee doesn’t know what they’re dealing with. A physical inspection should be non-negotiable. Do not call for extermination without getting an exterminator to determine the most effective treatment and prevention with spray and other chemicals.

5. Get a Free Quote

Knowing an approximate cost will tell you how affordable the pest control will be and whether it’s worth it for you. Many businesses offer free quotes over the phone or online. However, it’s important to get a free quote after the physical inspection of your bed bug infestation, which will give you an estimate of the cost. That way, you have a much better idea of exactly how much the pest control will cost, making it more affordable for you to pay without any surprises.

6. Look at Their Appearance

When the exterminator comes to your building for the physical inspection, check out how their car looks. Equipment should be secured and properly labeled.

You should also look at how the exterminator himself looks. Besides being friendly, they should be well-dressed in a uniform and professional.

7. Must Have a 24/7 Call Center

Bed bugs avoid light and human activity and will wait until nighttime to be active and feed. Hence, many people won’t discover a bed bug infestation until most people are asleep. The sooner you contact a pest control company, the better you will solve the problem as soon as possible. That means your pest control company should have a 24/7 call center for availability anytime and during emergencies.

8. Get Them to Explain Their Methods

It isn’t enough to just assume that the exterminator will use spray and other chemicals. You need to know exactly how they will give you the most effective treatment and prevention. Plus, you know the building better than a stranger does. Ask about how they will handle the infestation for your peace of mind. Also, you can bring up any problem or hidden areas you may have concerns about, which the exterminator will need to tailor depending on the infestation.

9. Ask About Your Role as a Customer

There are always some steps for you to take in preparation for pest control. Ask the exterminator what you will need to do before the visit. For example, you will have to move away relatives, children, pets, and other family members or even temporarily leave. There are likely to be some areas that must be closed off for a period of time afterward.

It is important to have well-defined expectations anytime that you have professionals come into your home. We all are particular about certain rooms, items, or appointment hours that can very well make or brake your experience as a customer. Make sure to let your extermination team know your preferences, and that will help manage the correct expectations. Furthermore, you don’t want to create any hurdles to slow down the pros in taking out your infestation and finding out what caused them. You want to get the whole process over as soon as you’re able to and get back to your peaceful home life!

10. Ask About Follow-up Or Additional Services

Diligence in responding to other service needs is also important. If you discover an infestation of another type of pest, or only got treatment in certain rooms and discovered infestation elsewhere, the pest control company should be able to offer you follow-up or additional services. Doing so is more convenient and affordable for you so that you can stick with one pest control company.

11. Get a Second Opinion

Getting a second opinion is always helpful for comparison, whether you are in doubt or not. That way, you can see which pest control company is most effective and affordable for your bed bug infestation. Paying another small fee for a physical inspection plus a free quote is better than choosing the first pest control company you find that seems good. Some home purchases come with home inspection services that include free physical inspection by a pest control company. Plus, once you find the right pest control company, you can sometimes get physical inspections for free every year.

Up Next:

Let’s find out more information about other pests around the house.

• What Causes Bed Bugs? How a Bed Bug Infestation Starts You do not want to these little suckers get a head start on infesting your home. Find out more!
• How To Get Rid of Carpet Beetles Another insect to get rid of and not to be confused with bed bugs.
• Fire Ant Mound vs Regular Ant Mound: What are the Differences? Ouch! Let’s move to the exterior of the house to see some unwanted creepy crawlers in the yard.