When you discover a pest problem in your home or on your property that you are unable to control yourself, it can be daunting to find and hire a pest control professional that you know you can trust to get rid of the problem and service your home safely and effectively.

This is especially true because effective service is dependent on the technician visiting with you to discuss your needs, sightings, and concerns, and conducting an inspection – often inside the home as well as outdoors.


It can be worrisome, and even dangerous, to let any service provider whom you’ve never met into your home. But there are steps you can take to help ensure your safety – as well as the professionalism and results of the service provider and service.

The following is focused toward pest control service providers, but most of the information is applicable to any home service you may need.

Find a local Pest Control Company

1. Conduct an Internet search. Type your city or zip and “pest control” into any search engine, such as Google, Bing, Yahoo, Ask, etc.
2. Get referrals. Ask friends, neighbors, and co-workers about pest control providers whom they have used. Ask them about the service, if they were satisfied with the results, and if they would recommend the company to others.
3. Check Professional Listings. Contact your state pest control association for member companies (search the name of your state and “pest control association,” or visit the National Pest Management Association’s Find a Professional page. You can enter your zip code to get a list of member companies in your area. It is also wise to check any company with the Better Business Bureau.

1. Use a Referral Service.  There are a number of online referral service providers, and each has its own way of doing business. For example, Angie’s List charges both the provider to list services and the consumer to search services; Service Magic does not charge the consumer, instead your contact information is given to applicable providers and they contact you; Yelp is a free service that makes its money through business ads.

Select a Pest Control Company

Once you have found pest control providers in your area, select one or a few, and check them out:

1. Check Online Reviews. Conduct an Internet search of the company name and the word “review.” The results will display a number of options such as Yellow Pages, Citysearch, Superpages, etc. If reviews exist on the company, there often will be star ratings right in the result listing.
2. Visit the company’s website. Although not having a website doesn’t mean the company is not legitimate or good, you can find out a great deal about a company through its website. For example, most will detail the pests it controls (e.g., some do not have termite service, others may not have a control option for bed bugs); provide a general overview of how it performs its service (primarily quarterly, monthly, or non-contract); explain its service philosophy (e.g., environmental focus, IPM); and show whether it performs residential or commercial service, or both.
3. Chat with a company representative. Calling the company directly to speak with the administrative person who answers the phone will give you a good feel for the overall company attitude, services, and knowledge. If you did not receive any personal recommendations on the company, ask them for references. Ask in-depth questions. The person on the phone may not know all the answers, but if not, he or she should say so and commit to getting an answer – not make one up!

When the Technician Arrives

You have selected a company and arranged for the technician’s visit. When the technician Arrives:

1. Ask for ID. Ask for company credentials, such as a photo ID, business card, printed service report with the technician’s name, etc. All states require that pest control technicians be licensed and the technician should have this with him or her. Ask to see it for verification.
2. Double Up. If you’ve done all this and still have doubts, ensure that you have at least two adults at your home when the service person is scheduled to come by. If you can’t have a family member there, ask a friend or neighbor to come by while the service provider is there, just to check in.