When dealing with unwanted pests around your home or business, you may want to hire a pest control service to take care of the problem for you. Pest control professionals have access to different products, specialized training, and other equipment that may be needed in order to manage a serious infestation or problem.
Pest management professionals can learn more about integrated pest management approaches and available training by visiting the UC IPM Program for structural pest management or landscape pest management.
TAKE ACTION! By following these steps, you can support pest control companies that understand and implement integrated pest management and less toxic approaches.
1. Do some research about the pest you have and how it can be controlled.
2. Ensure the pest control operator has a license issued by the California State Structural Pest Control Board and any other registrations, certifications, or insurance required. To verify the license for a pest control operator, visit the Department for Consumer Affairs.
3. Hire a pest control operator who is certified as using integrated pest management practices, applies effective non-chemical strategies first, and knows how to effectively manage pests. Some questions that you can ask and things to consider can be found here and here. Several certification groups can also be helpful in finding a pest control company:
