How to Choose a Pest Control Company

When dealing with cases of domestic or commercial infestations, it is important that you employ the services of a reputable pest control company to ensure the problem is eradicated completely and in a quick and efficient way. If you’re currently in need of a pest control company and are struggling to separate the good quality firms from the bad, Pest Defence are here to help. We’ve put together some quick tips for you to utilise to ensure you get the very best service you can.

Qualifications and accreditations

The first thing you should check in your search for a competent pest control company is the accreditations the company holds. Being verified by governing bodies proves that the company is qualified to carry out the work in an effective and safe way, and will prevent you from allowing underqualified workers onto your premises. If a company is a member of a pest control industry association you would expect to see the association’s logo shown on their website and paperwork. The two largest Pest Control Industry Associations in the UK are firstly, the BPCA (British Pest Control Association) and secondly the NPTA (National Pest Technicians Association).

The BPCA has a strict criteria for membership, requiring that all Full Members are Fully Accredited by undertaking an 18 month on-site audit during which the company’s staff and practices are scrutinised. The audit checks training records, qualifications, health and safety procedures and pesticide management, and includes site visits to the homes and businesses of some of the company’s customers. Full Membership also requires that all trained staff are qualified to the minimum level of the RSPH Level 2 Certificate in Pest Management, and all staff maintain Continual Professional Development through a recognised industry scheme. If a company displays a BPCA membership you can be assured that they have been audited and approved by the BPCA within the recent past.

The NPTA is less strict and open their membership to anybody interested in pest control, whether qualified or not. The NPTA does have accredited members although the majority of their members are not accredited. This means that pest control companies advertising NPTA membership are not necessarily fully accredited. The NPTA accredited companies are displayed on the NPTA website so you would be advised to check this first if you require greater assurance of the professionalism of the company.

We are pleased to confirm that Pest Defence Ltd is a long-standing Full Member of the British Pest Control Association (BPCA) and that our staff receive full training and Continual Professional Development training through the BASIS PROMPT register of Professional Pest Controllers and Managers. Pest Defence staff are qualified to the level of RSPH Level 2 Certificate in Pest Management and higher.

Experience

While qualifications are a good start to identifying a competent pest control company, you should also consider how experienced the team are at dealing with your pest problem. The more experience they have, the more able they will be to deal with your pest control problem in a proficient way, and the less disturbance and distress there will be in your day-to-day life. Ask how long the business has been operating for, and for the level of experience the individuals assigned to your infestation in order to determine how successfully and smoothly the process will run.

Pest Defence Ltd has been trading continuously since 1989 and we have many customers who have employed our services since then. We boast a team of highly qualified, experienced and enthusiastic staff, the majority of which have in excess of ten years of experience and employment in our company, and some in excess of twenty years.

Testimonials and customer reviews

You can gain a good indication of the reputation of a company by looking for customer reviews and testimonials. Whether it’s asking friends and family for recommendations or relying on online reviews, getting feedback from those who have used the services will guarantee accurate insight into how professional the company is. Any good pest control company will have a list of customer reviews and testimonials on their websites for potential clients to see, so if you can’t find any indication of previous customer experience, it may be best to rule out that particular company.

At Pest Defence Ltd the majority of our work comes from repeat customers and from recommendations and referrals. We are now asking customers for reviews and you can view these on our website.

Health and safety in pest control

If you are employing a pest controller to deal with a pest problem, it is likely that they will be introducing pesticides (rodenticides or insecticides) and traps into your home or business. It is absolutely important that the work is carried out safely, particularly where children, domestic animals, and non-target wildlife are at risk.

It is also very important that the pest control contractor carries out the work in accordance with current legislation and codes of best practice to ensure safety of people, animals and the environment. The pest controller should have a Documented Health & Safety Policy and produce Risk Assessments and COSHH assessments which they should follow (COSHH = Control of Substances Hazardous to Health). For the assurance of customers and consumers, there are schemes that assess a company’s Health & Safety procedures and documentation, and give them accreditation if they pass their assessment. The SSIP (Safety Schemes in Procurement) provides the criteria for the assessment of good standards of Health and Safety and organisations such as Safecontractor and CHAS audit their customer to these standards. Certificates of accreditation can be found and downloaded from our website.

To be assured that the pest controller you employ understands and adheres to safe working practices at your home or business it makes sense to select a contractor that can demonstrate accreditation by an SSIP approved organisation such as Safecontractor and CHAS.

We are pleased to confirm that Pest Defence Ltd pays great attention to the health and safety of our customers and of staff, and we conform to all current legislation and best codes of practice. For the assurance of our customers, we pay to be audited by SSIP-approved organisations, Safecontractor and CHAS. Certificates of accreditation can be found and downloaded from our website.

Trustworthiness and Reputability

How can you trust a pest control contractor to do as they say and trust them to act honestly and responsibly at your home or business?  

It helps if the pest controller is recommended to you by and friend or relative, but how do you really know that you are getting a fair price and a good service?

Trading Standards is a government organisation responsible for protecting consumers and has a scheme called ‘Buy With Confidence’ which approves reputable businesses. One of the criteria of membership to the ‘Buy With Confidence’ scheme is that all members of staff must be CRB (Criminal Record Bureau)/DBS checked. If a company can demonstrate accreditation by the Trading Standards ‘Buy With Confidence’ scheme you have greater assurance that you are employing a trustworthy and reputable pest controller. All schools and children’s nurseries require proof of CRB/DBS checks as part of their own due diligence and it makes sense that you should apply the same standards when inviting a tradesman into your own home or business.

Pest Defence is a long standing accredited member of Trading Standards’ ‘Buy With Confidence’ scheme, and all of our staff undertake regular CRB/DBS enhanced checks. Our certificate of approval can be downloaded from our website.

Quotes and value for money

Obtain a few quotes from different companies to get an indication of the average cost of the procedure, this way you can identify the companies that are charging severely more or less than the average and question them as to why their prices don’t match their competitors’. It is possible that their service will include more or less than their competitors’, so it is always good to ensure you are comparing like-for-like quotes. It is not advisable to entrust the eradication of your pest problem to the cheapest company in an attempt to gain value for money, as it is likely that this will result in a poor treatment that will not be effective against the problem.

Pest Defence Ltd aims to provide the best value for money pest control quotation as far as we are able to, and if you do get a better price we will always endeavour to beat it on a like-for-like comparison. Please call us if you believe you have received a better price from another company because sometimes there are hidden costs that we can identify. The intention at Pest Defence Ltd is always to provide a fantastic service at an unbeatable price – great value for money for all your pest control requirements.

Customer service

The service you will receive from your pest control company is also vitally important. You will need to know how to contact the team in case of an emergency, and what aftercare will be available to you if there were to be any problems with the service you received. Being able to discuss any concerns you have with the staff will help ease your mind, and they’ll be able to inform you of the entire process so you can be knowledgeable on the infestation.

Pest Defence Ltd take great pride in the standard of our pest control service and we want all of our customers to be 100% satisfied with the service and value they have received. In the event that you might have any questions about the standard and proficiency of the service you have received we want you to call us and discuss your concerns.

Pest Defence

Here at Pest Defence, we pride ourselves on being a highly rated pest control company with fully accredited and experienced staff. Our service offers value for money, quality aftercare and a detailed run through of how to avoid repeat infestations. As proof of our quality of work, we list testimonials on our website from previous happy customers.

Pest Defence offer expert pest control services across Essex and London, including Colchester, Chelmsford, Brentwood and the surrounding areas. We have over 25 years’ experience in the complete eradication of all pests, including rats, wasps, fleas, insects and birds. We are highly trained and fully accredited by some of the industry’s finest control standards, and we are a member of The British Pest Control Association, so you can rely on the quality of our work. For more information on our pest control services, get in contact today. We’ll be happy to assist with any enquiries you may have.