If you're having a problem with unwelcome pests in your house and you've tried every DIY solution you know, you might be thinking about hiring a professional pest control company to take care of the issue. The best course of action for you may be to hire an expert, but you must first conduct your research.

How do you first find a company? Start by looking through the yellow pages of your local phone book. You can also conduct a keyword search for your neighborhood online, and you'll get the extra benefit of viewing what details the firm gives about both itself and pest control in general. Obtain references from friends and colleagues.

Ask further inquiries to your friends and colleagues after you've made a list of pest control providers and before you phone these businesses. Have any of them worked with these businesses? What did they think about it? Did the insect business questions find a solution to their infestation problems? Were there any issues interacting with the business? Any issues in the house following the company's services?

When you've reduced your list of potential providers to a small number, give them a call and ask them some further queries, such as: Does the business provide a free house evaluation and pricing estimate? Does it offer suggestions on how you might solve the issue on your own? Is the business eager to respond to inquiries?

To be specific, what kinds of chemicals are employed? (If it's possible, request that they give you written details on the chemicals.) What potential risks do these substances provide to family members, including adults, children, and pets? Do your family and pets have to leave the property while the pest control treatment is being done?

Make careful to find out if the business provides organic, non-toxic pest management. If the company's representative simply dismisses the idea of ​​nontoxic pest treatment without thoughtfully weighing the advantages and disadvantages of the natural solutions available, but merely wants to enter your home and spray, beware!

Do your own research on any chemicals that may be used, including their efficacy, any potential side effects, and their potential toxicity. Have written material (or your own notes) on hand. (For this, the Internet is a terrific place to start.) Make sure you are aware of the potential effects of sprayed substances on your family members if they suffer from major medical conditions, particularly asthma or other respiratory conditions.

Finally, check with your local or state Better Business Bureau or Consumer Fraud Division to see if there have been any complaints filed against the company if you have any concerns about their reliability and you can't locate someone you know and whose judgment you trust to vouch for them.

Make sure you are aware of whom and when will be visiting your home after you have hired a company. Make sure they have valid identification, and inquire as to whether you can stay to oversee the procedure or if you must depart and for how long. Inquire about what you can do to prevent pest control issues in the future, especially those involving destructive termites and carpenter ants while a professional like Century Pest Control is treating your house. The company who actually completes the task likely has knowledge of the subject that the office staff does not.