How Illinois examines pest control technicians
The Illinois Department of Public Health sets out how technicians qualify. IDPH certifies pest control technicians by examination: general-use certification requires passing the department's General Standards Examination, restricted-use work also requires subcategory examinations for the pest types treated, and a score of 70 percent is required to pass each exam.
The department also gives the renewal calendar. Structural pest control business licenses are renewed each year by December 1, and technician certification is renewed by December 1 every three years. A business license application must include a certificate of insurance submitted by the insurer.
One question for every company in Champaign
Before you book anything, put this to each company you call: "Does your business hold a current Illinois Department of Public Health structural pest control business license, and what is its number?" Write the reply on a single sheet next to the company's full name, the date of the call and the name of the person who answered. If a different person shows up at the house, add that person's name to the sheet as well.
Separately, ask each company for proof of liability coverage and workers' compensation, and keep those papers with the sheet.
How Champaign began
Champaign began with the Illinois Central Railroad: the line was routed across open prairie two miles west of the Urbana courthouse, and the settlement that grew at the tracks was first known as West Urbana.
Champaign County was organized in 1833 from part of Vermilion County and named after Champaign County, Ohio; the county seat is Urbana, Champaign's twin city.
Put the trouble in writing first
A phone call goes further when you can read from notes instead of recalling on the spot. Over a few days, keep a short log:
- what you saw, in plain words: a live insect, a trail, droppings, damaged material, a smell, a sound in a wall;
- the room and the exact spot, such as behind the stove or along the closet floor;
- the time of day, and whether it was one sighting or several;
- what you have already tried, including any product from a store, and when.
If you can, take a clear photo with a coin or a ruler beside the pest for scale. A company may be able to say from the photo whether a visit is worth scheduling, and what kind.
What a first visit can cover
Ask on the phone what the first visit includes. Some companies start with an inspection and a written proposal; others offer to treat on the same trip. Questions worth asking before the date is set:
- Is the inspection free, or is there a charge, and is that charge credited if you go ahead?
- Which parts of the house will the technician want to see: attic, basement, crawlspace, garage, outside walls?
- Roughly how long will the visit take, and do you need to be home for all of it?
- Will the technician explain what they found before leaving, or does the report come later?
Reading a proposal line by line
A written proposal is worth reading slowly, and comparing two of them side by side can show what one leaves out. Look for:
- the pest the work is aimed at, named plainly;
- every room and outdoor area the work takes in;
- the method, whether sealing openings, baits, traps, a product applied to set places, or a mix;
- each product by name;
- the number of trips, the total price and what a trip between scheduled visits costs;
- what the company does if the activity continues after the work is done;
- for a recurring plan, the length of the term, the renewal date and how to cancel.
If something on the list is missing, ask the company to add it in writing before you agree.
Products and the people at home
Tell the company early about children, pets, birds, fish tanks, a vegetable bed and anyone in the house you want kept in mind. Ask for the name of every product it plans to use and what each label says about when people and animals may go back into a treated room. Ask whether any food, dishes, toys or bedding should be moved or covered, and whether windows should stay shut or open during and after the work.
Devices left behind
Traps, monitors and bait stations may stay in the house after the technician leaves. Ask where each one is placed, what it is for, whether you should touch or move it, and who checks it and when. Ask, too, what to do if a child or pet gets into one, and write the company's answer on your sheet.
Follow-up trips
Ask the company how soon you might expect to see a change, and what you should report between visits. When you notice new activity, note the date and spot and call; the company can then compare your notes with its own. Before using any product of your own after a treatment, ask the company first, so it has a full picture of everything applied in the house.
A paper trail for the job
At the end of each visit, ask for a written service record: what the technician found, what was applied, where, the product names, and the date of any planned return. Keep it in a folder with the proposal, the license answer, the coverage papers and the receipt. That folder gives you something to show a new company or a later buyer, and it lets you check what was done without relying on memory.