Gravitating Toward Green

Whether inspired by customer demand, a sense of responsibility to the planet, or both, PMPs nationwide are incorporating natural products into their programs. Respondents to the 2025 PCT State of the Naturals Market survey said that about one in five (19.5%) of the products they use are green. In the Northeast, it’s more like one in four products (25.4%).

Notable increases showed up in residential and commercial accounts this year. Specifically, where 71% of PMPs had reported using green products in residential buildings last year, 82% said they’re using them in those accounts this year — an 11% increase. In commercial office buildings, 29% were using green products in 2024 compared with 43% in 2025 — a 14% bump.

And while the majority of PMPs hold in common their support of using natural products, each company approaches its green program differently.

FOLLOW YOUR HEART. After 25 years of commercial banking, Mitch Love needed to get out and breathe the air. He had plenty of opportunity to do that from his Cave Creek, Ariz., home, situated just north of Scottsdale and Phoenix in the Sonoran Desert, where sunrises astound, and wild animals abound. Respect for those animals pushed Love to establish Pure Desert Organic Pest Control in summer 2024.

“It’s always been top of mind for me to treat my own property as environmentally responsibly as I could; I would never want to harm the wildlife — owls, hawks, coyotes, etc. — or the horses, dogs, goats and other pets that belong to so many of our neighbors here,” he said.

Love said a negative experience with a pest control company that was irresponsibly using rodenticides led him to natural products. “I began treating my property myself through natural means, including using diatomaceous earth and essential oils — two natural options I had read about online — to control bugs and scorpions,” he said.

He continued studying natural products and last year, by chance, met the owner of an organic pest management company. They discussed the science, available products and their mutual goal of elevating local pest control to be effective yet nontoxic for people, pets and other nontarget animals. Love walked away knowing what his next career simply had to be.

“I learned more, earned my license and opened Pure Desert Organic Pest Control,” he shared. “We focus on IPM and use only 25(b) exempt pesticides. We’ve found them to be quite effective, and our customers appreciate our natural approach. We already have a loyal clientele, and we expect it to grow as people increasingly realize that the chemicals they come into contact with really do affect them.”

KEEP CUSTOMER CARE IN MIND. Even companies that offer a mix of options rather than a purely organic approach have stopped waiting for customers to request natural solutions — they lead with them instead. Lindsay Bujalski of Pestco Professional Services in Pittsburgh, Pa., explained how the company approaches their healthcare and residential accounts.

“We service every major hospital system in Western Pennsylvania, so we understand the importance of prioritizing patient care. If we’re treating bed bugs, for example, we try to stick with steam so the hospital can reassign the room right away rather than dealing with the downtime that can be associated with pesticide use,” she said. “Similarly, with residential customers, we encourage using 25(b) exempt repellents, such as peppermint-based repellents, on the exterior of their homes.”

Gone are the days of overapplying conventional pesticides, Bujalski added, saying that through both product purchases and training, Pestco Professional Services is prioritizing prevention and leaning into green like never before. “We’re using green or green-friendly repellents, trapping and monitoring where we can, and using thermal cameras to detect structural gaps, wasp nests and other issues. The key is to accurately pinpoint where the pest problem is. We’re never just going in and spraying pesticides everywhere.”

MEET MARKET DEMAND. Jarvis Mimes’ pest management company, The Pest Guy Pest Management in Memphis, Tenn., was built on providing flexible solutions. “I’ve been in the pest control industry for over 30 years,” he said. “Before information was readily available on the internet, people didn’t have many questions for us. Now when we go into peoples’ homes or businesses, they have a multitude of questions. When they ask about green products or express concerns — their grandmother lives there and has breathing issues, for example — we are prepared to respond with a natural treatment approach. You have to be ready to meet their expectations.”