Pests by the Dozens

Pests tend to stay relatively consistent over the years, with familiar culprits like ants, spiders and rodents continuing to drive a majority of service calls. What does change, however, is the intensity and timing of those issues. It’s up to PMPs to pivot and embrace creative paths forward as insects come and go across regions.

TARGET ACQUIRED. Pest pressures change based on weather patterns, environmental conditions and more. Just look at spotted lanternflies, an invasive species continuing to spread at alarming rates and wreaking havoc on trees and vegetation.

“We need to do more research on spotted lanternflies,” said Kevin Hathorne, technical director, Terminix Service, Columbia, S.C. “Because they feed on fruit and trees, we can only deal with them whenever they become a real problem — when there’s an influx of them landing and resting on a house and coming indoors.”

It’s ticks, though, that capture Hathorne’s attention at the moment. According to this year’s survey, only 8% of PMPs say ticks generate service calls — but tick-related illnesses continue to climb across the country. This divide suggests it’s a problem best solved before it ever begins.

“There’s definitely been an increase in people inquiring about targeted tick treatments,” said Hathorne. “We have an add-on service where we target prone areas in the yard that have shade, like woodlines, high weeds and overgrown grass. And we also educate customers on good, quality lawn maintenance.”

Survey respondents say termites generate 15% of service calls — a number that should be much higher, according to Critical Hit’s Whitt. “There are two types of homes there — those that have termites and those that get termites,” said Whitt. “Termite control is the No. 1 most overlooked outdoor-indoor service.”

Standing water and excess moisture attract and sustain termites. Whitt advises homeowners to pull mulch away from the home and stay proactive with maintenance between treatments.

BY THE BOOK. As long as there are pests, there will always be a need for outdoor pest control services. While PMPs may not be able to eliminate them all, they can target high-traffic areas and mitigate future disasters by helping homeowners learn what to do between treatments.

“Explaining the why, the when and how it affects them in positive and negative ways is the most important thing you can do for someone,” said Ballard Pest Management’s Scott Ballard. “Pest control is knowing the bug you’re going up against, understanding it and knowing how to control it.”

In Alabama and Georgia, where his company operates, Ballard said ticks — along with fleas and mosquitoes — all generate service requests.

“I get customers all the time who say, ‘I don’t want mosquito service because my neighbors do mosquito service,’” said Ballard. “But they’re still going to get bit by mosquitoes. And when they do, we’ll be there to help them out.”