PMP’s 2015 Bed Bug Management Survey Examines Trends and Tools

August 13, 2015

The battle between PMPs and bed bugs is more intense now than a decade ago, when the pests first returned with a vengeance. Photo: ©istock.com/Ljupco

Like two prizefighters in their prime, pest management professionals (PMPs) and bed bugs continue to square off. According to our 2015 Bed Bug Management Survey, for many, these battles royale are more intense now than a decade ago, when bed bugs first returned to the Land of Opportunity with a vengeance.

“From 2005 to 2010, it ramped up slowly,” says Rodney Mills, owner of Columbia, S.C.-based Mills Termite & Pest Control. “By 2010, we were receiving just a few calls a month from folks dealing with bed bug infestations. Now, we field several bed bug calls a day — some days 10, 15, 20 or more calls. It’s almost an epidemic in our area.”

Mills says bed bug management accounted for less than 5 percent of his company’s 2010 revenue. He projects the service will generate more than one-third of his revenue this year.

“It’s mushrooming so rapidly I sometimes consider focusing solely on bed bugs,” he says. “The problem is two-thirds of our callers say they can’t afford our bed bug management services. Another thing I kick around is: What if I offered financing and allowed all these prospects to spread out payments?”

Mills is winning every bed bug battle now, thanks to more time in the ring and advancing control technologies.

“I have zero callbacks on bed bug jobs,” he says. “Sweetening the deal, bed bug work allows me to reduce windshield time — saving fuel and vehicle wear and tear — and increase treatment sales and margins.”

Calls Up, Callbacks Down
Three years ago, Leavenworth Pest Control had a nasty bed bug callback rate, partly because the company battled just four bed bug infestations that year and partly because of an annoying anomaly.

“In 2013, we had eight callbacks on one bed bug job,” says Brad Willms, owner of the Leavenworth, Wash.-based company. “It was at a cabin. We finally figured it out. It wasn’t a bed bug job. It was a bat bug job.”

During the past year-and-a-half, Leavenworth Pest Control has tackled 36 bed bug jobs — six times the annual bed bug workload the company experienced three years ago — without a single related callback.

Allen Dougherty, owner of Loganville, Ga.-based Shamrock Pest Control, also stakes claim to a perfect bed bug knockout rate.

“We never have callbacks on bed bug jobs,” Dougherty says. “Today’s control tools — pesticides, monitors, traps, vacuums, etc. — arm us for success.”

Comparing this year’s first half to last year’s, Bugs No More has more than doubled its bed bug management revenue, says Larry White, office manager and certified applicator with the College Station, Texas-based company.

Bugs No More’s callback rate on bed bug jobs is less than 5 percent. White says the “can’t afford rate” is today’s biggest business obstacle.

“Many consumers suffer sticker shock after we discuss our bed bug management pricing,” he says. “Many try to save money by doing it themselves. Some of those eventually call back
and hire us, but many opt to just live with the problem, which is one reason why bed bug infestations keep spreading.”

Commercial Success
Bob Kunst, president of Mandeville, La.-based Fischer Environmental and a PMP Hall of Famer, says bed bug work has been steady in his company’s areas of operation (Louisiana and Mississippi), but bed bug pressure might be on the rise.

“Everyone wants everything possible done to get rid of their bed bug infestations — until they find out the costs,” Kunst says.

Fischer generates the majority of its bed bug-management revenue from apartment complexes and hotels.

“Property managers know and accept our pricing up front,” Kunst says. “They typically know do-it-yourself bed bug management doesn’t work, and they know they’re liable for the safety of their occupants.”

During the first five months of 2015, Covington, Ga.-based Perimeter Pest Management fielded as many bed bug infestation calls as it did throughout all of 2014.

“In a past life, I was a property manager,” says Robert Neph, Perimeter’s owner. “We focus on apartment communities because most now know they need professional bed bug management.”

You can reach PMP Editorial Director and Publisher Marty Whitford at mwhitford@northcoastmedia.net or 216-706-3766.