Mosquito management garners buzz

According to PMP’s exclusive survey, mosquito services can be a lucrative business segment for those who offer it.

It should be a banner year for pest management professionals (PMPs) who offer mosquito management services.

Three-quarters of PMPs predict their revenue from mosquito services will increase this year, according to Pest Management Professional’s (PMP’s) 2016 Mosquito Management Survey.

Here are just three of the many strong mosquito market indicators:

• In 2014, 27 percent had zero mosquito management revenue. Just 7 percent expect to provide no mosquito management services this year.
• Twice as many PMPs expect to top the $1 million mark in mosquito management revenue this year.
• Not one respondent predicted a drop in mosquito management revenue in 2016.

Perhaps that’s because customers know mosquitoes are more than a nuisance. These disease- and virus-carrying pests prove deadly to hundreds of millions of people across the globe each year. They spread malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, encephalitis and the Zika virus, among others.

Growth in this market segment has been dramatic for Rick Yates, owner of Mosquito Ranger in Wilmington, Del. Yates has been providing mosquito management services for more than a decade.

During mosquito season, Yates treats residential accounts about every two weeks. This frequency provides excellent results, even for customers with significant mosquito problems, he says.

Rick Yates

But he does more than simply manage mosquitoes; he also takes steps to prevent and monitor them. Yates says he educates his customers, sharing steps they should take to eliminate breeding sites and reduce harborage areas. Traps help him keep abreast of changes in the pest pressure throughout his service area.

“Five years ago, we rarely saw the Asian tiger mosquito in our service area,” he says, referring to the Aedes albopictus species. “It has now become very prevalent and, being a daytime feeder, has significantly raised consumer awareness of mosquitoes.”

Yates’ technicians are trained to quickly recognize and treat mosquito harborage areas. The result is happy customers and fewer callbacks. Providing exceptional customer service and superior results boosts referrals, revenue and margins, Yates says.

“In the early years, the average consumer was very skeptical of this service,” he says. “Now, with so many companies entering the mosquito management marketplace, consumers are more receptive to mosquito management services.”

Al Hoffer

Survey respondents say only about one-fourth of their mosquito management business is generated by new clients. With the Zika virus in the news, perhaps next year’s survey will reflect a different answer.

Al Hoffer, owner of Hoffer Pest Solutions in Coral Springs, Fla., says the Zika virus has definitely piqued interest in the mosquito management services his company offers.

“There’s a lot more panic about it, possibly rightfully so,” he says. “But right now, the only Zika cases in the United States were from people who have traveled to countries where the mosquito carries the virus.”

Hoffer’s company generates 80 percent of its mosquito business from residential accounts. Customers who pay for treatments in advance receive a discount. “It’s a good way to get a commitment from a customer,” he says.

Managing Editor Diane Sofranec can be reached at dsofranec@northcoastmedia.net or 216-706-3793.

PMP 2016 Mosquito Management Survey