[Market Watch] PCO Field Reports from Across the United States

Team Too Termite & Pest Control

Corona, California

Market conditions for Team Too Termite & Pest Control seem to be just as bright as the company’s home city of Corona, Calif. And according to Vice President Bryan Houtchens, it’s a trend that won’t be short lived.

Because of the current weather conditions in Southern California, pest control business has been booming. With high levels of rain, insect populations have grown substantially. And now that the summer season is finally coming around, those populations are making their appearance known.

"In Southern California we’ve had a lot of rain, and that rain obviously has contributed to higher insect populations," he said. "It’s very conducive to what is going on in our industry. It creates more bugs, for lack of a better term. It has also created ideal conditions within habitats, and there are more opportunities for service."

Houtchens said termites, ants and bees have caused the most problems for Team Too’s customers. But along with those problems comes business opportunities. "We anticipate the coming quarter to be very good," Houtchens said. "We are expecting June, July and August to be our highest months this year."

Diverse weather conditions have made Southern California’s weather patterns out of the ordinary lately. Houtchens said that temperatures would reach 65°F one week and climb nearly to 100°F the next. He added that in a 12-mile radius, temperatures vary up to 10 degrees.

"Because of Southern California’s makeup, the coast is usually cool and the inland valleys are in the high 80s and low 90s," Houtchens said. "You drive 10 minutes and you have a completely different climate."

Even though weather patterns may be all across the board, they obviously are working in favor of business. Thanks to the erratic weather, Houtchens said business growth is "phenomenal."

Modern Pest Services

Brunswick, Maine

Although Modern Pest Services in Brunswick, Maine, has seen weak business conditions so far this year, Scott Stevenson, director of operations, is confident the market will pick up. Stevenson blames the weather conditions for negatively affecting business thus far, commenting that those conditions have been "terrible weather for pests." Although Modern Pest Services does not participate heavily in the termite business, Stevenson said present weather conditions have forced his termite business to drop between 20 and 60 percent, and that trend is seen throughout the pest control industry, he says.

"Companies in New England are asking each other if it’s their company or the industry in general, but it’s weather related," Stevenson said.

As far as pests go, Stevenson said they’ve seen a range in the different kinds of pests present. Residentially, Modern Pest Services has seen an influx of carpenter ants, but commercially, results are different. "Commercially, we’ve seen a lot of fruit fly activity," Stevenson said. "Rodents have slowed down a bit, but then again, bed bug and silverfish activity has picked up."

Even though business is off to a weak start, Stevenson said the sunny, summer weather will allow for business to grow as pest problems inevitably begin to rise.

"We’ve had a rainy, damp spring and we are hoping for some sunny weather that will bring out the pests," Stevenson said. "We have the personnel and we’re ready to provide service. Our goal is 16 percent growth for the year, and we’re doing well. We will reach our goal by the end of the year."

Terminix Service

Columbia, S.C.

Business conditions in the market of Columbia, S.C., are up from last year, and according to Terminix Service Operations Manager Scott Fortson, the company is heading in the right direction.

"I think the conditions are much better than last year," Fortson said. "I suspect things are actually starting off better than last year and I expect it to improve."

While Fortson said ants have been the most common problem in Columbia — mostly due to weather — termites have been swarming more than last year. He said termite growth has increased considerably in the past year. Fortson also commented on Terminix’s latest addition, a new, 10,000-square-foot facility that will be utilized for training, marketing and commercial sales. Fortson, like many others who have gone through the process of building a new facility, feels the stress. He added, "It’s been an ordeal all year."

As far as what the rest of 2005 will bring, Fortson remains positive, saying weather conditions will work in the company’s favor. "I would just say that the weather is going to be steadier," he said. "From what we’re hearing from our branches, things seem to look good."