Callbacks: Higher Than Other Pest Services

The average callback rate for mosquito control services was 6 percent, found the 2022 PCT State of the Mosquito Control Market survey. That is higher than the callback rate for any other pest service.

Weather contributes to mosquito service failures. Strong UV rays from sunlight and heavy rains can degrade the efficacy of products applied to yards. Rains and wind can delay treatment, giving mosquitoes time to reproduce.

Weather cannot be controlled, but re-treatments can be reduced by performing thorough site inspections, said PMPs in follow-up interviews.

Native Pest Management trains technicians to inspect for standing water issues and how to apply larvacide. Supervisors spend considerable time in the field sharing their knowledge with technicians and showing them where to find hidden sources of water.

“Anyone can go out and spray for mosquitoes but if you’re not doing anything about the standing water, you’re not attacking the source of the ultimate issue that’s causing them to breed on the property,” said Luke Lewis, who worked for the FBI and wants his technicians to act like investigators in the field. Native Pest Management guarantees its mosquito control service despite the challenging weather and high mosquito pressure of South Florida. When callbacks do occur, it’s usually due to circumstances outside the company’s control, like a community retention pond or a property with no vegetation to treat. “It’s not going to be a service that works for everyone,” said Lewis.

Doing mosquito work in the new-build communities served by Termite King in Haslet, Texas, is a challenge because there are “no shrubs, no trees; nothing to really treat,” said Bradley Ulanowski, the company’s owner. As a result, “I don’t push it. It’s just not beneficial to our customers to do the service and not have any results whatsoever,” he said.

Starting programs early in the season prevents breeding female mosquitoes from laying eggs and growing the population, thus reducing the potential for callbacks. “The earlier you start it, the better off you are,” said Jay Everitt, Rottler Pest Solutions.

Shifting from foggers to mister blowers, plus “heavy training” on how to use the new equipment effectively, helped EcoShield Pest Solutions reduce re-treatments. “Our callbacks went down dramatically for mosquitoes,” said EcoShield’s William Woodhouse.