Cautious Optimism

Overall, PMPs who offer bed bug services have a positive outlook of what’s to come from a business standpoint. Eighty-two percent look for their bed bug calls to increase or hold steady, and 94 percent look for the percentage of revenue generated by bed bug work to increase or remain steady year-over-year. Over the past five years, bed bug work has become a more significant portion of the business for 39 percent of respondents, while 44 percent reported no change. Only 8 percent said it has become less significant to their business. (Another 8 percent didn’t offer bed bug services five years ago.) Many are looking to grow their bed bug business.

In some markets, however, there are challenges to growth. The labor shortage, decreased demand and increased competition topped the list of issues PMPs faced. “There’s a lot of bed bug pressure in our market right now; unfortunately, due to staffing shortages, it’s more business than we can handle,” said Lucas Geer of Walker Pest Management in Greenville, S.C. “We’ve made the strategic decision to focus on termite work, at least in the short term, because that work is more flexible in terms of scheduling. Understandably, customers are willing to schedule out further for preventive termite services than they are for bed bug treatments. Once the labor market opens up a bit and we’re able to get staffed back up, we’ll be able to take on more bed bug work again.”