Challenges: Customers + Competition

Providing mosquito control is not without challenges. One of the most common: Setting realistic service expectations for customers. “It’s important to explain what they can expect and what not to expect. They’re not going to be 100 percent free of mosquitoes,” said George Iglesias, Pest Innovations.

According to the 2022 PCT State of the Mosquito Control Market survey, most PMPs (92 percent) said their customers understood that treatment reduced mosquitoes but did not eliminate them or prevent the pests from flying in from neighboring properties.

Another customer challenge: Getting them to help reduce mosquito habitat, although PMPs have learned to manage this. “It always helps” when clients correct standing-water issues but “our technicians have the tools necessary” to reduce mosquito populations, said William Woodhouse, a technical specialist at EcoShield Pest Solutions who manages the company’s Englewood, Colo., branch. “We do what we can to work around them when they’re not willing to make the necessary adjustments,” he said.

Tim Jackson of Ace Exterminating agreed. “If there’s something we can do on our end, like larvaciding planters and bird baths, we’re going to do it,” he said.

Customers are more willing to cooperate if you can get them to walk the property with you as you point out problem areas and discuss solutions, said Jackson. They need to know that successful mosquito control involves more than spraying pesticide, he reminded.

According to the PCT survey, 57 percent of PMPs said customers were willing to assist mosquito control efforts by dumping out water-collecting vessels, such as baby pools and bird baths.

Ongoing communication helps engage customers and convey the value of the service. As such, most PMPs (87 percent) let customers know about the mosquito treatment performed on their property after each visit using leave-behinds or follow-up communications.

Still, half (50 percent) said customers often wanted to cancel the last treatment of the season due to seeing fewer mosquitoes or the arrival of cooler temperatures. Iglesias had clients quit because they didn’t think they needed the service anymore. Six weeks later, they called back because they were getting attacked again. “It really proves itself,” said Iglesias of the service he provides.

Other obstacles, like staffing issues, hindered mosquito service growth. “There is also competition in this market by firms that may not have licensed pest control operators applying exempt products and selling mosquito control services,” said Doug Fleischer, managing partner of PestEx in Framingham, Mass.

Most PMPs (54 percent) said mosquito control franchise companies were the primary competition for their mosquito control business.