Facts & Figures, TreatmentS & Tips

Anxiety. Embarrassment. Fear. Disgust. It’s amazing the depth of emotion a single cockroach can stir up simply by skittering across a kitchen or bathroom floor, let alone a restaurant dining room. Cockroaches terrorize their victims in ways most pests can only aspire to, and while that’s unfortunate for those whose pantries are being raided, it opens up a world of opportunity for pest management companies.

To PMPs, cockroaches are good business. Steady business. No wonder 96% of PMPs who participated in the 2021 PCT State of the Cockroach Control Market survey, sponsored by Syngenta, said they offer cockroach control services. That’s a telling increase from just four years ago, when our 2017 study revealed that 90% of PMPs were doing cockroach work. More and more PMPs are becoming involved as the revenue potential of this type of work continues to grow.

How significant are cockroach control services to companies overall? Well, it’s grown in significance over the past five years for 29% of those polled; only 16% said it’s a less significant portion of their business. And the revenue outlook for the near future is bright, with 96% of PMPs saying they expect the percentage of revenue generated by their location’s cockroach control services to either increase or remain the same in the next year.

For most pest control companies, cockroach work is a year-round opportunity: When PCT asked PMPs which is their busiest season for cockroach control services, nearly two-thirds, 66%, said they see no seasonal difference in terms of demand for cockroach services. This majority likely includes PMPs who primarily treat one or both of the domestic species, German and brown-banded cockroaches, which live their entire lives indoors. Those who encounter peridomestic species — American, oriental, smokybrown and other species that live all or most of their lives outdoors — are likely among the 26% of PMPs who say that summer is their busiest cockroach season.