Most PCOs are Marketing Their Exclusion Services, Poll Finds

CLEVELAND – When it comes to rodent control, pest management professionals are using all of the tools at their disposal, including baits, traps and exclusion products. PMPs also are being more strategic in terms of marketing rodent control, including promoting their exclusion services. According to results from PCT’s most recent reader poll, 74 percent of PCOs are marketing their rodent exclusion services while 26 percent are not.

Paul Alley, owner of Pestmaster Services, Kingston, N.Y., said his company promotes exclusion on its website and Facebook page, and “our technicians are trained that when they're just doing regular pest control work to look for additional opportunities. If there are rodent issues they will approach the customer and ask, ‘Can we have one of our inspectors come out and talk to you about permanent exclusion?’"

Alley also said the company’s on-hold phone message explains its exclusion services and Pestmaster sends out mailings to existing customers that promote exclusion services. Alley added that he recently worked with Pest Daily’s Seth Garber to film videos (currently in production) that promote Pestmaster's exclusion services.

Catseye Pest Control, Latham, N.Y., uses a multi-channel marketing approach. "We market our exclusion services through all traditional mediums such as TV, radio, billboard, print, etc.," said Catseye President Joe Dingwall. "We also market digitally through engaging content creation, SEO, Adwords, social media, etc."

Branding is key to successfully marketing exclusion services, Dingwall said. "Consistent messaging over time to associate the Catseye brand with premier exclusion services." 

Thorn Pest Solutions, Pleasant Grove, Utah, has exclusion listed as a service on its website, and there are numerous exclusion/non-chemical control messages throughout “so potential clients hopefully get the message that we do more than simply ‘spray’ for pests,” said owner Kevin Thorn.

Thorn said the company’s greatest success when it comes to exclusion is training on how to exclude and stressing to its pest professionals the importance of pest and rodent exclusion. “Then we try to give our professionals enough time at each location to observe and locate pest entry points,” he said. “Most of our clients don’t hire us to exclude pests; they hire us to solve pest issues and exclusion is a critical step in solving many issues. If we are observant, have enough time, and have the knowledge then we can identify entry points and exclude preventing future pest incursions.” 

Ernie Schicchi, owner of Alternative Pest Control, New York, has carved out a niche with rodent control exclusion, providing this service in accounts ranging from rentals to $30 million apartments. Schicchi does not market exclusion services at all, but includes it in his proposals and prices accordingly, typically by the hour. For example, when pricing a mouse job on a three-family home, Schicchi will do an assessment to find all the entry points and give them a price to seal all those entry points. 

In residential settings, 90 percent of Alternative Pest Control’s work is exclusion while the other 10 percent is traditional rodent control that relies more on trapping and baiting; in commercial settings, those percentages are flipped, Schicchi said. “Where we service in Brooklyn and Manhattan, 99 percent of the commercial structures that we service are attached on both sides, so we won't be able to get the access to the entry points in most commercial spaces, the way that you can in residential,” he said.

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