Pest Control Companies Helping Neighbors in Need Eradicate Bed Bugs

CLEVELAND – Pest management professionals are known for their generosity as results from the latest PCT reader poll illustrate. Sixty percent of those surveyed said they have provided bed bug control services at no cost to a resident in need.

John Rosario, owner of ProSource Pest Solutions, Waterbury, Conn., has been in the industry for over two decades and has made it a priority to give back to the communities the company serves.

“I grew up in inner-city Waterbury and saw some of the challenges with single parents or people that didn't have the means to actually pay for the service,” said Rosario, who launched ProSource seven years ago and has helped several residents throughout the years.

One memorable case involved a family struggling with a severe bed bug infestation in their apartment. Despite repeated calls to the landlord, the issue remained unresolved, and the family couldn’t afford professional pest control. In response, Rosario offered to treat their home free of charge, using the opportunity as a training session for his staff.

At Pestco Professional Services, Pittsburgh, Pa., Robert Weimer, executive general manager, and Nick Vasco, operations manager, help around 20 families annually, providing services valued at up to $50,000. Referrals come from local hospitals and school districts, “We don’t charge for these services. Helping people get their lives back is rewarding in itself,” he said.

The initiative started in 2019 when Pestco was approached by a hospital to assist a patient with a severe infestation. Since then, they’ve received referrals from local institutions and even employees. “We’ve never once turned anyone down,” Weimer said.

Similarly, Dayton Hylton, former owner of Dayton’s Pest Control (now part of Wayne’s, an Anticimex company) Knoxville, Tenn., responded to community needs. Dayton’s had a relationship with Dr. Karen Vail, professor and extension urban entomologist, University of Tennessee. She would occasionally call on Dayton’s to help a family in need.

“One that I recall was an elderly women living in unsanitary conditions with bed bugs. While his company did not have a formal protocol for pro-bono work, they consistently helped whenever possible, serving both individuals and nonprofit organizations. “We always wanted to do top-quality work and stand behind it,” Hylton said. “If I recall there were two houses side by side, so we had three guys work on the houses until the problem was eliminated.” Hylton paid his employees, explaining that the experience was a crucial part of the company's giving-back culture.

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