MAXIMIZING PROFITS: Adding Mosquito & Tick Control

Why Treat for Mosquitoes & Ticks?

Public Health Threat

There are many reasons for pest professionals to consider adding Mosquito & Tick Control to their service offerings. For starters, due to COVID-19, there is significantly more time being spent in and around the home causing homeowners to be more discerning than ever about keeping a pest-free home. At the same time, controlling these public health pests is a priority for homeowners, as mosquitoes are responsible for common vector-borne diseases in the U.S. like Zika, West Nile Virus, Chikungunya virus, Dengue and more. Ticks are responsible for the transmission of more vector-borne diseases than any other arthropod or insect in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).

Growing Market

Specialty Consultants, LLC named mosquito control services as one of the fastest growing pest segments in the industry.Pest professionals are not the only ones to take notice to the growing mosquito marketing. Mosquito franchises continue to grow across the U.S. and are slowly infringing on the pest professional’s services, up to and including perimeter quarterly treatments, fly and rodent control.

Ease-of-Entry

The mosquito and tick business is a relatively easy service to add. There doesn’t need to be an added cost for new personnel – you can train your existing technicians. Application is fairly simple and can be performed in conjunction with a traditional perimeter treatment and using, in most cases, the same active ingredient product to target these pests. Adding an extra service onto an existing account you are already servicing means less travel time, can help to keep routes efficient, maximizing production and could add an additional 25-30% revenue.

Materials Required

Mosquitoes:

• Equipment: Power spray rig, backpack mister, granular spreader and PPE for technicians
• Insecticides – Pyrethroids, Bifenthrin, Lambda-cyhalothrin, Imidacloprid, Permethrin, Adulticides/IGR, EcoVia MTMoquito & Tick Control
• Adulticides/IGR Larvacides – Granular, Pellet or Brick
• Mosquito Lures & Traps Such as: Atlantic Paste & Glue OviCatch and Woodstream Dynatrap

Ticks:

• Nyphicide/Larvicide: Thermacell Tick Control Tubes: kill immature disease carrying ticks feeding on mice, the main tick host. Sprays don’t reach these ticks, so adding tick tubes complements a spray program, strengthening protection and increasing revenue.
• Adulticides/Insecticides: Spray treatments include Pyrethroids labeled for ticks or oil-based botanical products, if requiring a green treatment protocol, EcoVia MT Mosquito & Tick Control.

Contact your Target Specialty Products representative for more product recommendations.

Pricing

Treatments Conventional Program: 5-8 services depending on geographical territory and length of season. Pricing programs can start from $90/service and up. Natural Programs run 30% more. Sales opportunities range from $125 per treatment (typically an 8-month season) to over $1,000/season. Pricing depends largely on size of property, geographics (coastal, near retention ponds), time required, material, length of contract, complexity of the grounds, water on the premises, and type of mosquito species. Calculate the time it takes for a technician to perform the treatment, add-on chemical costs taking into consideration the square footage and consider the landscape: shrubbery, trees, water elements, etc. Ensure you can be profitable at the price you are offering the service. Green services are typically priced 30% higher. Your Target Sales Representative can help you with calculation’s for new business, both mosquitoes and ticks.

Offering Guarantees

Do not guarantee anything that is a flying insect. If you are offering some sort of guarantee ensure your cost is in line to cover call-backs.

Timing

• Tick Control Timing: April – November, depending on weather and part of the country. Some professionals will add this onto a monthly program but only service during the mosquito/tick season.
• Treatment typically occurs every 4-7 weeks
• Mosquito Control: May – September, depending on weather and part of the country
• Treatment typically occurs every 4 weeks
• Heavier in the summer months (July – September)

Marketing Materials

Marketing collateral should contain educational facts on tick and mosquitoes. There are plenty of public health facts to pull information from:

CDC - https://www.cdc.gov/zika/prevention/preventmosquito-bites.html

EPA - https://www.epa.gov/mosquitocontrol

AMCA - https://www.mosquito.org/

https://www.prevention.com/health/g20513318/stop-mosquito-bites/

Digital marketing should include email and social media, digital ads, website content, leave-behind marketing materials.

Marketing Leave-Behind

It makes sense to enlist customers in helping to maintain a mosquito and tick-free yard. Consider a handout/leave-behind that educates the customer on what attracts mosquitoes and ticks to their yards:

• Inspect for and drain any standing water
• Clear leaf debris
• Maintain a healthy lawn, trim shrubbery
• Clear leaf litter and any debris that provide cover for mice, the main host of immature ticks that carry Lyme and other diseases
• Additional Marketing: Consider giving customers a discount for referrals