Do you want to start a pest control business but you want to go niche? If YES, here are 24 best pest control related business ideas & opportunities.
Pest control is the act of using chemicals and other tools (traps, baits, etc.) to manage or eliminate organisms that damage structures, are medically important or simply annoying. Organisms in these categories include termites, mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, cockroaches, flies, bedbugs, mice, rats, scorpions, birds, etc.
As a result of heightened demand for pest extermination and prevention services, industry revenue is expected to grow an annualized 2.4% to $13.9 billion over the five years to 2018; this includes an expected increase of 2.1% in 2018 alone.
Over the past five years, the Pest Control industry in the united states has grown by 2.4% to reach revenue of bn in 2018. In the same timeframe, the number of businesses have grown by 2.2% and the number of employees have grown by 3.6%.
Because of the intricacies involved in the industry, it does not see a lot of competition. So an entrepreneur that wants to start his pest control services can comfortably do so and easily make good profit out if it if they are able to market the business properly.
If you are thinking of starting a pest control and extermination business, but you are still lost for a business idea to delve into, we have provided you a few ideas that you can start with. Note that you can combine some of these ideas comfortably to make a single business.
Best Pest Control Business ideas
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Professional pest manager
One way you can start a business in the pest control industry is to become a professional pest manager. As a professional pest manager, your duty would be to advise people on how they can control pests in their homes. But much more than that, you have to be able to provide solutions to their pest problems.
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Pest control inspector
Pest inspections are conducted by individuals licensed to perform inspections of building structures to determine damage or possibility of damage from insects, bugs, termites or dry rot conditions. The pest inspectors visit homes to look out wood-boring invaders such as termites or powder post beetles, and insects such as cockroaches or carpenter ants, among other pests, so they can be taken care of.
People are required to hire a professional pest inspector when moving into a new house because most people cannot tell the difference between mounds of dirt generated by earthworms in the soil or a swarm of termites leaving behind scraps from chewing wood.
The piles are very similar to the untrained eye. Again, most homeowners would never notice a pest invasion until it escalates to unruly proportions.
After the inspector finishes with the pest inspections, the inspector will create a pest report, identifying the areas of concern and laying out the pest company’s recommendations to cure the problems, including repairing any decaying wood.
To become a pest control inspector, you have to go through the required training and equally get the certifications before you can be eligible to get employed as a pest control inspector.
People tend to publish magazines in just about every conceivable topic, and you can do so for pest control. Depending on the type of pests that are more prevalent in your area, you can start a magazine where you talk about the prevention and control of these pests.
You may have to start off as a newsletter to get some foothold in the industry, before you upgrade to a magazine. You can publish your pest control magazine online as well as offline.
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Write a blog on pest related issues
Another way you can start a business that is related to pest control is to start a blog that talks about the issue. Your blog should talk about pest issues in general.
You should start from identification, to prevention and control. You can also use your blog to advertise newer pest control services as well as pest extermination products. You can make your revenue through these adverts and through the use of Google AdSense.
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Hold pest management shows
Depending on your qualification, you can set up a business where you organize pest management shows. These pest management shows are aimed at showcasing anything new in the pest control industry. You can equally rent out booths were entrepreneurs can stay and market their pest related businesses as well as products.
To get the funds to organize these shows, you may have to look for sponsorships. You have to go around to related businesses to see if they would be interested to partner with you in exchange for publicity.
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Open an extermination company
Another good way to key into this industry is to open a pest extermination company. Starting this kind of company requires some careful planning and a license in most areas of the country. However, for an enterprising entrepreneur, this can be a small sacrifice to make as a pest extermination company can be extremely profitable to own and operate.
There are various types of pest controls that can form the basis of the business, such as insect or rodent control, or the business can specialize in providing all pest control services. Overall, a pest control service can be a very profitable business venture and can easily generate profits in excess of $75,000 per year.
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Produce organic pest sprays
People are now becoming wary of using chemical substances in their homes. This is mostly noticed in homes that have children or sick persons, so people would be more likely to purchase pest sprays if they are organic. This goes to show that there is a thriving business in the organic pest spray industry.
If you are good with producing pest sprays, then you may likely have to go organic so that you can attract health conscious people to buy and use your products.
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Produce chemical based pest sprays
While a number of people prefer to use organic pest sprays in their homes, but there are people who do not mind using chemical based sprays. In addition, chemical based sprays are good if they are used outdoors, so there is still a market left for chemical based sprays.
You can get into the industry by manufacturing and selling chemical based pest sprays. You would sure start making good returns in your investment.
If you are having a problem with marketing your products in your vicinity, you can export it to other areas where chemical based pest control sprays are still accepted. Though you must ensure that you abide by the rules that govern such states and countries.
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Produce rodent traps
Some very destructive pests in the home are rodents. These pests can destroy everything from furniture to food and even fabrics, this is why it is very expedient to get rid of rodents as soon as one can find them. Being that some rodents are so sensitive and may tend to avoid eating poisons, so you need to use traps to get rid of them.
This in turn has produced a good business prospect for you. If you are quite creative, you can start making these traps for sale. This is a business you can start right at your home and start marketing it in you community and neighborhood.
If your traps are very effective, you can easily sell them after you have made them. Never worry that people may not come back frequently to patronize your business, but if they spread they news via word of mouth, you can still make good sales.
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Open a bird proofing business
People that live close to forests notice that birds are their constant companion and equally their nightmare. This is because birds can be quite destructive to a home.
They can rip through ceiling boards and make a home inside your roof thereby destroying the roof from there. There can also try to destroy window blinds and panes. This is why people usually seek the help of bird proofing centers if they have bird problems.
You can set up a business where you help people protect their homes against birds of all types. Yes, the birds can come around your vicinity but they cannot enter your home, and they won’t be killed either. This is a good business to set up if you live in an area that has a lot of birds.
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Rodent extermination and control business
Another good business that can net you some good money in the pest control industry is setting up a rodent extermination and control business. Rats and mice not only contaminate food and spread diseases, but also gnaw through walls and electrical wiring, making them among the most destructive of all pests that can invade your business.
You should notice that an extermination method that works for insects might necessarily not work for rodents. This is why it is needful to set up a center that is focused on rodent control.
Rodent exterminators eliminate mice, rats, birds and other creeping creatures, protecting homes and businesses from further infestation. They set traps with poison or natural baits and seal off entryways. They may have to fumigate entire homes and businesses while educating clients on how they can better control the invasion of rodents.
If you have the skills to kill and control the multiplication of rodents, you can start a rodent extermination and control business. To be successful, you have to know how to handle every kind of rodents that plague people’s houses and vicinity. Marketing is another thing you have to keep in mind when starting this business.
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Provide pest prevention services
The adage that says that prevention is better than cure is still relevant till today. This is because if you prevent things early enough, you would then avoid doing damage control which can be quite expensive. This is why it is needful to set up a pest prevention service.
What you are expected to do in this business is to help people prevent pests from attacking their homes in the first place. People hate pests, and they would welcome and idea that would help them keep those noxious creatures at bay.
13. Start a mosquito control business
It is known fact that mosquito-borne diseases are among one of the world’s leading causes of illness and death. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 300 million clinical cases each year are attributable to mosquito-borne illnesses.
In spite of the great strides achieved over the last 50 years, mosquito-borne illnesses still continue to pose significant risks all across the world and of course to parts of the population in the United States.
As a matter of fact, there are over 3,000 species of mosquitoes throughout the world; about 200 species are in the United States. Mosquito control business is involved in removing or eradicating mosquito from farms, commercial and residential properties.
Modern mosquito control programs in the U.S. are multifaceted and include surveillance, source reduction, and a variety of larval and adult mosquito control strategies. You can decide to set up your business in any one of these areas.
14. Start a flea control business
Fleas are the most prevalent parasite found on fur-bearing animals, such as dogs and cats. There are an estimated 2,000 species of fleas worldwide, and more than 300 types are found in the United States. The cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis, is the most common domestic flea.
Other kinds of fleas include dog fleas, human fleas and rat fleas. Fleas feed on any warm-blooded body, including humans. However, they prefer to dine on hairy animals such as dogs, cats, rabbits, rats, mice, opossums, raccoons and skunks. Because fleas can produce up to 400 offspring in a single life time, they are indeed very difficult to control.
This is why people require the services of flea control experts if they have an infestation. To start this business, you need to first of all have the required skills, then you should get the needed licenses and permits. You can as well produce flea powders and other treatments that you can sell to pet owners.
15. Start a silver fish infestation and control business
Silverfish get their name from the insect’s silvery, metallic appearance and fish-like shape and movements. Silverfish are also known as “bristletails” because of their three long, bristle-like or tail-like appendages on the rear end of their body.
Silverfish are found throughout the U.S. and are typically seen in moist, humid areas in the home, such as bathrooms, basements and attics. They tend to hide their presence from humans, which means any damage they have caused could go unnoticed as well. You can startup a business where you help homes and businesses control the infestation of silverfish.
16. Manufacture and sell flea traps
A lot of people do not appreciate, or allow the use of chemicals in their homes because they may have kids or pets that can get poisoned by these chemicals.
Bearing this in mind, instead of producing flea powders and chemicals, you can start producing flea traps; that is a trap that can catch and get rid of fleas instead. Flea traps work by attracting the fleas in the environment to them, so you can now get rid of the trapped fleas in a very sustainable way.
17. Start a fumigation service
The prevalence of pests and rodents in homes makes carrying out fumigation services a necessity rather than an option. Homes are fumigated to kill termites, insects, and other pests. If you are a fumigation expert, you can start a fumigation services business.
Because of the constant need for fumigation services, especially when one is about to move into a new home, your services would be constantly needed. One way to spread the word about your services is to spray paint the name of your fumigation service business on your vehicle, and to hang your signs wherever you are working.
18. Start a building restoration service
Because pests, rodents and birds are especially destructive to a building, there is every need to restore buildings that have been attacked and destroyed by these elements. So, building restoration services is part of the pest control industry as it offers restoration services.
To start this business, you should be able to bring back to normal, buildings that have been attacked and destroyed by pests, rodents and birds.
Any restoration business, whether franchise or homegrown, requires customers who need your services. You need to consider whether there is enough need in your area to sustain a growing restoration business. Before you open up shop, make sure you have the right certifications for the type of work that you plan on doing.
19. Termite control services
Termites are widely regarded as a damaging pest to have in your home or business. Termites (sometimes known as ‘white ants’) can cause extensive damage to the structure of a building if they are not inspected, managed or treated by qualified termite control professionals.
Termites will feed on wood 24 hours-a-day. That means a termite infestation can quickly turn into a major problem. As their presence dates back 120 million years, termites are survivors and extremely difficult to exterminate without professional expertise.
This is why professional termite eliminations services is in high demand. If you have the right training and certifications, you can start a termite elimination and control business where you help household and businesses stop the infestation of termites in their properties.
20. Ant control service
If you’re seeing ants trailing across your kitchen floor or found them in the bathroom, then you may have an ant problem. Adult ants species come in a variety of shapes and sizes but each will be one of the three different colony castes; queens, workers or males.
Queens are fertile females that lay all the eggs in a colony. Workers are wingless females that gather food, feed larvae, maintain the nest, defend the colony, and do not reproduce. Male ants are winged and their only job is to mate with the queens during the swarming process.
Ants are also one of the pests that reproduce rapidly and can cause tremendous destruction in the home. This is why people prefer to contact professionals when they have an ant problem. You can set up a business where you help people get rid of ants in their homes and business areas.
21. Produce pest control accessories
When people have mild pest problems, they may decide to handle the situations on their own. They just nip into supermarkets to get these pest control products and use them. There are different accessories that can help people control pests on their own in their homes and work places.
These can include glue boards, pest traps, sprayers, and what have you. You can start producing some of these pest control accessories to help people control pests around them.
22. Pest control consultancy and advisory services
Pest control consultants provide complete guidance on pest control that one needs to effectively fight against pests. As a pest control consultant, your duty is to provide comprehensive solution to people’s pest control need by means of eco-friendly and human friendly chemicals, gels, fumigants and sprays that are thoroughly tested and ascertained for its effectiveness against the respective pest.
Your experience, expertise and cutting edge technology is what you need to convince customers that you are the best in the business as far as pests such as Termite, Wood Borer, Vector, Rodent, General, Cockroaches, Mosquitoes, Fumigation, Bird, integrated pest, industrial weed or bedbugs are concerned. Note that you must be certified and you must have the right trainings before you can set up this business.
22. Become a pesticide control inspector
Pesticide control inspectors, also known as pesticide control technicians or pesticide applicators, can choose to work in general pest control or they may specialize by the type of pest control they handle. Pest control inspectors can be found working in every type of building including homes, apartments or commercial structures.
Others may work in outdoor locations such as farms, commercial landscaping or residential lawns. They are responsible for identifying and exterminating unwanted pests ranging from termites to other uninvited animals. To become a pesticide control inspector, you may not need to get a degree.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that, although some employers may hire inspectors with degrees, but a high school diploma is what is typically required.
They must have taken high school courses that might prepare individuals for this profession, including biology, chemistry and agriculture. The median annual salary for pesticide control workers, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, was $32,160 in May 2015.
23. Become a pest control worker
Pest control workers are responsible for preventing and getting rid of insect and bug infestation in homes and public spaces as well. They do their work by spreading chemical solutions and toxic gases that kill or deter pests and vermin from the premises.
It is also the duty of pest control workers to check homes and businesses to identify if there is an infestation and after the identification, they will need to create a plan of action to eradicate the infestation.
A Pest Control Worker will usually earn an average salary of between $24,000 and $36,000 depending on the level of experience. Professionals that work in this career are paid most highly in Public Administration, where they can earn average compensation of $39,700.
24. Sell pest control accessories
If you are not able to produce accessories that people can use to trap and eliminate pests in their homes, one other pest control related business you can go into is to start selling these pest control accessories. To start, you need to contact companies that make these pest accessories, and offer to help then sell or distribute their products.
You can decide to get their products and sell them with a markup, or you can distribute the products for the companies and get paid a percentage of what you are able to sell.