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SmartMoney Magazine by Ken Bensinger (Author Archive)

10 Things Your Exterminator Won't Tell You

Below is an excerpt from the book "1,001 Things They Won't Tell You," which was published in May 2009 and highlights popular columns from SmartMoney's long-running "10 Things" feature.

1. “I’m a fan of global warming!”

Experts agree, it’s a great time to be in the pest-control business. Tighter restrictions on pesticides, changing weather patterns, and the emergence of treatment-resistant insects and regional epidemics have converged, creating a perfect storm for exterminators in many parts of the country. And it’s spraying the business with cash: According to the National Pest Management Association, bug zapping has grown into a $6.7 billion industry, up 28 percent since 2000.

Two issues in particular seem to be driving growth, according to Austin Frishman, an entomologist and industry consultant. Recent temperature increases seem to allow pests to thrive in an everextending geographical area, Frishman says. Case in point: fire ants as far north as Virginia. Even more important, he says, are the movement and migration of people; travelers can bring new kinds of pests into the country, while population shifts have trended toward the Sun Belt states and other areas where insects thrive. The number of pest-control firms is now over 19,000, up more than 7 percent since 2000, and is expected to continue to rise. “There’s a lot of business opportunity,” Frishman says.

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User Comments

Posted: 4:31 PM EST August 13, 2009

Posted by: NPMA1933

Below, please find a Letter to the Editorial Staff of SmartMoney from the National Pest Managament Association (NPMA; Pestworld.org) in response to "10 Things Your Exterminator Won't Tell You."

Dear Editorial Dept.,

Smart Money's 'Ten Things Your Exterminator Won't Tell You' by Ryan Malkin (July 2009 via SmartMoney.com) was again, a disappointing portrayal of the professional pest management industry. And more, with the exception of three words, this article was exactly the same as a previous article - with the same title - printed in August 2007 and authored by Ken Bensinger.

Several points of clarity to offer:

• Pest professionals protect public health, safety and property. Pest control has played an important role in eradicating many devastating diseases around the world from the Bubonic plague to polio.
• Unlike in the United States, Malaria poses a major health threat in other parts of the world due in part to the lack of professional...(Read more of this comment) pest management services.
• Most professionals in the industry use what's called Integrated Pest Management or IPM, a 'reduced risk' technique that uses a variety of methods to get rid of pests, including inspection, identification and treatment. Treatment options vary from sealing cracks and removing food and water sources to pesticide treatments when necessary.
• Every industry (including journalism) faces challenges from time to time that reflect poorly on the remaining majority of quality professionals. That doesn't mean that the industry as a whole is untrustworthy or that accusations expressed by a few represent reality.

Clearly, the 'Ten Things' feature series is intended to ferret out the misdeeds present in every service industry, alert readers to potential financial potholes and position SmartMoney as a consumer advocate. These are important goals. However, to accomplish these goals credibly it is critical to use timely information. I would suggest that some of the information in this piece is not particularly timely. For instance, the Collier Black termite lawsuit referenced is more than a decade old and yet, you neglected to mention that in 2009, Orkin enjoys a 99% satisfaction rating from their customers. Further, you reference that Terminix was not available for comment on this story. In fact, Terminix has not been contacted within the past several years for their perspective. Moreover, while you recommend that consumers check with the National Better Business Bureau before selecting a pest professional, you fail to share that Terminix currently receives an A+ rating from this recommended organization. Finally, the statistics provided and the stories referenced are dated 2006 and prior. Certainly, many of these statistics have been updated in the past three years and many services enhanced and improved in the same time.

Pest management, like any other profession, is not without its fair share of companies who purport to provide professional services. However, the National Pest Management Association advocates a consumer hiring process on our website, www.pestworld.org, where we offer consumer tips on how to purchase professional services.

If SmartMoney is truly the consumer advocate that its name implies, I challenge its staff to fairly represent the industries they profile. I want to invite you to visit NPMA's annual conference, PestWorld 2009. On us. It will be held in Las Vegas, NV from October 26-29. Take the time to Interview some of the 3,000 pest control professionals who attend every year to gain invaluable training. You will find the names and stories of literally millions of satisfied customers, customers whose health and safety have been greatly improved by our industry's services. Also, I invite you to observe field work with one of our professionals. I will be happy to accompany your staff on calls with a pest professional so that they can gain firsthand knowledge and perspective of the outstanding work being done on a daily basis by qualified professionals.

Every industry, as well as high profile individuals have its fair share of detractors - some well intentioned and some, just looking to profit from a little sensationalism. This industry is full of family businesses with buckets of integrity who solve real problems daily and are credited with changing the quality of life we have today in America. I hope you can say the same for your staff, and the journalistic community you represent.

Respectfully Submitted,

Missy Henriksen
Vice President of Public Affairs
National Pest Management Association
(Show less of this comment)

Posted: 9:17 PM EST August 12, 2009

Posted by: Dutch1962

One thing smart money didn't tell you, is they ran this hit piece word for word 2 years ago. Do you guy's need some new material?
Dan Rather was good at this kind of stuff, ask him.

Posted: 6:04 PM EST August 06, 2009

Posted by: NYPestControl

We have gotten a lot of positive feedback about our response to this article, please let me know what you all think about our company rebuttal to this article

http://nopests.com/blog/10-things-your-exterminator-won%e2%80%99t-tell-you-our-side/

Posted: 3:36 PM EST August 06, 2009

jimva

1 Comments

As a pest management professional I am wondering if we can bring a class action lawsuit against you for slander and attempting to hurt and discredit so many hard working people? Since you have been called out by one of our respected industry editors I will look forward to seeing if you have the same guts it took to write a scurrilous piece of nonsense as it will take to have a podcast together with the same editor. I truly did have to take a stomach remedy after reading this trashy novel.

Posted: 10:26 AM EST July 25, 2009

bugstopper

1 Comments

I am a pest management professional. I come from the perspective of somebody who is second generation in this industry. Having seen where it came from to where it is today, I must say that over 90% of what you try to portray of my industry is just downright untrue and unfair. In an industry of over 19,000 companies, and more than 200,000 persons, you can find just about any instance of bad operating that you want to. As a general statement from my experience, the pest management profession of today is light years ahead of any other service profession I know. We are better trained, better stewards of the environment, better employers, and better at satisfying customers than ever before.

Many pest management companies, including mine have won awards for commuinity involvement, ethical business practices, and even awards from Better Business Bureaus. PMP's are leaders in community involvement. The Georgia Pest Control Association has raised over $100,000 per year for 4 y...(Read more of this comment)

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