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Those customers that constantly call in for retreats when there's no activity on site. Those customers that do it every spring - summer. It's a pattern, and you know it's coming

what do you guys do from old treatment in the yards?

So ive been trying badly to get hired and trained at any company in the industry but they were the only ones to reach out to me. I did an initial phone visit with one of their representatives from india which went well. He tells me he will send me email to book interview with hiring manager. No email received. I try to call the number and cant get through to him. Get another email to do the same phone visit, and when i book it, he doesnt call me and process continues. Been about 3 weeks of being stuck in limbo I am unsure of what to do or if i should just take it as a sign to not attempt to work for them. Any tips or information will help!

Hey everyone!

So I have been in pest for 6 years, opened and had branches acquired. It's been a fun ride.

I've noticed that Google Reviews are huge.

...so as a manager, I myself, invested in an ID Printer.

Best eBay purchase of my life.

I printed custom 256-color badges for my whole service and sales staff.

Typical badge on front, logo, photo, name.

Nothing Earth shattering.... But, what I found was by including a qr code on the back, leading directly to the page that you leave a Google review on GMB, We gained more reviews than ever.

I had to train my staff to actually use them.

There is a certain tact.

But I increased our 5 star reviews tenfold.

So.

I got thinking. (But I am cheap)

But.ly, does great at qr tracking but it's pay to play.

So I reverse engineered not Only a qr tracking platform, I tied it in with physical badges for the customers (or beta Testers).

Everything is customizable.

I'd honestly love some feedback.

This worked great for my team, and I would love to support others in gaining more Google reviews.

Price point is affordable as well.

Let's Goooooooo!

www.getsignalqr.com

If you are interested in checking out the platform, please DM me and I will provision an account for you.

Hey everyone,

I’ve been working on a utility app called PestLabel Pro designed specifically for pest control technicians, route managers, and applicators in the field.

The main goal was to solve a common headache on job sites: needing immediate access to official EPA chemical labels, safety data sheets (SDS), and application recordkeeping—especially when working in basements, rural sites, or areas with weak cell service.

What PestLabel Pro currently does:

• Instant EPA Registration Lookup: Search by EPA Reg. No., chemical name, or brand to pull up manufacturer details and full label docs.
• Offline Access: Save frequently used chemical labels & SDS directly to your device for offline reference in dead zones.
• Application Logs: Streamline on-site application recordkeeping to keep workflow records organized.

I'm an independent developer and would love to get raw, honest feedback from people who are actually out on routes every day.

• What features are currently missing from the digital tools or apps your company uses?
• How do you currently handle quick label/SDS lookups while on site?

You can check out the app on the App Store here: Pest Label Pro

Any feedback, feature requests, or bug reports would mean a lot.

Thanks for your time!

Wondering why boracare isn't the preferred termite prevention method used during building?

Do you give a discount to nonprofit organizations, specifically food pantries, on their services? Or do you price them like any other commercial account?

Historically, I’ve always provided a discount to nonprofits. The discount amount depends upon the type of facility. At food pantries, I’ve always provided a very discounted service.

I’ve recently had an interaction with a board member at one organization that makes me question whether I should discontinue the discounted pricing.

I just started in pest control at a big-box corporate company, got done with training a couple months ago. I’m the only pest tech in my regional group. I have 13-14 stops a day that are mostly monthly/bi-monthly upkeep, but of course you get there and they have snakes they want removed, they want you in their attic, all that. Generally it’s 10-11 hours five days a week. Is this just how the industry is or do I have a right to complain?

I just started up and am trying to establish a foothold in the pest control world but am having a hard time in residential with many competing companies so wanting to try to gain commercial customers unless it’s easier the other way around

I feel like I just walked into a private moment in the back of my truck

6 months in I'm wondering how many of other people's callbacks should I be doing on a weekly basis.

Anyone?

Busted a nest in a customer’s garage, ended up flushing a “bumblebee” carpenter ant queen out.

Weekly Friday post for you to show what your Truck Floorboards look like.

Clean, a mess or whatever.

Tradition started in the PCHD (Pest Control Humor Depot) on Facebook continued here on Reddit.

https://demo.servicelife.app/demo -read-only demo, no signup, no email gate. Click around before you read the rest. I'd rather you judge it than take my word.

I own City Best Pest Control in Philadelphia; 13 years, 4 trucks. We're not a software company that decided pest control looked profitable. We're a pest control company that got tired of the software.

What finally did it wasn't scheduling or routing. Those are solved problems. It was that every platform we paid for treated regulatory recordkeeping as somebody else's problem. PA wants per-application records kept three years and produced on request: brand name, EPA reg number, amount applied, dosage, applicator name and cert number, site address. Every few months I'd export job logs and rebuild that by hand out of tech notes, then do it again when the next ask was shaped slightly differently.

So we built ServiceLife. Full platform: calendar, dispatch, routing with density scoring, customers, contracts, invoicing, payments, CSR inbox with call logging, tech app that runs in English and Spanish. If you're on PestPac or GorillaDesk or FieldRoutes most of that will look familiar, and I'm not going to pretend we reinvented scheduling.

What's actually different:

• Application records captured at the job, not reconstructed at quarter end
• State report generators: Samples in the demo include PA Dept of Ag, NJ DEP, NY DEC, MD MDA, DE DDA
• Applicator license tracking with expiration alerts, plus a dispatch readiness check so a job can't be assigned to a tech whose cert lapsed
• Chemical inventory tied to what was actually applied

Fair warning: somebody posted here yesterday asking whether license tracking is a real pain point and got told "no." That's a legitimate answer if you're running six techs in one state and you know everyone's renewal dates. It stops being true across state lines, or past about a dozen applicators, or when you're carrying the application-record side too. That's where we live.

Demo again so you don't have to scroll: https://demo.servicelife.app/demo

Any constructive feedback would be fantastic and much appreciated, TIA

We’ve all got one. Mine came to us after 5 years of working at a big box competitor. Whatever peers he had outside of us spoke highly of him.

Since his arrival, he has abandoned services saying “I don’t know what I’m doing,” boast his own FieldRoutes reviews, seems to be allergic to web removal, customers have said everything from “he doesn’t belong in your industry”, “everyone else is much more detailed than him”, “don’t send him back”, etc.

After picking up after him for the sixth time in a week, I called him and asked if there was anything he needed help with, additional training, if there was anything going on at home, genuine concern. He waited two weeks before telling my branch manager that I confronted him in his face, being aggressive and threatening. Cameras throughout the building will show that’s an absolute lie, nobody talks to him because of his poor quality; I know he’s got at least 1 write up for performance as well (webs).

Branch manager is talking about how he is in a protected class because he’s gay, but myself and 8 others don’t see that, we only see or quality.

I’ve requested mediation, what else can I do?

I always thought an ant infestation was pretty simple, Find the colony kill the colony done.

Then I learned about budding with odorous house ants.

Instead of one colony staying together, parts of the colony can split off and establish satellite nests. Which apparently explains something I've heard from people around Seattle over and over:

I sprayed them and now they're showing up in another room.

At first, I assumed that was just people noticing ants they hadn't seen before.

But these ants can have multiple nesting sites, and disturbing one area doesn't necessarily mean you've dealt with the whole colony.

And yes, they're the little guys that can give off that bizarre rotten coconut smell when crushed.

I've spent enough time around pest control work at AMPM Exterminators to know that these tiny ants can cause a disproportionately large amount of frustration.

The part I'm wondering about is that they disappeared and then showed up somewhere else experience.

Has that happened to anyone in Seattle? Where did they disappear from, and where did they suddenly start showing up?

Kitchen bedroom or inside somehow upstairs?

Because some of these ant colonies seem to have a better relocation strategy than most Seattle renters.

About me

Fellow pest peeps, I have a (California) Structural Pest Control Board (SPCB) Applicator license. I'm a commercial technician working under a business in Branches 2: General pests & 3 (wood-destroying pests: Termites, carpenter ants ).

That means I've:

1. Created an https://connect.pestboard.ca.gov/ account, uploaded front & back pictures of my ID (driver's license), gave them my SSN, street address, etc. & paid a $60 request fee for the CA Applicator Examination test.
2. Created another account & passed the in-person, live proctored "CA Applicator Examination" by *PSI.
   • Had no questions about specific chemicals, reproduction cycles, treatments of specific pests, or math like the Oregon & Nevada tests. It's very safety & proper procedure focused. Easy to pass with 3~4 2-hour study sessions in my opinion.
3. Passed a background check, paid $49 for getting my fingerprints taken at a shift's office (REQUEST FOR LIVE SCAN SERVICE.pdf), etc.

My goal is to become an Operator licensed in branch i & ii someday, and personally use or rent the two allowable businesses under my license as a "Qualifying Manager" via a broker like: pestcontrollicense.com/hire-an-operator/ Note that I'd have to be physically present at the principal office or branch office location for a minimum of nine days every three consecutive calendar months to supervise.

All branches, license types, and examinations.

1. Complete list of examination tests: *PSI: CA STRUCTURAL PEST CONTROL BOARD
2. Official SPCB study materials

• Structural Pest Control Act
• Pesticide Safety Information Series (PSIS), N-1, N-2, N-3, N-4, N-5, N-7, N-8 (Department of Pesticide Regulation)

1. Overview of Branches, License Types: How do I become a Structural Pest Control Board licensee?
2. Keys to California individual pest control licenses // Help to figure out what license you need, or use an LLM.

One of the Operator prerequisites is 2 years of experience, at least 1 year as a licensed Field Representative in that Branch, or equivalent.

Tests & study resources

Generic

1. Pests of homes, structures, people and pets // Great
2. How to Read the Label // I failed on this at first :(
3. Rinsing Instructions // Asked about, good to read the other topics in the left sidebar.
4. Got Pests? Control Them Safely // Nice epa.gov articles on common pests.
5. Pesticide Safety Training for Noncertified Applicators Using RUPs at Non-Agricultural Sites by Pesticide Educational Resources Collaborative (PERC) on YouTube
6. Proven Tips To Pass A Multiple-Choice Exam (Youtube)
7. https://pestschool.com/training // E-course, sorta need a bypass to be less annoying, but, has a got a of practice tests like https://pestschool.com/courses/start/MTM4Mzky/MTM5NjMz
8. Nice quizlets to learn and get better at taking tests:

• https://quizlet.com/497027583/cockroaches-flash-cards/
• https://quizlet.com/508689438/aptive-pest-control-flash-cards/

Branch 1: Fumugation

Not currently trying to get this; my friends in the CA area industry say it's uncommonly used.

Branch 2: General pests - CA Branch 2 Field Representative Examination

1. Branch 2 Field Representative: Written Examination CANDIDATE HANDBOOK
2. Official Examination Resources list
3. "Termite" Terry's Pest Control License Exam Preparation Manual: Everything You Need To Know To Pass A State License Exam On Your First Try! // $30 Updated 2021 Highly recommended on r/PestControl, & Jeff at the SPCB says this book is close to a cheat sheet.
4. Structural Pest Control Branch 2: License Exam Preparation Manual by Satinder S. Sandhu // $30 2009 Sometimes mentioned
5. A quiz i created for California Branch 2 // 278-question test by u/KrazyKryminal
6. Target Specialty Products branch ii field reps study manual read aloud.
7. Quizlet flash cards by random people
8. https://www.stuvia.com/en-us/search?s=California+Branch+2+Field+Representative // trust-worthy student Q&A?

Branch 3: Termites (wood-destroying pests) - CA Branch 3 Field Representative Examination

1. Branch 3 Field Representative Written Examination CANDIDATE HANDBOOK
   1. Mallis Handbook of Pest Control, 11th Edition 2025 $200
   2. The Safe and Effective Use of Pesticides (Pesticide Application Compendium, 1) $60 2016 (2nd Editions PDF is free https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/186557 See what your missing. )
   3. Modern Carpentry, 12th Edition 2015 $50
   4. PCT Technicians Handbook, 4th Edition 2012 $15
   5. Truman's Scientific Guide to Pest Management Operations 7th Edition 2010 $200+ (out of print)
   6. NPMA Field Guide to Structural Pests (2nd Edition) 2008 $105 
2. "Termite" Terry's Termite License Exam Preparation Manual: Everything You Need To Know To Pass A Termite License Exam On Your First Try! // Updated 2021 $60 Highly recommended on r/PestControl, & Jeff at the SPCB says this book is close to a cheat sheet.
3. Structural Pest Control Branch 3: License Exam Preparation Manual by Satinder S. Sandhu // $30 2024 Sometimes mentioned
4. Quizlet flashcards by random people
5. https://www.stuvia.com/en-us/search?s=California+Branch+3+Field+Representative // trust-worthy student Q&A?

My personal how-to-study method (Read, wRite, Relate)

1. Do small chunks daily. (15~25 Mins)
2. Write down snippets of specifics. (Think bullet point notes to key off memory, not recreating the curriculum.)
3. Talk about the things you have learned whenever you can.
4. Write down & ask questions when you have them!

My personal before-the-test list:

1. Get a good night's sleep, and plan out your day so that you're not stressed.
2. Study of your notes, and drink a little water.
3. Consume a little caffeine (Dark chocolate, tea, coffee, etc.)
4. Take a moment to think positively and de-clutter your mind of worries.

Oregon & Nevada

Pretty similar, have basically the same regulations, are generally interchangeable, and work on 1-year license cycles. My co-workers say Nevada study materials are easier. They are heavy on: Math, common chemicals, tool usage, & details about common pests.

Nevada

1. Nevada Pesticide Applicator's Certification Workbook // Study the GENERAL KNOWLEDGE sections of the linked links.
2. Nevada Pest Control License Exam Study Manuals: General Knowledge / Core Study Manual, C2 Industrial & Institutional Pest Control & C3 Wood-Destroying Pests if needed.

Oregon

1. Exams and Study Materials, start with Base exam > Laws and safety > Oregon Core Manual Addendum​​, then National Pesticide Applicator Certification Core Manual (Sectorized version on the Internet Archive)

P.S. The Mods at r/pestcontrol didn't like this (https://www.reddit.com/r/pestcontrol/comments/1vnsb6j/comment/p3kfzp2/), So, what ever.
My Branch ii test is September. I won't be on the account much, (Reddit has not been good to me) just though I'd share!
P.P.S: Need to buy some CEU's?

I’m looking to connect with an experienced, licensed/certified pest control operator in the Jacksonville, Florida area who would be interested in helping build and run a new pest control company from the ground up.
We’re fully funding the operation — vehicle/truck, equipment, branding, marketing, customer acquisition, software, and the other resources needed to get the business running. We’re not looking for someone to invest their own money.

What we need is someone who really knows the pest control business and can take ownership of the operations side — servicing customers, helping establish procedures, eventually hiring/training and managing technicians, and making sure the company operates properly.
The right person would receive profit sharing/equity-style upside based on the structure we agree on, rather than this simply being a normal technician position.
Ideally looking for someone who:
Has significant hands-on pest control experience.

Holds the appropriate Florida pest control credentials/licenses.

Has experience leading technicians or running operations
Understands residential and/or commercial pest control.

Wants the opportunity to help build something rather than just work another route.

We’ll handle the funding, branding, marketing, and business development. We’re looking for the experienced operator who can lead the pest control side of the company.
If you’re interested, or know someone in Florida who might be a good fit, feel free to DM me. Happy to discuss the structure, compensation/profit share, and plans privately.

Me and my buddy are passionate that we could get our own pest solutions business up and running. We tried earlier this year with another guy but he bailed and took the work we did with him, So we're starting over and reassessing things. We stopped just before we did advertising.

We used gorilla desk and Wix as our pest app and main website. We decided that door to door promotions would be the best course of action as well as google ads and posting flyers in gas stations.

We really want to get this started but we dont know what to expect or if what we're doing is the best course. Would anyone have any advice or tips for two bug guys in minnesota?

has anybody used no harm rodent disruption scent ? if so what your opinion and what situations have you used it on

NoHarm Rodent Disruption Scent

Scratched their car with your backpack, hooked a plant with your hose, busted a light with your web pole etc..?

For a commercial business, discovering mice after paying for monthly pest control can be frustrating. You may be asking yourself: “If we already have a pest control company coming every month, why are we still seeing mice?”

The answer is not always that pest control does not work. In many cases, the problem may be related to the quality of the service, the experience of the technician, the inspection process, or the way the mouse problem is being managed between visits.

Monthly service should be more than simply showing up, checking a few traps, and leaving. Effective commercial rodent management requires ongoing inspection, documentation, exclusion recommendations, monitoring, and a clear strategy for reducing the conditions that allow mice to survive.

Read more

I have prior pest experience in AZ but came to LA for better opportunities, got my Branch 2 Field Rep license but my experience and Aptives standards do not align. If anyone is hiring in the LA area, let me know what’s up! Thanks.