Tag Archives: pest control stories

Route # 9

For most people sitting in a small break room watching videos, reading manuals and taking tests for 3 straight months might not be their idea of a great job. Especially when you’re barely making minimum wage. However I was fascinated … Continue reading

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The Ghost of Pest Control Owners Passed- Part 3

As you are now standing alone, the dense fog thickens so that nothing is visible except the heavy droplets suspended in the air that surrounds you. Your mind is just as cloudy as you try to make sense of this … Continue reading

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In One Ear And Out The Other Part Too

Part of the pest control business is dealing with complaints. You can be the best tech in the world, have a golden tongue and still you are going to have bellyaching on the route. Bar none. So like any good … Continue reading

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In One Ear & Out The Other: Part I

The legend of bugs (earwigs mainly) crawling in your ear and laying eggs in your brain is just that, a legend. But insects, including earwigs, finding their way into ones auditory orifice, or any opening of the body is something … Continue reading

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What Customers Lost Treasure Have You Found?

In my job, it’s not everyday I get a BIG OL hug as the woman squeals with glee and kisses my cheek. Thankfully, it happens even less when it’s a guy. Recently I found the master keys to an entire … Continue reading

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Urticating Pest Control Accounts

Who would have thought that the mighty Tarantula would ever need any other defensive mechanism than it’s appearance just to protect itself? I mean besides the sheer size, these things have fangs that are clearly visible and not something I’d … Continue reading

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The Unknown Comic Of Bee Work

I’m not sure why but early in my career I was the one always called out for the biggest, nastiest bee jobs. Maybe it was because I wasn’t afraid of heights or perhaps I was just too stupid to realize … Continue reading

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A Pest Tech in Shining Armor

Like a scene from an Alfred Hitchcock movie I pushed the door open ever so slowly with the only body part sticking out was my eye. The kitchen was clean and orderly with nothing out of place and no hairy … Continue reading

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Who Got Stuck With This Rat?

Before the days of cell phones, computers and fancy sophisticated equipment the pest control industry seemed to get along just fine. Still, the trade marched on with every new innovation and some worked while others fell into obscurity. I must … Continue reading

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Two Winters Too Cold For a Jacket-Winter # 2

In an earlier article I wrote about the cold realities of the working world of pest control and two of the worst winters in my career. Actually I delivered #1 and only promised the 2nd. This is that story. Starting … Continue reading

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Ironies & Oddities And The Veterans Of Pest Control

Do any job long enough and you’re bound to see some really off the wall things somewhere down the line. I’ve been doing pest control for 27 years and hardly a day goes by where I don’t do a double … Continue reading

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How Much Pest Control Do You Let Your Customers Do?

Recently on a trip to the Pacific Northwest I was reminded of a service that I thought had gone by the wayside and I just took for granted that it was now my lifelong task. I pulled into a gas … Continue reading

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Two Winters Too Cold For a Jacket-Winter # 1

At one point in my career I came within a whisker of quitting pest control altogether. What started out as such an adventure and my ‘high calling’ had suddenly turned into this free fall of one bad experience after another. … Continue reading

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Undercover Pest Control Stings-Have You Ever Been Set Up?

I’m pretty sure I’m not any more paranoid then the next guy, you know, the one over there who’s been following my every move for the last hour. So I’m sure I just imagined all those times that the customer … Continue reading

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The Hollow Mansions On 39th part two

As with any mega pest control company the service contract was monthly for a year whether you needed it or not. In this time I came to know Dr. Muriez a little better but there was always a line I … Continue reading

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