Getting the Bugs Out
The Sunday Capital - June 12, 2005
The nightmares lasted about two months.
Mike Cantrell would dream he was immersed head-to-toe in cockroaches, The visions eventually faded, but the roaches remained. They were part of the job, but not always In quite such huge numbers — for which he’s thankful. Mr. Cantrell is an 18-year veteran exterminator who loves his work. “It’s a good job,” said the general manager for Annapolis Pest Control. “There’s a lot of freedom. I’ve met so many customers who’ve become friends.”
Though there’s still enough of a stigma associated with the job to avoid even using the term exterminator — one favored modern title is pest management professional — veterans
shrug it off, saying it’s relatively easy to catch the “bug.”
“It’s a tough road to hoe,” said Dennis Howard, chief of the pesticide regulation division of the state Department of the Environment, which licenses pest control companies. “A lot of people think of exterminators and they think of spray-jockeys. (But) the industry has changed so much.”
Longtime exterminators either never were squeamish about insects in the first place, or got over it quickly, like Mr. Cantrell. The satisfaction of helping people is what they said keeps them in the field, as does the challenge of hunting for bugs and solving people’s problems — people who are sometimes very upset when they discover insects tramping through their homes. Now that bug season is in full bloom, The Capital spent last week with exterminators to find out what they do and why they do it.
“It’s so much more than just killing bugs,” said Jack Schroeder, owner of Annapolis Pest Control. “For years, I saw 10 people a day and people tell you things, they open up their hearts and souls. You’re like a psychiatrist. That’s why I still do It. It’s kind of like being Oprah. You meet these people and they have all these fears.”
Part of the counseling often entails convincing customers they did nothing wrong because they have insects. No matter how clean you keep your house, insects can get in, the exterminators said. The bugs like houses for the same reasons people do, like the potential for food and shelter, they said.
“When people have insects, it’s always an emergency,” said Mr. Schroeder’s wife, Jan, co-owner and Vice President of Annapolis Pest Control. “I say, ‘Well, the good news is the termites aren’t going to eat your house down tonight, (or) the ants aren’t poisonous.’”
Troy Wiggington, owner of BUGOUT Termite and Pest Control in Glen Burnie, said a good portion of his job involves simply talking with customers and inspecting the premises with a flashlight. Treatments are much different today than in the past, and much more focused, he explained.
“Most of the (exterminators) that are good; they have a love for their work,” Mr. Howard said. “They feel it’s important because they’re providing a service. They take pride in their work.”
Mr. Cantrell, Mr. Wiggington and Mr. Schroeder seem to fit this description, though none of them originally planned for a career in the field. Very few actually do, said Mr. Schroeder, who fell into pest control after answering a want ad for a job he thought was in retail 23 years ago. He founded Annapolis Pest in 1997 after working for other companies. Mr. Cantrell, an 18-year veteran, and Mr. Wiggington, who started his company 17 years ago, first entered the field in high school through a family friend, and stuck with it.
They all have stories about treating masses of insects, (ceilings and walls “raining” roaches and pants covered by black blankets of fleas are two examples). They also tell tales about people’s “unique” ways of dealing with pests, especially rodents, which the companies take care of as well. Mr. Wiggington’s had customers who tried to eliminate rats with everything from a slingshot to a rifle.
“What keeps you involved is that every day, there’s something new,” Mr. Schroeder said. “It’s very rewarding, very rewarding. The hard stuff the crawling under houses is so outweighed by the benefits.”
Though all three do battle against insects daily, they also share a respect and admiration for the industrious and variety of most bugs. Mr. Schroeder leaves cockroaches and rats out of this category.
“In a twisted way, you feel sorry for them,” he said. “I owe my livelihood to these guys. It’s like I’m killing my best friends.”
Going buggy
Pat Van Doren bolted from the bedroom. She and her husband were investigating what looked like mud near a wall outlet in their young son’s bedroom last week and found termites. Lots of termites.
“I feel gross,” said Ms. Van Doren, who lives in Millersville. “I just want them out. I’m squeamish about bugs.”
They didn’t let their son return to the bedroom to sleep after the discovery and began calling exterminators. They ended up choosing Annapolis Pest, which came to the house quickly and performed an inspection. The following day, the house was treated for termites. The next step was repairing the damage to the drywall, which just crumbled to the touch, and the wood beams, which now resembled porous cork. (Annapolis Pest also does carpentry work, though not all companies perform this service.)
Mr. Cantrell visited the home Wednesday to apply insecticide. Before he began his work, Ms. Van Doren asked how long it took the termites to do their dirty work. He estimated about two years, which resulted in a groan from his customer. “Two years, can you imagine?” she said. “My poor kid’s been sleeping against that wall.”
Though Ms. Van Doren was horrified at the extent of the damage, Mr. Cantrell and Mr. Schroeder said her home represented nothing out of the ordinary as far as termite cases go.
They’ve been to homes so ruined by the insects that damage has run, into the tens of thousands of dollars, or even worse.
“I’ve been in houses so bad for termites, it wasn’t worth treating,” Mr. Schroeder said. “Just knock it down and start over.”
Ms. Van Doren also was worried about how much money the work would cost, but ended up relieved at the $1,300 price tag for all the services. She said the last time their home was treated for termites was 12 years ago when her family moved in.
“This is scary, you know,” she said.
“It’ll be OK,” reassured Mr. Cantrell.
The treatment involved him drilling holes into the home’s concrete front porch, as well as concrete steps on one side. The drill had a 22-inch-long bit. Once that was done, he sprayed pesticide that was pumped out of his truck into the holes and into the ground surrounding the home’s foundation.
It all happened rather quickly, which also pleased Ms. Van Doren. Mr. Schroeder said the repair work wouldn’t take too long either.
“This is tame, this is common,” he said.
“I feel like I’ve known him 10 years already,” Ms. Van Doren said.
Mr. Schroeder said it’s all part of the job.
“People love their pets. They love their children. They love their homes — and they want them lovingly treated” he said.
