Prey-ing On Pests Not Pockets

Mila K. Marshall, PH.D. Staff

According to the National Pest Management Association nearly 12.5 million residential customers purchased pest control services, generating a little over $11B in revenue for the U.S. economy. The field of pest control also isn’t surprisingly diverse. Also, some may wonder what ethnic diversity has to do with pest control. Black Ownership Matters was formed in 2020 by a group of individuals who shared a passion for increasing Black ownership in the pest industry with the goal of attaining economic advancement in the field through “providing financial guidance, business resources, employee development, mentorship and community support” as stated on their website. Not only is there a growing demand for services, but there is an increased need for affordable treatments especially for low income residents.

Paul Rayon of Preyon Pest Control shared that it was through his work at a seniors’ home that introduced him to the needs of vulnerable populations.

“I got into the industry when I was a security guard at a senior home and every single floor was infested with bed bugs. When they fired the director of housekeeping the management company asked me if I wanted the position. I accepted and I supported the pest company Smithereen Pest Control that was hired by management with the infestation. I did such a good job that the pest company offered me a position and here I am years later with my own successful company,” said Rayon. Preyon Pest Control is now in five states: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Texas. His company services 300 accounts and growing annually in Illinois alone. “I have residential and commercial accounts and have four full time employees,” said the entrepreneur.

Paul’s expertise has equity built into it. According to U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Housing Survey, daily pest problems are more likely a burden for low income households, mostly due to the age and condition of home and surrounding infrastructure. A 2021 published guide on U.S. Cities With the Worst Pest Problems ranked the Chicago metro area as the 8th most infected city, estimating 13.3% of homes dealing with rodents and ~ 4.5% of homes suffering from cockroaches.

Common urban pests that Rayon deals with are roaches, bed bugs, ants, spiders, and rodents, but for homeowners dealing with water infrastructure issues, the sewer flies pose a major problem. “Lots of people think they can treat pest issues with bleach or cleaning sources but in the majority of the cases you need stronger chemicals. However, if you identify the food source and remove it, the pests tend to not return,” shared Rayon. When asked about his customers, Ray- on shares that he is fulfilling a need to address the health and safety of Black home and property owners, “I target the African American community specifically because we get charged a lot of money for pest services. Some pest companies don’t service low income communities at all and if they do, they charge more than customers can afford,” he said. Paul prides himself on low cost, high quality affordable services.

“A two bedroom can cost $1000 to rid it of bed bugs and can be as much as $1500 from some of these larger companies,” but Preyon comes out on top. “I charge $300-$400 depending on how bad the infestation is,” said the entrepreneur. As the seasons change Paul’s company sees it all.

“We service boaters who deal with spiders for example. I also have some clients that are organic urban farmers and even some cannabis growers who need healthy pest solutions,” he shared proudly. What is clear is that for healthy communities there is a need for a range of affordable services and there are indeed industries that need diversity to pass down the savings in every sense of the word.