A Recent PCT survey confirms that perimeter pest control is one of the fastest-growing segments of the structural pest control industry.
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Perimeter pest control is one of the fastest growing segments of the structural pest control industry, according to a recent PCT "Preferred Reader" Fax survey. A whopping 70% of respondents reported an increase in perimeter work in 1996, while an additional 72.7% said they expect sales to increase in 1997. Even more impressive, no survey respondents said they anticipate a decline in their perimeter business in the coming year. Based on the results of the PCT survey, it's clear that demand for perimeter pest control services will continue to increase as more and more customers select this treatment option from the menu of services offered by PCOs nationally. Not surprisingly, the majority of the industry's perimeter pest control work is performed in residential settings, no doubt the result of the increase in two-income families, customer concerns about indoor air quality, and the ease of scheduling offered by this type of service. In fact, 64.1% of respondents said the primary reason perimeter treatment programs are becoming so popular is because of customer concerns about pesticide exposure in the home. Only 7.8% of respondents said it was because perimeter work is more profitable than traditional pest control services. While it's clear that residential pest control remains the dominant market for perimeter pest control services, commercial accounts are expressing a growing interest in this type of service. In fact, 18.2% of respondents said commercial work accounts for 21% to 40% of their perimeter work, while an additional 10.4% said it accounts for 41% to 60% of their perimeter work. Nonetheless, these figures pale in comparison to the residential market. According to the PCT survey, 45.5% of respondents said residential service accounts for 81% to 100% of their perimeter pest control work, while an additional 25.9% said it accounts for 61% to 80% of their perimeter work. Most pest control operators use power spraying equipment (55.8%) as their principal tool for applying residual liquid formulations when performing perimeter treatments, followed by hand-held sprayers (31.2%) and backpack sprayers (29.9%). Quarterly service was the most popular treatment regimen, but only by a small margin. Other popular treatment programs included monthly and semi-annual services. The primary target pest in most perimeter treatment programs is ants (47.8%), according to survey respondents, reinforcing the fact that ant control continues to be a key growth market for PCOs. Other popular choices included cockroaches(23.2%), spiders (22.9%), and various occasional invaders. PCOs selected a wide array of products for their perimeter treatment work, including Dursban, Tempo, Diazinon, Ficam, Demand, Empire, Maxforce, KnoxOut, Optem and Demon, just to name a few. A number of other products were also listed by respondents, indicating that no single product dominates this marketplace. Interestingly, the majority of survey respondents (57.7%) use three to five different products in their control arsenal. The most popular formulations for perimeter pest control work were wettable powders and micro-encapsulated insecticides, with 67.5% and 61% of the market, respectively. Other popular choices included emulsifiable concentrates (48.1%) and baits (42.9%). Based on these survey results, it's clear that perimeter treatments represent an important — and rapidly expanding — market for pest control professionals, a market characterized by significant profit potential, fewer scheduling problems, and reduced liability. Because of those qualities, it's a market that will likely continue to grow well into the 21st century.
The author is Publisher of PCT magazine. The survey results were based on a 15.7% response to a questionnaire faxed to 491 PCT "Preferred Readers." PCT magazine, April 1997 PCT 
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