Room to Grow

Though small flies can be a big problem, the service line may not be generating the amount of revenue you’d like. PMPs reported only 4.9% of revenue was generated by small fly services, according to the 2025 PCT State of the Small Fly Control Market survey.

But do PMPs see an opportunity for growth next year? While 64% say they expect revenue to remain the same, 36% see a chance to increase revenue. And while the majority of revenue — 67% — comes from commercial clients, residential clients make up 32% of this work.

“About 30% of our business is on the commercial side, while the rest is on [the] residential side,” said Collin Chapman, vice president of operations, Forterra Pest Control, Southlake, Texas. “Whether you’re dealing with a commercial or residential house, it’s always considered an emergency pest. There’s a lot of pests that people can deal with, and for whatever reason, flies are not that.”

Unlocking Potential

Blasingame Pest Management, Griffin, Ga., saw a need in the market and began offering small fly control services in 2025.

“We decided to start offering small fly services because we have clients asking for our help,” said Dylan Blasingame, vice president of operations. “We wanted to really start offering a solution for them as their pest control provider.”

Matt Henderson, Country Boy Pest Control, said he’s seen an uptick in residential clients who need small fly services. He’s made a connection between that growth and the number of new homes being built in the central Florida area.

“With all of these subdivisions that they’re building, they’re having to tie into all these sewer systems. Some of these places, they’re building foundations and adding plumbing, then have everything sit for months on end,” he said. “That can be a perfect breeding ground for small flies.”

Lingering effects from the COVID-19 pandemic are still being felt throughout the industry. Henderson said he also attributes an increase of residential clients to those who started adding houseplants to their space — and didn’t realize that potting soil can be a haven for small flies, especially fungus gnats. When it comes to the commercial side, Chapman said now that people are required to return to work, there’s been more emphasis on the control of small flies in office buildings.

“We’re starting to find that the owners of these office buildings are becoming more sensitive to keeping pests at bay,” Chapman said. “They understand that there’s a liability, so they’re starting to be more proactive in adding some of these services.”

Holding Steady

While some PMPs are looking for ways to increase their small fly revenue, others aren’t too concerned with expanding the service line. When it comes to consistency, 63% of PMPs reported the number of small fly jobs stayed the same in the past year, while 32% saw an increase.

“It’s not terribly important for my business,” said Melisa Arnold, Horizon Pest Solutions, who mostly services commercial spaces including grain elevators, a meat market and a butcher shop. “I have a couple of accounts where fly control is super important to them, but the overall scope of what I do is not fly control.”

American City Pest & Termite, Gardena, Calif., mostly provides service to commercial locations like restaurants and food handling facilities. It includes small fly control as part of its general pest control services. But Vice President Greg Bausch says small fly services would be an add-on for residential clients.

“I found small fly control to be very consistent with our business, and I don’t see it growing,” Bausch said. “I would see it growing with our business as we add more business, but I would say the percentage would stay the same.”