Pest Posse Too focuses on going green for health and profit

Culley Christensen

About 28 years ago, Culley Christensen met Foster Brusca when they both worked for the same large pest control company. In 2017, the duo founded The Pest Posse, which is considered to be one of the first full-time YouTube channels devoted to the professional pest management industry. The brand today is essentially an online platform for training and discussion through a variety of programs — highlighted monthly in Brusca’s “The Pest Posse Roundup” column.

In his role as visionary and technical lead, however, Christensen realized it made sense to walk the talk that The Pest Posse was training on and discussing daily. Thus, Pest Posse Too was launched in 2019.

“Why didn’t I call it Pest Posse Pros? Because I’m a moron,” Christensen says with a chuckle. Hindsight may be 20/20, but he notes the unusual name builds brand recognition.

With more than three decades of industry experience, Christensen was adamant this new company focuses mainly on green solutions such as essential oils, baits and botanicals. Family health issues, including Christensen’s adult-onset asthma, played a major role in his decision.

He is well-versed in traditional treatments, but because this Pismo Beach, Calif.-based company is meant to be the embodiment of all the best practices that The Pest Posse espouses, he wanted it to be as low-risk as possible from the start.

Christensen is aware he serves a niche market, but he also points to the value in educating customers and following up to ensure the premises are free of pests. Sometimes, that takes time and patience.

“We don’t offer the nuclear option, which means we might not be right for every potential customer, and that’s OK,” Christensen adds. “Also, I don’t give away my service. I just [gained] a customer [who] said, ‘I talked to other companies who had better, lower pricing than you, but I picked you because I liked you.’”

Christensen says it’s easier to start right off the bat with a green business than it is to pivot away from traditional strategies once you’re established. That said, his advice for pest management professionals looking to at least try it out in their markets is to treat
it as though it’s its own small business.

“Start with a route and build that route. If you do it right, you can build off it,” he explains. The technician on the route should be educated on green strategies to the point where they can communicate it effectively to customers, Christensen adds. Also, he recommends getting a separate marketing campaign going, preferably using a consultant or company that understands the nuances of green pest control vs. more traditional pest management methods.

In the end, though, the proof is in the pudding — or in this case, the efficacy Pest Posse Too can give its customers through green pest management.

“There’s no environment, in my opinion, where I can’t learn to get [control over an infestation] because I’m flexible and I’m willing to try new stuff,” Christensen concludes. “It’s a great way to do pest control.”

<p>The post Pest Posse Too focuses on going green for health and profit first appeared on Pest Management Professional.</p>

from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/2024/09/06/pest-posse-too-focuses-on-going-green-for-health-and-profit/
Sacramento CA