Nearly Three in Five Homeowners Have a Positive View Towards the Professional Pest Control Industry, New Survey Finds

 

FAIRFAX, Va. (November 7, 2016) – Why do consumers use professional pest control services? Perhaps more importantly, why don’t they? These and other questions were answered in a national survey commissioned by the Professional Pest Management Alliance (PPMA), which serves as NPMA's consumer education and public outreach arm. The group sought to measure the attitudes that motivate the use and non-use of professional pest control by American homeowners. 

"We conduct this consumer research every three years, as it provides us with invaluable data that helps to shape our industry’s marketing presence and really hit home the value of working with a licensed pest control professional," said Cindy Mannes, executive director of PPMA. "The findings are also very beneficial to pest control companies and suppliers because it gives them a glimpse inside the minds of American homeowners to better understand their needs when it comes to selecting a professional and how they handle various pest problems. The results can then be used as a resource when developing individual companies’ marketing materials our tailoring outreach efforts."

Below are some key highlights from PPMA’s 2016 Consumer Attitudes & Usage Survey:

• Almost three in five respondents (58%) have a positive view of the professional pest control industry.

• Seven in ten respondents (70%) who have a regular pest control service say they do so because it best protects their home and/or family.

• The main reason that respondents did not elect to have a contract or regular service with a professional pest control company was cost, with 49% of respondents saying it’s too expensive, and 33% saying they could deal with the problem themselves. 

• Nearly nine in ten respondents (87%) want a professional pest control company to have knowledge and experience in properly identifying and treating every type of pest.

• Almost half of respondents (49%) said they are most likely to use a friend’s recommendation when looking for a professional pest control company, while two in five would use the Internet (39%) and one in five the yellow pages (19%). 

• Three in five respondents (59%) are concerned about Zika.

The survey results are available exclusively to all PPMA Guardians and investors who contribute over $1,000 annually as well as Mainframe subscribers on PPMAMainframe.org. Non-subscribers or companies who are not investing in PPMA at the minimum level, can purchase a copy of the survey results for $1,000. Please contact Cindy Mannes for more information at cmannes@pestworld.org. 

Regina Corso Consulting conducted the self-administered online survey on behalf of PPMA from September 1-8, 2016. A total of 2,027 interviews were conducted among adults, 25 and older, who live in the United States and who are homeowners with a household income of $60,000 or more. 

The PPMA was founded in 1997 to defend, protect, promote and grow the pest management industry. As the voice of our industry, PPMA continues to proactively provide the public with information on the value of professional pest management through its media relations, public service announcement, advertising and digital communications programs it conducts on behalf of the National Pest Management Association. It manages and maintains the consumer websites PestWorld.org, PestWorldForKids.org, AllThingsBedBugs.org and WhatIsIPM.org as well as the @PestWorld consumer social properties on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube. For more information, please visit PPMAMainframe.org or NPMAPestWorld.org/PPMA.

The National Pest Management Association, a non-profit organization with more than 7,000 members, was established in 1933 to support the pest management industry's commitment to the protection of public health, food and property, reflected both in the continuing education of the pest control professional and the dissemination of timely information to homeowners and businesses. For more information, contact Janay Rickwalder at jrickwalder@pestworld.org, call 703-352-6762 or visit our professional and member website at www.npmapestworld.org.