Cockroach control: a guide for pros

What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.

Offering cockroach control

Cockroach control is a repeat-visit job where the harborage, the sanitation and the bait placement decide the outcome. Your value is in finding every hiding place, placing the right product in the right cracks and getting the customer to do their part.

What customers ask

  • Why do I still see roaches after the treatment?
  • Are the gels safe around my food?
  • How many visits will it take?
  • What do I need to clean up?
  • Can you treat the neighbors' unit too?
  • Do you seal the gaps?

How to win the job

  • On the first call, ask where the customer sees roaches, at what times and what they have tried, and whether the building is shared.
  • Inspect under the sinks, behind the appliances, in the cabinets and around the drains, and show the customer the droppings and egg cases you find.
  • Put the species, the rooms and harborage areas to be treated, the products by name and their placement, the sealing and the follow-up schedule in the written quote.
  • Give the customer a written sanitation list covering the food, the grease and the clutter, and check it with them before each visit.
  • Explain why you do not use foggers and what the gel baits do, so the customer knows the plan.
  • Schedule the follow-up visits before you leave and tell the customer what the count should look like at each one.

What to put on your profile

  • Your license information shown where your area requires it, with the services you are licensed to perform
  • Photos of harborage areas and sealing work, shown without identifying customers
  • The products and methods you use, with the placement rules you follow
  • Your sanitation checklist, described in plain terms

Follow-up that helps the customer

  • Send a reminder for each follow-up visit with the sanitation steps to complete first
  • Offer a seasonal check in the warmer months, when activity tends to increase, and explain why
  • Give the customer a list of sealing steps for the pipes and cabinets that reduce entry

Licenses and permits

Cockroach control with pesticides for pay is commonly licensed in many areas, and technicians who apply products may need their own license. Check with your state or local licensing agency before you offer the service, and confirm that every technician on the job holds what the area requires.

Questions

Do I need a license for cockroach control?

Pesticide application for pay is commonly licensed in many areas. Check with your state or local licensing agency before you take the work, and confirm each technician's license.

How do I explain the sanitation steps without sounding judgmental?

Frame them as the steps that cut off food and hiding places, and give a short written list. Explain that roaches follow food and water, so the steps help the treatment work faster.

What do I do when a customer's neighbor is the source?

Explain that roaches move between units through wall voids and pipes, and suggest the customer talk with the neighbor or the building manager. Treat the customer's unit fully, and note the limits of the treatment in the quote.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

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