Greetings from Bug-Man!
This letter is intended to introduce myself and invite you to learn a bit about me and my company. My name is Larry Wise. I am an urban entomologist, third generation pest management professional, and oversee the day to day operations at Bug-Man Pest Control.
Bug-Man Pest Control is a full-service pest management company in Jacksonville, FL. Our staff has been serving and providing pest solutions to the Clay, Duval, Bradford, St Johns, and Nassau County marketplace for 60 years. Our office is located in Clay County and we take pride in being involved in helping the community in many ways including volunteer work and sponsorships.
My grandfather, Arthur Lindsey, partnered up in the pest control business as Lindsey Pest Service with his two older brothers in the early 1950’s. One brother sold a portion of Lindsey Pest Service, but Arthur didn’t want to let his customers go. He paid his brother for a portion of the company and was able to keep his customers. Arthur made a decision to change the company name from Lindsey Pest Service of Clay County to Bug-Man Pest Service. Bugman Pest Control Service, Inc. filed as a Domestic for Profit Corporation in the State of Florida on Saturday, August 18, 1979. It only made sense for Arthur to change the name. Everyone already referred to him as the Bug-Man.
Bug-Man pest control still has close to 50% of the accounts that Arthur wouldn’t let go in 1979. Most of our customers have been with us for 38 years or more! We are thankful for our customer’s loyalty and we have earned it through decades of consistent quality assurance, service, and protection.
I grew up in this pest control business. Some of my best memories are the summers when I would go to work with my grandfather. I believe I was about five years old when I announced that I wanted to be a Bug Man when I grew up. After all, it’s in my blood. I always thought it would be a cinch to take over the family business. My grandfather saw it differently. He knew I wasn’t ready and had a plan to pave the way.
Arthur knew that I would need a college degree to take the company to the next level. He made the decision that he wanted an entomologist to one day lead the business. He also knew that I wouldn’t appreciate and cherish the company if he just handed it over. He felt the same about my college education. I worked in the concrete construction industry for about eight years. I started as a teenager and worked throughout college to survive. I knew how to work hard and my hard work pouring concrete provided the money necessary to pay for college.
In 2010, I graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in Entomology and Nematology specializing in Urban Pest Management under the guidance of my major professor Dr. Phil Koehler and a research scientist that I couldn’t have done it without, Dr. Roberto Pereira. All of this was done in hopes of the opportunity to one day own Bug-Man Pest Service. After graduation, I was ready to take over the business….so I thought.
Arthur knew I enjoyed doing research as a scientist and working in the urban entomology lab. He didn’t understand why I would want to work for a small company like Bug-Man when I had so many options available in the research and development field. I had been accepted into graduate school at the University of Florida and he was so proud when I announced that I would be staying in Gainesville to obtain a Master of Science degree. I worked very hard in graduate school and presented my master’s thesis to the graduate school of the University of Florida in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science two years later. The thesis title was, Temperature Effects on Vapor Toxicity of Volatile Compounds to Bed Bugs, Cimex lectularius L. My thesis can be found at http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UFE0045147/00001.
After finishing my thesis early, I had six months to wait before the University would allow me to graduate. I had decided that this would be a good time to begin my career with the family business. Not so fast.
Arthur knew that the fastest way to take his company to the next level would take someone with business and management experience. He demanded that I work for a large corporation after graduation to gain insight and experience in the corporate world. I was hired as an executive by a well-respected pest control company with a national footprint. My job title was director of training and quality assurance. I audited the companies most prized accounts, paid close attention in budget meetings, watched interactions with human resources, and analyzed the way day to day operations and routing was handled.
After one year, I knew I was ready. So did my grandfather. On December 14, 2012 I officially joined Bug-Man Pest Service. Now, I am involved in all aspects of the business including protocols, product selection, business development, technician training, sales, and service. We have grown tremendously in the last two years, and we attribute this mostly to our expertise and ability to provide a wide range of quality service that is effective the first time. I have either personally tested, or observed fellow University of Florida lab mates test nearly every product that we use in the field. We don’t have to guess. We know our products work. That's what happens when science is used to guide the application methods and programs in the pest management field. And that’s exactly what we do. It's only fitting that our company tag line is "Family Owned - Scientifically Operated".
Larry Wise M.S.
Urban / Industrial Entomologist