When’s the last time one of your customers offered you a breakfast taco? 🌮

It happened to our technician Mary Branch just a few days ago!

We think it’s safe to say our techs and our customers are members of a mutual admiration society!

We Have the Best Customers EVER 💗

Mary says that her favorite thing about working as a pest control technician is the amazing customers she helps every day. She loves working to solve their pest problems and they love having pest-free homes and businesses!

Satisfied customers motivate Mary to do her best every day while she’s out in the field eliminating pests.

Besides having wonderful clients, Mary – like many of our techs – loves the outdoors. She enjoys being out and about and says she would prefer spending time around a campfire to being inside (unless there’s a football game on!). 

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

The whole Dugas team is on Mary’s side when she’s addressing pest problems.

If she runs into an unusual situation, she calls on the rest of the team at Dugas to help her create a pest control solution based on the local knowledge our techs have been gathering for over 60 years.

So when you call a Dugas tech, you get the entire team’s expertise!

Mary previously worked with a corporate pest control company, and she says there’s no contest when it comes to the inclusive environment at a family- and woman-owned firm like Dugas. Her “work family” is supportive and helpful, and everyone learns from one another on a daily basis. Each call is a chance to improve her skills and knowledge, and she’s happy to return the favor when her fellow technicians need a hand.

“Calling or texting another experienced local technician is way better than a Google search,” Mary says. “They know the area and the local pests, so they can give great advice if you need it.”

Summer Pest Field Report

Tawny “crazy” ants have been spotted in Baton Rouge, St. Francisville, and even farther afield. These bizarre ants congregate in colonies that can number in the millions. They’re tiny, and their frantic movements have given them their nickname of Crazy Ants.

Unlike most ants, these pests are attracted to electrical wiring, which means they can be VERY destructive to your property.

Talk about crazy !

One of Mary’s customers had an infestation that destroyed their A/C unit, and they had to replace the whole thing! Stay vigilant, and look for trails of tiny ants around your home, A/C unit, electrical boxes, even your car. If you see them, you need to act ASAP, as their huge colonies can move fast to destroy your wiring.

If you have had crazy ants in the past, you still need to stay vigilant, since these aggressive pests will try to come back if they can.

Termites may not be swarming anymore, but now that they have settled down in their new colonies, signs of termite infestation are cropping up around Baton Rouge and across southern Louisiana.

A customer in Lafitte called on Mary for their termite problem when tunnels were discovered near their home. Another home that had been flooded provided a ripe environment for termites, as it has been unoccupied and hadn’t been inspected for months. So if you have property that’s vacant, termite inspections are a must.

Asian roaches are also showing up in yards and flower beds everywhere. Unlike common or German cockroaches, Asian roaches typically stay outside, where they love to live in mulch or pine straw. Their tendency to stay outside is definitely a plus, but these pests could easily overrun your yard and “bug” you when you’re trying to enjoy some time outdoors.

Call on Our Expert Technicians to Combat Pests in Your Home of Business

If you have pest problems, Mary or another one of our experienced and certified techs can help!

Give us a call at or request service online for pest control service in Baton Rouge, Mandeville, Covington, and Metro New Orleans.

Earlier this week our own Daniel Hill was selected to participate in the prestigious NPMA Executive Leadership program!

The Executive Leadership Program is an NPMA initiative designed to find passionate, committed, and engaged individuals from all parts of the country who want to enhance the association and the membership experience.

The ten candidates of the ELP¹s inaugural class were selected through a rigorous application process, which vetted more than 40 applications from across the country. Applicants were selected based on broad criteria, which accounted for leadership potential, industry participation and commitment to professional development, among other factors.

During the two-year curriculum, candidates will participate in training sessions and courses designed to cultivate skills and knowledge essential to successful organizational leadership within NPMA and beyond. Training will encompass a comprehensive range of competencies including: the history of NPMA and its future plans, industry trends and consumer insights, inclusion and diversity training, executive etiquette, public policy and legislative issue navigation and community engagement, along with a suite of skills related to strategic management and planning.

Congratulations Daniel!

As the winner of the 2014 Crown Leadership Award, Laura Simpson exemplifies the ideals of thoughtful and strong leadership. And yet there is so much more to know about her than the simple fact that she is a leader recognized by her entire industry.

What industry does she work in? She’s in the pest control industry and her recognition at this international conference confirms that she is a model of success. Many, however, would be surprised to discover the path she followed to her current status, and it is a very interesting tale.

 

A Family Business

Companies that are “family owned and operated” tend to have very clear missions and visions. Passed on over the course of generations, however, such firms can be at risk for becoming stagnant when one generation insists on company operations remaining the same. While this method can allow for success over the long term, there are some industries in which growth and change must occur. The pest control industry is one of them.

With constant innovations, updates in laws and regulations, and emerging technologies appearing, it is imperative that any pest control firm remain in touch with new solutions both technical and relating directly to their business. Perhaps this is why Laura Simpson has been such a success.

The daughter of Doug MacPherson, who purchased the family firm Dugas Pest Control in 1973, she never assumed that she would just take over the family business. Instead, she headed to LSU for a degree in accounting. Upon graduating, she returned to the family firm and began helping with payroll and other accounting related tasks. However, she soon realized she had a natural inclination and interest in company leadership, and her father agreed.

Rather than taking her entirely under his wing and insisting that she do everything his way though, he used a “hands off” method that allowed Simpson to slowly master the different tasks she would need to emerge as a successful leader.

As she said in a recent interview: “We just did a few steps at a time, so I would learn how the process worked…He let me run with it. He was very good about letting me do what I thought was best.” (PCT Magazine, 2014)

Together, the father and daughter team were able to create an effective and smooth transition. Their Louisiana based firm was able to remain up to date technically and professionally, and yet Simpson was also able to soon take the reins and allow her father to step away from day to day leadership.

This sort of professional flexibility has allowed her to continually emerge as a leader in the entire industry. With her father’s encouragement, Simpson went beyond company leadership and began exploring opportunities at the state and national level.

She participated in conferences and associations and has served in a long list of leadership roles – including as the President of the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) during a very uncertain period (earning her the nickname as the “Iron Lady” for her steadiness and successful guidance), the president of the Louisiana Pest Management Association, and many others.

Leading by Example

Though given room to grow into her own person, Simpson credits the method her father used of leading by example: “I learned from dad to see the big picture. He was good at both the big picture and the details.”

Seeing the big picture as well as the many details of the pest control industry is what keeps Simpson at the top of her game, and a major force in the entire industry. This was proven true when she was recognized at the 2014 gathering of pest control professionals known as PestWorld.

Here, enormous amounts of information are presented by companies operating in, or supporting, the entire pest control industry. During each annual meeting, however, participants pause to acknowledge “professionals who tirelessly give of themselves for the betterment of their organizations and communities,” said PCT Publisher Dan Morelan. (PestWeb, 2014)

This year, Laura Simpson was recognized as one of these impressive individuals. Though she knows Dugas Pest Control is still growing, she remains eager to continue to explore the many opportunities, trends, and details that have made the company firm a success and her a model of successful leadership.

Works Cited

PCTonline. [2014 Crown Leadership Awards] Laura Simpson. PCTonline.com. 2014.

PestWeg. PCT, Syngenta Recognize Crown Leadership Award Winners. Pestweb.com. 2014.

2014 has been a remarkable year for Laura Simpson. As president of her family’s firm, Dugas Pest Control in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, she has consistently demonstrated her dedication to innovation, growth, and achievement. However, this was most certainly recognized when she received one of the four Crown Leadership Awards at the annual PestWorld gathering in Orlando, Florida. Additionally, she was given even further professional praise when also awarded that year’s Women of Excellence Award.

 

Clearly, receiving international recognition for her work in the pest control industry, and receiving two coveted awards in a single year demonstrate that she is an active member of the community. However, it is not just her long-standing participation and presence that garnered such recognition.

A Unique Story

As a second generation owner of the family business, it might not seem surprising that Laura Simpson has proven herself to be dedicated to pest control. However, her story is a very unique one, and it reveals just why her family business has managed to thrive and grow over the decades.

She remembers being a young girl in school and capturing all kinds of insects to show to her father. He, as a major force in the pest control industry, always had the answers for her and was noted for his entomological expertise. This, however, did not lead her automatically into the family line. Instead, she headed to LSU to master in Accounting and upon graduation began working in the family business purely at an administrative level.

However, she realized that she felt deeply attracted to the technical and business skills needed to move the firm forward, and so she began working alongside her father to master all she needed to know. Their approach to this was unusual, with her father taking a hands off approach and allowing her to find her own answers to certain aspects of the industry.

She didn’t just master the individual needs of the business, though; she consistently participated in industry matters. She has worked with numerous committees including the Professional Women in Pest Management Council, the NPMA Board of Directors, and the Louisiana Pest Management Association among many other industry/community groups.

Because the pest control field is one that is perpetually evolving and changing, it was this approach brought Laura Simpson to where she is today – a recognized leader and major contributor to the entire field of pest control.

Not only has she served as a major force behind the growth of the family firm – currently the largest family owned pest control company in the state (with 8 branches) and roughly 10% growth annually – but has also in those key organizations already mentioned.

Thus, her years of experience in her own firm as well as within the broader industry have created a leader capable of big picture thinking as well as an ability to see all of the essential details.

Leading By Example

Known as a leader with the ability to have a personal vision, Simpson has shown her commitment to both her company’s clients as well as to her 160+ employees. Tirelessly giving of herself towards the betterment of the industry as well as her firm, the industry recognition she received this year is evidence of the work ethics that can be expected from any work with Dugas Pest Control and with Simpson herself.

A recent industry article about Simpson’s achievements noted that the “NPMA Women of Excellence Award recognizes women who advance the pest management industry every day, in every way… individuals demonstrate outstanding leadership and have made notable contributions to the development and growth of the profession, their business, and other women in the industry. ” (PCTOnline, 2014)

Simpson has expressed love of the work, the associations she supports and participates in, and the industry itself. This is clear in her level of commitment for which she has been given such important recognition.

Works Cited

PCTOnline.com. Laura Simpson Receives Women of Excellence Award. PCTOnline.com. 2014.