More Business Opportunities Ahead in 2022 and Beyond

Swarm season typically brings an uptick in demand for fumigations across the country — but in a year like 2022, plenty of other factors are at play. Industry experts and pest management professionals (PMPs) anticipate that an increase in home interest rates may impede homeowner interest in fumigations in some regions. However, Douglas Products sales leaders note that this kind of market disruption brings opportunities — and innovative educational initiatives will set the business up for success.

“Termites don’t take a break,” says Wes Otani, national sales leader for Douglas Products. “We have the opportunity to help homeowners protect their largest investment — and show them they don’t have to wait for a swarm to initiate a fumigation.”

By teaching homeowners the benefits of fumigating before a swarm hits, Otani says this approach can help generate year-round fumigation leads and greater operational sustainability.

“The termite fumigation business model has historically been lead-dependent,” Otani says. “There’s no question this presents challenges from a business and staffing perspective for fumigators. As swarm leads taper off during the fall season, we know that fumigators must often downsize their crews.”

To confront this issue, Douglas Products has invested in homeowner research to understand how to better educate the market and influence the larger conversation around fumigation. This outside-the-box thinking is what sparked the Douglas Products Vikane Pro fumigation sales program, scheduled to roll out this summer.

With Vikane Pro, PMPs can receive interactive training from Douglas Products to better understand how to approach, inform and, ultimately, grow their fumigation business with Vikane^® gas fumigant.

While Douglas Products is known for technical expertise in the industry, Heather Kern, commercial leader, sees Vikane Pro as a way to expand the company’s footprint and better support its customers. Through the sales program, PMPs will be trained and better positioned to grow their fumigation businesses.

“Douglas Products is looking to bridge the gap between homeowners, termite companies and fumigators,” Kern says. “We want our customers to be armed with the knowledge and skills they need to set expectations with homeowners, increase customer service and help fumigators get one more fume in for the day.”

The company will introduce Vikane Pro in summer 2022. To learn more, talk with your Douglas Products representative.