Growing Pest Control Industry Faces A Shortage Of Entomologists

February 18, 1997

GAINESVILLE — For University of Florida student Marie Knox, choosing a field of study was simple: She wanted to learn about bugs. Big bugs, little bugs, flying bugs, biting bugs, stinging bugs. You name the bug; she names the phylum, species and order.

“My parents were all for me doing this,” said Knox, 20, holding a 3-inch Madagascar hissing cockroach as if it were a kitten. “My mom said, Um, OK,’ and my dad wanted to know if I could make any money with this degree.”

Making money should be no problem since not many students share Knox’s interest. And there’s the rub: Even as the job market for urban entomologists is growing, the number of people qualified to fill those positions is lagging.

“There is a tremendous need for graduate entomologists in urban pest control,” said Bruce McCown, regional technical director for Florida Pest Control and Chemical Co. “We have 19 offices throughout the state, and would like to have each office staffed by graduate entomologists. Every pest control company would like to have at least one on staff.”

UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) has the largest undergraduate entomology enrollment in the country. There are 95 students in the entomology department, but only a few of them are undergraduates specializing in urban entomology. Gifts and endowments from industry and community support and augment the program at UF.

“We had an advisory committee meeting last year for our department,” said Phil Koehler, graduate research professor in UF/IFAS. “One of the major members of the pest control industry stood up and said there is a need for at least 25 students a year to come into the industry. We’re just not anywhere close to being able to meet that demand.

The pest control industry is huge, which means urban entomologists have a good choice of places to go when they finish school. “There’s a wide variety of situations for students to go into when they graduate,” said Koehler. “Just here in Florida, urban pest control is a $1.3 billion-dollar-a-year industry. Basically, it’s twice the orange crop.”

While the dearth of urban entomologists may be bad news for the business world, it’s good news for people such as Knox. Because supply is low and demand is high, the starting annual salary for an urban entomologist with a bachelor’s degree can range from $25,000 to $35,000. A graduate level urban entomologist can pull down $40,000 a year to start. And a doctorate? Sixty-thousand dollars a year in the private sector. And that’s just in Florida.

For Knox, the pay is just gravy. Job satisfaction is her main goal, and she says she finds confidence and comfort in her pest management career path.

“I really believe in all the aspects of urban entomology, ” she said. “I’ve found a vocation that I’m really proud of. After all, who wants to live with bugs?”