As the industry heads into a new year, strong leadership and people development matter more than ever.

In this episode of the Bug Bux Podcast, Allan Draper sits down with Alan Feuer, Associate Certified Entomologist with over 36 years in the pest control industry, Marine Corps veteran, and former Technical Director at Preventive Pest Control. Together, they dive deep into what it really takes to hire, train, and retain great technicians and why most companies struggle to do it well.

Alan shares proven insights from decades of experience building teams, developing leaders, and implementing structured training systems, including the importance of the first 90 days, why interviews rarely tell the full story, and how character and integrity matter more than technical skill. They explore Preventive’s team lead model, leadership pipelines, and how both small and large pest control companies can create accountability, trust, and consistency without losing their culture.

This episode also tackles:

• Why early attrition isn’t always a bad thing
• How to train leaders instead of promoting by default
• The difference between mistakes and character failures
• Applying military leadership principles to pest control
• Why owners must take full ownership of results; good and bad

Whether you’re a one-truck operator or leading a growing organization, this conversation will challenge how you think about leadership, training, and responsibility and give you practical ideas to start building a stronger team in 2026 and beyond.

A must-listen for pest control owners who want better people, better leaders, and better long-term results.

In this insightful episode, Allan Draper sits down with Scott Sandberg, co-founder of RUVA Pest Control, to explore how building the right culture is the key to sustainable growth in the pest control industry. Scott shares the inside story of how RUVA scaled to nearly $3 million in recurring revenue and earned thousands of five-star Google reviews in just a few years, without compromising on company values or employee satisfaction.

They dive deep into RUVA’s approach to hiring, emphasizing mindset and attitude over prior experience, and how training the right people can turn them into top-performing technicians and future leaders. Scott also opens up about real-world challenges they faced, including team turnover, onboarding, and developing internal talent, showing why short-term fixes and “warm body” hires can create long-term headaches.

Throughout the conversation, listeners will gain actionable strategies for:

• Attracting and retaining high-quality employees who align with your company culture
• Turning your team into a growth engine while maintaining high standards of service
• Developing internal leaders to scale operations without losing control or culture
• Leveraging employee excellence to drive customer satisfaction and 5-star reviews
  
  

Whether you’re a pest control business owner looking to scale, improve retention, or build a high-performing team, this episode is packed with practical insights and lessons learned from the frontlines of a fast-growing, culture-driven company.

In this episode of the Bug Bux Podcast, Allan Draper is joined by Jared Ingalls, Vice President of Sales at Pest Management Supply, to unpack one of the most overlooked growth levers in pest control: your relationship with your distributor.

With more than 30 years in the industry, Jared shares what most new (and even experienced) pest control owners get wrong about suppliers and why treating them as true partners can save you money, time, and costly mistakes. From helping new operators get licensed and set up correctly, to answering late-night calls, solving tough infestations, and connecting owners with manufacturers, this episode goes far beyond product pricing.

Allan and Jared also dive into:

• How to choose the right supplier when starting a pest control company
  
  
  
• Why transactional relationships fail during real-world emergencies
  
  
  
• Smart, low-cost marketing strategies like private-labeled glue boards
  
  
  
• How distributors can help control product costs and improve technician performance
  
  
  
• The long-term value of face-to-face relationships in a regulated industry
  
  
  

If you’ve ever treated your supplier as “just a place to buy chemicals,” this episode will change how you think about vendor relationships and how they impact your growth, retention, and reputation.

A must-listen for owners who want to build smarter, not just bigger.