In this episode of Pestie Profiles, we travel to Geelong, Victoria, to visit the factory of Essential Pest Solutions, where we sit down with Martin Simpson and his wife Rie to hear the story behind their truly unique pest management business.

While many pest control companies rely heavily on termite work, Martin has taken a very different path. In a region where termite pressure and awareness simply isn’t the same as in Australia’s northern states, he’s built a thriving business by focusing on vertebrate pest control and diversifying to beat the dreaded winter slowdown.

We dive into: Bird management strategies and the challenges of controlling urban bird populations Fox and rabbit control methods used across regional Victoria Gutterguard installations and how they’ve become an important part of their service offering a range of vertebrate pest solutions that many pest businesses overlook.

Martin shares how following his passion for the outdoors and vertebrate pest management has allowed Essential Pest Solutions to carve out a strong niche in the industry.

It’s a fascinating conversation about adapting to local conditions, solving real-world pest problems, and building a business model that works when termites aren’t driving the phone to ring.

If you’re in the pest management industry and wondering how to diversify, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.