Running a successful pest control business requires protecting customer homes and commercial businesses from a wide range of rodents, termites, roaches, snakes, and other unwelcome critters. But you still need to focus on the administrative side of operating your company.
Similar to most industries in the digital age, pest control businesses increasingly turn to field service management software to automate many aspects of their operations, including office and technician management, advanced route optimization, payment processing, digital sales, marketing, and customer acquisition capabilities.
As a business owner, you can choose from several software solutions, each offering different functionality. In addition to core features, you also want to consider factors like ease of use, available customer support, and the ability to access the business software from a mobile device.
Whether you run a small business or multi-state pest control enterprise, we’ll walk you through the key features and benefits of the best pest control software.
Pest Identifier Apps
“Is this a termite or silverfish?”
Occasionally, even experienced pest control pros need assistance identifying bugs and insects. Pest identifier apps help you identify the exact name and species of a bug or insect, typically by snapping a picture from a smartphone or mobile device. The apps use artificial intelligence (AI) to quickly identify the pest in question and also provide additional information and characteristics.
Picture Insect: Bug Identifier
Available for Android and iOS, Picture Insect: Bug Identifier enables users to quickly identify over 4,000 bugs and insects by uploading a picture or snapping a photo from a mobile device. Users can catalog and identify species within their personal collection and share photos with customers, which will come in handy for common pests you see on the job.
Features:
Fast Insect Identification: The application uses AI photo recognition to quickly identify thousands of butterflies, moths, and spiders – and everything in between.
Insect Learning Resources: Access an encyclopedia of insects, including names, high-definition images, FAQs, and characteristics, as well as detailed articles providing more information.
Pest Detection And Control Resources: Take a picture of a bug to learn whether it’s a pest, then access information on detection, prevention, and control hacks.
Pricing:
Picture Insect: Bug Identifier offers both free and paid subscriptions. Users also have the option to sign up for a free 7-day trial. Annual plans cost $29.99, while monthly plans start at $2.99.
Insect Identifier
Insect Identifier also allows pest control companies to instantly identify any bug, butterfly, or other insect to discover the taxonomy of its species. The app uses machine learning to scour Wikipedia and a database they say is managed by “scientific collaborators.”
Features:
Identify Millions Of Insects (And Pests): The app claims to identify 10 million species of spiders, butterflies, insects, and animals.
Go Deeper With The Insect Library: Insect Identifier includes photo galleries, videos, and some 3D models, which you can zoom in on or rotate.
Pricing:
Available for iOS and Android, the app offers both free and paid plans. Monthly plans cost $9.99 and annual plans run $39.99.
Pest Control Apps For Scheduling And Dispatching
Pest control companies utilize field management software to streamline job scheduling and dispatching, allowing field technicians to reduce drive time, complete more jobs, and enhance the customer experience.
FieldRoutes® Mobile App
The all-in-one FieldRoutesMobile app helps pest control teams boost connection and productivity from the field or office. Pest control technicians can view and manage their daily routes before they hit the road, and easily sell services, create and edit customer information, schedule appointments, and add new services – all from a mobile device – making it possible to sell, schedule, and service a customer right away.
Features:
Streamlined Scheduling: FieldRoutes pest control business software automatically minimizes drive time and reduces fuel costs and vehicle wear and tear by leveraging pre-built routes that are optimized to boost efficiency.
Intelligent Routing: The software uses intelligent routing that takes technician qualifications into consideration to ensure the right technician reaches the job site, every time.
Timely Arrivals: FieldRoutes determines the best days and times to service customers based on their preferences and due dates, then evaluates current road conditions to find the most efficient route.
Pricing: Click here to learn more.
Jobber
Jobber’s scheduling software enables pest control companies to book and manage field service jobs using a drag-and-drop calendar, dispatch the right tech to the right job, and share appointment details between technicians and customers via text or email.
Features:
Seamless Scheduling: Technicians receive notifications in their schedule for new service requests and have the option to create new jobs directly from their calendars.
Smart Dispatching: The software generates the most efficient driving route before dispatching a technician.
Friendly Reminders: Jobber automatically sends appointment reminders to customers in advance of a job.
Pricing: Jobber offers several plans, each with varying levels of features and add-ons.
Jobber Lite: 1 user, $9 per month
Jobber Core: 1 user, $40 per month
Jobber Connect: Up to 5 users, $104 per month
Jobber Grow: Up to 15 users, $200 per month
With intuitive dispatching and easy-to-adjust scheduling options, these pest control apps help businesses work efficiently, improve communication, and reduce waste.
Pest Control Apps For Sales And Marketing
The best sales and marketing apps provide customer relationship management (CRM) capabilities, allowing you to access key customer, property, and sales data from a mobile device. The software provides real-time visibility into your sales pipeline, enabling service businesses to track workflows, rate and qualify leads, follow up, and close more deals.
Ontraport
Ontraport is a cloud-based sales and marketing software for field service businesses, specializing in CRM, marketing automation, and real-time reporting. The mobile-based software also provides email marketing capabilities, online marketing, and reporting and analytics.
Features:
All-In-One Mobile CRM: Users can access the complete sales pipeline, view customer records and lead information, and communicate with leads from a mobile device.
Seamless Workflow Management: Automate reminders to complete offline tasks, set triggers to ensure employees never miss workflow steps, and segment workflow tasks by team or employee.
Schedule And Meeting Management: Users can see their full day in a single view, schedule meetings from a mobile device, and update meeting details quickly as plans change.
Pricing:
Ontraport offers several plans, each with varying levels of features and add-ons.
Basic: $24 per month
Plus: $83 per month
Pro: $124 per month
Enterprise: $249 per month
Ontraport advertises a 5-star rating on Google and multiple reviews sites give it high marks for exceptional customer support and a user-friendly interface.
Pest Control Apps For Invoicing And Payments
Pest control services today frequently turn to business management software to send invoices that customers can approve and sign from a mobile device, and offer easy payment options, including collecting credit card payments by snapping a picture or swiping a card.
Housecall Pro
Housecall Pro’s mobile app enables pest control technicians to create quotes and proposals from the field and collect payment using Instapay. The software offers several payment options, including ACH, batch invoicing, automated invoice reminders, and more.
Features:
Build Estimates And Proposals: Users can create and customize estimates from a mobile app.
Offer Instant Financing: The software provides customer financing options and allows you to accept payment via credit card, debit card, and ACH.
Accurate Bookkeeping: Automatically sync all of your financials with QuickBooks Online and Desktop.
Pricing:
Housecall Pro has three service tiers, including:
Basic: $49 per month, 1 user
Essentials: $129 per month, up to 5 users
Max: Contact Housecall Pro for pricing, 100+ users
Housecall Pro also sells add-on features for an additional cost, such as vehicle GPS tracking and VoIP call tracking.
FieldRoutes® Payments
FieldRoutes Payments provides a comprehensive system to help pest control companies and other field service businesses manage payments with ease, using modern payment options. FieldRoutes helps businesses automate billing and collections with AutoPay, allows customers to make payments via a user-friendly customer portal, and integrates with QuickBooks and other popular business tools.
Additionally, FieldRoutes Payments simplifies manual and mundane processes, allowing pest control techs and office staff to focus on meaningful work. The software automatically updates lost, stolen, expired, and closed payment card information, uses AutoPay technology to add convenience and consistency to payment processes, and streamlines collection by batching payments into groups.
Features:
Self-Serve Customer Portal: The FieldRoutes customer portal streamlines pest control operations by giving customers a convenient place to view invoices, subscriptions, appointments, and service notifications.
Process Online Payments With Ease: From the portal, customers gain the ability to make quick online payments or settle outstanding accounts. Businesses can set workflows to automatically add new customers to the portal, send automated prompts to direct customers to the portal to pay, and make it easy for customers to update payment options, including ACH.
Integrate with all-in-one pest management software: FieldRoutes Payments is fully integrated with the FieldRoutes® Operations Suite, providing access to advanced collection tools, automated communications; and FieldRoutes® Marketing Suite, offering real-time analytics and reporting, as well as advanced marketing features and capabilities.
In order to reduce costs, streamline processes, and enhance communication, many commercial and residential pest control companies choose comprehensive business management software versus patching together multiple solutions that only serve a single function. FieldRoutes enables service companies to simplify all aspects of running their businesses, all from a single, cloud-based hub.
Free Pest Control Apps
Free pest control apps are exactly like they sound – they’re available at no cost. Just because these apps come free of charge, you shouldn’t discount them altogether. However, you also shouldn’t expect them to offer the same features and functionality as all-in-one pest control service software.
As a pest control business owner, you may want to consider a free app if you’re new to using field service software, or you're curious if it will help you work more efficiently and scale your business. If you don’t like the application, you can walk away without incurring a penalty or feeling like you threw money down the drain.
On the other hand, free pest control management apps may only offer a single point solution, lack robust customer support, contain annoying advertisem*nts or watermarks, and in some cases may actually make it harder to run your business. But again, with a free app, there’s no harm in taking it for a test drive.
Kickserv
Kickserv provides software for pest control and other service businesses, but they also offer a free version of the core product with limited functionality. The free version includes several features, but unlike other plans, lacks QuickBooks integration, dispatch mapping, custom reporting and templates, automated reminders, and expense and time tracking.
Their website states, “Get started with a free Kickserv® account for up to two users. Our only requirement is that you set up online payments.”
Features:
Self-Serve Customer Center: Customers gain the ability to send messages, approve work orders and invoices, submit online payments, and more.
Convenient Mobile App: The Kickserv mobile app, available for Android and iOS, enables technicians to see important customer and job information while on the way to a property or at the job site.
Create Estimates And Invoices: Pest control technicians can create service estimates with a few clicks, send them to the customer, then convert them to invoices to collect payment.
In addition to the free option, Kickserv offers the following paid plans:
Lite: $47 per month, up to 5 users
Standard: $95 per month, up to 10 users
Business: $159 per month, up to 20 users
Premium: $239 per month, unlimited users
Now Over To You
Now that we’ve explored several of the most common pest control apps and examined various features and capabilities, it’s time to think about what you need to take your business to the next level.
Do you want a software to:
Automate scheduling and dispatching?
Streamline sales and marketing, including help with website design and SEO?
Simplify payments and invoicing?
Chances are, it’s a combination of all the benefits mentioned above.
Regardless if you’re just starting a pest control business, or you currently run a small business or large enterprise, FieldRoutes' all-in-one platform automates many aspects of field service operations, such as office management, advanced route optimization, payment processing, digital sales, marketing, and customer relationship management – all from one platform.
Your technicians will love how they get time back via reduced windshield time, and gain the ability to view complete customer history, scan barcodes, generate estimates, and collect payment – all from their mobile device.
And your office staff will benefit from sending automated text, email, and voice communications for appointment reminders and invoicing, and no more manual data entry.
Ready to learn more about how FieldRoutes can help your pest control service work more efficiently and grow your revenue? Reach out today for a free demo.
