New Pest Control Service Begins Operations

By VERNON ROBISON

Moapa Valley Progress

There is a new business in town which will be good news for many local homeowners. It will not, however, come as good news to the likes of roaches, scorpions, spiders and other household pests. Valley Environmental, the Moapa Valley’s newest pest control business, just began official operations last week and is currently taking new clients.

Company owner, operator and founder, Tyler Smith, is going out of his way to distinguish his service from all others in the field. He likes to say that his approach to getting rid of unwanted bugs is different than most. And there is no doubt that he is taking the job seriously.

The first distinguishing factor is in the name. Valley Environmental is focused on being an environmentally responsible option. Smith doesn’t even print paper business cards and he tries to do all invoicing and billing electronically to avoid the waste of paper. More importantly, though, he has spent time and done his homework in finding pest control products that have a low impact on the environment.
“All of the products we use, and the way we apply them, are carefully designed and selected to be environmentally friendly,” Smith said. “That is important to me personally. I know that a lot of people are concerned about chemicals that get sprayed in their homes.”

In addition, with five young children of his own at home, it is also important to Smith that his products and techniques are child-friendly, family-friendly and even pet-friendly.

Of course, it is also vital that the products and techniques are effective against bugs, Smith said. With effectiveness being such a major focus, Smith has developed practices and techniques that are rare among standard pest control services out there. But they are included as part of his standard service.

For example, while most services begin on the ground, with treatment around the base of the house; Smith begins his visits by looking to the top of the house.
“A lot of companies focus on the ground, and it’s true that a lot of bugs come in the house that way,” Smith said. “But there are also a lot that never have to touch the ground. They make contact with the home at the top of the house, move into the attic and make their way down.”

Using a special brush on a long pole, Smith begins every service with a full sweepdown of the eaves of the home. He brings down spiderwebs as well as any hornet nests he finds. Doing this on a regular basis, disrupts the food source of many of the spiders and bugs that make their way into the home from the roof. It thus sends them packing.
“It also looks good,” Smith said of the cleaning. “So it increases the curb appeal of your home right off the bat.”

Only then does Smith start to focus on the ground perimeter of the home. And he doesn’t fall short here either. His standard service is to put down a six foot band of spray around the house. Added to that is an 8 foot band in a special long-lasting granular treatment. Together, these treatments are meant to build a veritable barrier around your home, keeping the pests out, Smith said.
“We don’t just spray a pin-stripe treatment or do a cracks and crevice kind of service,” Smith said. “Our exterior treatment is designed to get the job done completely.”

This comprehensive exterior treatment can allow a more focused and measured approach to the inside of the home, where the family lives, Smith said.
“On the inside, we want the chemical impact to be more minimal,” Smith said. “We want to do the main line of control from the outside. Then we monitor problem spots on the inside and use pointed, custom treatments to manage any problems that arise.”

Perhaps most importantly, Smith believes in having a consultation with each client about their needs and wishes regarding chemical treatment of their homes before beginning treatment. He listens carefully to clients and will customize a pest control strategy that works for their circumstances and wishes.
“I do have a service model that is standard,” Smith said. “But I meet with each client and we can have a dialog about their individual situation. Then we can customize the service to fit whatever their needs or sensitivities are.”

Though Valley Environmental is a new business, Smith is not new to the industry. He is a pest control expert with many years of experience in the field.

Smith grew up mainly in the Moapa Valley. After his early education, he entered the construction industry, thinking he had found a career there. But the economic crash of 2008 put an early stop to that. By 2009, Smith had been laid off from his construction work.

In spring of 2010, he was recruited by a friend to sell pest control service door to door for a major company. It was a good job so he took it and began building a knowledge base and expertise in the industry. He worked for that summer in Portland, Oregon. Subsequent sales opportunities took him to California and then to Kansas City.

In 2012 he was promoted to become a service manager in the company. There he oversaw the scheduling of routes, managed staff, worked with customers’ concerns and more.
“I learned a lot about pest biology: their habitat and behaviors; and also about the range of chemical treatment products out there,” Smith said.

By 2013, Smith was promoted to a position of branch manager in the business and moved to Nashville, TN. The company then moved him to manage branches in Ohio and later to Baltimore. He became certified as a pest control operator in all of these states.

In 2015, the company offered him the opportunity to return to Las Vegas and manage a branch in this region. He and his wife, Kristina, both jumped at the opportunity to return home.

Upon returning to live in the Moapa Valley, Smith recognized a business opportunity to use his expertise and experience to provide a local service. So he has spent a year or so studying the market, doing research and preparing to open a business of his own.
“I like the idea of owning my own business; having the freedom to do things the way I think is best to provide the best service possible,” Smith said. “But most of all I am looking forward to working in the community where I live and providing an important service to my friends and neighbors.