Field Report: Ticks, Termites and Tools at Our Monthly Pest Control Training
Once a month, our whole company comes together for pest control training: Pest Pros, Termite Professionals, Customer Service Representatives, Sales Inspectors, Management and our Corporate Team. Pest control changes with the seasons, and so do the questions our customers ask, so we use these meetings to sharpen what we know and how we explain it, whether that’s at your front door or on the phone. Our latest training covered three things every Pest Pro needs to know cold: ticks, termites and the tools of the trade. We also gave the team a closer look at the U.S. Pest Apprenticeship Program, and the response from our senior Pest Pros was better than we hoped.
Field Report at a glance
| What | Our monthly team training meeting |
| Who | The whole company: Pest Pros, Termite Professionals, Customer Service Representatives, Sales Inspectors, Management and our Corporate Team |
| Topics | Ticks and why we treat them in winter, the annual termite inspection, the tools we carry, and our new apprenticeship program |
| Biggest moment | Three to four senior Pest Pros in each branch raised their hands to become their branch’s first Master Protector |
| What it means for you | A better-trained Pest Pro at your door, and a team that keeps getting stronger |
Ticks: why winter tick control matters
Our tick training started with a fill-in-the-blank quiz, because it’s one thing to know the facts and another to explain them clearly at a customer’s door. A few of the facts every Pest Pro walked out with:
- Ticks aren’t insects. They’re arachnids, related to spiders and scorpions. They can’t jump or fly; they wait on grass and brush with their front legs stretched out, a behavior called questing.
- The lone star tick is the most common tick in Middle Tennessee, and it’s aggressive. Instead of just waiting, it will actively chase a host.
- Nymphs are about the size of a poppy seed, which is why most people never feel or see the bite.
- Tick-borne illness is serious here. Spotted fever rickettsiosis, which includes Rocky Mountain spotted fever, is the most-reported tick-borne disease in Tennessee, followed by ehrlichiosis, spread mainly by the lone star tick.
The biggest lesson was about winter. Ticks don’t die off when it gets cold. They shelter in leaf litter and soil and wait for warm days. Adult blacklegged (deer) ticks become active on winter days above about 35°F with no snow on the ground, and in Middle Tennessee, that’s most winter days. To really kill ticks, it has to stay below about 10°F for several days in a row, which rarely happens here.
Female ticks that feed in fall and winter spend the cold months turning that blood meal into eggs, and in spring, one female blacklegged tick can lay up to 3,000 of them. That’s why our mosquito, flea and tick program runs year-round. Treating while ticks are concentrated in their winter hiding spots, before females can lay eggs, is the head start on spring. As we told the team: stop one tick in January, and you stop thousands of ticks in May.
We also reviewed the prevention tips Pest Pros share with customers:
- Use an EPA-registered insect repellent such as DEET or picaridin on skin, and treat clothing and gear with permethrin.
- After coming inside, shower within 2 hours and do a full-body tick check, including behind the knees, around the waist, in the armpits, behind the ears and in the hair.
- Tumble-dry outdoor clothes on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks that hitched a ride.
- To remove a tick, use fine-tipped tweezers, grab it as close to the skin as possible, and pull straight up with steady pressure. Never twist it, burn it, or smother it with nail polish or petroleum jelly.
- Keep grass mowed short, rake up leaf litter, and keep pets on a vet-recommended tick preventive.
Learn more about our tick control.
Termites: the annual inspection, done the U.S. Pest way
Termites cause more than $5 billion in property damage in the United States every year, according to the National Pest Management Association, and most homeowners insurance doesn’t cover it. That’s why our yearly termite inspection matters so much, and why we walked through it step by step.
Our Inspectors start with a full exterior walk-around, checking the foundation for mud tubes, wood touching soil, mulch against siding, gutters, downspouts and leaks. Then they inspect every accessible area of the garage, basement, crawl space or slab, all the way to the four farthest corners under the home. No shortcuts.
Along the way, they take moisture readings and record them in the homeowner’s file, probe the wood to make sure it’s solid, and check for conducive conditions like standing water, plumbing leaks, HVAC condensation, wood-destroying fungus and rodent entry points. At each of the four farthest corners, the Inspector signs the floor joist with their initials, “U.S. Pest” and the date. Before leaving, they walk the customer through everything they found.
It’s a home maintenance and awareness check, not just a bug check. See what’s included in your termite renewal.
The tools of the trade
A thorough inspection depends on the right gear, so we reviewed what every Inspector brings and why:
- Flashlight: crawl spaces and attics are dark, and termite evidence hides in shadows.
- Probing tool: solid wood is good news. Wood that feels spongy or soft can mean damage, rot or new termite activity.
- Moisture meter: moisture draws termites and wood-destroying fungus. A wood moisture reading of 18% or higher is a sign a crawl space may need a moisture barrier.
- Sharpie: for signing the joists, so every home has a record of each inspection.
- Coveralls: because getting to every corner of a crawl space means crawling.
- Inspection form or tablet: to document everything we find and share it with the homeowner.
Building the next generation of Pest Protectors
We closed this month’s pest control training with the program we’re most excited about. Starting in January 2027, U.S. Pest is launching a paid apprenticeship that takes a motivated person with no experience and trains them into a Certified Pest Protector. It’s officially approved and registered with the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and the U.S. Department of Labor, so graduates earn a nationally recognized Department of Labor credential. It’s the first registered pest control apprenticeship in Tennessee.
- Paid from day one, with no tuition and no student debt
- State certification within the first 90 days
- 288 hours of classroom training, on the clock
- Two years or less to finish, as fast as each Apprentice proves their skills
- A named mentor, called a Master Protector, with no more than two Apprentices each
Each branch will have one Master Protector: a senior Pest Pro who teaches the trade the way we do it every day. When we asked who wanted the job, three to four Pest Pros in each branch raised their hands. That says a lot about our team. The people who know this work best want to pass it on, and their craft is about to become someone else’s career.
The path doesn’t stop at graduation. Apprentices can grow from Certified Pest Protector to Route Lead or Master Protector to Branch GM, and most of our Management Team already started in the field.
Know someone who’d be great at this work: a son or daughter, a neighbor, a veteran, or someone who’s great with people and not sure college is for them? See our pest control apprenticeship page or call 615-590-1260.
Why monthly pest control training matters
Every one of our Pest Pros is state certified, background checked and drug tested. Monthly pest control training is how we keep raising that bar. When a Pest Pro explains why your tick service continues in January, or shows you the signature on your floor joist, it comes from time spent learning it together. That’s what we mean by Whatever It Takes.
Want a Pest Pro to take a look at your home? Schedule a free inspection or call 615-590-1260.
Frequently asked questions
Do ticks die in the winter in Tennessee?
Rarely. Ticks shelter in leaf litter and soil, and adult blacklegged ticks become active on winter days above about 35°F with no snow on the ground. It has to stay below about 10°F for several days in a row to kill them, which seldom happens in Middle Tennessee.
Why does U.S. Pest treat for ticks in winter?
Female ticks that feed in fall and winter lay eggs in spring, up to 3,000 for a single blacklegged tick. Treating while ticks are concentrated in their winter hiding spots helps stop that spring population before it starts.
What happens during an annual termite inspection?
Your Inspector checks the exterior and every accessible area of the garage, basement, crawl space or slab, takes moisture readings, probes the wood, checks for leaks and other conducive conditions, signs the floor joists with their initials, U.S. Pest and the date, and walks you through what they found.
What tools does a Termite Inspector use?
A flashlight, a probing tool, a moisture meter, a Sharpie for signing the joists, coveralls, and an inspection form or tablet to document the findings.
When does the U.S. Pest Apprenticeship Program start?
The first Apprentices start in January 2027. It’s a state- and federally registered apprenticeship, and Apprentices are paid from day one, need no experience, and train with a Master Protector mentor. See our apprenticeship page at uspest.com/careers/apprenticeship or call 615-590-1260.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (ticks, tick bite prevention and tick removal); Tennessee Department of Health tick-borne disease data; Penn State Extension and Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies (winter tick activity); National Pest Management Association (termite damage); U.S. Pest Protection inspection and training materials.
