The total William Blair/PCO M&A Specialists Pest Index, a proprietary compilation of the monthly sales for 146 different U.S. pest control companies across 38 states, increased 10 percent year-over-year in May 2024, compared with 12 percent growth in April and 8 percent growth in March. The long-term historical growth rate of the total pest index is 11 percent.

“The pest index decelerated slightly in May, following a strong rebound in April,” said William Blair Equity Researcher Tim Mulrooney, noting the deceleration was primarily driven by a slowdown in the commercial pest and termite indices (residential remained steady at 12 percent growth). “Despite the modest deceleration in May, we still characterize the overall pest market as healthy, showing continued growth that is essentially in line with the long-term historical industry average.”