What if your backyard could become the key to a booming business? In a world increasingly centered on outdoor experiences and home investments, the value of mosquito control has never been clearer. In a recent feature on Franchise Marketing Radio, Michael Moorhouse, President of Mosquito Shield, shared the story behind the brand's rapid growth, strategic partnerships, and why their franchise model stands out in the pest control sector. As part of the Five Star Franchising platform, Mosquito Shield isn’t just riding the wave—they’re shaping it.

Michael Moorhouse has dedicated over 17 years to Mosquito Shield, transforming it from a pioneering service into the #1 ranked pest control franchise by Entrepreneur three years running. With roots in home services and a drive for franchise innovation, his leadership extends beyond Mosquito Shield to include the complementary brand, Decorate with Lights. The conversation underscores how strategic alignment with Five Star Franchising and a relentless focus on quality and franchisee value are reshaping the landscape of seasonal services.

The 2022 acquisition by Five Star Franchising marked a major milestone. Founded by home services veterans Scott Abbott and Chad Jones, the Five Star vision is akin to a “Neighborly 2.0”—a platform of synergistic home service brands. For Mosquito Shield, this means enhanced IT and marketing departments, stronger franchise business coaching, and access to operational efficiencies that were once out of reach.

The brand’s proprietary blend of natural oils, developed in-house since 2004, provides a mosquito control solution that’s safer and more effective than standard offerings. Unlike competitors with fixed spraying schedules, Mosquito Shield adapts visits based on weather and mosquito pressure, offering homeowners better results for less.

Key Differentiators:

• EPA-exempt 25B products mean safety and effectiveness

• Adaptive spray schedule (not fixed) based on weather and mosquito pressure

• Service calls reduced, retention rates increased (over 90%)

This customer loyalty becomes especially powerful during economic downturns. The brand not only survived but thrived through the 2008 recession and the COVID-19 pandemic. While other services were canceled, homeowners kept their mosquito control. It’s a testament to the quality-of-life value the service provides.

Franchise success also hinges on operational excellence, and Mosquito Shield doesn’t cut corners. They host intensive bootcamps each season, training technicians in precision spraying, property analysis, and customer interaction. From identifying shady damp zones to peering over fences and even checking gutters, technicians are trained to act like detectives on every visit. The payoff? Five-minute service times that outperform competitors’ 20-minute appointments, all while using less product.

Training impact highlights:

• In-person bootcamps across multiple U.S. cities

• New hire onboarding and veteran technician refreshers

• Pass/fail testing to ensure quality assurance

• Expanded to include perimeter pest program (e.g., spiders, cockroaches)

When it comes to marketing, Mosquito Shield excels at blending grassroots with digital. Their trucks and lawn signs are highly visible, often spotted multiple times by residents within a single neighborhood. Each campaign is hyper-targeted with technology that allows franchisees to send postcards directly to the neighbors of existing customers, reinforcing brand presence with remarkable precision.

Key Components:

• Route-optimized signs and van presence (2-3x more than competitors)

• Hyper-local direct mail with neighbor references

• Door hangers and targeted postcards

• Enhanced local SEO and PPC for search visibility

Recognizing the need for year-round business potential and employee retention, Mosquito Shield launched Decorate with Lights. This bolt-on brand offers a seasonal lighting service from October through January, using the same customer base and appealing to similar lifestyle values.

Why It Works:

• Uses same customer base (outdoor-focused homeowners)

• High-margin, consultative service

• Operates October through January (off-season for mosquito control)

• Enhances hiring and retention of technicians

High-margin, low-volume, and deeply rewarding, the lighting business complements the core mosquito service perfectly. It also allows franchisees to offer more to existing customers while keeping key employees engaged year-round.

Technology continues to play a central role in operational optimization. From predictive analytics that forecast mosquito outbreaks based on nighttime temperatures to cutting-edge route planning software, Mosquito Shield continuously refines its systems. Even their proprietary blend saw a $100,000 reformulation last year, improving results with zero disruption to the end user.

Recent tech enhancements:

• Predictive analytics for mosquito pressure based on temperature trends

• Automated neighborhood marketing mailers

• Route optimization software update: five minutes faster per route

• Investment in reformulating core product for improved performance

With a customer-first product, relentless franchisee support, and a culture of continuous innovation, Mosquito Shield is setting a new bar in franchising. Their dual-brand approach opens doors to year-round revenue, increased customer lifetime value, and local market dominance.

Want to hear the full conversation with Michael Moorhouse? Tune in to the episode on Franchise Marketing Radio and get an insider’s look at how innovation, quality, and strategic thinking are transforming seasonal franchising.

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