As the cockroaches and other creepy crawlies make their springtime appearance, Crystal Rizzo is running toward them. The Franklin County mom of two launched
Crystal Pest Control in March after more than a decade in the pest control industry.
Rizzo knows she's an anomaly in the extermination business. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
just 6.5 percent of pest control workers were women in 2017. But, though she's seen a few raised eyebrows along the way, she knows she is where she belongs.
"I started venturing into the industry alongside my husband, who was already a pest management professional himself," she tells me. "This began piquing my interests more and more. I started off with inspecting, sales and, eventually, couldn't wait to be in the field solving pest problems head-on."
Launching her own business has been a leap of faith. But, so far, so good.
"It has been an exciting journey as I meet so many awesome people along the way and never stop learning," Rizzo tells me.
I checked in with Rizzo by email to learn more about her career and here work in pest control. Here's a Q&A:
Go Ask Mom: How did you come to launch your own pest control business?
Crystal Rizzo: Launching Crystal Pest Control, LLC was a prayerful decision after knowing for sure this was my calling and, of course, having the support of my wonderful family and encouragement of our amazing customers throughout the years.
GAM: A lot of people run as far away from bugs as fast they can, but you run toward them. What do you enjoy about this business? Are you ever grossed out?
CR: I've spent most of my life outdoors and in a rural environment. That has made it fairly simple to be around just about any type of wildlife and insects. The fact is I enjoyed it! This gave me the desire to discover and learn more about what I didn't know over the years. I absolutely love the awesome people I meet and the satisfaction they receive when I solve their pest problems. Though there are not many things that scare me or gross me out, I can say I'm not to fond of coming out from under a house and letting my hair down to see a spider crawling out of it!
GAM: Why is it important to have women represented in this line of work?
CR: I remember my first pest control job interview. I was nervous, but I knew that I was going to be OK. After the interviewer looked at my experience, he suggested I stay home and just be a mother. I believe it is important for us as women to live up to our fullest potential and set a platform for women and represent ourselves in this industry because we can be mothers, wives, and even business owners.
GAM: What kinds of services do you provide?
CR: We provide a wide variety of pest solution services for ants, spiders, roaches, fleas, bedbugs, fire ants, wasps, rodent and more. You can visit us on
our website and YouTube page or call us with questions at 919-609-9909. I love to answer questions and speak to my customers directly.
GAM: What are your hopes for the future of your business?
CR: In the future, I am hoping not only to set a platform for women in this industry, but to build Crystal Pest Control so it's known for our "Clear Commitment to Excellence" and to provide families with the services they deserve!
Go Ask Mom features local moms every Monday.
