Central New York has a new option for getting rid of nuisance animals with Critter Control of Syracuse, a local franchise of a national wildlife removal company operated by Janet Pettaway and her husband, Eric. Pettaway, a native of Botswana, had experience running a fertilizer company there. When she came to the United States, she […]
Central New York has a new option for getting rid of nuisance animals with Critter Control of Syracuse, a local franchise of a national wildlife removal company operated by Janet Pettaway and her husband, Eric.
Pettaway, a native of Botswana, had experience running a fertilizer company there. When she came to the United States, she was interested in having her own business and thought wildlife control would be a natural progression from insect control.
She began looking into franchise ideas and it wasn’t long before she found Critter Control.
“The rest is history,” Pettaway says. She became an official franchisee in February and is ready to get the business after completing her final training in early April.
Critter Control provides removal services for nuisance wildlife like raccoons, squirrels, rats, mice, opossums, bats, and birds.
Now that winter is ending, animal activity is already picking up, Pettaway notes. “A lot of people have been calling us,” she notes. “We have some clients that we’re lining up.”
Her franchise covers communities across seven counties — Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga, Oswego, Tioga, and Tompkins.
While people may be tempted to try to remove a nuisance animal on their own, Pettaway says training allows Critter Control to do so safely and according to any laws or regulations.
“It’s about safety and protecting yourself,” Pettaway says.
Currently, Pettaway and her husband staff the business on their own, but she hopes to soon add other employees. She also hopes to expand the franchise territory into Pennsylvania and add on both mosquito and pest-control services.
Founded in 1983, Critter Control is part of Rollins, Inc., whose other subsidiaries include Orkin, Orkin Canada, HomeTeam Pest Defense, Safeguard, and more. Rollins and its subsidiaries serve customers in the United States, Canada, Australia, Europe, and Asia.
Atlanta–based Critter Control says it operates franchises and corporate-owned locations in more than 100 markets throughout the U.S. and Canada.
