It”s all about the bugs for Steven Jamison, who”s not afraid to show a little fear on the job.
About two years ago, Jamison, 30, began working in the sales department at Terminix, before he was offered a position he felt was more desirable — as a pest control technician.
Now, Jamison — who lives in Starkville, with his wife, Tennielle — stays busy terminating roaches, rodents, and, occasionally, ants, among other creatures.
“The good thing about the job is I know I”m dealing with pests every day,” he laughed. “You just never know what you”re going to get each day, you know?”
Have you ever come across a pest you couldn”t identify?
Oh yeah, that happens two or three times a month. What I try to do is grab one, put it in a Ziploc bag and take it back to our office and have the guys identify what it is.
Have you gotten squeamish dealing with other people”s pests?
Yeah, all the time. You can not find anything on this job that won”t make you squeamish. I”ll haul it like a 2-year-old girl, if I see something (I don”t like).
Do you find people have misconceptions about pest control technicians and what you do?
A lot of people will be under the assumption we deal with frogs, squirrels, snakes, scorpions, just whatever the situation they”re plagued with at the time. There are a lot of misconceptions. We deal with roaches, bugs, spiders, that sort of thing. And a lot of people assume we treat the entire area of their property. There are rules we have to follow with the chemicals. We try to stay within an 8-foot perimeter and we also treat the inside, of course.
What do you most enjoy about your job?
Bugs.
If you want more details, I love the fact there”s a lot of freedom in what I do. I have time to do whatever it is I need to do to take care of the customer. It”s not like a regular nine-to-five job. You”re not in one spot. You”re meeting different people. It”s very entertaining and refreshing and, plus, I”m dealing with something I know.
What do you find most challenging about your job?
Bugs.
And customers. But bugs. Just when you think you have them figured out, bugs can adapt to things. You”ll see them do the most unusual things. It”s fascinating. But while you”re in awe, you still have to kill it.
When you have customers calling for whatever problem is freaking them out, most want an instant fix right there. A lot of times there isn”t any instant fix. A lot of times it just depends on the insect. Getting the customers to do their part is a big challenge, whether it”s cleaning up, keeping certain areas clean, stopping certain bushes or vines (from growing) all over the house. All those things make a sort of bridge to your house. (The bugs) will just walk the vine right up inside your house. Bugs can”t tell where nature ends and human interaction begins. Only when they”re squashed and they”re crossing the threshold do they know. By then, it”s too late.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
