We spoke with Hernan Garcia-Prieto from Concept Termite and Pest Management in Brisbane about being named Pest Technician of the Year 2026.
Each winner of Pest Technician of the Year has always had something a little different about them that sets them apart from the rest. This year’s winner, Hernan Garcia-Prieto from Concept Termite and Pest Management in Brisbane, is no exception.
Born in El Salvador, Hernan lived in Australia for seven years as a child during the civil war in El Salvador, returning there in 1995. Back home, his father ran a vet clinic. But treating cats and dogs for fleas and ticks often revealed another problem: the pests were still present in the animals’ homes, patios and surrounding areas. His father recognised this business opportunity and the need to help his customers, and a separate pest control side of the business was born. From 15 years of age, Hernan used to help with the pest control on weekends. Pest control in El Salvador is very different from Australia; not only are the licensing requirements a lot more relaxed, but general pest control is the main focus. Termites are not considered structural pests, as the predominant building type is block wall construction.
That early experience combined two of his enduring interests: animals and insects. “My dream was always to work with animals. I also loved entomology, insects and things like that,” he said.
After returning to Australia in 2012 Hernan worked in a variety of roles, including as a car park technician, in call centres and in sales, before eventually returning to the pest management industry. He later completed an ecology degree through QUT.
The biggest learning curve when starting out in pest management was understanding how termites affect buildings in Australia, which was quite different to his experience in El Salvador, where termites are regarded as a less significant, non-structural pest. His career has since taken him through a variety of roles, including pre-construction work, commercial pest control and almost five years as a senior termite inspector with Conquer Termites.
After more than ten years of working for pest control companies, Hernan decided to take the next step and go out on his own.
In 2025 Hernan and his partner acquired Concept Termite and Pest Management from its retiring owner. The business came with an established brand, a loyal customer base and a reputation for excellent service – all of which he sought to maintain. The previous owner’s focus on delivering excellent service was very much aligned with Hernan’s business philosophy, making the purchase a good fit as customers expected and appreciated quality service.
For Hernan, pest control means looking beyond simply applying chemicals. He views sanitation, hygiene, exclusion and risk management as all having an important role to play, with chemicals used when they are necessary rather than as the default solution – pest management rather than pest control.
“It isn’t about using more chemical; it’s about using better chemicals when you need them,” he explained.
Education is a major part of that philosophy. He enjoys explaining to customers why pests are present, what can be done about them and what they can do themselves to prevent future problems. He believes modern pest control should be about achieving the right result, rather than measuring the success of a treatment by how much chemical has been applied.
His scientific curiosity has also led him towards a particularly specialised area: drywood termites. He carries out drywood termite inspections and is interested in developing better approaches to their management. With no consistent standard procedure for dealing with drywood termites, he believes there is an opportunity for the industry to develop clearer inspection and treatment protocols and he is getting involved in working groups to address this.
It is this combination of science, problem-solving and helping people that keeps him motivated. One of the most rewarding parts of the job, he says, is helping people in distress – a homeowner fearful their house may be seriously damaged, or a commercial customer with food safety concerns – and offering them help and solutions.
Pest control isn’t without its challenges, though, especially in the hot weather. “Brisbane summers can make roof voids challenging in the middle of the day. There are also massive treatment days when every muscle in your body hurts after trenching and similar physical work. The physical side can be challenging in the middle of summer,” he said. Even so, he says the positives far outweigh the negatives.
Winning Pest Technician of the Year 2026, he believes, will give Concept Termite and Pest Management a great boost, because it differentiates his business from the competition. “As a small business, it helps boost our marketing and gives us something to share on social media and our website. I’m incredibly grateful and proud of it,” he said.
