In this feature, we ask a professional pest manager to share the journey they’ve taken within the pest control industry. For this issue, we spoke with Jesse Dawkings, owner of JD Pest Solutions, Sydney.
JD (Jesse Dawkings) Pest Solutions is a relative newcomer to our industry, but the company has a long and interesting history.
Born and raised in the Bankstown area of Sydney, Jesse Dawkings (pictured above) was exposed to the pest industry at a young age. His mother worked as the branch manager at Fumapest and in the school holidays she would take him along with her to the office.
After a period working in landscaping, Mr Dawkings followed his calling to become a pest manager, starting out with Enviropest. After completing his study and gaining his licence, he remained at Enviropest when the company was bought out by Flick.
Mr Dawkings’ first venture into owning his own business saw the creation of Pest X Solutions in 2016. Pest X Solutions grew into a successful business over the three years that it existed, but Mr Dawkings didn’t have the systems in place to manage the growth. He struggled with both accounting and logistics, and when Covid hit he felt the stresses of business management were too much. So he closed down Pest X and took on a role as a security guard for a short period.
After 18 months in his new role, Mr Dawkings saw an advert for a position in sales and technical support at the Lidcombe branch of Agserv. Realising that this could be the perfect way to get back into pest control, he applied and got the job.
Mr Dawkings thoroughly enjoyed working with Agserv and built up a great rapport with Michael Harband and John Rutledge who worked with him in customer support at the Sydney office. Working with Agserv gave him a great opportunity to learn much more about the products in regular use in pest control. He interacted daily with technicians and business owners as well as the reps promoting and supporting those products. Mr Dawkings believes that this was the best ‘further education’ that he could possibly have had.
During his time with Agserv, Mr Dawkins often bumped into his old clients from his Pest X days, who wanted to know if and when he was going back to the pest service business. In 2024, with encouragement from his partner, he decided to get ‘back on the tools’ and set up JD Pest Solutions.
Once again, business is booming for Mr Dawkings and for JD Pest Solutions. He estimates that at least 70% of his old customer base from Pest X has come over to his new company. The business is about 70% residential and 30% commercial, with several real estate agent clients. General pest management forms the majority of the work, with a strong back-up of termite inspections and termite treatments. Mr Dawkings, of course, sources all his pesticides and application hardware from Agserv, where he has maintained a great friendship with Michael Harband.
This time around Mr Dawkings has much more confidence in his systems, using Xero for his accounting, ServiceM8 for bookings and job management, and Form Pigeon for termite reporting. He feels like he is really on top of things and is confident that his business will grow and flourish.
Q&A with Jesse Dawkings
Q: What tips would you give other pest managers who are thinking of starting out on their own?
A: Back yourself, but do it with a plan. Understand your market and build strong customer relationships – word of mouth is everything in this industry. Also, invest early in the right tools and training. It’s easy to burn out trying to do everything, so set systems in place that help your business run smoothly.
Q: Has working on the distributor side of the industry given you a different perspective on pest management practices?
A: Definitely. Working on the distributor side gave me a much broader and deeper understanding of the chemicals we use daily. It helped me see how important product selection and proper application are – not just for effectiveness, but also for safety and sustainability. It made me a more informed and responsible technician.
Q: How has pest management changed from when you owned your first pest business to today?
A: Admin tools and software have come a long way – they make it much easier to manage jobs, schedule efficiently, and focus on the work itself. The core of pest control is still the same, but I’ve noticed a real drop in proper training. There are more new techs coming in without the education or experience needed for safe and effective chemical use.
Q: What words of advice would you give to pest managers who are just starting out?
A: Don’t be afraid to step back if something isn’t working. Take a breath, reset, and come back with a new game plan.
