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Business & Tech

Carson Pest Control Has Humble Beginning

After working with their father as kids, the Carson brothers open a pest control business in Dunedin.

The Carson brothers, Jack and David, grew up in Gridley, Illinois, a small town of about 900 people. They were the two youngest of five children. Six years older, Jack Carson jokes that he got to be the baby of the house until first grade when Dave was born and replaced him.

On March 31, 1962. when Jack and David were ages 13 and 7, respectively, their father opened a pest control company. Both boys went to work for their father right away: knocking on doors, giving away flyers and Jack sprayed houses on the weekends and all during the summers. All the money they made was saved for college.

David Carson stayed in Gridley and ran the family business until 1982 when he decided he was ready to live in a warmer climate — better for humans and for bugs. He moved to Tampa and worked for a pest control company there.

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In 1994 Jack Carson moved to Dunedin and decided to start . The brothers spent many hours on the phone discussing the business, and after much thought they decided it was best for their relationship to not work together.

Four years later, with the company firmly established, they changed their minds, and David left his company in Tampa to go into business with his older brother.

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“Working together has been great. I guess we have finally matured,” David Carson jokes. “And together we have an incredible amount of experience. Jack even taught an entomology course at St. Petersburg College and trained many of the pest control workers in the area,” Carson continues.

“We have experiences that no one in the area has. In the '60s, bed bugs were rampant. We treated them all the time. But by the '70s, they were thought to be wiped out. Bed bugs are very difficult to get rid of, and most pest control companies have never seen them before.”

The Carson brothers love Dunedin and have stayed active in the community. They are involved in the , the and Dunedin Council of Organizations. is also currently a Dunedin City Commissioner. 

Carson Pest Control treats both commercial and residential properties from Ruth Eckerd Hall to the smallest house and anything in between.

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  • Where: Carson Pest Control, 440 Douglas Ave.
  • Contact: 727-734-8688, www.carsonpestcontrol.com
  • Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or call for an appointment
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