Celebrating Bob “The Bugman” Trudel’s 40-Year Journey with Pest-End
“Enjoying what you do makes all the difference in the world.”
The year is 1986. The pest control industry looked very different, along with the world around it. Gas was under a dollar per gallon. Cell phones were rare and bulky. Everything in the office was handwritten, including small receipt book service slips. Map books, not GPS, directed the day’s routes. Technology was limited, and pest products were, too. There was little in the way of digital tools, routing software, or real-time communication.
Today, our industry is shaped by the technological innovations we once lacked back in the ‘80s. Our day-to-day routines see the use of GPS, mobile routing, and digital inspection and reporting. Pest products have come along way, featuring more targeted and environmentally responsible materials after decades of focusing on better safety, exclusion, and prevention.
Not everyone on our team can say they remember both worlds, but one member can.
The Story of Bob “The Bugman” Trudel
Bob Trudel started his journey with Pest-End in 1986 as the very first employee hired by Andy and Nancy Carace. Over the years, he experienced every stage of the company’s evolution, adapting alongside the pest control industry while serving our community for decades.
Four decades later, we honor Bob not just as the beginning of the Pest-End legacy, but as someone whose dedication to helping others has remained constant from day one. He’s become a true cornerstone of our community, with his story woven into our own. As we celebrate his retirement, we’re grateful to share that story with you.
How Pest-End's Own Bugman Earned His Title
Our long-standing customers might recognize Bob by his first name, but in our Merrimack Valley and Southern New Hampshire communities, he became known by another title: The Bugman.
Bob’s unofficial title says it best. To the customers he served for decades, he was the person they could rely on for pest problems, their best line of defense between their families and uninvited guests.
“It is a name I have had since the beginning and has stuck,” says Bob of his nickname. “I think people will still call me Bugman after my retirement.”
That lasting impression is likely because that affection was always mutual. When asked about his favorite part of the job over the years, Bob answered, “Other than working with the team: my customers. Many of them have become friends over the years.
“When I told one of my customers that I was retiring at the end of the year, she looked at me and asked: ‘So, is Pest-End closing down?’ I said no, we have a whole team that will take care of you.”
More Than a Pest Control Technician
Though he became synonymous with pest control, The Bugman supported Pest-End as more than just a technician.
Even in those early days, Bob’s talent for fixing problems wasn’t limited to the work he did in the field. Over the years, he frequently stepped in to handle vehicle maintenance. Today, he remains one of the few team members still driving a red truck, a familiar sight and lasting symbol of Pest-End’s roots.
In fact, one of Bob’s earliest memories with Pest-End features another classic vehicle:
“I do remember my first day at Pest-End. I was driving a 1976 Ford Granada to the State Buildings in Boston, thinking: how am I going to drive into Boston several times a week? Somehow, I got used to it and serviced the buildings 3 times a week for the next 20 years.”
To our community, he’s The Bugman. To our team, a steady hand. To our leadership, he’s family—Uncle Bob to second-generation owners Amanda Forrestall, Adam Carace, and Courtney Carace. Alongside his wife, our Projects & Outreach Coordinator Patty Trudel, who joined the company in 1994, Bob has been a true partner in Pest-End’s story. He remains one of the many reasons Pest-End continues to be a trusted, local, family-owned organization.
A Legacy Built One Step at a Time
Every long career has a beginning, and The Bugman's started at square one. “It was amazing to change my career without knowing anything about pest control, so it was challenging at first.”
The advice he shares with new technicians mirrors the path he took himself: starting from scratch, learning continuously, and adapting throughout his 40-year career.
“I would tell new technicians not to think they know everything about pest control. There will always be a new learning experience. Accept changes because they are going to happen. Enjoying what you do makes all the difference in the world.”
Reflecting on 40 Years of Dedicated Service
Talking with Bob, it was challenging not to remark on just how significant growth has been over the past 40 years. “I have seen the company do a complete 180 in regard to size and technology,” said Bob. “When I started, we had 4 technicians on the road, Nancy Carace ran the whole office herself, and we wrote all our service slips in small little receipt books.”
Of course, no 40-year career is complete without a few unforgettable stories—and Bob has one that has become a classic. He recalls a Saturday morning termite treatment at a local business, alongside Pest-End's Andy Carace, as the day on the job he’ll never forget.
“Andy and I were performing a liquid termite job on a Saturday morning, and I drilled through an electrical conduit. I looked at Andy and immediately all the lights went out, the doors all slammed shut, and an employee came running out, asking who was responsible. To our benefit, they never gave us drawings of where their wires were located...”
That honest mistake aside, Bob’s answer when asked about the values that have guided Pest-End since the beginning was given without hesitation: “We have always cared about our customers."
As Bob looks back on a 40-year career, his sense of pride is simple and sincere: “I am most proud of what I learned working in the pest industry over the years and honestly being loyal to one company for 40 years.”
A Note from Bob "The Bugman" Trudel
Looking ahead, Bob’s plans for retirement speak to what matters most to him: more time with family, especially his grandchildren. “You can always make more money, but you cannot get more time. Life is too short. I will enjoy sleeping past 5:00 am and drinking coffee in my living room watching the news as the snow comes down and knowing I do not have to drive in it.”
Before he steps into this next chapter, Bob leaves the team with a heartfelt message—one that captures both his gratitude and his hope for the future of Pest-End: “Good luck and God bless. I hope every one of you has the opportunity and honor to retire with a long and successful career at Pest End.”
From All of Us: Thank You Right Back, Bob
A “thank you” doesn’t begin to cover 40 years of hard work and unforgettable memories, but it’s a start. Bob, your dedication, loyalty, and heart have helped shape Pest-End into the company it is today. We are forever grateful—and we wish you nothing but joy in your well-earned retirement!
