For even the most enthusiastic do-it-yourselfers, pest and weed management can seem daunting, but Bug & Weed Mart’s four-decade-long history goes to show that anything is possible if you have the right tools.
The company continues to stand out for its unique concept, and began with Jim LaBrie, a teacher at the time, deciding he liked the idea of do-it-yourself pest and weed control.
“My father took interest in Bug & Weed Mart, which is about to be a six-store chain,” said his son Joe LaBrie. “At the time, it a was a one shot business that he stumbled upon and he liked the idea once he learned that you could actually get the same exact products that a professional would apply to your home, but that you could apply them at a fraction of the cost because this store sold them.”
Now, 40 years later, the beloved pest control and lawn care brand is in high demand — continuing its expansion to a new East Mesa location late this summer.
While many people have been burned and exhausted by ineffective weed and pest solutions, Bug & Weed Mart provides cost-effective, professional grade products that really work, along with the education customers need to use them effectively and safely.
“With the changing economies, we’ve noticed that there’s a real focus on the quality and the satisfaction that people get from properly doing things themselves, and being good do-it-yourselfers,” said Joe. “What we do is we show people exactly how to apply these products.”
Due in large part to Jim’s background in education, teaching customers how to properly use the products continues to be a large focus for the stores. This has helped in building its devoted customer base.
In turn, customers can feel confident doing their own pest control quickly and efficiently with the same level of expertise and equipment as professionals, without having to pay for all that comes with hiring a company, allowing customers to save a lot of money.
The stores cater to everyone, too, from the typical homeowner to students living in dorms.
“I don’t think there is a segment of the market that we don’t sell to,” said Joe. “I think our primary business by default is the homeowner, the person who’s got a shed in the back and a lawn mower and maybe some cleaning products, and maybe takes care of patching his roof, somebody who’s pretty handy.
But we find that people who live in condos, who already have an HOA that handles all those things, still want to do their own pest control. We find that students, students that move in maybe to a dormitory and end up with something they didn’t ask for all of a sudden, come to us discreetly and say I want to handle this.”
Customers can come to Bug & Weed Mart for help with weeds and nutgrass, scorpions, ants, and even the most feared and difficult to manage pests like bed bugs and termites.
Bug & Weed Mart’s newest location is opening at 2235 S. Power Road, Suite 117, in Mesa. To learn more, visit www.bugandweedmart.com.