When John Murray studied environmental science at university, his ambition was simple: he wanted to become a park ranger and spend his days in the outdoors. But when post-graduation job hunting proved tough, he stepped into the pest control industry by chance—telling his first boss he would stay for six months at most.

More than 30 years later, John is still here.

Over three decades, John progressed from a trainee technician to a field coach, supervisor, and franchise owner, before moving into technical training in 2009. Today, following the 2016 acquisition of Amalgamated Pest Control by Flick, John holds a pivotal dual role at Flick (an Anticimex company): Training Manager for accredited, government-recognized qualifications, and a key member of the national technical team overseeing chemicals, equipment, and operating procedures for nearly 800 technicians across Australia and New Zealand.

We sat down with John to discuss his journey, Flick’s collaboration within the global Anticimex network, and the unique pest control challenges facing Australia today.

Shifting the dial: from chemicals to prevention

Historically, Australia’s strong agricultural chemical lobby has meant a broader selection of chemical products remained available compared to Europe. However, by embedding the core Anticimex philosophy into technician training, Flick has driven a fundamental shift toward biocide-reduced pest management.

Nowhere is this shift more evident than in rodent control:

• Then: Approximately 80% of rodenticides used fell into the high-impact yellow and red categories.
• Now: Approximately 80% of treatments utilize green-category, lower-impact solutions.

This evolution has been driven by a combination of updated Australian regulatory standards and proactive internal policy choices. Alongside reduced biocide dependence, physical proofing against pests is steadily growing.

While branches are at varying stages of maturity, specialized proofing teams are expanding, particularly in bird management (solar panel protection and netting), rodent management and humanely proofing structures against possums.

Changing mindsets: field technicians and customers

Transitioning an entire industry away from traditional chemical applications requires shifting mindsets both inside and outside the business.

Promoting diversity

Currently, women make up only about 5% of field technicians in the Australian pest control industry, but Flick is actively working to change that demographic.

"On a percentage basis, our female technicians often achieve higher long-term success," John notes. "They frequently excel in communication, customer connection, and detailed problem-solving."

Addressing industry retention

With very low unemployment across Australia, retention remains a primary challenge. Where technicians once built 30-year careers like John’s, the modern industry average has shifted closer to 3 to 5 years as trained staff are frequently headhunted.

At Flick, strengthening the relationship between dedicated field coaches and new trainees is proving to be the single most effective tool for building team loyalty and reducing turnover.

Diverse wildlife interactions

While Australian urban centers face standard pest profiles, suburban and rural regions routinely require specialized approaches for feral animals (birds, rabbits, feral pigs and cats) and native wildlife, including venomous snakes and spiders.

World-class biosecurity efforts

Due to its geographic isolation, Australia enforces some of the strictest biosecurity protocols in the world. A prime example is the ongoing battle against invasive Red Imported Fire Ants, originally introduced from South America via the United States 25 years ago.

• Containment: Eradication programs in Southeast Queensland have seen investments between $500 million and $1 billion, with another decade of targeted work anticipated.
• Flick’s role: Flick actively participates in national biosecurity containment and response campaigns, including past eradication programs for high-risk pests like the Khapra beetle.

This work is made even more critical by a growing national skill shortage: Australia currently has only around six practicing commercial urban entomologists nationwide, as traditional university entomology programs have gradually wound down.