33 years in the field
Gert Vandercruys began his career working alongside his uncle catching muskrats, a species notorious for structural and agricultural damage across Belgium. That hands-on start grew into a 33-year career in pest control, the last 13 of which he has spent with Anticimex.
Operations Development Manager, Anticimex Group
In his current role, Gert works internationally with Operations and EQHS managers across Anticimex markets. He travels globally to demonstrate, through real-life cases and hands-on fieldwork, why root cause analysis, proofing, prevention, and digital monitoring outperform reactive chemical treatment.
Pioneering pest prevention in the food industry
Gert has guided food producers through the shift from pest control as a basic audit checkbox to a strategic, preventive discipline shaped by commercial standards from multinational food giants. He positions Anticimex technicians as educators who train customer quality teams on preventive routines and audit readiness.
Securing high-risk, high-security environments
From data centers to nuclear facilities, correctional institutions, and port and airside operations, Gert has serviced some of the most access-restricted sites in the industry. He emphasizes early involvement during construction to build in structural proofing before a single rack or cable is installed.
Advocate for the Anticimex Methodology
Gert is a strong proponent of inspection-led, root-cause pest management over default chemical treatment. As he puts it: "Yes, we sometimes need traditional interventions to resolve an acute infestation, but when a proper prevention and proofing plan is in place, major infestations simply don't happen."
33 years in the field
Gert Vandercruys began his career working alongside his uncle catching muskrats, a species notorious for structural and agricultural damage across Belgium. That hands-on start grew into a 33-year career in pest control, the last 13 of which he has spent with Anticimex.
Pioneering pest prevention in the food industry
Gert has guided food producers through the shift from pest control as a basic audit checkbox to a strategic, preventive discipline shaped by commercial standards from multinational food giants. He positions Anticimex technicians as educators who train customer quality teams on preventive routines and audit readiness.
Advocate for the Anticimex Methodology
Gert is a strong proponent of inspection-led, root-cause pest management over default chemical treatment. As he puts it: "Yes, we sometimes need traditional interventions to resolve an acute infestation, but when a proper prevention and proofing plan is in place, major infestations simply don't happen."
Operations Development Manager, Anticimex Group
In his current role, Gert works internationally with Operations and EQHS managers across Anticimex markets. He travels globally to demonstrate, through real-life cases and hands-on fieldwork, why root cause analysis, proofing, prevention, and digital monitoring outperform reactive chemical treatment.
Securing high-risk, high-security environments
From data centers to nuclear facilities, correctional institutions, and port and airside operations, Gert has serviced some of the most access-restricted sites in the industry. He emphasizes early involvement during construction to build in structural proofing before a single rack or cable is installed.
Gert Vandercruys's career in pest control began in the field, catching muskrats alongside his uncle, a species long known in Belgium for structural and agricultural damage. That start grew into a 33-year career in the industry, the last 13 with Anticimex. Today, as Operations Development Manager for Anticimex Group, he works internationally with operations, sustainability, and quality managers across the company's markets, championing the shift from reactive chemical treatment to prevention-led, data-driven pest management.
Lessons from the field: How Gert Vandercruys saw pest control shift from chemicals to strategy.
The story of modern pest control is best understood through the career of experts like Gert Vandercruys, Anticimex Group’ Operations Development Manager. His journey began not in boardroom presentations or automated monitoring centers, but in the field alongside his uncle r, catching muskrats, a species known across Belgium for causing severe structural and agricultural disruption.
As Vandercruys grew within the industry—eventually building a career spanning over 33 years, the last 13 with Anticimex—his personal path directly mirrored a massive shift across the entire sector: moving from reactive eradication to proactive, data-driven prevention.
The food industry: from audit compliance to true prevention
The transformation in the food sector illustrates this evolution. Over the past 15 years, pest management in food production has evolved from a reactive chore to a strategic, preventive discipline.
- The early 1990s: Pest control contracts were frequently signed simply to clear basic audit compliance checkboxes, rather than to establish robust pest management protocols.
- The commercial audit catalyst: Major multinational food giants—such as Danone, Pepsi, and McDonald’s—began imposing strict commercial audit standards on suppliers. This forced a complete reframe of the discipline.
- Evolving roles: Companies like Anticimex shifted from mere exterminators to strategic educators. Technicians now actively train customer quality teams on preventive routines and audit readiness, positioning auditors as strategic partners rather than adversaries.
In many parts of the world today, mid-sized and large food enterprise operations have fully adopted a prevention-first mindset. Smaller local operations—like neighborhood bakeries and butcher shops—are steadily following suit as commercial and regulatory standards expand.
Security and access challenges
High-security facilities present unique operational challenges. While servicing a major client’s data center in Belgium, Vandercruys worked under strict constraints, including mandatory annual security clearances, continuous on-site security escorts, and confidentiality agreements regarding the location and brand name of the facility.
Similar security demands exist across other critical sectors serviced by high-level technicians, including:
- Nuclear facilities & EU governmental facilities: Requiring specialized security permits and background checks.
- Air catering & shipping harbors: Requiring customs, port, and airside safety accreditations.
- Correctional facilities: Involving strict contraband controls and escort protocols.
Digital remote monitoring devices offer a powerful advantage in restricted-access environments. With connected sensors monitoring activity around the clock, technicians only need to perform physical site visits when actual activity is flagged or during annual contractual inspections.
Pre-construction inspections: stopping pests before the concrete dries
The most effective moment to secure a facility against pests is before it ever opens its doors. Carrying out pre-inspection and structural proofing during the construction phase delivers up to 80% of the total long-term prevention value.
By identifying potential gaps, utility penetration risks, and architectural vulnerabilities before racks, machinery, and cables are installed, companies avoid costly retrofits later.
Today, Gert is a passionate advocate for the Anticimex Methodology. He travels globally across different Anticimex regional platforms, demonstrating through real-life cases and hands-on field work why root cause analysis, proofing, prevention, and digital monitoring are so effective.