Bug Bux Podcast
Bug Bux Podcast is designed to help pest control owners start and rapidly scale their company. The hosts, Eric Bassett and Jake Claus, are experts in the pest industry, and they are committed to providing the best guests and resources to help entrepreneurs. Their goal is to help you become a bug money millionaire.
Eric Bassett started out as a door-to-door sales representative in 2008. Then he quickly worked his way into upper management and a sales director role before joining Natura as an owner and Vice President. His areas of expertise are inside sales and customer service training, organizational leadership development, and business strategy. He's also an Associate Certified Entomologist. You can follow his journey on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram @iamericbassett
Jake Claus started his journey in the pest control world in 2005, selling door-to-door for brands across Idaho, California, and Texas until he and his wife, Jana, started Natura Pest Control in the Portland, Or/Vancouver, Wa area in 2013. Jake loves the science and service side of pest control, as well as developing innovative ways to grow and expand his business. Personal development and pursuing his vision for his business and family achievements are his number one endeavor. Aside from being the President and Founder of Natura Pest Control, Jake is also an Associate Certified Entomologist, Structural Pest Inspector, and holds licenses in every major category of structural pest control. Jake is also a part-time paid Firefighter/EMT with his local fire department.
Bug Bux Podcast
Episode 189: The Spy Who Loved Bugs: Global Pest Control, Mad Science & the Future of Insecticides
In this wildly entertaining and surprisingly heartfelt episode of the Bug Bucks Podcast, Eric and Jake sit down with the “mad scientist of Syngenta” herself, Lisa Eppler. From studying parasitic wasps in Germany to field-testing herbicides for the Swiss EPA (no, she’s not actually a spy… or is she?), Lisa takes us through her unique journey into the world of pest control.
She dishes on:
- What it's like to freeze cockroaches (for science)
- Why under applying product can create insecticide-resistant superbugs
- How a new active ingredient—Plenazoline Technology—could shake up the industry
- And how she raised Atlas moths from eggs during COVID (in case you thought you were productive during lockdown)
Lisa also gets real about being a lifelong “bug girl,” her mission to demystify pest control, and why the U.S. industry’s respect and openness toward the field makes it unlike anywhere else in the world.
This one’s part entomology masterclass, part global adventure, and 100% unforgettable. Whether you're a technician, business owner, or just a fan of creepy crawlies, you’ll walk away smarter—and maybe even a little bug-obsessed.