James Pest Control takes fight to creepy crawlers

By Austin Bogues The Virginia Gazette

5:00 p.m. EST, December 26, 2014

WILLIAMSBURG Shara Ware grew up spending summers in the pest control business. Starting in high school she helped in the office. And after going to college she even pitched in to help with removals.

"I'm certified. I've been under houses. I learned it from the ground up," she said with a laugh. Her parents, John and Sonia James, have been running James Pest Control since 1967.

The company, which employs nine people, has serviced different locations in the greater Williamsburg area, eliminating pests like ants, fleas, ticks, rodents and all other types of creatures that creep, crawl and frighten the squeamish.

One of Ware's scariest moments was when in the early '90s the company removed bats from an old church. "It looked like a wall of black except for it was moving," she recalled.

"It was amazing but scary at the same time." Through an intricate process, workers located to entry and exit points and sealed them each evening as the bats went out to hunt.

Now, Ware serves as vice president of the company her parents founded.

Through the years, the business has changed slightly. The majority of calls these days are for ant and termite damage, Ware said. There has also been an increased focus on doing pest removal in ways that are more environmentally friendly.

"I think we try to cater to the customer, and we work with their schedule," Ware said. "If that means 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, then that's what we'll do," she said.

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James Pest Control takes fight to creepy crawlers