Craig Sansig, ACE

About the Author

craig sansig viking pest control service manager

Craig Sansig is Vice President of Operations at Viking Pest Control and a seasoned pest control expert with more than 25 years of experience in the pest management industry. He is also an Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE), a credential accredited by the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), which demonstrates his advanced knowledge of pest biology, behavior, and control methods.

He began his career as a pest control technician in Viking’s former Mountainside branch (now NJ Central), where he developed a strong foundation in residential and commercial pest control services.

Over the years, Craig has advanced through key leadership roles including Service Manager, Technical Manager, and Director of Technical and Training. His expertise includes pest identification, integrated pest management (IPM), extermination strategies, and preventive pest control solutions for homes and businesses. He is passionate about training technicians, improving service quality, and helping customers protect their properties from common pests such as rodents, termites, ants, and bed bugs.

As a blog author, Sansig shares expert insights on pest prevention, seasonal pest trends, and effective pest control services—helping homeowners and business owners make informed decisions about pest control.

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The drastic evolution of a career in pest control: As experienced by Craig Sansig, Vice-President of Viking Pest Control.

When Craig started working at Viking Pest Control, an Anticimex company, he was studying computer engineering. His plan was to work in pest control until he had finished his studies. 26 years later he is still at Viking and has recently been promoted to Vice-President of Operations.

Craig has never stopped studying because, in this profession, it is essential to stay up to date with the latest innovations and legislation. He holds several certificates, including one in entomology and public health from the Entomological Society of America. He specializes in pests that transmit diseases, such as rodents, mosquitoes, ticks, and harmful ants and spiders. He is also co-chair of the National Pest Management Association’s safety committee and a legal committee member of the New Jersey Pest Management Association.

The beginnings

When Craig started as a pest control technician on the spot, chemical treatments were the norm. Technicians would apply some prevention measures of course, but they mainly intervened in a reactive manner.

“There has been a massive shift in the industry driven by an increasing awareness of the environment and public health – says Craig – When I started in this industry, we just used chemicals without asking many questions about the environmental impact. Now treatments are science-based, more environmentally friendly and focused on prevention”

Customers’ thresholds have also changed significantly; in the early days a certain number of cockroaches or rodents in public spaces were perhaps more acceptable than nowadays. Communities have now more information about pest-borne diseases, and governments are pressured to put further measures to protect public health. People’ thresholds also depend on the specific environment. City dwellers might be more tolerant of cockroaches whereas suburbanites can be more alarmed by carpenter ants.

“Commercial customers have also their own thresholds or those within their industry’ legislation, although we are seeing more and more focus on prevention and a zero tolerance towards pests driven by the enormous financial and reputational risk pest infestations bring along.”

The need for coordination between municipalities, property owners and businesses

Urban environments bring unique complexities; the concentration of population increases food waste, which attracts more pests. Often several pest control companies operate in the same area but for different customers (blocks of apartments, restaurants, public parks, etc.) Craig believes that a better coordination among the different pest control providers could bring better results and make cities more livable.

“We have worked on rodent prevention projects with several municipalities, like Somerset, NJ, and these have been very successful. Taxpayers appreciate this kind of investment; it’s money well spent, citizens can see –or should I say don’t see anymore? – the tangible results” says Craig.

Being part of Anticimex US, a great innovative advantage.

Craig saw a major innovative bolster when Viking was acquired by Anticimex in 2017. Now they could expand their pest control methods with the digital technology and non-tox experience that Anticimex brought along.

“We were very excited to be part of Anticimex. They were the first pest control company who introduced effective and sustainable digital solutions to prevent and control pests. Now many other companies use digital solutions too, but we are still a pioneer in utilizing the data that the systems have collected for years to foresee and prevent pest risks,” Craig says.

Being part of a bigger, international company also brought people at Viking the opportunity to take advantage of an extensive network of biological and technical expertise in the various species. This is especially important now when the world is seeing an increase in invasive species in many territories.

“We have frequent meetings with Anticimex experts around the world where we discuss new advances and challenges and where we can exchange advice. For instance, I know that I can ask anything to Dr. Foo in Singapore related to Red-legged ham beetles (rare in US, common in Malaysia) and to Eduard Durany in Spain about rodenticide challenges. This is a great advantage for us here at Viking”.

As an active contributor to the pest control industry, having served on the NPMA Safety Committee, NPMA Technical Committee, and NJPMA Legal Committee. is also part of the network of experts at Anticimex US that study and analyze biocides to make a more responsible and smarter use of them. Our biology experts have developed a Biodiversity Impact Matrix where the impact of each substance on its environment is assessed and classified as green (no or very low impact), yellow (medium impact), and red (high impact). Subsequently, he has also helped lead and roll-out Anticimex’s sustainability initiatives across North America, focusing on environmentally responsible pest control methods.

“I’m very proud to be part of a company that really cares about the planet and makes advances to reduce the use of yellow and red products to protect biodiversity. In the U.S. we have make huge progress in biodiversity protection thanks to these advances and innovation. We have considerably reduced the use of red biocides and second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides”

How a career in pest control looks today

Craig has witnessed the evolution of the pest control industry from a “spray and pray” job to a more holistic and intricate career that demands sophisticated problem-solving skills. This is precisely what makes the career so rich and fulfilling. Pest control experts need deep and frequent training to evaluate each situation and apply the right solution. Pest control professionals also need excellent communication skills to talk to customers and explain pest prevention methods that will avoid future infestations.

Craig is enthusiastic about the opportunities that AI will bring. He believes that pest control experts will become pest prevention consultants who excel at foreseeing pest risks before they occur. Prevention will become the norm, rendering reactive treatments obsolete.

Outside of work, he enjoys cooking, bee keeping, tending to his organic vegetable garden, traveling, and spending time outdoors with his family and two American Shepherds who love playing frisbee.