About Us

Paul and Derinda Zubek moved to Tehachapi and bought Tehachapi Pest Control in July 1989. They raised their two daughters, Rachael and Ashlee here in Tehachapi, and are tickled to watch their grandchildren grow up here as well.

Paul began his pest control career in the San Fernando Valley in 1974 as a termite crewman. After two years of working in the industry, learning the biology of termites and how to deal with the damage they cause, Paul tested for and received his Branch III license to become a Wood Destroying Organisms Field Representative, which is the actual title of a “Termite Inspector”. In 1986 Paul furthered his credentials by obtaining his Branch II Field Rep License, and in 1988 his “QAL”, which is a Qualified Applicators License for Agricultural work.

When Paul and Derinda were presented with the opportunity to purchase Tehachapi Pest Control, they hesitated. With Paul’s experience and reputation in the industry and Derinda’s previous career with Borg-Warner Corp., a fortune 500 company, they thought that they just might be able to blend their talents and have some success as business owners.

After purchasing the business, Paul taught Derinda the industry and she was able to obtain both her Branch II and Branch III Field Representative Licenses in 1992.

Paul and Derinda tripled the client base of Tehachapi Pest Control in the first year of ownership. They became acquainted with the Tehachapi area and felt right at home in this beautiful mountain community. Paul and Derinda felt strongly that educating their customers about conditions that were conducive to large insect populations, was key in gaining control. They developed “Good Bug/Bad Bug” classes which they presented to classrooms throughout Tehachapi. When tenth graders would call and ask if they could “buy” bugs for their tenth grade bug projects, Derinda very sweetly says “No, we can’t do the work for you, but let me tell you where to look to find what you need.” Those brave souls are then treated to sometimes a 30 minute lecture on the biology of certain bugs and where they can be found.  These owners don’t really look at what they can sell…but rather what problems can they solve. When asked “How often should we spray the house?”, Paul and Derinda always answer like this. Your house will tell you what it needs. It depends on three things; 1) What kind of area you live in, because a home surrounded by fields, will naturally have more insects, 2) How well is your house is sealed, because some are sealed better than others, 3) What your tolerance for insects is, because there is no such thing as total elimination, “control” is the goal. If you never want to see a bug ever…spray monthly. Or, watch and see how long it takes for the insects to start rearing their little heads, because it may take as long as two to three months. That is the main reason Paul and Derinda have never asked customers to sign contracts.   They help the customers to decide the frequency they may need and some seasons are worse than others lets face it! 

Paul and Derinda continue to take continuing education classes to ensure their licenses remain current and to stay updated on new pest control methods and regulations. Continuing to stay educated also allows them to stay on top of new technology and provide their customers with the best possible options for
control of insects.