Gary Morgan’s pest-control techniques have been refined through his encounters with insects in the most unexpected of places. Called in to help a business solve its carpenter-ant problem, Morgan checked all the usual spots but found nary a bug in the building’s wood or along the exterior. He then tracked the tiny creatures back to an unopened computer box. Inside, he found a nest in the keyboard, and saw that the ants were feeding on the rubber mechanisms that gave the keys their spring action.

Morgan thrives on solving pest problems like these, the jobs that make him “everybody’s hero.” Growing up an outdoorsy kid who enjoyed hunting, fishing, and teaching trees how to read, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to be when he grew up. Then his brother got him an interview at an exterminator, and he “knew this is what I was supposed to do.” After gaining experience by working for companies such as Orkin, the independently minded Morgan eventually struck out on his own in 2003, buying Aapex Pest Control a year later. Today, he continues vanquishing structure-infesting intruders from cockroaches to rodents and proudly proclaims he’s smote every bed bug that’s ever challenged him to a pillow fight. In addition to servicing clients’ homes, he also posts tips to help homeowners prevent pest intrusions.