Plunkett's Pest Control vs. Defend Pest Solutions
Plunkett's Pest Control ranks #35 of 164 and Defend Pest Solutions ranks #52 of 164 in the West, with Handshake Scores of 8.2 and 8.0 out of 10. Both have locations on file in North Dakota. Plunkett's Pest Control also has locations in Arkansas, California, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas, and Defend Pest Solutions in South Dakota.
This comparison sets their verified records side by side: the five scored factors, review platforms, BBB, contract terms, licensing and legal record. It draws no conclusion beyond the scores. The small numbers link to each fact’s source, and each company’s full review has the rest.
At a glance
#35 of 164 in the West
Plunkett's Pest Control8.2/10Handshake Score · Provisional. #35 of 164 in the West
#52 of 164 in the West
Defend Pest Solutions8.0/10Handshake Score · Provisional. #52 of 164 in the West
| Plunkett's Pest Control | Defend Pest Solutions | |
|---|---|---|
| Rank | #35 of 164 in the West | #52 of 164 in the West |
| Confidence | Low | Low |
| Provisional score | Yes | Yes |
| Door-to-door sales | N/A5, 4 | N/A5 |
| Ownership | Independent3, 4 | Independent2, 4 |
| Headquarters | Fridley, Minnesota2 | Sioux Falls, South Dakota3 |
| States on file | Arkansas, California, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota and Texas26 locations | North Dakota and South Dakota3 locations |
| Record verified | October 27, 2026 | October 27, 2026 |
Our research
How they score
The Handshake Score is a weighted average of five factors, each scored from 0 to 10 from verified records. The percentage beside each factor is its weight. Each score links to the deductions behind it on the company’s review.
| Plunkett's Pest Control | Defend Pest Solutions | |
|---|---|---|
| Customer satisfaction 35% | 9.2 | 9.6 |
| Defend Pest Solutions scores higher on customer satisfaction (9.6 vs. 9.2). | ||
| Complaint record 10% | 10.0 | 10.0 |
| Tied on complaint record (10.0 each). | ||
| Sales and contract fairness 15% | 8.5 | N/A |
| Plunkett's Pest Control scores 8.5 on sales and contract fairness; Defend Pest Solutions isn’t scored on it. | ||
| Licensing and compliance 15% | 10.0 | 10.0 |
| Tied on licensing and compliance (10.0 each). | ||
| Legal and regulatory record 15% | 10.0 | 10.0 |
| Tied on legal and regulatory record (10.0 each). | ||
| Handshake Score | 8.2/10 | 8.0/10 |
| Plunkett's Pest Control has the higher Handshake Score (8.2 vs. 8.0). | ||
Defend Pest Solutions had no usable inputs for sales and contract fairness, so that factor was left out of its score and its remaining weights were scaled up to 100%.
Workplace
We rate how companies treat employees from employee-review sites and wage-and-hour records. A workplace score is computed and carries 10% of the Handshake Score when there are at least 20 employee reviews on file (otherwise excluded and remaining weights renormalized).
| Plunkett's Pest Control | Defend Pest Solutions | |
|---|---|---|
| Workplace score | N/A | N/A |
| Neither company has a workplace score. | ||
Review platforms
Google figures cover each company’s western US listings; the average is weighted by each listing’s review count. Ratings and counts are as each site showed them on the date retrieved.
| Plunkett's Pest Control | Defend Pest Solutions | |
|---|---|---|
| Google listings in the West | 26 | 2 |
| Google reviews | 4,165 | 824 |
| Google average | 4.8 | 4.9 |
Plunkett's Pest Control 33 review profiles
| Platform and scope | Rating | Reviews | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| GoogleFridley, Minnesota | 4.8/5 | 1,535 | View |
| GoogleEdina, Minnesota | 4.8/5 | 419 | View |
| GoogleMankato, Minnesota | 4.8/5 | 223 | View |
| GoogleMoorhead, Minnesota | 4.9/5 | 213 | View |
| GoogleFergus Falls, Minnesota | 4.9/5 | 142 | View |
| GoogleWorthington, Minnesota | 4.9/5 | 102 | View |
| GoogleRochester, Minnesota | 4.9/5 | 30 | View |
| GoogleSpringdale, Arkansas | 4.8/5 | 61 | View |
| GoogleSan Francisco, California | 3.4/5 | 8 | View |
| GoogleCedar Rapids, Iowa | 4.9/5 | 207 | View |
| GoogleEmporia, Kansas | 4.7/5 | 107 | View |
| GoogleLiberal, Kansas | 4.8/5 | 99 | View |
| GoogleSalina, Kansas | 4.9/5 | 98 | View |
| GooglePittsburg, Kansas | 4.7/5 | 74 | View |
| GoogleWichita, Kansas | 4.7/5 | 72 | View |
| GoogleManhattan, Kansas | 4.7/5 | 55 | View |
| GoogleKansas City, Missouri | 4.9/5 | 28 | View |
| GoogleSt Joseph, Missouri | 5.0/5 | 21 | View |
| GoogleHillsboro, Missouri | 1.0/5 | 1 | View |
| GoogleLincoln, Nebraska | 4.8/5 | 157 | View |
| GoogleNebraska | 4.5/5 | 17 | View |
| GoogleSanta Fe, New Mexico | 4.7/5 | 136 | View |
| GoogleFarmington, New Mexico | 4.7/5 | 135 | View |
| GoogleAlbuquerque, New Mexico | 4.9/5 | 129 | View |
| GoogleBismarck, North Dakota | 4.6/5 | 70 | View |
| GoogleLubbock, Texas | 4.8/5 | 26 | View |
| BBBcompany-wide | 3.0/5 | 12 | View |
| YelpFridley, Minnesota | — | 94 | View |
| OtherFridley, Minnesota | 4.78/5 | 1,362 | View |
| OtherFridley, Minnesota | — | 171 | View |
| AngiSioux Falls, South Dakota | — | — | View |
| BBBFridley, Minnesota branch file | — | — | View |
| Googlenational: all US Google listings of the Plunkett’s Pest Control brand, used only as the complaint base | 4.79/5 | 6,635 | see record |
Better Business Bureau
Plunkett's Pest Control. Its company-wide BBB profile shows an A+ grade and 5 complaints in the last three years.
Defend Pest Solutions. Its BBB profiles show 0 complaints in the last three years; grades vary by branch.
| Plunkett's Pest Control | Defend Pest Solutions | |
|---|---|---|
| BBB grade | A+7, 41, 42 | Not Rated2, 10 |
| Accredited | Yes, since 4/17/1985 (headquarters file); Fridley branch file 8/9/2019 | No |
| Complaints, last 3 years | 5, company-wide | 0 |
| BBB customer reviews | 3.0/5 average from 12 reviews | No reviews |
| Profile scope | company-wide headquarters file (Columbus, Ohio); includes corporate-owned locations in non-Western states, so not attributable to the West | Sioux Falls, South Dakota (3200 E Woodsedge St); BBB of Midwest Plains; no ND file found in BBB search for Sioux Falls |
| Retrieved | November 2, 2026 | November 2, 2026 |
| Profiles |
Contract terms
Terms as recorded from the linked sources.
Plunkett's Pest Control 6 terms
Residential HomeGuard program: the initial service agreement is for 1 year and renews at the end of the year unless the customer cancels.6
HomeGuard advertised from $37/month (1,200-1,700 sq ft homes); payment by autopay, emailed link, portal, or annually in advance with a 3% discount.6
HomeGuard includes free call-backs between scheduled services.6
Company ‘Difference’ page says clients are not required to sign anything for interior service at a distance; estimates, service reports and receipts are sent electronically. (Wording dates from the COVID-era page; it sits beside the 1-year HomeGuard agreement.)4
Satisfaction guarantee quoted on the BBB profile: the company redoes service at no additional cost if a customer is not satisfied.7
HomeGuard FAQ: ‘Can I cancel my HomeGuard service?’ is answered that the plan renews annually and can be canceled any time after the first year with no penalties. This confirms the 12-month initial term and annual auto-renewal; it does not address canceling inside the first year.6
Defend Pest Solutions 1 term
No pricing, minimum term, auto-renewal, cancellation fee, cancellation method or arbitration terms are published on the company website (home, about, services, residential, rodent and bat pages read).6
Licensing and registrations
Status and expiry dates are shown exactly as the issuing agency’s record showed them on the date retrieved.
Plunkett's Pest Control 15 records (Minnesota 2, Iowa 1, Texas 1, Missouri 1, Kansas 1, Colorado 1, South Dakota 1, North Dakota 2, Nebraska 1, New Mexico 1, California 1, Arkansas 1, Oklahoma 1)
| State | Authority and type | Number | Status | Expires | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), Pesticide & Fertilizer ManagementStructural Pest Control Company license | 20018762 | Active (expires December 31, 2026; suspension is not shown in the lookup) | December 31, 2026 | 43 |
| Iowa | Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS), Pesticide BureauCompany license (IDALS lookup lists it by company; license type not shown) | 02163-000 | Listed with expiration December 31, 2026 (lookup shows no status column) | December 31, 2026 | 44 |
| Texas | Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA), Structural Pest Control ServiceCommercial business license (categories PTLWC) | 0795706 | Current: on the TDA current-licenses report (license expiration October 31, 2027; insurance expiration January 1, 2027; renewed October 31, 2026) | October 31, 2027 | 45 |
| Missouri | Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA), Bureau of Pesticide ControlPesticide Business record (agency business record; Missouri licenses individuals) | 0003NJ, 0034K5, 004FKA, 004X1H, 004X1M, 004X1N (USAPlants IDs) | Active (6 records) | Not shown | 46 |
| Kansas | Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA), Pesticide and Fertilizer ProgramPesticide business license (PBL) | 7071 | Listed as a current PBL: categories 3, 5, 6 and 7, each expiring 12/31/2026 (KDA Pesticide Business Search for ‘Plunkett’, November 2, 2026; the lookup shows no separate status column) | December 31, 2026 | 47 |
| Colorado | Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA), Plant Industry DivisionCommercial applicator license (out-of-state business, Fridley Minnesota) | BusinessId 17022 | Listed as current (lookup shows only valid licenses); expires December 31, 2026 | December 31, 2026 | 48 |
| South Dakota | South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR), Pesticide ProgramIndividual commercial applicator licenses only (no business license in South Dakota) | Not shown | Company-field search ‘Plunkett’ lists 128 items; active rows include Plunketts Pest Control Inc applicators, e.g. license 50791, Big Stone City South Dakota, expires Mar 31 2028 | Not shown | 49 |
| North Dakota | North Dakota Department of Agriculture / NDSU Extension (individual certification only)Individual certification only (North Dakota issues no business license) | Not shown | Not looked up (individual-only state; the NDSU applicator search shows no employer) | Not shown | see record |
| North Dakota | North Dakota Secretary of State (business registry, FirstStop)Business registration (foreign corporation) | 0000042164 | Active / Good Standing (filed 08/20/1993) | Not shown | 50 |
| Minnesota | Minnesota Secretary of State (business registry)Business registration (domestic business corporation) | Not shown | Active / In Good Standing (renewal due 12/31/2027). History shows administrative dissolutions on 3/13/2018 and 2/20/2020, each followed by reinstatement (3/20/2018 and 3/11/2020), both more than 5 years ago. | Not shown | 2 |
| Nebraska | Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA)Individual commercial applicators only (Nebraska issues no structural pest control business license) | Not shown | Not looked up (individual-only state; no company record exists) | Not shown | see record |
| New Mexico | New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA)Pesticide Business record (agency business record state) | Not shown | Not looked up (NMDA lookup terms restrict commercial use) | Not shown | see record |
| California | Structural Pest Control Board (SPCB), Department of Consumer AffairsCompany Registration | Not shown | Not verified: no match for ‘Plunkett’ in the SPCB licensee snapshot (October 1, 2026; canceled registrations are omitted, so a miss proves nothing), no CDPR/county penalty rows, and no California page on plunketts.net. | Not shown | see record |
| Arkansas | Arkansas Department of Agriculture, Pest Control ProgramLicense Holder (business license) | Not shown | Not verified: structural pest control License Holder records are not publicly searchable (verification by email request only per the Department fact sheet). | Not shown | 51 |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF), Pesticide LicensingPesticide License (business; ODAFF AGLook company search) | 8333 | Listed with expiration 12/31/26 (AGLook shows no status column; categories not read) | December 31, 2026 | 52 |
Defend Pest Solutions 7 records (South Dakota 4, North Dakota 3)
| State | Authority and type | Number | Status | Expires | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural ResourcesCommercial applicator (individual license; SD issues no company pest-control license) | Not shown | Company roster (Company search “Defend”): 9 people tied to Defend Pest Solutions; current license for Steven Johnson (No. 50896, exp. Mar 31 2028, categories G,8,9). Owner Gordon Dotson (No. 21873) and Steven Ewell (No. 21871) show EXPIRED; Peyton Cambier (22384) EXPIRED; Jacob Kampmann (51386, categories G,8) has no expiration shown; others have no current license. | individual licenses expire Mar 31 | 11 |
| South Dakota | South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural ResourcesCommercial applicator, owner Gordon Dotson (individual) | 21873 | EXPIRED | Not shown | 12 |
| South Dakota | South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural ResourcesCommercial applicator, “Ewell, Steven” (likely owner Tyler Ewell, North Dakota record is Steven Tyler Ewell; individual) | 21871 | EXPIRED | Not shown | 13 |
| South Dakota | South Dakota Secretary of StateBusiness registry | Not shown | Not verified (search blocked by reCAPTCHA) | Not shown | see record |
| North Dakota | North Dakota State University Extension Pesticide Certification and Training Program (certifies; North Dakota Department of Agriculture enforces)Commercial applicator certificate, owner Gordon Harrison Dotson (individual; ND has no company license) | 10173428 | Active; CORE, HOME-INDUSTRIAL, PUBLIC HEALTH, VERTEBRATE certified 06/05/2024 | April 1st, 2027 | 14 |
| North Dakota | North Dakota State University Extension Pesticide Certification and Training Program (certifies; North Dakota Department of Agriculture enforces)Commercial applicator certificate, owner Steven Tyler Ewell (individual) | 10173430 | Active; CORE, HOME-INDUSTRIAL, PUBLIC HEALTH, VERTEBRATE certified 06/05/2024 | April 1st, 2027 | 15 |
| North Dakota | North Dakota Secretary of StateForeign LLC registration (Defend Pest Solutions LLC, formed in South Dakota) | 0006685997 | Active, Good Standing; initial filing 05/29/2024; AR due 11/16/2026 | Not shown | 3 |
Legal and regulatory record
Only resolved government actions count toward the legal and regulatory score. Pending lawsuits, allegations and private matters are listed but not scored. Summaries are our researchers’ wording of the source; allegations are allegations, not findings.
Plunkett's Pest Control 2 records
Legal and regulatory score: 10.0/10. Records counted in it: none.
November 2, 2026 · Complaint summaryShown only
company-wide (BBB headquarters file)
BBB: 5 complaints in the last 3 years (2 in the last 12 months), A+ rating, accredited, no pattern alert shown. Displayed complaints concern wildlife trapping service follow-up/billing (refunds issued) and a company-canceled service with a disputed refund (answered).41
March 25, 2024 · LawsuitShown only
Illinois (U.S. District Court, N.D. Illinois)
Followell v. Plunkett’s Pest Control, Inc., 1:24-cv-02392: Fair Labor Standards Act wage-and-hour suit by a former employee, filed March 25, 2024 and terminated September 12, 2024. The docket header does not say whether it settled, was dismissed or was adjudicated (CourtListener and Justia dockets are behind human-verification checks and were not worked around), so it is treated as an unresolved/unverified wage case, not a government action, and is not scored.53
Defend Pest Solutions 4 records
Legal and regulatory score: 10.0/10. Records counted in it: none.
November 2, 2026 · Complaint summaryUsed in complaint record
South Dakota
BBB profile (BBB of Midwest Plains) shows 0 complaints and 0 customer reviews; business not BBB accredited; BBB rating “Not Rated”. File opened 9/1/2022.16
November 2, 2026 · EnforcementShown only
North Dakota
North Dakota Attorney General cease-and-desist orders page: no entry for Defend Pest Solutions, Dotson or Ewell (list covers 2018-2023 entries as displayed).17
November 2, 2026 · PermitShown only
North Dakota
North Dakota AG transient merchant (door-to-door) licensee list: no entry for Defend Pest Solutions, Dotson or Ewell.5
November 2, 2026 · LawsuitShown only
federal
CourtListener opinions search (default published-opinions results) for “Defend Pest Solutions”: no results. Docket and state-court records not searched.18
Keep reading
- Plunkett's Pest Control review#35 of 164 in the West
- Defend Pest Solutions review#52 of 164 in the West
- Is Plunkett's Pest Control legit?Licenses, BBB record and legal history
- Is Defend Pest Solutions legit?Licenses, BBB record and legal history
- The Pacific Northwest pest control rankingsThe full rankings, with every factor score
- How we review companiesThe five factors, their weights and what we count
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