--- title: "Holiday Lighting Margins Boost Pest Control Franchise Growth" url: https://burnaze.com/article/20a9ff67-38b5-4d5b-a622-9c10d1a6d50f source: "1851 Franchise" original_url: https://1851franchise.com/mosquitohunters/hunters-holiday-lighting-growth-margin-2730094 category: "Repair & handyman" industry: "Home Services" segment: "Repair & handyman" topics: ["Operations"] published: 2025-08-26T16:11:32.000Z modified: 2026-11-01T22:33:41.362Z image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/1756319164_2730094.png --- # Holiday Lighting Margins Boost Pest Control Franchise Growth **TL;DR:** Happinest Brands' decision to transform Mosquito Hunters into Pest Hunters-Mosquito Hunters-Humbug Holiday Lighting has multiplied financial potential for franchisees by 15. The holiday lighting business offers high margins, allowing franchisees to boost retention, increase revenue, and scale strategically. *originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2025-08-26. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/mosquitohunters/hunters-holiday-lighting-growth-margin-2730094).* ## Key facts - Happinest Brands' franchise growth multiplied by 15 - High margins from holiday lighting - Franchisees can reinvest cash flow into pest control and mosquito arms ## Story Happinest Brands’ decision to revolutionize the Mosquito Hunters brand, transforming it into Pest Hunters-Mosquito Hunters-Humbug Holiday Lighting, had the key impact of multiplying financial potential for franchisees by 15, opening the doors to the booming pest control and holiday lighting industries. This alone has been a key contributor to franchisees’ continued growth, but the other, sometimes less obvious, factors associated with growing into new segments have also presented major returns. Allowing continuity throughout the year, across multiple service segments, has allowed franchisees to boost retention, increase revenue and scale strategically with a true three-in-one business model. One of the most rewarding aspects of the holiday lighting business is the joy it brings to both customers and teams. For business owners and technicians alike, there’s something special about creating that magical moment when a family sees their home illuminated for the season, especially through the eyes of children, whose excitement is unforgettable. While services like pest control are essential and provide tremendous value, holiday lighting offers a unique kind of instant gratification, with visible transformation and lasting emotional impact. Hunters-Humbug’s model gives franchise owners the ability to attract and retain top talent year-round, which is a challenge many other outdoor service businesses struggle with. In seasonal models, revenue gaps often force owners to lose skilled employees during slower months, only to rehire and retrain when demand returns. By contrast, Hunters-Humbug’s multi-service line program allows franchisees to keep their teams engaged across a variety of services throughout the year. Paired with resources like affordable health care options and employee benefits, this structure eliminates one of the biggest obstacles in the industry and creates a stronger, more sustainable workforce for franchisees. ## Holiday lighting growth “Holiday lighting is still a relatively sophomoric space,” said Eric Martin, senior vice president of franchise development at Happinest Brands. “It’s largely occupied by independent owners, and with Hunters-Humbug, we saw an opportunity to bring marketing strategy, proven systems and a new level of professionalism — a true white-glove approach to holiday lighting and decor services.” For Hunters-Humbug teams, the business isn’t just about hanging lights. The concept leverages a complete concierge experience that includes custom design, professional installation, all-season maintenance, timely takedown and secure storage during the off-season. This level of service generally appeals to a higher-end client base. “Franchisees love holiday lighting because of the high margins,” Martin said. The financial structure, including these great margins, is what really drives franchisees’ growth. In the first year of service, a client’s payment covers the cost of design, materials (commercial-grade, custom-fit LED lights), labor, installation, maintenance and removal. It’s a strong model in the first year of installation, but the magic happens in subsequent years. “Guess what? The next year, when a customer is ready for us to reinstall those same lights, it’s the same price point,” Martin said. “But it’s a much lesser expense for the franchisee in year two and beyond because the lights have already been purchased, ordered, installed and fit.” Because the materials are already paid for and the lights have already been customized to the property, reinstallation takes a fraction of the time. For every returning customer, franchisees have a drop in material and labor costs while continuing to charge the same price — significantly boosting profit margins on the service. The increased cash flow from holiday lighting benefits franchisees’ bottom lines through the winter season and beyond. Higher margins create a financial surplus that can be strategically reinvested to strengthen the entire three-in-one operation, funding things like marketing, territory expansion and team growth. “Franchisees are using some of that cash flow to reinvest into the pest control and mosquito arms of the business as well,” Martin said. “This cycle allows a strong holiday season to fund a running start for the pest and mosquito seasons, further boosting sustainability and year-over-year growth across the board.” ## Franchise benefits By solving the struggles associated with seasonality, including cash flow, with a high-margin service, Hunters-Humbug has created a model where each segment of the business benefits the next, setting owners up to build and retain great teams and scale operations effectively all year long. With a strategic approach to holiday lighting, Hunters-Humbug owners can leverage great returns for financial growth and the opportunity to reinvest in their business year after year. ## Entities - 1851 Franchise (publication) - franchise growth (topic) - Home Services (sector) - Eric Martin (person) - Happinest Brands (company) - franchise benefits (topic) - pest control (topic) - holiday lighting (topic) - Pest Hunters-Mosquito Hunters-Humbug Holiday Lighting (company) - multi-service model (topic) --- Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/mosquitohunters/hunters-holiday-lighting-growth-margin-2730094). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/20a9ff67-38b5-4d5b-a622-9c10d1a6d50f).