We first met the team from RESCUE! at the National Hardware Show in 2024, where they provided product samples of their Fly Pad to thousands of event attendees. As they enthusiastically explained why their products work better than the plethora of baits and traps on the market, we were curious as to why the world needed another pest control product.

When we arrived home from our 5-day trip to Las Vegas, we discovered that our kitchen had been invaded by fungus gnats—the result of having potted some fruit saplings and placing them on the kitchen counter.

We immediately tore into the packaging of a RESCUE! Fly Pad and hung it near the kitchen window. In 24 hours, the fungus gnats had all but disappeared. Lo and behold, they were all stuck to the Fly Pad! We were impressed!

This year we tried RESCUE! Ant Baits to the same level of satisfaction. This is the first ant season we’ve had in Southern California, where we have not had a traffic jam of ants leading from the back patio into our kitchen!

As a result of our positive experiences, we started digging to uncover how and why Rescue! came to be. Read on to discover what we learned, and don’t forget to enter our Best “Worst Ant Story” Contest, sponsored by Rescue and Purgula!

Table of Contents

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Rescue’s Green Beginning

In an era where sustainability and environmental responsibility are at the forefront of consumer priorities, Rescue Pest Control has emerged as a pioneer in the world of pest abatement. With a strong emphasis on nontoxic, eco-friendly practices and a science-driven approach, Rescue continues to change the way homeowners and businesses tackle pest problems—safely and sustainably.

A young Rod Scneidmiller, founder and president of RESCUE! Pest Control

A young and optimistic Rod Scneidmiller, founder and president of RESCUE! Pest Control
Image courtesty of RESCUE! Pest Control

Founded in 1982 by Washington State University graduate Rod Schneidmiller, Rescue emerged from a simple yet powerful insight. Having witnessed the harmful effects of indiscriminate chemical use while working on a farm—poison that killed both pests and pollinators—Schneidmiller envisioned a safer, more targeted approach to insect control. That’s how Rescue’s ethos was born:

smarter pest control, not chemical warfare!

Rescue’s founder spent evenings in his garage perfecting a natural attractant formulated as a powder that dissolved in water—allowing homeowners to trap flies without resorting to toxic sprays. This early ingenuity set the foundation for what would become an industry‑reshaping brand.

Screenshot of Rod Schneidmiller from Rescue's 40th anniversary highlight reel, posted in 2022.

Screenshot of Rod Schneidmiller—still optimistic— from Rescue’s 40th anniversary highlight reel, posted in 2022.
Image courtesy of RESCUE! Pest Control

As the company grew, Schneidmiller renamed the brand RESCUE!—a deliberate contrast to aggressive industry names like “Attack” or “Terminator”. He also pioneered consumer-focused advertising for pest products, leading to a breakthrough when a local TV ad prompted retailers to sell out of his yellow jacket traps almost immediately.

Rescue’s mission is simple, yet powerful:

to design and manufacture pest control solutions that are effective, eco-friendly, and safe for people, pets, and the planet.

The company’s vision is to revolutionize the pest control industry through innovation that aligns with sustainability, providing customers with alternatives to harmful chemicals and invasive pest control methods.

Gardener watering a healthy and lush vegetable garden at dusk

A proud gardener watering a healthy and lush vegetable garden at dusk

Innovation with Integrity

From day one, Rescue has emphasized product safety, environmental responsibility, and rigorous innovation. Still family-owned under its parent company, Sterling International, the business culture is steeped in integrity, teamwork, and hands-on dedication. In one early example of that spirit, Schneidmiller and his team earned the trust and business of a retailer, when a competing vendor finished shipping their still-in-demand product for the year. The Rescue team had less than 48-hours to win this last-minute, out-of-state opportunity. By assembling and loading products late into the night to fulfill this urgent distribution request—Rescue delivered on their promise, proving their commitment to retailers and customers alike.

 

The Importance of Eco-Friendly Pest Control

Conventional pest control methods often rely heavily on chemical pesticides that can leach into soil, waterways, and air, causing long-term harm to ecosystems, pollinators, and even human health. These chemicals don’t discriminate between pests and beneficial insects, often causing more harm than good.

View of a healthy, thriving permaculture garden with squash

View of a healthy, thriving permaculture garden with squash

Benefits of Using Eco-Friendly Alternatives

Eco-friendly pest control products, like those from Rescue, offer several advantages:

  • Targeted pest elimination, without collateral damage to beneficial species.
  • Reduced environmental contamination, helping preserve biodiversity.
  • Improved safety for households, especially those with children and pets.
  • Sustainable long-term use, as they don’t contribute to pest resistance as quickly as traditional pesticides.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a related practice of eco-friendly pest control, as the two approaches have the following principles in common:

  • Prevention First: Start by making it hard for pests to become a problem. For example, sealing cracks, keeping food stored properly, or growing pest-resistant plants and crops in a garden.
  • Watch and Learn: Keep an eye on pests to understand what’s going on. Are there just a few ants, or is there a big infestation? Effective assessment avoids overreacting with unnecessary treatments.
  • Use Nature’s Helpers: Use natural solutions, like introducing beneficial insects (e.g. ladybugs that eat aphids), growing plants that naturally repel pests, or using natural attractants to trap specific types of pests.
  • Keep Learning & Improving: Understand what works best over time, while adjusting to keep pests in check with minimal impact on the local ecosystem.

Smart, eco-friendly pest control minimizes harm to the environment, people, and animals, by using balanced, thoughtful strategies that protect wildlife and keep ecosystems healthier. This innovative approach works with nature, not against it, to manage pests responsibly.

 

What Makes Rescue Products Unique

Even though eco-friendliness has been at the heart of Rescue!’s strategy from the very beginning, the company quickly learned that ease-of-use and effectiveness will always be the two most important traits of their products.

Alyssa Ando, Director of Marketing, Sterling International (Rescue’s parent company), shared these thoughts with Purgula:

Everyone loves eco-friendly products, but they are not willing to go out of their way to use them. To succeed in our category, we have found that you can’t just be environmentally sustainable—you must also be simple, yet highly effective, at what you claim to do. No one wants complicated. With product reviews and videos everywhere, people have more choices when and where they shop. We spend a lot of time in the design and R&D phases of a product launch to ensure we always deliver an intuitive and easy-to-use solution. 

RESCUE! Ant Bait on kitchen floor

RESCUE! Ant Bait, with dual‑bait gel formula, on a kitchen floor

One of the brand’s hallmark offerings is RESCUE! Ant Baits, launched in 2018. These baits use a dual‑bait gel formula—separate compartments of sugar (for workers) and protein (for larvae and the queen)—that ensures efficient delivery of poison throughout the colony. This approach overcomes two common pitfalls of competing bait types:

  • Liquid-only Baits: Fast to attract, but often only kill foragers and can cause ants to drown—failing to eliminate the colony’s core.
  • Solid Mix Baits: Slower, as ants must separate sugar and protein before sharing—delaying impact.

Rescue’s gel design avoids these pitfalls—ants can carry both bait types back swiftly and intact, ensuring that the family is eradicated within days.

Additional benefits include:

  • Child‑resistant, mess‑free stations: Lab-tested to prevent accidental opening; no spills or sticky messes.
  • Made in the USA, manufactured at their Spokane facility—supporting local production
  • Pet-safe formulation: Utilizing borax—effective for ants, but minimally toxic to pets—though baits should still be placed out of reach.
  • Rapid, visible results: Most users see ant reduction within hours and visible colony decline within days.

It’s important to note that all Rescue products are made in the United States. For them, that means all their products are designed, tested, and manufactured in the USA, which is something no other competitors can say. In addition to having their own manufacturing plant, they have a fully staffed R&D department with Ph.D. scientists (entomologists and chemists) and their own in-house engineering machine shop.

RESCUE! shipping container proudly displaying the Made in USA label

A RESCUE! shipping container proudly displaying the Made in USA label
Image courtesy of RESCUE! Pest Control

They proudly do most everything themselves, with full quality control and oversight, in their own factory, and in the outside world conducting field-testing, including: vineyards; farms; golf courses; orchards; state parks; and, of course, ordinary residential backyards. Being fully based and operational in the US also means being able to create local jobs for neighbors, delivering faster shipping, and having an always-learning, entreprenurial “can-do” culture that serves as an intangible competitive advantage. The company is also able to respond rapidly to urgent customer orders dealing with bug infestations, without needing to wait for supplies and raw materials from other parts of the world.

Effectiveness of Rescue Products

Scientific Backing and Testing

All Rescue products undergo rigorous laboratory and field-testing to ensure effectiveness and species-specific targeting. The company employs entomologists and chemists to improve product design and attractant formulations continuously.

Why Rescue Stands Out

  • Smart Design: Dual-bait gel delivers both nutrition and poison efficiently.
  • Safety-First Approach: Child-resistant, low‑toxicity borax protects families and pets.
  • Eco-Aware Ethos: A legacy rooted in pesticide reduction and responsible pest management.
  • Proven Effectiveness: Rapid knockdown of entire ant colonies, not just the surface workers.
  • Ethical Operations: Family-owned with a culture of integrity, teamwork, and continuous R&D.
A homesteader feeding flies captured in a RESCUE! Fly Trap Bucket to chickens

Example of a virtuous sustainable cycle: A homesteader feeding flies captured in a RESCUE! Fly Trap Bucket to chickens
Image couretsy of RESCUE! Pest Control

Noteworthy inventions, innovations, and accomplishments by Rescue, include:

  • Overcoming early skepticism of their pioneering eco-friendly products
  • Bringing IPM to the masses by creating consumer-friendly products that work
  • Inventing a disposable bag trap for flies (and one for yellowjackets), where the attractant stays contained and the packaging is the product.
  • Using a Gas Chromatograph-Electroantennagraphic Detector (GC-EAD) to measure antennae responses to different scents (attractants and repellents)
  • Using an Electro-Retinogram (ERG) machine to test insect retinas to discover what attracts insects visually: photoreceptor responses to different wavelengths of visual stimuli to identify the most attractive colors, patterns and intensities.
  • Turning ERG research into VisiLure®: a method of attracting insects to a sticky trap with colors, shapes, patterns, and other visual stimuli they find appealing.
  • “Glue Dot Technology” on the Rescue Spider Trap that allows more arachnids to be apprehended.
  • Creating the versatile W·H·Y Trap for Wasps, Hornets & Yellowjackets: a single design with three attractants to trap 19 different species of stinging insects.
A Rescue! scientist using an Electro-Retinogram (ERG) machine

A Rescue! scientist using an Electro-Retinogram (ERG) machine
Image courtesy of RESCUE! Pest Control

 

Rescue’s Line of Pest Control Products

Rescue Disposable Outdoor Fly Trap in front of a chicken coop

Rescue Disposable Outdoor Fly Trap in front of a chicken coop
Image courtesy of RESCUE! Pest Control

Types of Pest Control Products Offered

Rescue offers a comprehensive range of pest control solutions, including insect traps and baits:

  • Fly traps with different models to tackle both outdoor and indoor fly problems.
  • Yellowjacket, wasp, and hornet traps for a sting-free environment.
  • Indoor traps and baits for spiders, ants, fruit flies, and moths that mitigate pests while being safe to use around the house.
  • Reusable and disposable traps for sustainable or on-the-go use.
  • Non-toxic lures to draw pests without harmful chemicals.

Key Features and Benefits

  • Reusable traps help reduce waste and cost.
  • Pheromone and scent lures ensure precise targeting.
  • Easy-to-use designs require no special training or equipment.
  • Seasonal and species-specific products offer tailored solutions.

Ingredients and Safety

Natural and Non-Toxic Ingredients Used

Rescue prides itself on using non-toxic, biodegradable ingredients wherever possible. Their attractants and lures are made from natural compounds that mimic biological cues specific to target pests.

Rescue safe and nontoxic Ant Baits

Rescue safe and nontoxic Ant Baits
Image courtesy of RESCUE! Pest Control

Safety for Humans, Pets, and the Environment

The company’s products use a non-toxic mode of action, making them safe to use around children, pets, and wildlife. Many of their traps use physical mechanisms and non-chemical lures, significantly reducing risk.

Rescue Flypad attached to window pane near a sitting cat

Rescue Flypad attached to window pane near a sitting cat
Image courtesy of RESCUE! Pest Control

More from Rescue

Rescue offers more than ant baits—each product focuses on safety, effectiveness, and eco-sensitivity:

  • RESCUE! Outdoor Fly Trap – Reusable
    A plastic, bait-based trap that uses a food-grade ingredients to lure and drown flies—no harsh chemicals required. It’s reusable (just empty, rinse, refill) and designed for outdoor use only; strong odors demand placement at least 20 feet away from living areas. Proudly made in the USA.
  • RESCUE! Fruit Fly Traps
    A fast-acting lure and a reusable design makes these fruit fly traps the go-to choice for eliminating fruit flies in your kitchen.
  • RESCUE! FlyPad Sticky Traps & Fly Trap Refills
    Additional lines for both indoor productivity (sticky pads) and outdoor use (bait refills). These support the reusable fly trap system and are convenient to stock.
RESCUE! Outdoor Fly Trap on stool

Rescue!’s easy-to-use Outdoor Fly Trap

 

Pest Proofing Your Home this Fall

Here’s a summary of recommended proactive measures from Rescue to protect your home from pests that proliferate during fall months, such as spiders, fruit flies, and ants:

 

Secure the Perimeter

  • Inspect your home’s exterior for holes and cracks in siding and foundation.
  • Seal openings with caulk or spray foam insulation to block insect (and rodent) entry.
  • Check window screens for tears and patch them.
  • Place FlyPads near frequently used exterior doors to trap bugs before they enter.
Attaching a RESCUE! FlyPad to a sliding door next to a kitchen

Attaching a RESCUE! FlyPad to a sliding door next to a kitchen
Image courtesy of RESCUE! Pest Control

 

Capture Creepy Crawlers

  • Spiders and other crawling insects often move along baseboards and hide in dark corners.
  • Place spider traps near corners and along baseboards to catch them effectively.
RESCUE! Spider Trap on tile floor

The stylish RESCUE! Spider Trap on tile floor, that can be flipped for extended usage

 

Target Unwanted Intruders

  • For ants, which seek warmth in fall, use RESCUE! Ant Baits with solid gel to eliminate them without messy spills.
  • For fruit flies brought in with produce, use reusable Fruit Fly Traps and consider refills if needed.
RESCUE! Fruit Fly Trap placed next to a full fruit bowl

A RESCUE! Fruit Fly Trap placed next to a full fruit bowl

 

Closing Thoughts

Rescue pioneered a new era in household pest control—safe, effective, and environmentally conscious. From humble beginnings in a garage to becoming a trusted nationwide brand, they’ve proven that thoughtful design and ethical values can triumph in a harsh chemical-dominated industry. If you’ve been struggling to keep your home free of unwanted pests, while keeping your family, pets, and local environment safe and healthy—you can’t go wrong choosing Rescue.

 

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