Interview with Sean Steele from Paradise Pest Control

We recently spoke with Sean Steele of Paradise Pest Control. Paradise Pest Control uses advanced, effective, nature-based products—without rodenticides—for 100% green pest control.

AT: Hi, and welcome everybody. Thanks for listening to our latest A24 interview series. Today we're joined by Sean Steele of Paradise Pest Control, a 100% green pest control company in California that doesn’t use toxins, rodenticides, or other inhumane methods. They’re big proponents of the Goodnature A24 for pest control operators. Sean, thanks for joining us—tell us about you and your team’s experience.

Sean: Absolutely. Thank you. I'm happy to be here.

AT: Can you share how you got into pest control and a bit about Paradise Pest Control?

Sean: I’ve been in the medical field since 2006—radiology, plus adjunct teaching at Santa Barbara City College. After my wife and I lived abroad for a year, my father-in-law—who did local agricultural pest control—offered to show me the ropes. I started there, then founded Paradise Pest Control in 2017. With my education background, I wanted to learn the why, not just the how. Seeing the downsides of conventional methods, I knew there had to be better options. Once we had clients ready, we went all-in on modern, humane approaches—and we’re not going back.

AT: Where did you live abroad?

Sean: Prague, Czech Republic.

AT: What pest control challenges are unique to your area?

Sean: Santa Barbara is wedged between mountains and the Pacific, so homes sit right against nature—mountain lions, raccoons, skunks, and, of course, rodents. Creek beds, mountains, the 101, and the railroad all create rodent corridors. The challenge isn’t nature—it’s the culture of “make it disappear.” There’s no silver bullet; we need balance and coexistence while protecting homes.

AT: Why is humane dispatch important to your company?

Sean: My wife’s empathy for wildlife rubbed off on me—we were married at the Santa Barbara Zoo. I believe humans should be stewards of nature. “Pests” are simply nature in conflict with people. As science reveals more about animal intelligence and social behavior, we have a duty to reduce suffering while solving problems.

AT: Are rodents your most common issue?

Sean: Yes—especially roof rats and woodrats (pack rats). We also see California mice, pocket gophers, and invasive Argentine ants. Our main thrust is above-ground rodent control.

AT: How did you first hear about the Goodnature A24?

Sean: Online research for non-rodenticide solutions. Time spent checking snap traps didn’t match client budgets or effectiveness. Shawn Woods’ video validated what I was seeing—the A24 worked—and I needed a reliable alternative to poison.

AT: What do you like about using the traps?

Sean: We’re 100% A24 for rodent abatement. They’re easy to install and reposition with methods we’ve refined. Most importantly, we can provide transparent results to clients (digital counts) and enable poison-free scavenging. Wildlife is our neighbor; knowing our work doesn’t endanger them matters.

AT: Final plugs—what’s next and where can people find you?

Sean: We’re expanding and capturing more trail-cam footage of scavenging to share locally. We’re also fundraising with local orgs. Follow us on Instagram @paradisepestcontrol and visit paradisepestco.com to connect.