Billy the Exterminator

Billy the Exterminator
Starring	Billy Bretherton
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	10
Production
Running time	30 minutes (including commercials)
Production company	September Films
Original release
Network	A&E
Release	2009 (2009) – present

The Exterminators is an American reality television series which airs on the A&E network.

The show follows the professional life of Billy Bretherton, an expert in the field of pest control who is the proprietor of Vexcon Animal and Pest ControlBenton, Louisiana which serves the Shreveport-Bossier metropolitan area. Bretherton, a former sergeant in the United States Air Force, had previously been featured on the Discovery Channel's Dirty Jobs series.

Many members of Bretherton's family, such as his parents, "Big" Bill and Donnie, and his brother, Ricky, as well as other employees make frequent appearances. Donnie Bretherton normally acts as Vexcon's dispatcher and rarely goes out on jobs. Ricky's ex-wife, Pam, and Billy's wife, Mary, each resigned during the production of the first season.

As noted in many episodes, Billy Bretherton prefers, if at all possible, to relocate captured animals and is a proponent of natural methods of control. He frequently gives a description of the pests, their preferred environment, and any diseases (usually using their Latin names) associated with them. Ricky Bretherton acquired an allergy to bee and wasp stings due to being stung so many times.

Billy Bretherton entered the Air Force at age nineteen intent on a career in law enforcement. However, his military entrance examination indicated that he had an aptitude for biology. He was sent to study it and entomology. His extermination career began in earnest while stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in North Las Vegas, Nevada.

Bretherton is also a public speaker.

Show history

“Back in 2004 Pilgrim Films contacted us and wanted to shoot a pilot for Discovery Channel (that was a) reality pest control show”, said Bretherton. “They had interviewed about 200 different companies and found us and liked us. They sent scouts out that rode around with us for a day, made the determination that we would be good for filming, and we ended up on Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe". The Spike network was also approached about picking up the series. Originally called The Exterminators during its first season in 2009, the show was renamed Billy the Exterminator before the second season. Twenty episodes are scheduled. The title change is reflected in repeats of season one episodes.

Ricky Bretherton arrest

On April 10, 2010, Ricky Lee Bretherton was arrested in Leesville, Louisiana after a routine traffic stop revealed "...a quantity of suspected marijuana as well as a container that had more suspected marijuana as well as drug paraphernalia". Bretherton was released on $4,198 bail. Bretherton's female passenger was also arrested.

Vexcon Team

• Billy: Proprietor of Vexcon
• Ricky: Billy's brother
• Pam: Ricky's ex-wife (resigned from Vexcon in season one)
• Bill Sr.: Billy's father
• Donnie: Billy's mother
• Mary: Billy's wife (resigned from Vexcon in season one)

See also

• Roy Rede

External links

• Billy the Exterminator at A&E.com
• Vexcon website
• Billy Bretherton's page at the American Program Bureau website
• "Billy the Exterminator" (2009) at IMDb