Meet Billy the Exterminator

Down in the land of Louisiana, along both sides of the Red River and throughout Northwest Lousiana, Billy Bretherton is gaining attention while going about his everyday job. Billy happens to be Billy Bretherton, part of a family owned extermination business called Vex Con operating out of Benton, LA near the sister cities of Shreveport and Bossier City.

With his trademark style - spiked hair, leathers, studded wrist bracelets, chains, a killer cowboy hat, and those sunglasses - Billy stands out in any crowd. His fashion statement, however, is a little bit more than that - Billy claims that some of his get-up helps in his job as an exterminator. Since he deals with far more pests than your average cockroach or ant infestations, he must be right.

As one of the stars - and the one with the most focus - on the A & E reality televison program "Billy The Exterminator", Billy Bretherton is gaining both fame and fans as he hunts down creatures ranging from giant snakes to bats to venomous spiders and gators. His series chronicles his daily activities as he and brother Ricky remove a rattlesnake from a Bossier City funeral home, rid a vacation home of brown reculse spiders, tangle with water moccasins in a Lousiana duck blind and much more. In the course of their work, they are sometimes stung or bitten...worse for Ricky because he suffers from a wasp allergy that can be fatal if not treated in time.

Billy, a forty-something former Air Force sergaent, found he had an aptitude for biology while in the military and changed his career goals from law enforcement to pest control. He learned the skills of the trade while still in the Air Force, took correspondence courses from Purdue University, gained hours of experince working in the field with seasoned exterminators, and then earned a Masters from Louisiana State University. Then he and family members - parents Donnie and Bill, brother Ricky, wife Mary, - founded a family business, Vex-Con.

On first glance, many may find Billy eccentric with his punk fashion style but behind the leathers and the chains, lurks an intelligent man with a gentle heart. Vex-Con uses nothing but natural sprays to combat their prey and their catch-and-release-program for the critters that they catch appeals to animal lovers everywhere. Billy finds suitable homes in the wilderness for the squirrels, snakes, and other creatures he captures.

His first fame came with Mike Rowe's "Dirty Jobs" where Mike took over Billy's tasks for a day. Then came a call looking for an exterminator to do a reality show and although over two hundred different companies vied for the spot, Billy won with his unique style, his vast knowledge, and his green approach to pest removal.

Now in the second season, "Billy The Exterminator" is gaining popularity with every new show. Whether folks like the creepy crawlies that he deals with or they like his style, Billy is becoming a celebrity. Some women find him to be "eye candy" and on Facebook alone, a fan site is dedicated to Billy Bretherton and his show.

Billy also does speaking engagements and he's ready to help anyone with a pest problem, large or small. From watching the program, it would seem that the gnarlier, the better because Vex-Con seems to specialize in those creatures that most exterminators wouldn't touch with a literal ten-foot long pole.

Tune into "Billy The Exterminator" on A & E for a taste of Louisiana, some tips on pest control, a bit of excitement with spiders, snakes, and even gators, and an entertaining approach to a very practical job. The show currently airs at 9pm CST on A & E but check local listings to be sure.