Page 29 - South Mississippi Living - January, 2024

Bruno and Gianna Milanese in a vintage Bay Pest Control TV commercial.
You may know her as a cute bumble bee for Bay Pest Control, but in addition to representing the family business, Gianna Milanese is a 20-year-
old college student. She’s been donning the bee costume since she was seven years old and she’s had at least 10 different ones through the years as she’s grown.
“It’s all I’ve ever known and at first I thought it was crazy,” she says. “As I’ve gotten older I’ve embraced it and it’s part of my identity, part of who I am. It’s definitely a conversation starter.”
Company president and Gianna’s father Bruno Milanese says when he thought about putting the seven year old in a bee suit, it seemed natural. “We couldn’t pass it up. She asked me when she could stop doing it. I told her when she has a daughter who can wear the suit.”
The business began in Ocean Springs in 1955 and was purchased by Milanese in 1995 at which time it was just him and a truck. Bay Pest has grown to providing service in all of Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. Today there are 65 employees, and he credits those employees as the secret to the company’s success.
“No matter how large we grow, we’re still a family business that doesn’t outgrow our customers,” he says. “We have wonderful employees and they’re part of the family. That’s why they stay with us. The first person I hired to drive a truck just recently retired.”
Milanese also believes community involvement is key to the company’s success. “We’re involved
and part of the community serving as volunteers in multiple communities,” he says.
Bruno and Julie Milanese also have two sons, Vincent, who works in the business as development manager, and Brandon, who’s an engineer with AT&T. At times they too were in commercials for the business, but it was Gianna in the bee suit that endured.
While he has no plans to retire any time soon, Milanese does look forward to slowing down
and having more involvement from the younger generation. “Gianna will probably work in marketing; that’s the best fit for her,” he says. “I’m looking forward to it but it’s up to her.”
Gianna, a broadcast journalism major with a minor in marketing at the University of Southern Mississippi, will graduate next year. “I have a passion for sports broadcasting and would like to do that while I’m young until my dad retires,” she says. “But I do hope to be more involved in the family business some day. I feel good about it. My parents have been a positive influence in my life.”
She has other interests including being a cheerleader at Southern Miss, a member of Tri Delta Sorority, serving the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Being a part of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, and teaching summer youth cheer camps with UCA.
Oh, one more word about that bee costume. “I’ve been wearing the same one for eight years and it barely fits now,” she says with a laugh. “I keep it on just long enough to film the commercials.”
6820 Washington Ave., Ocean Springs 228.875.8908 www.baypestcontrolms.com Facebook @Bay Pest Control
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living | www.smliving.net
January 2024 | 29