Cape-Kil celebrates 75 years of pest control

Elizabeth Knote, owner of Cape-Kil pest control, took over the family business from her father in 1981. This year, the company celebrated its 75th anniversary.

Southeast Missourian file

A Cape Girardeau pest removal business celebrated its 75th anniversary this August.

The Cape Chemical Company, better known as Cape-Kil, opened in 1949 under the direction of the late Charles Knote, who moved it to its present 33 N. Frederick St. location the following year.

After he retired in 1981, his daughter Elizabeth Knote took over the family business and has been running Cape-Kil ever since.

Father and daughter both graduated from Purdue University, the elder Knote studying agricultural economics and entomology and the younger studying chemical engineering. Both worked in the pesticide industry before they started Cape-Kil and Elizabeth Knote continues to attend conferences about the state of the industry, particularly those held by her alma mater. She has attended the Purdue Pest Management Conference for 42 years.

“I go each year and I learn whatever research Purdue is doing in entomology. I learn about new materials, new techniques and new regulations because it’s always changing. This business is constantly changing, almost as dramatically as the computer industry,” she said.

Knote said there are only a handful of chemicals still in use today versus what she started with in 1981. Several new ones have been added, as well, and as such the company has added new services. Cape-Kil offers pest control against insects, arachnids and rodents for residences, health care facilities, nursing homes, food warehouses and chemical plants.

“Some days I’m a scientist, some days I’m a bookkeeper, other days I am going out and doing sales … it’s a variety of things that I do,” Knote said.

She and her father are also inventors, receiving patents for devices to specialize in killing bedbugs and rodents, respectively. Charles Knote was also a pioneer in the effort of improving brown recluse management after the spider was determined to be dangerous to humans in 1957.

In early years, Cape-Kil focused primarily on selling over-the-counter chemicals for pest control, but as time progressed they switched primarily to their residential and commercial pest control services.

Knote said being honest with customers has helped in the company’s longevity.

“If you say we’re going to get this under control, you get it under control,” she said.

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