Is Billy The Exterminators Image Bad For Pest Control?

Posted on January 20, 2011 by The Bug Doctor

There are several reasons these thoughts have flitted across my brain lately and so I thought I would share them with you. Please feel free to comment and don’t hold back one ounce of what you’re thinking as I intend to do the same.

When I drive around town I see many different bug guys and gals and to be quite honest I’m a bit disappointed. For an industry that touts professionalism it sure looks like we don’t care to much about promoting this idea. Now I’m not a prude and like you, I like to be comfortable in what I do. So you may catch me in a pair of jeans from time to time and on days where I have nothing but vacant repos to do I might even skip shaving for that day.
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Mice In The Walls-Smells Like Trouble

Posted on January 19, 2011 by The Bug Doctor

It may start as a feint tiny sound that you swear you hear but you pass it off as just a branch on the roof or maybe just your imagination. It’s not all day and when you ask your husband to listen of course it’s dead silent. A bit perplexed you try and put it out of your mind. You could be ironing or or reading a book some days later and again this far away sound catches your attention. You’ve narrowed it down to a section in the ceiling or a 6 foot area of the hall but when you investigate closer you can’t hear a thing. By now you sound like a kook unless of course others have heard it too and it’s difficult to know what to do. “Maybe if I just leave it be it’ll find its way out” you say to yourself in a kind of hopeful way.
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Posted in Rats and Mice | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Ode To Chrissy, Women In Pest Control

Posted on January 18, 2011 by The Bug Doctor

I was fortunate in my career that for the first 3 months I did nothing but train. It wasn’t that this was standard protocol mind you, the branch that hired me just had some difficulty finding ‘just cause‘ to fire the man I was to replace. (political correctness run amuck you might say) So train I did. I watched every instructional video they had, read every book and took all the classes and tests. Now I did find this fascinating & I soaked up everything I could but being in an 8 x10 room everyday was a bit much. I did on occasion get to go out on some trouble calls with the service manager and got to see pest control applied first hand. However these were usually angry customers because they still had bugs. So my first impression of the actual job was much different then the pristine people in the videos and the perfect scenarios described in books. I was eager to see what the real job entailed and got my chance toward the end of my education. I was going to ride shotgun for a week with a real tech doing real route work just like a man should. I was psyched!
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Posted in Tales from the route | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Time, Distance & Shielding-Principles In Pest Control Series #1

Posted on January 17, 2011 by The Bug Doctor

There are certain places where a chemical will not go, a bait won’t entice and the technician has not time for:

I’ve often said, “Give me just one ounce of spray and I can achieve a thousand times better results than a home owner who has a gallon.” The reason? It is as simple as knowing some principles. The following is #1 of our series of three but there are many more. If, however you were to just take these and apply them with even a little knowledge of your target, you’d improve your pest control treatments immensely.
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The Voice Of Contradiction-But I’ve Got Nothing Better To Do

Posted on January 15, 2011 by The Bug Doctor

So it’s 2011 and a couple of my goals have come in on time, (imagine that) and some plans that we thought out months ago are in full swing so perhaps this year might be a bit like, well, like it is expected. Basically I’m stepping out of the hands on service and focusing more on the growth of our little company. Now I’m not foolish and I do have a plan B but if it all hits the fan I can always go back to 12 hour days. For now however, I’m going stir crazy! That wasn’t really part of the plan. So before my wife kicks me out of the house I have to put in Plan C otherwise known as;
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The Argentine Ant

Posted on January 12, 2011 by The Bug Doctor

Argentine ants are not native to the United States but were brought here in the 1890’s and are considered a serious invading home invading pest. This small brown ant (2-3 mm in length) looks very similar to other ants but its habits of area and specie domination have put in the top 100 list of most invasive insect. Argentine ants do not tolerate other species of ants which can throw the balance off of an area and other creatures also suffer with their presence. Lizards in California for example that depend on other ants for food have declined in population with the take over of this dominate pest. Normally brown in color, shiny and almost completely hairless this non de-script ant is best identified by its behavior.
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Posted in Ants | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

Roaches In The Refrigerator

Posted on January 10, 2011 by The Bug Doctor

Nothings more disgusting than opening up the ol fridge and have german roaches scurry about. It’s one thing to have roaches in the kitchen cabinets and drawers but the ice cold confines of the refrigerator is the last place you’d expect or want to find them. Now don’t get me wrong, roaches are cold blooded and it’s not as if the chilly air inside the box is good for them. They can and do however thrive on the innards of our most sacred ‘safe’ for our food and if you don’t address the problem correctly you will have a perpetual infestation in the kitchen as well as unwelcome visitors in where your food is suppose to stay fresh and clean.
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Posted in Roaches | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

A Proven Strategy In Pest Control

Posted on January 8, 2011 by The Bug Doctor

All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved.
Sun Tzu

There seems to be a grave misconception of pest control which leads to disappointments, under valuing, disinterest and impatience. The fallacy comes from the illusion that a technician simply walks around with his wares, sprits about and that’s all the service is. I mean who can blame a homeowner who sees a guy or gal that whips through the home in no time flat and then hands them a bill for $50.00. (or more) With no visible proof that they’re doing anything professional, any number of emotions can set in and the end result is usually not good.
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Posted in In my opinion, The Business Of Pest Control | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

White Faced Hornet

Posted on January 7, 2011 by The Bug Doctor

Bald Faced Hornets are also known as White Faced Hornets and are generally less aggressive than their cousins the yellow jackets but will defend their nest and sting repeatedly if disturbed. This large hornet is almost an inch in length and it’s white facial markings are what gives it its name. Nests are often unnoticed in the spring but by late fall can be as long as 3 feet and cause great alarm. The queen begins the nest and lays her first few eggs. The paper nest begins to grow as workers emerge and will have 3 to 4 tiers of combs when complete. Multiple layers of paper made from chewed wood and saliva that is high in starch makes their nest extremely sturdy. There is generally one hole at the bottom for entry and exit and the football shape makes for easy identification of this specie. The nest is abandoned in the winter and never reused.
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Who Will Survive In Pest Controls Near Future?

Posted on January 5, 2011 by The Bug Doctor

Are you ready for 2011? Do you have plans for new trucks, employees or even expansion? Are you excited for what the future holds and is this your year to grab some real market share?

They say pest control is truly a recession proof industry and in my little corner of the world I can see some truth in this. While states, counties and even small towns all across the fruited plain are experiencing the highest unemployment numbers in years, seemingly strong businesses have closed their doors. Thankfully so far pest control is one sector that has survived. While this is comforting to small companies like me, I can assure you my eyes are on the horizon and to be honest I couldn’t tell you if the sun is setting giving way to a long dark night or rising up, in to a glorious morning.
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The Flying Asian Cockroach

Posted on January 4, 2011 by The Bug Doctor

Asian Cockroach is another member of the roach family which is fast becoming a major pest throughout the southern United States. This roach thrives in tropical and subtropical climates and was first discovered in Tampa Florida in 1986. Early control methods and general knowledge of this pest was slow in coming due in large part to the under estimation of this insect. Florida residents were inundated with this flying roach which seemed to break all conventional wisdom of then understood roach habits and professional exterminators had little answers. Since its discovery in Central Florida this roach has spread across the southeast to Texas and as far north as South Carolina. The asian roach is truly omnivorous eating plant material as well as meats. At least one known benefit of the roach is that it readily feeds on certain crop pest eggs and is a common predator of the bollworm.
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Posted in Roaches | Tagged , , , , , | 21 Comments

Assassin Bugs

Posted on January 3, 2011 by The Bug Doctor

Assassin bugs are also known as conenose, kissing and wheel bugs. There about 3000 different kinds of this insect and they vary widely in coloration but are all fairly similar in shape. The assassin bug as a whole is mostly beneficial feeding on insects such as mosquitos, flies and caterpillars or other harmful pests. Injecting a toxin which quickly paralyzes its prey is how it got its name. This insect is aggressive and will readily attack a perceived foe larger than itself. When left alone they are a benefit but certain kinds of assassin bugs known as the connose or kissing bugs feed on the blood of vertebrates which often includes humans. It is this type of assassin bug that is considered a pest and if bitten you can experience a very painful ordeal. Conenose bugs are known for biting at night when their prey are asleep and have the habit of biting around the mouth. (thus the kissing bug name) The welts are quite pronounced. Homes that are drafty such as older log cabins are often easy for this large bug to enter where they can be found in cracks or gaps and around sinks. Diseases such as Chagas are transmitted from the bites putting these bugs in the pest category.
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Posted in Beneficial bugs | Tagged , , , , | 15 Comments

Simple Maintenance Of Your Hand Pump Sprayer

Posted on January 1, 2011 by The Bug Doctor

This week we had a little meeting at our office and I put together several videos to help illustrate what I was teaching. One of our subjects was simple maintenance of the hand sprayers we use and I thought it might be something that would help you as well. Also, check out this link for the complete diagram and parts list for a standard B&G sprayer. If you’re like me, I refer to it a lot, especially when buying parts so I know I’m asking for the right thing. B&G Repair & Maintenance Manual
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Refrigerators & Roaches-It’s worth a look

Posted on December 31, 2010 by The Bug Doctor

Do you pull out the refrigerator when you service a home? I’ll admit I don’t do this every time and hardly ever on regular maintenance where there is no real problem. Having said that, if you have or suspect german roaches there is probably no better thing you can do for your treatment. Besides roaches, earwigs, mice, spiders and just about any pest you can think of can and will hide behind this big and undisturbed oasis of your kitchen.
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Is Your Pest Control Company Built On A House Of Cards?-It May Not Be Up To You

Posted on December 29, 2010 by The Bug Doctor

There are so many things that are just dead set against a small company from getting up and off the ground long enough to becoming established. It can be such a grind and a fight to just make it past the first couple of years which is when at least 1/3 of new starts fail. Odds are still in the houses favor as time goes by and never get over 50/50 in the first 4. While this is better than the 50% failure rate in one year rule that was believed true for years it still is a sobering thought.

So, there you are perhaps in year 5 or maybe 35 and you’ve made it through those daunting and perilous times unscathed. Sure it was tough and there were some peanut butter sandwiches along the way but hey, it was worth it right? You’re on solid ground now and barring an earthquake or some other cataclysmic event it’s time to relax, grow your business and enjoy the fruits of your labor. You’ve beat the house in what can be a cruel game of cards.
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Posted in In my opinion, The Business Of Pest Control | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments