What should alarm you about pest control

Posted on February 27, 2010 by The Bug Doctor

I’m not a guy that gets easily rattled, in fact I like to think that I handle pressure situations very well and one who thinks quick on his feet. There are however two situations in pest control that unnerve me each and every time. The first is the little dog that you just know is going to bite you but you can’t kick the little buzzard in the head or anything because the little old lady who hasn’t written you your check yet is non stop baby talking to her wittle wuvy wumpkins–yes you are--Oh gag me, but all the while wumpkin aka Snowball is getting his 15th treat for the morning and mommies undying love, he’s eyeing you up for the perfect strike right there on your achilles heel. In 25 years I have yet to come up with a solution so please if you’re out there and you have the answer let me know!

The other situation is one that for the most part is completely controllable, I have the answers written on my service ticket and usually there are no dogs involved but for some reason when confronted I still get a pit in my stomach as fear strikes my heart and a small bead of sweat develops on my forehead. It’s over in 20 seconds if all goes well but one mistake and I could be there for an hour having to explain myself to the sheriff. I’ve dealt with it a thousand times and even in the same homes over and over for years yet I cannot control the automatic response my body unwilling gives in to every time. Today was a stark reminder of this deep seated deficiency in my DNA.
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Just how far will termites go?

Posted on February 26, 2010 by The Bug Doctor

I’ve got a couple interesting questions from our ‘Ask the Bug Doctor’ page in the last couple days and one in particular I experienced first hand on 2 seperate days this week myself.

Lisa from Orlando writes;

I was at the mall today and had to park quite a distance away from the doors-the parking lot is huge and almost all asphalt except for a few tiny islands with grass and small trees. I parked near one and literally millions of winged termites were coming out it. My question is how could so many termites live in that island and how could they find enough food to eat since there was only a little bit of mulch? Also could these termites attack the mall stores even they were so far away? (Probably 500 feet)

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The Perfect Flea Job

Posted on February 25, 2010 by The Bug Doctor

A few years ago I was called out to a flea job from a lady who had been through 3 exterminators, 6 or 7 bug bombs and God knows how much $$ she spent on fleas sprays and elixirs. She was at her wits end and I began with my usual list of questions which took her back a bit because she was expecting me to blast the place like everyone else. I knew with all the spraying that she had enough dead fleas around to make a purse but I wasn’t (and you shouldn’t either) going to add her or the pets to that list by piling on more chemicals. Something was missing somewhere and it was up to me to find out what it was that everybody else had missed.

Is the dog on any flea treatment, what kind and where does he sleep? She replied yes but the knock off brand of flea dip wasn’t going to cut it & I told her to start using Advantage or Top Spot. His bed was in the laundry room in a wire cage.

Do you have a cat? Where does he sleep? Her answer was yes but he doesn’t seem bothered and spends his days on top of the bureau in the bedroom. I advised her that the cat too needed to be on the same products (for cats) and inspected the top of the bureau. There I found flea eggs and had her clean them up with a moist paper towel and vacuum thoroughly all around the area.

Are the fleas in the yard or just in the home? She wasn’t sure but she knew that when the dog went outside he did seem to pick some up but he rarely went far from the porch.

Do you know how you got the fleas? From the vet, stray dogs in the yard, neighbors, animal or rodents up under the home that you know of? No to all 4.
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What Are These Wings On My Windowsill?

Posted on February 24, 2010 by The Bug Doctor

Today is one of the first heavy swarm days of the season and with it comes the calls of panicked homeowners and businesses. Most calls come in from 11:00 am to about 1:00 from the people that are home during the subterranean termite exodus. What they report is thousands of flying insects swarming in their living rooms, garage, dining or bathrooms. Cans of Raid are taken out of their wintery slumber and the air is filled with the country scent of death as the the battle reaches epic proportions. In the end there lies a pile of dead and convulsing alates and the red drapes now drip pink with signs of a hard fought war.

But after 5:00 the second wave of calls come in, these are quite different then the early afternoon conversations. These are the folks who weren’t home during the mating flight and have no idea of the plume of insects that filled the air while they were hard at work. Instead, curiosity drives them to call and they are usually surprised to find an extermination company answering the phone this late. They have but one question;
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Posted in Termites | 40 Comments

Spam and roaches- finding help for pest control

Posted on February 23, 2010 by The Bug Doctor

For anyone with an e-mail address you know what spam is. Some where along the line you checked out a weight loss site or a do it yourself ab’s of steel ad and before you know it every product known to man it hitting you up hoping you’ll click their link and buy something. You try to stop it with blockers and downloads guaranteed to rid you of this unwanted nuisance but nothing works. In fact, now you’re getting e-mails about the latest and greatest spyware products and pop up protections. It can be a bit frustrating because at times legitimate e-mails are blocked or sent off to the trash files.

Roaches can be a lot like this too. For many it starts off innocently enough when you buy an old item from a yard sale and bring it home not knowing there’s a roached tucked away out of sight. Perhaps you bring home the unwanted creature in a grocery bag or some of your things get infested while in storage. In any event most roach infestations don’t start off on day one with a population of 5000, it starts with one or two from an unsuspecting source but before you know it things get out of hand.
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Posted in Choosing a pest control company | 1 Comment

It’s an employers paradise-how to get or keep your pest control job

Posted on February 22, 2010 by The Bug Doctor

My little town has never had the biggest employment section in the newspaper except for the housing boom that went through here not long ago. Since it popped the paper is back to about it’s normal which can be depressing. I usually check the classifieds just to see who is hiring and I’m sure it won’t surprise you to hear-there ain’t much.

During the boom we had more bug trucks on the road then you could shake a stick at and the technicians were in high demand. Most got commission so I can’t say wages were high due to the hourly pay but new customers were plentiful and so even the mediocre sales/tech did well and if one company made a tech mad or treated him unfairly all he had to do was drive across town where he’d be welcomed with open arms at the next.
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Let’s ban phosphine/No lets ban Utah

Posted on February 20, 2010 by The Bug Doctor

I knew it wouldn’t be long in coming and frankly I’m surprised it wasn’t sooner. I mean after all the funeral for the Toone sisters has long since past (5 days) so lets start bashing everybody and pointing fingers. Hell, the family is over it by now and the lawyers have the case sewed up so write a check (a big one) and EVERYBODY LISTEN TO ME BECAUSE I HAVE SOMETHING CRITICAL TO SAY!
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Posted in Pests in the news | Tagged | 2 Comments

This Should Have Been A Super Bowl Ad

Posted on February 19, 2010 by The Bug Doctor

One of, if not the best commercials I’ve ever seen. Oh why didn’t I stay in media class back in high school. Watch it to the end, you’ll being roaring with laughter and cheering for the underdog like you did watching Rocky.
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Posted in Rats and Mice | Tagged | 6 Comments

Is orange oil termite control right for you?

Posted on February 19, 2010 by The Bug Doctor

People nowadays have a much keener awareness of chemicals and are demanding more and more to have real professionals to do there pest control work. This is not to say the DIY movement is dead or dying by any means but those that choose a service are spending more time on the internet (mainly) to check out what is being used in their homes and in this way better safe guard their families. I applaud this whole heartily.

One product that is being touted as a safe, effective and environmentally responsible tool for eradicating termites is orange oil. There are many claims as to this chemical and lets face it- it is a chemical albeit natural, about how orange oil works in the wood to destroy termites (drywoods for the most part) and then harmlessly fades away while never posing any problem to the homeowner or the service people applying it. There are even reports where orange oil is now being used for carpenter ants and other structure invading pests.
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How I started my pest control business

Posted on February 18, 2010 by The Bug Doctor

Almost every kid says at one time or another… “I want to be a (fill in the blank) when I grow up.” It’s invariably a fireman, doctor, teacher or some other laudable career but I have yet to hear “I want to be a bug man” from any youngster. Not even my own kids are thrilled with the idea but they do have a knack for the job. I don’t think anybody seeks the career of pest control so much as I believe the career finds them. I am one of these people that pest control found and I share this story for those who are also in the industry that may be curious and to those just visiting my blog that may be considering a job or even starting their own business. Hopefully for all of you it will provide some insight and just maybe my story will help you advance in your endeavors.
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Posted in Tales from the route | 26 Comments

Where on earth can an exterminator go?

Posted on February 16, 2010 by The Bug Doctor

We here at pestcemetery are not afraid to take on the hard hitting and controversial subject matter of the pest industry. Just last year we sent 2 field operatives deep into enemy territory to uncover the great tubes in the wall conspiracy, only one came back. We’ve even dared to stand up to the strong Do it Yourself pest control supply stores and declare the truth undaunted by their powerful unions. In our efforts we strive to bring you the subject matter that no one else will, oh sure if you want daily updates of pest control news and useful information-go ahead, check out probestsblog, timely information is so over rated. Industry news? yea Pete’s Ok if you like that stuff but I’m talking hard hitting water cooler stuff. Not even that rentokil gang takes you where this blog dares to go.
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Posted in Tales from the route | 2 Comments

What you don’t know about phosphine could kill you

Posted on February 15, 2010 by The Bug Doctor

Somewhere on the banks of a little creek in Ellicott City Maryland lies a skeleton of what was once a beautiful bird, how do I know this? Because I killed it 25 years ago and although I’m sure most if not all of it has been reclaimed by nature nothing will erase the memory of an early attempt at catching rats and instead I killed a non targeted animal and I regret it to this day.
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Posted in Pests in the news | 8 Comments

Do Not Use — Rat in Toilet

Posted on February 14, 2010 by The Bug Doctor

What would you say if this sign were on a commode you were about to use? What if you had to go really, REALLY bad? Recently I did a story about a rat I found in a toilet and it got some comments on forums and Facebook by other professionals. We all agreed that this kind of thing was rather rare and for me, this was the first time in 26 years of pest control I had ever seen it with my own eyes so I thought so too.

Tonight on the news they did a quick story on just such an ordeal and the people got out the video camera to document it. I thought it would be a great thing to post but much to my surprise there were many such videos of rats in toilets. Is this thing more common than I thought? I was right about one thing though, rats coming up sure to have a hard time getting out of the bowl because of the slippery porcelain and that to me is a good thing.
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What tools a pro recommends for bed bugs

Posted on February 13, 2010 by The Bug Doctor

The recommended Bed Bug Inspection tools any PCO should use.
 By Karl the BugMan 
Columbus Ohio Bed Bug Exterminator.

The most important step in getting rid of bed beg is to inspect properly to determine how widespread the infestation is and the best way to evict the bed bugs. Bed bugs can hide in any space about as thin as paper and nymphs are even smaller so leave no stone unturned even if it seems to small to you. When conducting an inspection, move slowly and make every attempt to avoid disturbing bed bugs that are hiding so they don’t move to other parts of the house or business. In a low infestation, the bed bugs will be concentrated close to bedrooms. Prioritize the risk of infestation from high to low to concentrate inspection and treatment time to the most infested areas.
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Posted in Tech Tips | 2 Comments

Stuck under the competition

Posted on February 12, 2010 by The Bug Doctor

I’m not fat by any means and I used to say I could fit into almost any crawl space or attic there was, I used to anyways. Just a couple of years ago this was put to the test and when I tell people this story I can’t help but empathize with Forrest Gump. He’d tell his tales on that park bench and people were either fascinated or walked off in unbelief. I assure you this is true but I’ll understand if you raise an eyebrow.

Our office took a call from a management company that pretty much uses my company for anything pest related. This call concerned termites which was normal but the building they were in was anything but. This infestation was in a building that one of my fiercest competitors rented from the mgt. company and to say the least they were not to happy to hear I was coming out to measure it up.
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Posted in Tales from the route | 1 Comment