Whistling past the cemetery Episode 2

Posted on November 20, 2016 by The Bug Doctor

screen-shot-2016-11-10-at-10-42-13-pmEach Friday, Jerry Schappert and Bryan Baird recap of some of the most interesting posts on the pestcemetery.com Facebook group.This is your opportunity to catch up on posts you might have missed, hear what the hosts have to say about a particular topic, or perhaps serve as your introduction to one of the most active pest control communities on the internet.

First off: CONGRATULATIONS TO DANIEL DYE!!!

National Geographic purchased Daniel’s photo of a Conenose Bug-Kissing Bug (Triatoma lecticularia). That’s a big time accomplishment for any photographer, let alone an A.C.E. that spends most of his time as a pest control training coordinator.

Continue reading →

Posted in Whistling past the cemetery podcast | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Whistling past the cemetery

Posted on November 11, 2016 by The Bug Doctor

screen-shot-2016-11-10-at-10-42-13-pmWelcome to the very first edition of Whistling Past the Cemetery!

Each Friday, Jerry Schappert and Bryan Baird recap some of the most interesting posts on the Pest Cemetery Facebook Group.This podcast is your opportunity to catch up on posts you might have missed, hear what the hosts have to say about particular topics, or perhaps serve as your introduction to one of the most active pest control communities on the internet.

Continue reading →

Posted in Whistling past the cemetery podcast | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Dodged a bullet

Posted on November 10, 2016 by The Bug Doctor
red pill blue pillThe day started out simple enough, mostly routine stops, nothing out of the ordinary… or so I thought. The office calls and says they have a customer that needs someone out soon, today if at all possible. I say, “sure, I’ll work them in.”

Continue reading →

Posted in Tales from the route | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Pest Control Marketing – Hal Coleman UNPLUGGED & UNCENSORED Workshop!

Posted on August 6, 2016 by The Bug Doctor

I rarely post advertisements…. oh what am I saying… the side bars are full of ad’s and I must have 30 posts/articles from friends in the industry touting their companies or products.  And.. the thing is, I don’t receive a dime for ANY of those. (so far:)

I have done this for a very specific reason and for the foreseeable future, I’ll continue. The reason is simple, I want YOU to succeed!

Listen, I’ve been where many of you are. Sleepless nights staring at the ceiling going over and over every aspect of your business in your head and wondering why you can’t get ahead, wondering why the world isn’t beating down your door for your service. That’s no fun. However now, for me and for many many pest control business owners the world is not so bleak and let me tell you, that’s a GREAT feeling and I want to see YOU have that feeling too. And guess what? It’s not only possible, it is absolutely doable and in far less time than you can even imagine.

So, posting an advertisement??? Yes–I’m all in and I sincerely hope you’ll consider deeply this opportunity and GO ALL IN with your commitment to your business and join me and Mr. Hal Coleman to help show you the way to this reality. It is so much closer than you think. It is literally one decision/click away. I hope to see you there and then I truly hope you’ll reach out to me in the coming months afterwards to tell me all the great events that have come about in your companies growth.

Please…read on. Continue reading →

Posted in The Business Of Pest Control | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

A Friend In Need

Posted on April 10, 2016 by The Bug Doctor
Our member map

Our member map

Ours is a big family. Thousands of members, brethren if you will, that have come together for the common cause of good. Good to our industry, good to the public we serve and good to each and every company and the individuals who earn their living in the service of pest control. When one is hurting we all hurt and with each victory I’d like to think we all celebrate with that one. It’s one of the main reasons I started my blog many years ago and perhaps still, the main reason I am still writing to this day. There is little voice out there for the small firms, few places where a mom & pop or small one man operator can get real world help. I’d like to think of pestcemetery.com as one of those places.

There is strength in numbers, there is wisdom and hope. 

The following is a small post I wrote in my Facebook group also called pestcemetery which is a closed group of around 2000 pest control professionals from literally around the world. I had no idea when typing away on my phone, (I was multitasking while watching House of Cards) that my words to a fellow member would spark such interest and/or inspire so many. Neither was I prepared for the MANY great comments and tid bits of wisdom and insight that this would generate.

I simply noticed a fellow member, a brother in the industry that is (hopefully by now WAS & it’s now passed) in such a low place. So low that he was seriously contemplating leaving 29 years of pest control experience and ownership behind. I won’t list all the troubles he faced, it wouldn’t matter anyway. We’ve all, dare I say faced similar and for some whose comments were on this thread, were even more dire, more pressure filled.

If you’d like to see the entire thread and comments or become part of this growing online community I invite you to look me up. The learning never stops and the ‘instant’ help that is offered is unmatched in my opinion. Here, in it’s entirety is my post to a friend in need.  Continue reading →

Posted in The Business Of Pest Control | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Win the War Against Rodents:

Posted on December 26, 2015 by The Bug Doctor

antman https://pestcemetery.com/Rodent season is here and mice are looking for a warm place to seek shelter.  These pests carry many diseases and can harm your family and damage your home.  Diseases such as Salmonella and Hantavirus can be transmitted to humans.  Mice are known to sometimes bring a few “hitchhikers” into our home.  Fleas, mites, and ticks are always looking for a free ride provided by rodents.  Take a few moments to perform this quick check-up to rodent proof your home to avoid the circus of possible problems.

Remember This During Inspection:
Rodents need three elements for survival;  Shelter, a food source, and water.  Some mice will only need the diameter of a penny to sneak their way into our home.   Continue reading →

Posted in Rats and Mice | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

How Green Is My Pest Control

Posted on November 13, 2015 by The Bug Doctor

definition |ˌdefəˈniSHən|noun

1 a statement of the exact meaning of a word, esp. in a dictionary.• an exact statement or description of the nature, scope, or meaning of something: our definition of what constitutes poetry. the action or process of defining something.

Recently I’ve been noticing a few things about my service that I guess I’ve taken for granted over the years. I don’t think I’m doing it the way everyone is talking about. I see the man with the caulking gun and pruning sheers on Tv commercials who apparently never steps inside your door, the company that advertises a 58 point pest inspection…wth? The endless ads for all natural or green pest products that are constantly in my e-mail box, magazines or good old news feed whenever I pop online. I guess I’m not the only one because of the many conversations I see online in forums and chat rooms with all the different ideas of how pest control is best applied (or not applied) and the many many eco friendly products they use and claim to be the best. To be honest, so many of these products I have never even heard of let alone tried. I’ve been pretty happy with my ‘traditional’ choices and kept with most of them for quite some time.  Continue reading →

Posted in In my opinion | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

DDT Did You Know

Posted on November 13, 2015 by The Bug Doctor

ddt https://pestcemetery.com/The following excerpts are presented to you from credible sources (cited below) and set in order to briefly tell the DDT story. I have set them this way because it would take the average reader several hours to glean all the different websites to gain this prospective. It did for me anyway.

Perhaps some of this information is new to you, perhaps you had no idea of the scope and magnitude of a simple observation and how many lives it would save- how many it ‘could’ve saved’ except for another set of observations.

The story of DDT and its demise should be something we should learn from, however, I don’t believe we have and I doubt if we ever truly will. Continue reading →

Posted in In my opinion | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Issues With Rodent Control Safety:

Posted on October 14, 2015 by The Bug Doctor

https://pestcemetery.com/Do you remember where you were during the 1986 Challenger space shuttle disaster?  It was a National tragedy and loss that affected all who remember that day. When you think of all the countless hours that went into preparations and how hundreds of technicians and scientists went over the vehicles every square inch- it just seems impossible something like that ever would happen. Nothing was left to chance and even a wayward bird or cloud could have scrubbed the mission. Everything was checked and rechecked again and with all systems go, the most heart wrenching event occurred just 73 seconds after take off. There wasn’t anything they could try again, there was nothing they could take back and no second chances. I have another reason for this day being etched into my mind and while I don’t pretend to compare the two in magnitude. I do contend that equally tragic accidents can happen if we don’t learn some lessons along our way.

Continue reading →

Posted in Rats and Mice | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

The Do’s & Don’ts of Rodent Control

Posted on October 14, 2015 by The Bug Doctor

bad trap placement https://pestcemetery.com/To kill a bug one needs only to apply his or her learning on the specific pests habits and that’s half the game. Insects don’t ‘think’ per se but rather react to stimuli or needs and bada bing, one dead bug. What if you threw a brain into that insect which could analyze, think critically and make decisions even despite some temptation or stimulus?

Such is the case for rodents and while I have over simplified it a bit I hope you get my point. It’s because of this ability of rats and mice to think along with their built in reactions that there are some pretty important Do’s and Don’ts. Continue reading →

Posted in Rats and Mice | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Top 28 Biting & Stinging Insects In The United States

Posted on October 14, 2015 by The Bug Doctor

Capture
In today’s post we have provided an infographic that includes the top 28 biting and stinging insects. Now mind you, these aren’t the only biting insects in the USA. However, these are the top ones known online, according to much research and reports provided by universities.

We have other resources also based on complaints posted online by individuals that was bitten by these insects. These post helped us, along with personal experience, decide what bugs made the list and those that wouldn’t. Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The Shrill of Defeat, The Saga Continues

Posted on September 20, 2015 by The Bug Doctor

Although I didn’t get off to a great start instilling any real confidence in the man of the house, the fact that the mouse was gone & the screaming had for now stopped, gave me just enough wiggle room with his wife that she, through her red and tear soaked eyes gave me the go ahead to do whatever it took to rid her of the furry demons that haunted her home. Not yet aware of the entire situation I looked the husband square in the eyes, extended my hand and as we shook I boldly proclaimed, “I am your man. I’ll get rid of your problem!” Whether with unbelief or desperation I couldn’t really say- but his words to me were as I look back very prophetic and should’ve been a warning of what I was in for….Sadly, my youth and inexperience did not let me see.

“ Son, I’m an old man and fought in WWII and have had plenty of harrowing experiences. But this non stop terror and screaming that has infested my home is beyond anything I’ve ever seen. My bones are rattled & I’m just about ready to surrender. You really don’t have any idea what you’re in for–I’m hoping I won’t be disappointed.” Continue reading →

Posted in Rats and Mice, Tales from the route | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Thrill in Victory & the Shrill & Agony of Defeat

Posted on August 24, 2015 by The Bug Doctor

A beautiful fall day in Baltimore that in my mind couldn’t get any better. Not quite a chill in the air but gone was the sweltering summer heat that my bug trucks ‘360’ air couldn’t relieve even with both windows down. With just about a year under my belt as an exterminator I really felt I was hitting my stride and enjoying every new day and amazing situation I encountered. By now I had conquered many huge bee and wasps nests, tackled roach and rodent infestations that would be the main scene in any horror movie and dealt with so many different people & from all walks of life. My route that was handed to me as a huge disastrous mess was now, finally, running like a finely tuned machine. I was at a point where I had so much confidence in my job & truly felt there wasn’t any problem I couldn’t handle. Continue reading →

Posted in Rats and Mice, Tales from the route | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

So Education Is The Key?

Posted on August 18, 2015 by The Bug Doctor

So as I’m pulling up at 9:02 for my 9 o’clock ‘retreat’ appointment, I see my client outside waiting for me looking all jittery and hunched over, staring straight down as he paces back and forth in the driveway smoking a cigarette. He see’s me, straightens up, tosses his smoke to the ground and crushes it into the dirt with his shoe. I can’t tell if he’s happy to see me or he’s ready for an all out brawl. Guess I’ll find out.

They say that education is the KEY to a successful route. It’s the KEY to promoting IPM, the KEY to better techs, the KEY to fewer call backs, the KEY public awareness and the KEY to the pest control industries future. I’m sorry, it is not.

Scoff if you will, call me a spray jockey who’s behind the times, revoke my license and take away my ACE sticker and patch. It won’t change the truth. If education is the KEY, I contend we must be at the wrong house. Continue reading →

Posted in In my opinion | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Bug Trucks & Weed Whackers Just My .02

Posted on August 16, 2015 by The Bug Doctor

Waiting for the light to turn green at a busy intersection can be a place of great learning. It’s a brief pause and insight into the world that otherwise is passing by in all different directions and at all different speeds. You see these people and sorted vehicles who also begin to stack up at the light. Those across the intersection, the car behind you, the ones in the turn lanes and even those who’ve pulled into the corner convenience store for gas and some smokes. As you sit, the numbers increase. One by one they fill up the spaces around you and you can’t help but look around and notice the spectacle.

But there’s one vehicle I’m seeing more and more everyday and it’s truly very disappointing to me. I can’t help but feel a little sorry for its driver and maybe even a little more for the people whose driveway he’ll pull into later that day. Truth be told, and this is my opinion, I also feel that our industry too, takes a hit with this type of activity and there’s something about it that just seems so wrong. Continue reading →

Posted in In my opinion | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment