The next time you go into your distributor, ask for a box of ‘Mr. Stickies’ and see what kind of reaction you get. I don’t know why I call them that, just a name I picked up somewhere and it ‘stuck’ ever since.
Of course I’m talking about insect glue boards, aka Trapper LTD, Catchmaster Insect Monitor Traps or one of the many more proper names or brands. A very handy tool for any professional bug man but I find at least one or two drawbacks and I’m wandering if you’ve experienced the same.
In my little company I buy Mr. Stickies (sorry–it’s just a habit) by the case. I find it to be a very valuable tool for just about any account. I use them quite a bit on “initial services” to monitor pest activity or narrow down where hot spots are. I also use them on maintenance visits. Almost every garage door gets one one either side to stand guard near that usually BIG gap. A/C closets, behind a huge dresser or even under a night stand or bed so it’ll help the Mrs. sleep better after she saw a huge spider on her bedroom ceiling. The versatility and safety of a sticky will allow you to put them just about anywhere and it’s seldom I get an objection to their use. I ‘don’t however, want to rely on them as my main product used and this is where things sometimes–get a little sticky.
Now for our service, the sticky trap is just a tool and we explain to our clients that once the pest problem is settled, we may keep
replacing those in the garage or perhaps another control point where a spray or other product isn’t desirable. We explain……. but somehow something always seems to get lost in the translation.
Easy To Get Stuck On Stickies
I find that a customer who is “once a sticky” is “always a sticky” and even when told about how we operate they give you that look at the end of your service like, “you are going to put out a trap or two right?” So from there I whip out one or two and place them and then hear the suggestion, “could you put one up here too, you know just in case?” So pretty soon I’m back up to the same amount I placed with my ‘clean out service’. Again I remind them of the “tool spiel” and they may nod their heads but lo and behold, with each service from now and forever, they want stickies!
Sticky Fever
Now most aren’t real bad with this and I can get away with say 4 or 5 throughout the house and I always use ‘singles’ from the sheet.
Just as long as they see them I guess and that alone triggers some kind of comfort and all is good. Others however get sticky fever and not only do they want you to place about 20 around the home, they actually want 2 or 3 sheets for in between time. On top of that, if you ever placed a monitor trap in a protective station– (Trap rite or cheap plastic rodent station) or those handy little stickies with pheromones– Oh boy! Now you’re obliged to provide those too. I’m telling ya, this kind of obsession can add up quick and you’ll be losing $$ on the account with each and every service. Oh
and if you run out of stickies and use a rodent glue board, ouch!$! (The pics in this post are not from a client of ours but seeing this I felt sorry for this tech, because he/she obviously was dealing with this problem and must have run low on the traps so they had to get creative. Notice the cut up rat and fly boards.)
Break The Sticky Fever
Now I created a lot of these ‘monsters’ on my route and for some, it’ll never change & I’m ‘stuck providing stickies. For the last few years however, I cut way back on monitor trap use for new clients and what I do use, I hide fairly well. For others who aren’t quite so hooked but been with me awhile, I simply don’t bring the subject up. If they do ask I tell them the control points are covered and keep my tongue in check. It’s not that I’m cheap (well uh) but to me the beauty of a service is to leave a place and not have anything visible that I have done. Having glue boards at the front door and down the hall can’t bode well if guests come over and say “Gosh, 
who does your pest control?” They’ll either think that’s all you use or that the home must have a lot of bugs, either way I don’t see them asking for my number.
Sticky/monitor traps are a great and wonderful tool and I’ll probably always use them in my pest control arsenal. I just want avoid getting unintentionally stuck.
