If pest management professionals are always extinguishing fires or implementing band-aid solutions, the plan will not work. Pest management starts with a lot of prevention work, supplemented by a comprehensive monitoring and inspection plan.

One day, at a food factory sanitation meeting, someone asked the food sanitation department how much time it would take to control various diseases and insect pests. "Is our plan active or passive?" Curt Hale, an entomologist and former health coordinator at General Mills in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, responded to the query with the following three-circle diagram representing balanced pest management: Big circle, Prevention; middle circle, monitoring; and small circle, control.

prevention. The big circle represents the importance of prevention and the total amount of time and effort that should be spent on this task. Examples include cleaning up spilled products, caulking cracks, replacing screens on doors and openings, repainting the 18-inch white line around the warehouse to keep products away from walls, checking ingredients and packaging materials, correcting improperly installed lights outdoors, and replacing worn-out lights. Sweep the door, check the wooden pallets for carpenter ants and other wood-damaging creatures, and sweep and vacuum the spider webs in the warehouse, to name a few. 

Prevention takes time and constant effort, but it will bring benefits in a balanced health plan.

monitor. The second circle represents the percentage of time and effort that should be used to monitor pests/rodents. Examples include pheromone traps (indoor and outdoor), mechanical entanglement traps, sticky-board traps (error traps), checking for signs of pest damage, black lighting for rodent urine and feces, and checking that these devices show suspicious activity area.

Areas with increased temperature should be carefully inspected and monitored. The warm motor will create a climate for the best growth of insects and spiders. The presence of spiders is an excellent indicator of insect activity. Suspicious code dates on food storage rooms, quality control laboratories, and retention racks must be checked. The vigilance of fine-tuned monitoring procedures can provide early warning before problems evolve into customer complaints. In any pest management plan, it is important to start with insects.

control. The third circle represents the control part of the complete pest management plan and should be the smallest circle in the balanced pesticide plan. Generally, the control portion of a pest control plan spends the most energy and money on pesticides and downtime. It is usually used to replace valuable cleaning and monitoring crutches. Treatment should not be used as a supplement to prevention and monitoring programs.

The control program should not be used according to the calendar, but should be used under reasonable circumstances. Any pest management plan will have outbreaks, and when these outbreaks occur, pesticides are required, but if a true integrated pest management approach is based on the history of the target pest and the problem, the frequency of these outbreaks will be greatly reduced. The most important thing to consider when choosing a control product is to protect the integrity of the product. Which is worse, a product is infested by insects, and a product contains excessive illegal pesticide residues?

Take home news. These three circles are a simple but effective model to illustrate how a real pest management plan should be viewed. If pest management professionals are always extinguishing fires or implementing band-aid solutions, the plan will not work. Pest management starts with a lot of prevention work, supplemented by a comprehensive monitoring and inspection plan.

Finally, the safest control measures should be used, not according to the calendar, but when necessary.

This simple program has a very important message: pest management is proactive, not passive.

Dave Mueller of BCE is the founder of Insects Limited (www.insectslimited.com) and a fumigation service and supply company based in Westfield, Indiana. He retired in 2018 and is an inductee of the Pest Control Hall of Fame.

New research shows that Argentine ant IPM with pheromone adjuvant and boric acid hydrogel bait can reduce chemical application and provide faster control.

One of the most important considerations in the urban pest management industry is to achieve effective pest management while minimizing environmental pollution and the impact on human health. Based on the results of previous studies, the low-impact protocol for the Argentine ant control project we are discussing here has been carefully designed to minimize the environmental footprint of the control work while increasing the effectiveness and economic feasibility of pest control.

In many urban residential areas in the United States, the Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) is one of the most common nuisance ant species handled by pest management professionals. Contact and residual pesticide sprays are one of the most common treatment options for ant control in Argentina because they are easy to use and cost-effective.

In this study, we used two new methods (ie, pheromone adjuvants and biodegradable hydrogel baits) to develop a low-impact integrated pest management (IPM) protocol. Hydrogel is a super absorbent polymer that can absorb and transport liquid bait in the form of beads. Once the ants find the hydrogel, they ingest liquid bait from it. Then they will return to the nest to share the bait with the entire group while creating a trail to the hydrogel, and their nest will follow.

When boric acid is added to liquid ant bait, boric acid has proven to be an effective poison. In addition, it is generally regarded as one of the active ingredients that are "safer" for non-targets. Based on the results of our previous research on pheromone adjuvants and hydrogel baits, a low-impact IPM protocol was developed and field tested. By using insect pheromone, one can maximize the efficiency of existing treatment schemes by attracting target species to the treatment area. By using the new bait delivery method of hydrogel, insecticidal liquid bait can be easily incorporated into existing service routes and agreements without affecting economic feasibility.

treatment plan. The house in Riverside, California was used for experiments. At the beginning of summer, use fipronil spray for one-time peripheral treatment (see Figure 1). Follow California label instructions (0.03% for peripheral applications). For the five treatment chambers, the initial fipronil treatment contained the pheromone adjuvant-microencapsulated (Z)-9-hexadecenal (Suterra, Bend, Ore.; 25 ml per 3.8 liter spray). For comparison, another 10 control houses were treated with only 0.03% fipronil. Each household uses approximately 0.25-0.3 gallons of fipronil spray.

For all treatment chambers, after the initial spray application, a maintenance treatment is carried out in the fourth week after treatment. The biodegradable alginate (seaweed-based) hydrogel bait is produced by a method developed by Tay et al. (2017) (See Figure 2). In short, a solution of sodium alginate (1%) was slowly added dropwise through a modified 8-inch shower nozzle (1.6 mm diameter). Immediately collect the droplets in a plastic container filled with 0.5% calcium chloride crosslinker solution. After two minutes, the resulting hydrogel beads were filtered out of the cross-linking solution and rinsed with clean water. The washed hydrogel beads are "conditioned" by immersing them in a liquid bait containing sucrose and boric acid overnight (24 hours). The concentrations of sucrose and boric acid in the final hydrogel bait were 25% and 1%, respectively. In order to improve the stability of the final hydrogel bait, 0.25% potassium sorbate was added to the final hydrogel bait. The pheromone adjuvant was also mixed with the hydrogel bait immediately before administration. Use about 4-7 liters of hydrogel bait per household (about 40-70 grams of boric acid per household). Use a manual or motorized spreader to spread the hydrogel bait on the ground, mainly on the active ant trails, soil or vegetation surface within 5 m of the building (see Figure 3).

Estimate the foraging activity level of ants based on the total amount of sucrose solution consumed in 24 hours (average from 10 monitoring points). These areas were monitored before the initial spray treatment and at 1, 2, and 4 weeks after treatment. After maintenance treatment (hydrogel bait) in the 4th week, these areas were further monitored in the 5th, 6th and 8th weeks. The efficacy of the treatment was studied by comparing the ant foraging activity level between the treatment and the control house or between different monitoring time points in the treatment. The data from an untreated house (not copied) was used to show the natural seasonal ant activity in the past two years, but it was not used for statistical analysis.

Control effectiveness. Over time, the level of infection in the treatment room decreased significantly. A number of comparative tests showed that the initial peripheral fipronil spray and pheromone adjuvant immediately significantly reduced the level of foraging activity of ants (see Figure 4, blue line). However, the control houses that received only fipronil spray (no pheromone adjuvant) did not show any significant reduction in ants foraging activity after treatment (page 42, orange line). In fact, even after the initial spraying, ant activity in some control rooms increased significantly.

As a maintenance treatment, the biodegradable boric acid hydrogel bait (between the 4th week and the 5th week) can effectively reduce the foraging activity of the ants immediately (the 5th week), keeping the ant infestation level in the treatment room low Level (see Figure 5). By week 8, compared with the pretreatment data (before the initial spray treatment), the level of foraging activity of ants in the treatment room was reduced by 80% overall. During the entire study period, the untreated control group did not show any continuous decline in ant activity.

Final thoughts. The new spray and hydrogel bait scheme demonstrated in the current study may be an effective way to manage Argentine ants without reusing sprays. Pheromone adjuvants increase the number of exposed ants, thereby maximizing the efficacy of residual spray products. When used as a stand-alone method in a preliminary study, the biodegradable hydrogel bait containing boric acid can take several weeks to reach an acceptable level of control (a reduction of more than 80%) for a large number of Argentine ants. Therefore, the use of effective spray materials for peripheral treatment will help provide initial rapid control.

Due to its relatively low toxicity to non-target organisms, boric acid bait can be an important tool for subsequent maintenance services. The relatively high cost associated with materials and labor has always been a disadvantage of traditional bait methods. The use of a biodegradable hydrogel matrix as a carrier for liquid bait is an important breakthrough in coping with this challenge in the control of sugar-eating sugar ants. The low-impact IPM protocol demonstrated in this study keeps ant activity levels low for longer, which will also reduce callbacks and greatly save costs associated with reprocessing.

Dong-Hwan Choe is an associate professor and associate extension expert in the Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside. Jia-Wei Tay is an assistant professor in the Department of Plant and Environmental Science, University of Hawaii at Manoa; she is also an assistant extension expert in urban entomology.

The research was published in the "Journal of Economic Entomology". read more.

Most equipment problems can be prevented. A little planning and some upfront work will reduce your company's downtime and expenses.

You did everything right. You bought the best car, wrapped it with your new logo, hired and trained the best technicians, bought the best equipment and chemicals, and hired skilled sales staff to find great customers . But when the technician arrived at the customer's location, there was nothing. The device is malfunctioning. This is frustrating, embarrassing and expensive, and it has happened to all of us.

It is impossible to avoid all equipment problems, but there are steps you can take to significantly reduce the possibility of problems. The following is a list of the main precautions for maintaining pest control equipment. (Note: We do not include vehicle repairs in this list.)

Clean it up. Any pest control (or termite control) equipment used to apply the product, regardless of its form (liquid, dust, granule, etc.) or application method (spray, dust, fog, mist, etc.), needs to be cleaned regularly.

Dirty or clogged equipment is one of the most common problems we see in equipment repair shops. We are constantly amazed by the number of customers who pay for our cleaning equipment. Keeping the equipment clean is the responsibility of the technician who uses the equipment.

In addition to causing downtime, the accumulation of chemicals in the application equipment can damage the equipment and affect application efficiency. An example of the latter situation is the accumulation of chemicals at the bottom of the spray can. The chemicals accumulated in the storage tanks cannot protect the customer, and the customer does not get the value he or she paid for.

It is especially important to ensure that the filters on your hands, backpacks and electric sprayers are clean. There is no doubt that clogged filters are the main cause of equipment problems. This is surprising because it is almost the easiest thing to check and correct.

release stress. Many pest control devices use pressure to apply products (sprayers, dusters, sprayers, sprayers, etc.). Another good way to reduce problems with spray equipment is to relieve pressure. Release the pressure of the sprayer (electric or manual) after each stop to prevent problems. Relieve the pressure by squeezing the handle of the spray gun, allowing the pressure in the pipeline to drop. The electric sprayer must be turned off, and the hand sprayer should not be vented. If spraying additional chemicals on the ground is a problem, open the lid of the sprayer can and spray the product back into the can.

Releasing the pressure on the sprayer can extend the service life of soft parts such as hoses, O-rings, and gaskets. We used to recommend releasing the pressure at the end of the day, but the technician forgot that the sprayer ended up being stored under pressure all night. Remember that the summer temperature on the truck is higher than the ambient temperature, so if you don't release the pressure, the pressure in the system will increase.

I have always been amazed by the number of avoidable pest control equipment repairs we see in our store every week. These repairs cost the company money that could have been better used.

If you check your technicians irregularly, you may get unexpected results that affect your customers and cost you money.

The owner, manager or supervisor should inspect the truck regularly. Start with regular and frequent inspections, and reduce the frequency as the inspection results improve. Truck inspections can be carried out as planned or in unexpected situations.

One of our customers inspects the truck every two weeks before the technician can receive his or her salary. Another customer has a supervisor to conduct inspections, and technicians participate in monthly training meetings in it.

Here is a short checklist to help you get started:

If deep freezing occurs, releasing the pressure can also reduce the chance of freezing damage. If the sprayer is stored under pressure and the temperature drops, the water has nowhere to expand. When water freezes, the weakest link in the system breaks.

Train technicians to release all power and pressure from the manual compressed air sprayer at the end of each stop to extend the service life of the equipment and reduce breakdowns and downtime.

Fixed load. We see three risks of unsafe equipment in vehicles:

3. In the event of a collision or other emergency, loose equipment will fly out of the truck. This is really scary and may lead to expensive litigation.

Here are a few key points about your equipment and driving. First, don't assume that the equipment is safe just because it is in the truck. Second, just because the device is safe under normal driving conditions, don't assume it is also safe in emergency situations. Finally, make sure your employees check their equipment/load before driving.

Recently, there was an unfortunate example of a driver failing to ensure that the equipment was properly stored in Arizona. The Arizona Department of Transportation reported that a trolley caused a fatal crash on Highway 101 in Glendale. Witnesses saw the wheelbarrow falling from a white work truck; ADOT is seeking public help to find the owner of the wheelbarrow.

Prevent freezing damage. surprise! It will get cold in winter and things will freeze! It happens every year. Every year, our store tests pump bodies, spray rods and spray guns, filters... everything that breaks when water freezes in the sprayer.

This is the subject of the previous PCT article in October 2016: https://www.pct online.com/article/wild-winter/.

Here are the main points of that article:

Technical staff training. Most companies do a good job of training technicians on equipment use on the first day. But just because you trained Tommy Tech on the first day does not mean that he is still doing what you want him to do. People forgot. They will be in a hurry. They take shortcuts. They copy the bad habits of other technicians.

Shortcuts usually shorten the life of the equipment and cost you money. Regular retraining of pest control equipment.

Technicians will face problems. Many of the equipment problems we saw in the repair shop were much more serious than the actual situation. In too many cases, service technicians ignore problems, hoping they will disappear. Remember, "hope" is not a strategy.

The equipment problem will not get better, nor will it disappear. Just like the slow dripping of a kitchen faucet, spray equipment problems always get worse. Small problems will inevitably become big problems. Big problems are more costly and take longer to repair.

Encourage technicians to report problems. When technicians report problems, don't rip off their heads. This will prevent them (and others) from reporting problems in the future.

Here are two time-tested and guaranteed methods to ensure that your pest control equipment is destroyed:

I speak based on experience. Our pest control equipment repair shop makes a lot of money in repairing professional equipment lent to hobbyists. It will never come back on the same terms as it went out.

Keep a backup. As pest experts, we rely heavily on our equipment, but in many cases we do not have a backup. If you have a piece of equipment that is critical to your business, then backup is critical.

If the work cannot be completed without it, it doesn't matter what the device is. Keep a backup.

When critical equipment fails, we see companies of all sizes, from owners/operators to huge citizens.

What happens when we don’t have the equipment needed to complete the job?

What should companies do about this problem? Here are three actions to be taken. (Remember, taking a moment to determine what your critical equipment is and making a backup plan will save time, money and stress during your busy pest control season.)

Preventive maintenance. Your pest control equipment needs maintenance. It doesn't matter how much you paid, or how well you took care of it. Hard use, harsh chemicals and long hours of work can cause losses.

The question is when do you do maintenance? There are only two possible answers to this question. You can decide when to perform maintenance, or you can let the equipment decide.

If you decide, then you can perform maintenance when it is convenient for you and your business, that is, off-season, holidays, etc.

If you let the device decide, then this is what happens. When you are most inconvenient, your equipment will malfunction. It will fail when you are busy. When your customers need you, it fails. When the repair shop is very busy, it will fail, so the repair time will be longer.

Take control. Plan your maintenance.

Generalize. Many equipment problems can be prevented. A little planning and some advance work will reduce downtime and expenses, and make customers and employees happier.

Andrew Greess is an expert in pest control equipment and the president of the equipment website Qspray.com. Contact him at Andrew@Qspray.com.

Please send press releases about your company to jdorsch@giemedia.com.

Prestige Pest Services was established in Hawthorne, New Jersey in the summer of 2014 and is celebrating its seventh year of business this year. Favio Ulloa and his wife Karol (pictured on the left) founded the company, and they use a used truck to provide services to local towns in New Jersey. Today, PPS provides residential and commercial pest control services in New Jersey, New York, Brooklyn, Bayside, Queens and Bronx. Ulloas is a native of Ecuador who immigrated to New Jersey in 2000, where they attended a full-time community college, learning English as a second language, and at the same time teaching them customer service and sales skills. Favio Ulloa said: "Our hard work, dedication and unwavering commitment to excellent customer service have always been Prestige Pest Services' secrets to retaining and expanding customers."

JP McHale Pest Management, Buchanan, New York, recently acquired Premier Pest Control in Southampton, New York and its partner organizations North Shore Exterminate of Cutchogue and Target Pest Control and Tick Masters of Southampton, NY Premier provides residential and commercial Provided pest management services to Long Island since 1996. Prime Minister President John Bennett Jr. said: "The cooperation with JP McHale Pest Management is great news for our customers and employees. As JP McHale Pest Management provides customers with the most innovative pest management solutions, such as SMART , Everyone will enjoy the best and most advanced products, methods and services on the market. We look forward to combining our experienced team with future opportunities." Paul Giannamore and Franco Villanueva-Meyer of The Potomac Company are here Represented and acted as Premier's exclusive financial advisor in the transaction.

Earlier this year, Rentokil Initial North America of Reading, Pennsylvania acquired Target Pest Control, headquartered in Nova Scotia. "We are honored to welcome Target Pest Control to the Rentokil Initial family," said John Myers, President and CEO of Rentokil Initial North America. "We look forward to continuing their customer service tradition in the Nova Scotia market through residential and commercial pest control services." Target has served the Halifax, Bedford and Lower Sackville subways in Nova Scotia The community has served for more than 10 years.

The Aust Group announced that its client Pest Solutions, located in Beaverton, Oregon, was acquired by Terminix of Memphis, Tennessee. Eric Ufer founded Pest Solutions in 2011 after seeing the need for reliable pest control as a rental property owner. Ufer and his team adopted the slogan "as green as possible" to emphasize the company's environmental approach. After ten years in the industry, Ufer built the company into a leading commercial pest control business in Greater Portland, Oregon. The Aust Group represented Pest Solutions as the exclusive financial advisor for the transaction.

If your company adds new personnel, please send photos and press releases to jdorsch@giemedia.com.

Pelsis and B&G Equipment Company (brand of Pelsis Group, Jackson, Georgia) announced the addition of two new members to their leadership and sales teams: Anna Berry joined the US Technical Director, and Scott LaFave joined the Western Region Manager. Both have twenty years of experience in the industry.

Ross Treleven, president of Sprague Pest Solutions in Tacoma, Washington, was selected on the South Bay Business 40 under 40 list, which recognizes professionals in the southern Puget Sound area of ​​Washington. Tre Levin is the fourth-generation president. He joined Sprague in 1998 and became his first job.

Terminix Global Holdings of Memphis, Tennessee recently hired Deidre Richardson as senior vice president and general counsel, and Joy Wald as senior vice president and chief information officer. Richardson joined Terminix from Chico's FAS, where she served as Chief Legal and Compliance Officer and Company Secretary. Wald joins G4S Retail Solutions as chief operating officer.

Terminix also appointed Teresa M. Sebastian and Chris S. Terrill to the board of directors. Sebastian joined the Board's Compensation, Nomination and Corporate Governance Committee, and Terrill joined the Audit and Environment, Health and Safety Committee.

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