RISE facilitates a year of engagement

RISE Governing Board Chair Gilles Galliou, Bayer Environmental Science, tells his story during the RISE Annual Meeting in Marana, Ariz. PHOTO: RISE

The shift in the political makeup of state legislatures to one-party majorities — except one — in the 2018 elections resulted in many pesticide-focused bills and longer active engagement by more people on those bills in 2019 legislative sessions. Bills focused primarily on single active ingredients or classes of chemistry, including rodenticides and neonicotinoids, along with bills seeking to amend school and other integrated pest management (IPM)-related laws.

As 2019 began, many pest management professionals (PMPs) began talking with newly elected legislators and their staffs about our industry and its benefits. Those conversations continue, and are equally important as we look to 2020 legislative sessions.

In addition to talking directly with newly elected policymakers, RISE continued its social media conversation about pest control and plant health around the house and yard on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. For the past three years, our And not Or program has connected with millennial homeowners in a relatable way, by providing resources for home and lawn care for both the do-it-yourself and the hire-a-professional consumer. We’ve learned homeowners need and seek advice and personalized solutions to create the home and lifestyle they want.
 

Video messaging success

As we think about the best ways to engage and make a personal connection, video rises to the top. RISE had nearly 6 million views of its how-to video content, and created nearly 50 million impressions and 9 million engagements with its content from 2016-2019. These engagements tell us people are open to a conversation with us, and information about our products and services that are relevant to their lives. We’ve learned being active in the social conversation makes a big impact on perceptions about pesticides and their value.

Engagement and storytelling also were the focus of this year’s RISE annual meeting (Editor’s Note: For additional coverage of the meeting, please see RISE holds 29th annual meeting). Two hundred members and partners, including National Pest Management Association (NPMA) leaders, met to set strategy for 2020 and increase direct on-the-ground engagement in our industry advocacy. RISE Governing Board Chair Gilles Galliou, Bayer Environmental Science, told his story, touching on personal and professional milestones to kick off our advocacy engagement program for 2020. He highlighted the impact of making personal connections by sharing firsthand relatable experiences that can lead to a conversation about our industry and its important work — building trust one conversation at a time.

As the year ends, RISE continues to engage with next-gen consumers and new legislators, and we’re asking everyone in our industry to take time between now and January to tell their personal story to family, neighbors, friends and those we’ve elected to represent us. The NPMA has excellent resources to help start the conversation, and we have resources, too, at DebugTheMyths.com.

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REARDON has led the communications and public affairs efforts for RISE for more than a decade. Based in Washington, RISE is the national association representing the manufacturers, formulators, distributors and other industry leaders involved with pesticide and fertilizer products used in turf, ornamental, pest control, aquatic and terrestrial vegetation and other non-food/fiber applications. Learn more at PestFacts.org and DebugtheMyths.com.

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from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/2019/12/18/rise-facilitates-a-year-of-engagement/
Sacramento CA

Bug Off Pest Control Center: Online and in-store

Bug Off Pest Control Center offers “Everything in Pest Control”: supplies, equipment, technical backup and business support. It’s also known for such offerings as career training programs, workshops, specialty courses, special events and, of course, The New York Pest Expo. Its website features an exclusive PCO Store, technical articles, a video archive and employment opportunities. Whether you visit the Manhattan showroom or visit online, “come to us for what we sell and for what we know.”

BugOffPCCenter.com

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Sacramento CA

Study: Hairy situation creates toeless pigeons

Photo: lom/iStock / Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

If you’ve encountered pigeons in urban areas that don’t have a full set of “toes,” you might be wondering whether it was a genetic thing, or perhaps an infection. It’s a common enough phenomenon in European cities like Paris, France, and London, England, that a research team decided to study the cause.

What the team of scientists from France’s National Museum of Natural History (MNHN) and the University of Lyon found out, according to a Phys.org article, was surprising: Human hair plays a role.

In CNN International’s coverage, the MNHN’s Frédéric Jiguet said “he came up with the idea for the study after noticing mutilated pigeons as he walked through the Jardin des Plantes, a botanical garden, in Paris.”

While studying 46 sites around Paris, the team recorded the instances of “stringfeet,” which occurs when pigeons get human hair wrapped around their toes as they walk around. They noticed a pattern that in neighborhoods where there are hair salons, the more instances of stringfeet.

“The string might just fall, but sometimes it forms a knot around a toe, and in the end the toe dies and falls off,” Jiguet told CNN International.

This surprised the scientists, who, according to their abstract in the December issue of Biological Conservation, originally “hypothesized that mutilations would be predicted by local overall environmental conditions, potentially related to local organic, noise or air pollutions, so gathered such environmental predictors of urban pollutions. We showed that mutilations do not concern recently fledged pigeons, and that their occurrence and frequency are not related to plumage darkness, a proxy of a pigeon’s sensitivity to infectious diseases.

“Toe mutilation was more frequent in city blocks with a higher degree of air and noise pollution, while it tended to increase with the density of hairdressers. In addition, the number of mutilation on injured pigeons was higher in more populated blocks, and tended to decrease with increasing greenspace density, and to increase with air pollution. Pollution and land cover changes thus seem to impact pigeon health through toe deformities, and increasing green spaces might benefit bird health in cities.”

Readers, we have to say “stringfeet” is a new concept to us. Have you heard of it? Have you seen it, and if so, was it near a hair salon?

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Sacramento CA

Insects Limited: SightTrap, Powered by ForesightIPM

PHOTO: INSECTS LIMITED

Stay one step ahead of infestations and customer complaints with remote pheromone monitoring provided by SightTrap, which puts cameras in your traps and gives you access to essential information and data on your computer and smartphone. SightTrap powered by ForesightIPM gives users a high-tech tool for preventing problems before they happen.

ForesightIPM.com

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from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/2019/12/17/insects-limited-sighttrap/
Sacramento CA

Streamline your software switch

Photo: CarmenMurillo/iStock / Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

The industry’s need to offer quality service and produce high profit margins rests on pest management professionals’ (PMPs’) ability to select the software provider that best fits their business models.

My company specializes in the software conversion process for PMPs and other service providers. For years, we’ve worked with PMPs with companies that range from $2 million to $80 million in revenue, but we’ve learned some lessons along the way that hold true for PMPs of all sizes.

We understand that it’s quite difficult to measure software systems against each other. It’s never a one-size-fits-all proposition, so research and planning — and a good bit of soul-searching — will help you decide what you really need and what you don’t. What follow are seven factors to consider during your software decision-making process.
 

1. Consider all options, but remain focused.

Don’t get caught up by a system that offers a few features that only affect 10 percent of your operations. Try to remain focused on what you really want in a new system, what is costing you the most money today, and all areas of improvement that new software can provide. Is scheduling taking too long? Are you still using paper and missing out on opportunities to connect with your customers digitally? Do you need a system that will allow you to train new staff more quickly and easily? Take the time to evaluate how each system measures up against one another, and consider future feature developments in your decision making.
 

2. Be inclusive.

In your active search and onboarding process, include key team members who will use the system daily, such as your lead customer service representative, field technician, and scheduler. And don’t forget your accounting staff. Give these team members an opportunity to share needs that should be addressed during the decision-making process. Including them also will lead to greater buy-in and less resistance to change.
 

3. Embed change.

Think of switching software as a way to implement the changes you’ve wanted to make to your core business operations, but the status quo has gotten in the way. Maybe you’ve wanted to move your technicians from hourly compensation to production commissions, or introduce a new incentive program, or implement monthly billing for your customers. Changing software is a great opportunity to accomplish any internal or external changes you’ve wanted to make, all while using software conversion as the perfect “scapegoat.”
 

4. Plan and train, train, train.

If done right, the software conversion implementation process should not cause major interference with your business operations. Ask a lot of questions, and make sure you are realistic about the onboarding timeline. What is the software training model: videos, live interaction, or a combination of both? What training resource materials are available to your staff? The training process potentially can be a time vacuum for your staff, so be sure to build in a realistic timeline for them to absorb a lot of information and make some major mental shifts in the way they normally perform their jobs. It may seem counterintuitive, since it is peak busy season for PMPs, but summer actually is a great time to start shopping for software and putting a plan in place. This way, the actual implementation can take place during the winter downturn.

Also, consider what post-conversion support will look like for your staff. To whom will they turn for questions or immediate needs? And how will they do it — phone call, email, live chat online? Again, be sure to ask questions during the shopping process.
 

5. Consult an expert.

Consider hiring a third party if you’re thinking about switching software. Remember, a software salesperson’s job is to “sell,” as it should be. However, if you’re having a hard time navigating the pros and cons among systems, a contracted third party will be able to objectively evaluate each system on your behalf. The expert you hire can create a core set of feature comparisons that should be taken into consideration — some of which you might not have previously considered. Additionally, hiring a third-party consultant can alleviate some of the personnel resource allocation strain, allowing you and your staff to remain focused on keeping the business going.
 

6. Prepare for migration.

Understand your data and the data migration process, which is going to have a few bumps along the way in even the smoothest transitions. No one knows your business like you do, so have a plan in place to compare your key metrics during the data testing process. If you aren’t confident managing this yourself, a third-party resource should be able to assist you.
 

7. Be willing to embrace change.

The way “we’ve always done it” won’t help you keep up with industry trends. It also may be holding you back from revenue and marketing opportunities that now exist with new technology. So, go ahead and consider the switch.

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NEWPORT is president of Newport Advisors, Charlotte, N.C. Learn more at GetNewportAdvisors.com.

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Sacramento CA

AGA Blueprint: The Best is Yet to Come

Since its inception, the RIA Advocacy and Government Affairs (AGA) Committee has been moving forward like a freight train. Month after month this movement gains momentum in a way that is unprecedented in the property repair industry.

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Mold Remediation Baltimore

NCPMA updates app for 2020 event

IMAGE: NCPMA

The North Carolina Pest Management Association (NCPMA) updated the app for its Pest Control Technician’s (PCT) School. The version of the 2020 app is updated with new content under the “Upcoming Events” section.

“We are excited to again offer this great resource for our attendees and give them a way to have the most up-to-date event information right at their fingertips,” said Clint Miller, NCPMA president. “The 2020 PCT School app will be continually updated with the latest schedules, speaker information and downloadable documents.”

The app is free and is available for download in the Apple and Google app stores by searching “NCPMA PCT School.”

The app offers up-to-date information about the event, including session schedules, speaker information and push notifications. It will be updated regularly with the latest information available for attendees.

The 2020 event will feature nationally recognized speakers who will lead educational sessions for pest management professionals, as well as hands-on training sessions for pest management technicians. The program was designed for pest control technicians, their suppliers, nuisance wildlife control agents and others closely involved with pest control operations. The school’s general program offers phase training with the opportunity to earn continuing certification units and information for technicians, owners and managers.

This year, the NCPMA is making some changes to its hands-on learning session, which was launched in 2019. The North Carolina State University’s hands-on spray school and live learning course will still be offered, but will be on-site this year.

The event is in its 70th year and is organized in partnership with the North Carolina State University Department of Entomology.

The 2020 NCPMA PCT School will be held Jan. 26-30, 2020 at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Convention Center in Durham. Registration is now open.

 

Speakers

Dr. Faith Oi.
PHOTO: HEATHER GOOCH

Darren McBurnett will be the 2020 PCT School’s headline speaker presenting “Never Underestimate Yourself.” McBurnett is a former Navy SEAL and veteran who spent 24 years serving his country. In addition, he is an accomplished athlete, award-winning photographer, author and motivational speaker.

Dr. Faith Oi, an associate extension scientist in urban entomology at the University of Florida, will also speak to pest management professionals at the NCPMA’s 2020 PCT School. She will discuss termites at the PCT School with a presentation titled, “Termite Control: More than Applying a Termiticide.”

Dr. Oi is a member of Pest Management Professional’s (PMP’s) Editorial Advisory Board and was featured in PMP’s December 2018 Women in Pest Management issue. She is also director of Pest Management University, a hands-on hybrid training program that runs year-round.

“I am ecstatic to support another hands-on training program in North Carolina,” she says. “It is always an honor to speak to and learn from PMPs who view training as an investment in their companies.”

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from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/2019/12/16/ncpma-updates-app-for-2020-event/
Sacramento CA