Monday, January 28, 2019

“Rodent Control: Let’s Get Serious” by John Murphy

John Murphy, Liphatech northeast district sales manager, talks to attendees at the 2018 New York Pest Expo presented by Bug Off Pest Control Center. “Rodent Control: Let’s Get Serious” truly does discuss why pest management professionals need to take rodent control seriously and get customers to do the same.

Click here to read a recap of the event by PMP‘s Marty Whitford.

Click here to watch more videos from the event.



from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/2019/01/28/rodent-control-lets-get-serious-by-john-murphy/
Sacramento CA

PMPs review remote monitors

PMP February 2018

Photo: PMP archives

Last February, our cover story dove deeply into comprehensive coverage on remote monitoring systems for rodent control. While devices that are either on or coming soon to the market vary somewhat in their features and processes, generally speaking, remote monitors are designed to alert a pest management professional (PMP) via text or email immediately after a sensor-equipped trap has been triggered.

South Elgin, Ill.-based McCloud Services recently released a downloadable case study with its insights on two types of remote systems. The report reveals insights in these key areas:

Root cause analysis — Site conditions can change before a PMP returns for the regularly scheduled check-up, so having sensor alerts can help capture real-time data and increase the PMP’s investigative abilities with getting to the source of the problem.

Challenges with access — Difficult-to-access areas are monitored more efficiently and safely because remote monitoring systems reduce the need to get special access with keys or otherwise dismantling building components to set traps.

Human impact disturbances — Remote monitoring methods can decrease the chance of humans interfering with traps, because PMPs are alerted immediately and can make a decision to adjust or switch a trapping strategy for better rodent control.

Proceed with caution

In its own report titled “Remote Monitoring: Not Your Grandfather’s Rodent Management,” Menomonee Falls, Wis.-based Wil-Kil Pest Control echoes the idea that this new technology is worth investigating. Based on its experience at certain key facility accounts, the Copesan Pest Solutions partner cautions fellow PMPs in three areas.

Not an “end all-be all” — Remote monitoring alone will not prevent or eliminate rodents from entering a facility. It is one component of a comprehensive approach.

Not for all facilities — From building design and construction, to what types of products are processed or stored at the facility, to where the building is located (near a body of water, for example), PMPs must consider such factors before making a decision to use remote monitoring.

Data needs to be used properly — The amount of data generated from remote monitoring can be overwhelming, so have a process in place from the start.

As Shane McCoy, Wil-Kil’s director of quality and technical training, surmises in his company’s report: “While much is yet to be known about the capabilities of remote monitoring and the benefits to pest professionals and their commercial clients, the underlying message is very clear: This technology is clearly not rodent management as we have known it.”



from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/2019/01/28/pmps-review-remote-monitors/
Sacramento CA

Sunday, January 27, 2019

Guide your customers with professionalism

PHOTO: ISTOCK.COM/FSTOP123

PHOTO: ISTOCK.COM/FSTOP123

Termites are scary to property owners. They are “invisible.” They are silent and misunderstood. Many owners imagine their home is about to fall down around them when they find out they have a termite infestation.

This is when our relationships, our professionalism, and our knowledge can calm these fears and ease their minds. I recently had the opportunity to attend a leadership engagement seminar. While this may sound about as exciting as watching grass grow, the speaker was enthusiastic, energetic and had several fantastic tips for engaging employees and building a better, more engaged workforce.

The entire topic got me thinking about what we do in our jobs and in our businesses. What exactly are we doing every day? I think most of us would say managing pests. Killing bugs. Stopping rodents. Solving problems. We think of hard work, sweat, dirt, windshield time, cell phones ringing, expectations and consequences.

However, this speaker got me thinking about it from a different, more “big-picture” perspective. In reality, we are doing much more than managing pests. We are protecting homes, businesses and investments. In truth, we are protecting health, reputations and property. At the end of the day, we are easing fears. None of these things are directly related to managing the pests. They are directly related to our relationships with our clients, however.

When providing termite management, how do you handle complex situations? How do you handle difficult clients? I think taking some time to remember that today, the day you tell a client they have a structure infested with termites, is a very difficult day for them. They are facing a problem they have most likely never faced before, and they are scared and unsure.

As leaders in our industry, and as professionals, we need to remember to be patient and compassionate, even with the most difficult clients. An everyday occurrence for us — finding active termites — can be, quite literally, your client’s nightmare.

Take a few minutes to understand your client and their perspective. Your clients will notice. This simple reframing of a conversation can mean the difference between a great interaction and a frustrating one.

Our team at Control Solutions Inc. strives every day to understand our clients — pest management professionals. We work to provide our industry with tools you need and can use. We want to help make your business better and more profitable. We want to increase your customer’s satisfaction by providing effective, economical solutions to their pest problems. CSI is working to not just provide great products, but innovation you can apply.



from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/2019/01/27/guide-your-customers-with-professionalism/
Sacramento CA

Saturday, January 26, 2019

PMPs say termite control is rewarding work

ILLUSTRATION: LEO MICHAEL

ILLUSTRATION: LEO MICHAEL

PHOTO: PMP JAN. 2019 COVER, DR. GERRY WEGNER, BCE

PHOTO: PMP JAN. 2019 COVER, DR. GERRY WEGNER, BCE

At Pest Management Professional (PMP), we strive to share insights from those who work in the field, day in and day out, to protect their customers’ health and property from pest infestations. Readers enthusiastically explained how satisfying termite control can be in “Homewreckers: Protecting property through termite management.” Turns out, pest management professionals (PMPs) find it rewarding to help prevent their customers’ structures — typically, their largest investment — from being reduced to sawdust by these tiny terrors with an appetite for destruction.

All of our interviewed PMPs for our termite management coverage said they truly want to help solve their customers’ termite problems, no matter how challenging. Termite control may not be for every PMP; knowledge of termite species and behavior, construction basics and treatment options are just a few of the keys to success. But perhaps that’s why those who offer it find it so rewarding.

PMPs have the knowledge and the skills to improve the quality of life for the residents of their communities. Your experience matters to your customers because it reassures them you are capable of conquering the pests that are destroying their homes. When your goal is to protect your customers’ health and property, termite management is a satisfying means to that end.



from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/2019/01/26/pmps-say-termite-control-is-rewarding-work/
Sacramento CA

Friday, January 25, 2019

Sodexo Deploys Fleet of Delivery Robots at Virginia College

Sodexo Deploys Fleet of Delivery Robots at Virginia CollegeSodexo has launched a robotic food delivery service at George Mason University’s Fairfax, VA, campus. Sodexo has teamed with robotics manufacturer Starship Technologies to deploy more than... Read more

from ISSA News feed for the Cleaning Industry https://www.issa.com/news/news-details/all/sodexo-deploys-fleet-of-delivery-robots-at-virginia-college/
Mold Remediation Baltimore

Search Begins for the 2019 Loo of the Year

Nominations are now being accepted for the 32nd-annual Loo of the Year contest. Founded in 1987, the annual contest recognizes the best public restrooms in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The... Read more

from ISSA News feed for the Cleaning Industry https://www.issa.com/news/news-details/all/search-begins-for-the-2019-loo-of-the-year/
Mold Remediation Baltimore

Afflink President Honored by CEO Today

Afflink President Honored by CEO TodayDennis Riffer, president and CEO of Afflink, has been named a recipient of CEO Today Magazine’s 2019 CEOToday Award. The international publication’s annual award recognizes top-level... Read more

from ISSA News feed for the Cleaning Industry https://www.issa.com/news/news-details/all/afflink-president-honored-by-ceo-today/
Mold Remediation Baltimore