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Articles by J.B. Howell
MGK: Sumari Insecticide Label Updates
Sumari insecticide, a product of MGK’s commitment to innovation and effectiveness, now boasts enhanced features for ant control and more. Designed to exploit the natural foraging and communal feeding behaviors of ants, Sumari sets a new standard for ant treatments. With the updated label, Sumari now provides the dual benefits of killing the colony and preventing reinfestation for up to 90 days (excluding harvester, carpenter and fire ant species).
April 2024 | Pest Management Professional
Ellen Wagner is the digital editor for magazine. She can be reached at ewagner@northcoastmedia.net.
Pi Chi Omega celebrates member accomplishments
Pi Chi Omega had a grand showing at the Purdue Pest Management Conference in January, where we enjoyed a board meeting, a membership meeting dinner, and time together at Raise the Bar — culminating in a Cornhole Throwdown tournament. Pi Chi Omega’s newest member, Liphatech Eastern Region and Canada Sales Manager Nick Fugate, walked away with an awesome set of Pi Chi Omega logoed boards.
WIPC hosts another outstanding conference
This year, The Pest Posse concluded its Women in Pest Control Recognition Series with a twist: Instead of honoring an individual, we chose to recognize an entire industry conference dedicated to women. The Women in Pest Control (WIPC) Conference took place Feb. 29 and March 1, in Austin, Texas. It was supported by diamond sponsor AAC Distributing and platinum sponsors FieldRoutes and Pest Daily, alongside other suppliers showcased in the expo hall.
3 factors for wasp, hornet control
When choosing an aerosol for wasp and hornet control, it is critical to consider three important factors: 1. Distance is key for safety. Wasps can become extremely aggressive when threatened. Maintaining a safe distance from the nest reduces the risk of being stung. 2. A water-based formula can reduce the likelihood of staining in treated areas. Most water-based formulas are typically less phytotoxic and, therefore, less likely to cause harm to surrounding plants. 3. Speed is crucial when treating.
Finding where yellowjacket wasp nest - Pest Management Professional
One of the best ways to know whether yellowjacket wasps are nesting inside a wall or attic is by watching them enter and leave. When dusk falls, wasps will head into their nests and remain there until morning. When inspecting, remember that yellowjackets have biting mouthparts and can easily chew through drywall, so holes in drywall are a good indicator. April and May are also important months to remember for inspecting yellowjacket nests.
Bottle flies and blow flies (Family: Calliphoridae) - Pest Management Professional
These flies are common in populated areas, and are particularly abundant near such places as slaughterhouses, meat-processing plants and garbage dumps. Flies of this family have feeding habits and mouthparts like house flies (Musca domestica) and are mechanical carriers of disease organisms. Adults tend to be large in size, with a metallic blue or green color. Eggs usually are laid on meat or dead animals, although they may be placed in decaying vegetable materials when meat is not available.
5 Questions with Dr. Dan Markowski - Pest Management Professional
This month, we check in with Dr. Dan Markowski, the technical advisor of the American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA, online at Mosquito.org). For more mosquito-related trends, check out our annual Mosquito Management Supplement in this issue. 1. The 89th annual AMCA meeting just took place last month in Reno, Nev., where a new strategic plan for the association was announced.
3 tips to avoid pests as souvenirs - Pest Management Professional
From long family road trips and spring break getaways to short weekend escapes, your clients run the risk of returning home with more than just priceless memories when they travel. Difficult-to-manage pests such as bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) and German cockroaches (Blattella germanica) could be lurking in hotel rooms, on trains, and even at airports waiting to join unknowing travelers on their journeys home.
Inspecting where stinging insects are located - Pest Management Professional
As the weather gets warmer, we can expect an inevitable increase in stinging insect calls. This is a great source of additional income for companies and technicians. When approaching these calls, it is important to remember the wide variety of stinging insects and the important roles they play in our environment and lives. Most stinging insects are beneficial. For this reason, the first step should always be proper identification, followed by a thorough inspection.
MGK: 130-ounce CrossFire bottle - Pest Management Professional
MGK’s new CrossFire 130-ounce bottle design features a 13-ounce measuring chamber that saves you time with a single pour. It also improves accuracy and enhances ease-of-use. Its new, convenient handle placement provides better ergonomics, easier measuring and pouring, and reduces the likelihood of spills, the company says. CrossFire targets all bed bug life stages. It delivers fast knockdown and kill with direct spraying, plus residual control. MGK.com
August 2022 - Pest Management Professional
https://editions.mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?i=755871
I am guessing that when you read the headline above, you thought, “Yeah, we already know selling services through real estate services and neighborhoods is a great way to grow.” While that statement is very true for many companies and in many markets, it is not what I am talking about. I am talking about your office location, and its role in the growth of your business. Like most of us, I started my business out of my house.
Knowing the differences of fruit fly, gnat, drain fly - Pest Management Professional
The terms “fruit fly,” “gnat” and “drain fly” often are used interchangeably, yet they are separate pests requiring positive identification before any control measures should be attempted. This is sometimes complicated by the presence of multiple nuisance fly species at the same facility. Fruit flies — both red-eyed (Drosophila melanogaster) and dark-eyed (D.
Stop under-valuing your services - Pest Management Professional
“It’s tough work. Price accordingly.” That’s the advice Pest Management Professional (PMP) Editorial Advisory Board (EAB) member Doug Foster, owner of Burt’s Termite & Pest Control in Columbus, Ind., gave us for our August “Question of the Month.” We asked our contributors and EAB members for a bed bug business tip, and you can see responses from several of our other experts in the August issue.
Understanding flying pests - Pest Management Professional
Summer is a great time to increase revenue while reducing unwanted flying seasonal invaders. Creating plans to successfully control them, however, can be equal parts challenging and financially rewarding. The first step is identification. If you work with an experienced service manager, technical director or entomologist, your search probably will be completed in short order. The rest of us must dig a little. Referencing university entomology web pages online also can help shorten your search.
Gauge your mosquito knowledge - Pest Management Professional
Photo: doug4537/E+/Getty Images Editor’s Note: Questions for this month’s test were contributed by Doug Foster; Frank Meek, BCE; Eric Scherzinger; Mark Sheperdigian, BCE; and Desiree Straubinger, BCE. Want to know your grade? Send your answers to pmpeditor@northcoastmedia.net and we’ll let you know how you did.
Thermacell Pro: LIV Installed Repellent System - Pest Management Professional
Installing the new Thermacell LIV Installed System provides on-demand mosquito protection for your customers. Customizable for large or small spaces, the low-voltage system can be used alone or as an additional layer of protection in an integrated pest management system for residential or commercial properties. The system’s electronic dashboard system provides service alerts, making it easy to manage.
Observations on the general economy - Pest Management Professional
While we appear to be just now coming out of a two-year global pandemic, business couldn’t be better. 2020 for my little firm was a banner year, despite all the uncertainty. We crushed our yearly goals, and could barely keep up. 2021 was a repeat of the same. 2022 has only begun, and we’re ahead of even that. Who knew? CUSTOMER BEHAVIOR I’m not an economist by any stretch of imagination, but I can tell you my observations as I deal with hundreds of customers in any given month.
Why you need an ambassador - Pest Management Professional
The roundtable discussions at the PMP Growth Summit always yield great content. This year, customer and employee retention were hot topics. Summit attendee Michael Broder, CEO of BHB Pest Elimination, Wallington, N.J., has his commercial service manager visit accounts outside of the scheduled stops. The manager is there to answer questions from the client liaison, who may not be on-site when the technician is there.
Choosing the correct products to control mosquitoes is important, but it doesn’t guarantee a successful treatment. Product placement is absolutely crucial. It’s important to place treatments in areas of pest activity. Because we are typically treating in daylight hours, when mosquitoes are least active, there are two big questions to consider during your initial inspection: Where are mosquitoes going to be hiding during the day? Why are mosquitoes going to be there?
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