Pest Management Professional, April 2013

ANT Management GUIDE 2013 Will Nepper t Managing Editor Top Five Ant Management Dos 1 Correctly identify the ant youre after If you dont make the correct ID you could be fighting a battle with the wrong weapons Consider food food source appearance behavior trailing and harborage to make an accurate identification that will save you time manpower and money in callbacks 2 Make thorough inspections inside and outside Always be sure to inspect the hard to reach areas including around pipes and electrical wires Look for good areas for exclusion around exteriors Find the trails and the nests and bait appropriately 3 Remove food sources As long as theres something around to consume ants will find it Eliminate food and thoroughly clean areas where food residue might exist Pantries counter tops under and around refrigerators or other kitchen appliances and pet food dishes can serve as an unfurled red carpet to invading ants Get your client on board with a good housekeeping strategy to make your job easier Speaking of the customer 4 Educate and listen to the customer Find out your customers expectations of your service and be sure to set them straight if those expectations are unreasonable Likewise listen carefully for clues that will help you ID and locate the ants in question Sometimes blowing past the customer to begin treatment based on assumptions will prove to be a considerable oversight Explain your strategy and if you know the job will take several return visits to complete make them aware 5 Price accordingly Dont cheat yourself by failing to price a job accordingly Take everything into consideration time spent manpower materials etc without being sidetracked by low ball prices other companies are offering for what they claim is the same service Explain your pricing structure and make sure they know sometimes your first treatment strategy wont necessarily be the one that succeeds Top Five Ant Management Donts 1 Dont hit and run Always follow up after a treatment Likewise dont rush a job just because you have a full schedule for the day Ant management requires dedication investigation communication and more often than not multiple management techniques 2 Dont treat without getting all the facts Find the source know the species and put together a plan accordingly Dont have a routine catch all treatment for ant management Every job has its own nuances 3 Never ignore the label It should go without saying but its worth repeating Not adhering to product labels is an invitation for disaster that could culminate in legal issues failed treatment or worst of all health risks for your clients and technicians 4 Dont over promise Its easy to exaggerate the effectiveness of your particular type of ant treatment to give you a leg up on companies competing for the same account However if you offer guarantees you cant keep or insinuate that the job can be done in one or two treatments when you know thats probably not the case youre undermining the quality of your work and the name of your business 5 Dont continue to do what isnt working Persistence is a virtue when referring to exploring all ant management possibilities If youre not getting the results you expected from a treatment technique investigate further see if youve missed anything or misidentified your enemy before attempting another tactic However if youre repeatedly going back to the same areas and treating in the same way over and over again youre wasting your customers time and more importantly your time money and manpower A8 April 2013 Pest Management Professional www mypmp net