Pest Management Professional, February 2013

stinging insect tales Elaine Yetzer Simon t Contributor Sean Bergmann CEO of Seattlebased United Pest Solutions is a second generation pest management professional PMP who knows a thing or two about stinging insects after growing up in the business He shares some insights with Pest Management Professional PMP Q What was the largest stinging insect infestation youve battled in your career Bergmann My father started our company so I have one story from my father and one from myself The largest nest weve ever come across was a bald faced hornet nest that was 6 ft wide by 8 ft long on the cross members of a telephone pole It was higher than 30 ft above the ground and in a precarious position That was back in the day when it was much more common to see PMPs not using personal protective equipment PPE He climbed up a ladder and got close enough to where he could shoot the nest with product and took care of it He came through the process unscathed Many years ago there was a nest in an attic space that was about 5 ft in diameter and close to 3 ft tall I didnt have any PPE so I had to treat as I could and not fall through the attic floor I had a flashlight which the yellowjackets are attracted to so this situation was also a bit precarious It was probably the largest nest Ive personally come across Q Can you recall the hardest tofind group of stinging insects youve faced and how you ensured you eliminated every one of them Bergmann One of the toughest ones Ive run across was a yellowjacket nest going in and out of a void area in an attic that had a skylight I didnt have access to the nest from the roofline and attic The largest nest weve ever come across was a bald faced hornet nest that was 6 ft wide by 8 ft long There was no access to the nest I had an idea of where it might be most nests are associated with their exit point to the outside but I wasnt sure The only way I could try to pinpoint it was to drill through the ceiling below inject an aerosol and listen for the nest Then I could treat it topically with a residual liquid to ensure I got rid of all the stinging insects Based on my experience I was able to drill close to where I could get enough of the residual on after I used the aerosol PMP Yetzer Simon can be reached at eysimon@ gmail com Sean Bergmann United Pest Solutions Sean Bergmanns Dos Donts Do Wear appropriate PPE including bee suits and respirators Use the appropriate pesticide or other method for each case not just the one you might be most used to using Set your expectations of the treatment process with the customer You might not always take care of the problem the first time and you dont want to set yourself up for failure Dont Dont leave any exposed nests on the premises or the structure Dont rush the treatment process Dont underestimate the need for thorough technician training Web Exclusive Visit http www audioacrobat com play Wwq9B69T to listen to PMPs complete interview with Bergmann 60 February 2013 Pest Management Professional www mypmp net