Pest Management Professional, March 2014

ADVERTORIAL Smores Bonfires and Bed Bugs Brent Towle makes sure bed bugs dont return to summer camp Brent Towle owner of Spectrum Pest Control Eco Tech has been servicing a 700 bed camp for the underprivileged of Chicago for eight years But it wasnt until about three years ago that camp administrators reported their first bed bug Up until this point prescreening of campers as they came in would prevent outbreaks When the luck ended Towle knew he needed a solution he could trust Initially we were on an on call approach Towle says Anytime there were complaints from the guests or housekeepers I would be called to treat the entire barracks Theres anywhere from 12 to 28 wooden bunk beds per cabin And if the wooden bunks werent tough enough the cabins all have cedar paneling the same color as the pests Heat was not a viable option since new bed bugs were appearing every week Towle brought in trained dogs to identify hot spots When the cost began to soar past 5000 the camp asked Towle to look for another solution Bayers Temprid product saved the day he reports We now take a preventive approach vs wait and respond Every other week I inspect and service half the beds and cabins ensuring every bed is protected Temprid is a critical part of this approach Towle adds Its long residual allows us to minimize the volume of product used thus saving us money on material while at the same time not giving the bed bugs a safe place to hide At the start of 2013 the camp was getting new bite complaints every week By mid summer however the complaints all but ended Now most new bed bug activity is discovered when their dead bodies show up No new eggs blood spots or droppings are found Towle has been in the pest management industry since 1985 He worked for a pair of national companies before he and his wife Judith started Spectrum in 1994 The goal was to offer the personal attention that only a small momand pop can Towle says To this day we still do not have employees Judith runs the office while I get to do the fun stuff Towles extensive time in the industry has given him plenty of time to witness the return of bed bugs and the many tools used to manage them I had done the occasional bed bug job since 1985 he recalls But the first year of multiple calls was back in 2000 Spectrum saw a steady rise in bed bug work until about 2005 when other companies began offering the service at a volume discount But calls are on the rise again for Spectrum doubling every year since 2010 Towle now services more than 1500 bed bug accounts per year One of the things that has always set me apart from most services is my holistic approach Towle says I have incorporated diatomaceous earth DE in my routine since 1994 So when the bed bugs started to pick up DE was a familiar tool for me Early detection is key That is why we encourage all our clients not just bed bug clients to install mattress wraps His company does not currently offer heat as an option In severe cases however Towle will work with a local company that uses heat for mold work Over the years Towle tried a number of products some which had little or no effect and others that gradually lost their efficacy It was an issue for Towle until he came across Temprid I started using Temprid initially as a perimeter spray Towle says I was so impressed with its performance I broke my addiction to my go to products and gave Temprid a shot Talk about having a Coulda had a V8 moment I have no technicians so I rely heavily on products that work the first time he continues I value my time More importantly I value my clients time Temprids value goes way beyond its value in cost per gallon of finished product Far too many services measure the cost per gallon This thinking is flawed Nothing is more costly than re service or worse yet a lost client 1 800 331 2867 www backedbybayer com