Pest Management Professional, May 2018

Continued FroM page 54 everything even my clothes What kind of bugs are they Im not sure Dr Anniston said gently Im not an entomologist but my best guess is baby cockroaches Im going to take samples today and try to get them identified The veterinarian walked outside where the sunlight temporarily blinded her She had seen pest problems in poultry houses before but never like this Something needed to be done This was becoming a health hazard that might harm the chickens as well as the farm workers Surely somebody could get rid of these pesky insects L ater that day Jack Blackwell owner of Peace of Mind Pest Services got the call about the pest problem at the poultry farm Even though he didnt do agricultural pest control he certainly would be glad to help any way he could Besides Jack was always looking for new ways to expand his pest control business and word might get around to the farm owners friends that Peace of Mind could help with their pest problems On the phone as Dr Anniston described millions of tiny bugs in the poultry house Jack racked his brain trying to think what they could be Maybe they were litter beetles a common problem affecting poultry production but from what the veterinarian described these bugs were more soft shelled than beetles Either way by the time he hung up Jack knew exactly which of his technicians would be perfect for this job Crawley McPherson Crawley was a bug fiend who could find and solve any pest problem anywhere Crawley we need you to go out there to the Johnson Farm on Old 82 Drive and find out whats going on Jack told Crawley by phone as the latter was wrapping up a visit on his regular route Theyve got a real bad bug problem Dr Anniston the corporate veterinarian is your point of contact and shes collected some of the bugs for identification There was a long pause on the other end of the line We dont do poultry house pest control Jack Never have before I think thats up to the particular chicken company or the Department of Agriculture I know Crawley but this might be different I think this farmer provides living quarters for his migrant workers That would be a new account for us and could lead to others out there in the area Jack waited a few beats before adding Besides isnt it true that youre certified in almost every single commercial category except fumigation Well yeah but I just did that for the fun of it Then go out there and talk to that veterinarian and the chicken farmer Were not going to charge them anything were just looking around so to speak friend to friend Mmm You dont agree Jack fought back his irritation Sure Crawley was by far the smartest technician he had ever had but subordination well that was a different story Didnt say that I like a challenge but I aint understanding why were servicing commercial poultry production Didnt you hear me I didnt say we were servicing poultry production Look Crawley just go out there today and see if you can help them figure out what the problem is Thats all Yes sir C rawley drove as quickly as he could to the chicken farm to investigate the bug problem He fished a bananaflavored snack cake out of his glove box and wolfed it down Didnt matter how old the thing was he needed some quick sugar for this case Crawley had studied for state certification in Category 1 Agricultural Pest Control and knew about litter beetles occurring by the millions in poultry houses But he had never actually visited a chicken farm to see for himself Jacks description of bugs at the chicken farm seemed weird but to Crawley weird was cool The farmer Ben Johnson was standing just outside the poultry house when Crawley pulled in the driveway He was a burly man with a deep tan and with muscles in places Crawley didnt have Crawley emerged from his truck and donned Continued on page 58 Litter beetles Alphitobius diaperinus are a common pest for poultry farms 56 May 2018 pest Management professional mypmp net Photo wikimedia commons magno Borges