Pest Management Professional, May 2018
off the cuff Bed bugs on the rise By Heather Gooch Editor C onsider this For the first time ever in 2017 the service revenue generated from controlling bed bugs surpassed the revenue generated from controlling spiders That staggering fact is according to industry research firm Specialty Consultants which reports an estimated 1046440 bed bug jobs were completed in the U S in 2017 The firm also estimates bed bug service revenue in the U S last year was 6447 million or 75 percent of the estimated 8597 billion pest control service pie Specialty Consultants research reinforces the findings from our 2017 bed bug management survey which shows the majority of readers expect increases in bed bug pressure and related service revenue in 2018 While treating Cimex lectularius can be labor intensive and increase liability risk the revenue rewards seem to outweigh the challenges On p 40 youll meet three professionals who discovered helpful ways to generate even more revenue from bed bugs Find out whether what theyre doing is something you can implement in your business And as part of our yearlong 85th anniversary celebration weve revisited the roots of the 21st century rebound of bed bugs On p 28 learn how the industrys response to this pest has evolved over the past two decades PMP You can reach GOOCH at hgooch@ northcoastmedia net or 330 321 9754 Dont dismiss drones 8 May 2018 Pest Management Professional mypmp net illustration leo Michael A sk 10 pest management professionals PMPs for the one piece of equipment that saves them the most time and you will get 10 different answers pesticides that are fast acting and long lasting pest monitors routing software etc but will drones soon top their lists Starting on p 30 our cover story this month focuses on pest management companies that successfully use unmanned aerial vehicles aka drones Drones are becoming more popular with PMPs for good reason When equipped with aerial cameras they safely perform building inspections They are particularly adept at viewing pest entry points and nesting places PMPs may not be able to see without risking life and limb Drones outfitted with heat seeking cameras perform thermal population surveys that reveal the presence of pests PMPs who do not actually see a problem suddenly are made aware while safely standing on the ground Some drones control birds with sound They also scare away birds that think they are predators Drones save time because users can see results in real time PMPs can share with clients the images and data captured to prove pest problems exist Drones save money too because they do not require much manpower to operate It may only be a matter of time before drones land on the top of your list of time saving equipment PMP You can reach SOfraneC at dsofranec@ northcoastmedia net or 216 706 3793 By Diane Sofranec Managing Editor
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