Pest Management Professional, September 2017

Jim SChaefer Photo shutterstock com 2017 CoCkroaCh ManageMent SuppleMent Back to basics A strong economy and a wealth of readily available tools make it a good time to be a PMP who offers cockroach service BY HeatHer GoocH Editor E ach year the professional pest management industry becomes a little more sophisticated There are new software apps techniques and products to try all to ensure pests are apps percent controlled and customers are happy While optimizing the technicians time spent on a job is a useful pursuit it makes sense to also keep the fundamentals of inspecting identifying and choosing the right strategy for a particular account Its especially true with cockroaches where a one size fitsall approach can lead to callbacks and worse a resistant population Thats the advice several pest management professionals PMPs gave among their responses to our 2017 Cockroach Management Survey Its advice that many PMPs must be following too as 43 percent of our survey respondents report a projected 2017 revenue of 100000 or more in the cockroach segment Of these 8 percent plan to generate 1 million or more from cockroaches alone Unsurprisingly the strong economy makes for an optimistic outlook A full 82 percent of respondents expect their cockroach management revenue to rise this year over 2016 with 9 percent of them hoping for 50 percent or more The majority of respondents offer monthly service for cockroaches with others reporting quarterly and even weekly stops Eighty five percent of respondents report callbacks to be in the single digits with 56 percent reporting the rate at less than 5 percent and 12 percent reporting no callbacks on cockroaches at all And while it would seem that the industry has got the cockroach game down pat some obstacles still rear their head now and then including the continued abundance of do it yourself products on the market having to take time to educate home and business owners and fierce pricing competition in their markets For a breakdown on what exactly you should be charging at a cockroach account particularly in a multiple family housing setting check out PMP Hall of Famer Bob Kunsts take on p CM10 Smart PMPs know to take an integrated individualized approach to cockroach accounts one strategy is not going to fit every job Baits liquids insect growth regulators IGRs glue boards and sanitation techniques are in our respondents Top 5 closely followed by dusts vacuuming exclusion techniques granulars and where warranted fumigation For more data to digest when it comes to cockroaches as well as tips advice and a few good old fashioned war stories read on PmP You can reach GOOCH at hgooch@ northcoastmedia net or 330 321 9754 Swat The science behind pest control While today Jim Schaefer is specialty pest manager at Evansville Ind based Swat Pest focusing on bed bugs and termites his 16 years in the industry means hes dealt with plenty of cockroaches And as it does with other pests Swat Pest has developed regimens for various species of cockroach control primarily brown banded German and Oriental species The regimens are not only for the technicians to go through and decide what the optimal approach is at an account but also for Swat customers to do to solve the problem more quickly and prevent a reinfestation For example if they have Oriental cockroaches those get through the drains quite often Schaefer says We suggest and can even install fine mesh screens over their drains after treatment For German roach accounts we tell them that for about three to four months after treatment they need to keep food from setting out on the stove and to wrap the gas stove burners with foil so the population doesnt rebound by feeding on grease With a tagline of Science behind pest control and a Purdue educated entomologist Brandon Runyon on staff Swat endeavors to not only educate its customers but to reassure them that pests affect everyone they are not alone Some folks get upset when they have a cockroach issue but we remind them Do you go to the grocery store Every box you buy has glue a food source made of animal fat Roaches produce like wildfire but were here to help you get rid of them HG Cm4 September 2017 Pest management Professional mypmp net