Pest Management Professional, September 2018

Mikes Swat Team combats bed bug infestations and preparation with CrossFire by MGK M ichelle LeDune is practiced in overcoming challenges Her entry into pest management began with the biggest a person can endure After losing her husband unexpectedly more than five years ago LeDune took over the pest management company he began in 1983 and made it her own Leveraging her background in property management and a re evaluation of the companys products LeDune transformed Mikes Swat Team Pest Termite Control The company which is based in Phoenix Ariz now primarily services multi family housing and reflects her desire to always improve Im always looking to have the quickest chemical for the most effective knockdown especially for bed bugs says LeDune In addition to a product that would eliminate bed bugs quickly she also needed to find something that would solve her biggest challenge in multi family housing residents compliance with preparation requirements With LeDunes standard bed bug treatments residents need to pack up all loose household items that could encounter the treatment chemical in addition to linens and clothes prior to treatment CrossFire by MGK which can be applied directly to mattresses and other labeled surfaces requires less preparation LeDune was excited to hear about CrossFire from her MGK representative Matt Kenney She began testing the product prior to its release in 2016 It has been easier for technicians to treat properly and get all of the cracks and crevices hiding spots harboring areas because you can spray on almost anything she says Mikes Swat Team now uses both CrossFire Bed Bug Concentrate and CrossFire Aerosol offering treatment with the products as a service upgrade option 200 more than the companys standard fogging treatment Its the service LeDune recommends CrossFire is a knockout chemical it starts working effectively immediately says LeDune who also appreciates that she doesnt smell an odor or experience any greasy residue on surfaces after an application Fit for the toughest jobs LeDune uses each new product personally before handing it over to her technicians If there was a bed bug treatment to be done I was the one going over to treat it with CrossFire she says of her earliest experiences with the product One of her first trial runs with CrossFire was a terrible infestation A three room apartment which had bed bugs for more than three months was in such bad shape that live bed bugs were eating the dead ones and falling off mattresses according to LeDune She completed the application of CrossFire herself and had a technician return an hour later to dust The technician told LeDune the apartment looked like a crime scene In just an hour I killed so many bed bugs with that chemical she says I knew CrossFire was going to be what we wanted to use A competitive differentiator Mikes Swat Team has developed a reputation for effective bed bug management LeDune often receives calls from multi family properties that receive regular treatments from her companys two main local competitors but come to her looking for aggressive bed bug treatment for difficult infestations LeDune attributes the word of mouth promotion to her well trained technicians and CrossFire CrossFire has decreased our callback rates she says After conducting each initial treatment her technicians return within one week for a follow up inspection to ensure the job is done They evaluate the situation and apply spot treatments with CrossFire aerosol as needed We rarely have to retreat anything because it works that fast and that good she concludes Its that strong MGK com CrossFire ADVERTORIAL Michelle LeDune s se