Pest Control and Bug Exterminator Blog

I know sad that I must blog my own quotes…

As Shakespeare so put it, “Brevity is the soul of wit.”

Apparently this tweet was liked, as I received some mentions on it. This concept is the summation of a key element in search engine rankings and therefore the core of gaining search engine rankings.

Is Content King?

The search engines want to believe that the best content on the internet will win. They gauge this by links. If you like something then you will share it with others by linking to it. Who hasn’t gotten an email with a link in it to a funny video. Funny is almost always likable. Who doesn’t like things that are funny?… Okay maybe its not best to crack a joke when in a heated argument with a wife. But let’s not get into timing right now. The idea of the search engine tallying up links is to find the sites that are most liked by all. Content should incite people to like you. Content should give people a reason to link to you.

Offline Likability = Online Linkability

To expand this concept one step further, I believe your offline likability is also proportionate to your online link-ability. This is going beyond what the search engine would expect. Search Engine’s believe that people more likely to naturally link to an awesome hotel’s website after having a fantastic weekend of sterling customer service. Hence the best hotel wins. I ..Perhaps. But popularity of lesser hotels may out weigh the likability of awesome less known hotels. I believe we are now taking this one step further. I am more compelled to share articles from individuals that I know and like. I win more links from people I meet and establish a relationship with. Take for instance Dennis G., he’s likable and thus linkable. I am much more likely to link to Ebay after having met Dennis.

We could even Expand this chain to:

 Likable = Linkable = Tweetable = Diggable = Stumbleable = Remarkable = Rankable

As one comment I received stated… “Wow, thanks for that. I have to summarize today why losing links is a big deal, ane explain why they are going to lose their rankings.”

Glad I could help. =)

“So this is good and dandy for individuals but what about businesses. Are we in business to be friends with people?”

If you have not figured out the new online order, YES, YOU NEED TO MAKE FRIENDS.  Granted, being likable does not mean being buddy-buddy. You don’t need to be a BFF. But as a business you do need to serve a purpose and people need to like you doing that service. Disney probably puts it the best:

“Do what you do so well, that the people who see you do it, will want to see you do it again, and will bring others to see you do it.“

Adding a smile to your service helps bring them back for more. Being friendly helps them share your business with their friends. In today’s online world this is amplified over several thousand social connections. Social media works best for those that know how to act socially acceptable and be sociable. I am a pest control guy. My first priority is to get rid of bugs, my second is to make you smile a little longer.

Now go out and be LIKABLE!

Bed bugs can be found singly, but often congregate once established. They usually remain close to hosts, common locations for congregation include:

• Beds
• Couches
• Luggage
• Vehicles
• Furniture
• Bedside clutter
• Near animals that have nested within a dwelling, such as bats, birds, or rodents

Bed bugs are elusive and usually nocturnal, which can make them hard to spot. They often lodge unnoticed in dark crevices, and eggs can be nestled in fabric seams. Aside from bite symptoms, signs include fecal spots, blood smears on sheets, and molts. Detection of bed bugs in RV’s can be especially difficult, making it imperative that RV mattresses are kept clean and checked regularly for signs of infestations.

New to the List: Bulwark Exterminating

For nearly two decades, the migration of retirees and other warmth-seeking Northerners to the Sun Belt was as predictable as death and taxes. New construction reached record highs and fueled a variety of industries, including pest management. Pestmanagement companies thrived as the market expanded, seemingly without end. Many invested heavily in the pretreatment market segment.

Not Adam Seever, president of Mesa, Ariz.-based Bulwark Exterminating (#31), which serves 11 cities in the Sun Belt, Seever foresaw the housing collapse and opted to focus his energies on retaining his established customers and market share rather than relying on the influx of new-construction business he predicted would grind to a halt at any moment. He didn’t believe in making investments in the pretreatment market.

“It was a gamble not chasing the new business, but I’m familiar with the dynamics of the economy, and I knew the growth couldn’t continue indefinitely,” said Seever, who holds a degree in finance and statistical analysis. “It worked out for us. We’ve managed to keep our numbers steady (around $19 million) for the past three years, and I expect to see modest growth in the coming years.”

Committed to Employees, Customers.

Seever’s approach to strengthening his 12-year-old business began with the development of metrics to assess his employees’ performance. Those who scored among the top 80 percent were awarded bonuses to encourage them to continue providing top-notch service and set the pace for the rest of the team.

“Satisfied employees create satisfied customers,” Seever says, “and we all know that it’s cheaper to retain an established customer than to win a new one. So I redirected a significant portion of our budget and efforts from marketing to employee satisfaction.”

Those efforts also included supplying each technician with his or her own Smart phone, equipped with an application developed exclusively for Bulwark. It enables technicians to interact with the company database from the field, minimizing the technician’s need to come to the office.

“We’ve saved thousands of miles and a lot of our team’s time, because now they need to come in only once a week. I respect their time, and they appreciate that. We’ve built a culture that supports and nurtures employees. They’re inspired to provide great service and to smile when they visit customers,” says Seever.

While many pest management companies have either folded or sold their operations in the economic turmoil of the past three years, Bulwark stands among those that remain steady and focused on the future.

Seever added, “When you know that you’re up against market challenges — that you aren t going to be able to expand through the routes that got you where you are today — you need to focus on what you can change. Don’t let obstacles stifle your creativity. Invest in your people; they’ll come through every time.”

—Donna DeFranco, PCT Magazine

Bed bugs aren’t necessarily ‘caused’ by anything, they are simply brought into your home by someone or something that happens to have one or more bedbugs hitchhiking their way in. Here are some common sources of bed bug hitchhikers:

• Bugs and eggs that “hitchhiked in” on pets, or on clothing and luggage
• Infested items (such as furniture or clothing) brought into the home
• Nearby dwellings or infested items, if there are easy routes (through duct work or false ceilings)
• Wild animals
• People visiting from a source of infestation; bed bugs are transferred by clothing, luggage, or a person’s body

Bed bugs were for the most part eradicated in the developed world after World War II, and the recent resurgence has been linked to increase international travel, as well as changes in pesticides and pest control methods. Every kind of mattress, bed, and piece of furniture can house bed bugs – some more so than others. For example, memory foam mattresses don’t allow bed bugs to live inside the foam, making detection and elimination a simpler task.

Okay… I like Spiderman and all, but did it really out rank Ironman? I mean, I even have a biased to the spider since I am a pest control guy and all, but Iron Man nailed it! … But putting them in a real order wouldn’t leave much to debate here. And at least now I have a couple of rentals to consider since I haven’t seen several of your top 25. Cowabunga!

http://blog.moviefone.com/2011/05/10/best-comic-book-movies/

Here is their list:

25. ‘Shogun Assassin’ (1980)
24. ‘A History of Violence’ (2005)
23. ’300′ (2007)
22. ‘Road to Perdition’ (2002)
21. ‘Hellboy’ (2004)
20. ‘X-Men’ (2000)
19. ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’ (2010)
18. ‘Persepolis’ (2007)
17. ‘Sin City’ (2005)
16. ‘X2′ (2003)
15. ‘Ghost in the Shell’ (1995)
14. ‘Iron Man’ (2008)
13. ‘Lupin the 3rd: Castle of Cagliostro’ (1979)
12. ‘Spider-Man’ (2002)
11. ‘The Rocketeer’ (1991)
10. ‘Superman’ (1978)
9. ‘American Splendor’ (2003)
8. ‘Men in Black’ (1997)
7. ‘Batman’ (1989)
6. ‘Spider-Man II’ (2004)
5. ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ (1990)
4. ‘Ghost World’ (2001)
3. ‘Akira’ (1988)
2. ‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)
1. ‘Blade’ (1998)

Well, where to begin with this list. Let’s just start with #1… SERIOUSLY? Sure the logic is sound, but I doubt that the general public would even place Blade in their top 10 list let alone #1. And I am surprised that 2 sequels beat out the originals (Spiderman II, and Dark Knight). In fact, Batman Begins didn’t even make their top 25. It only made mention to why Blade was number one. Which may not be all that honorable of a mention considering that they mentioned Daredevil in sync, which also didn’t make the list. If they were dipping into the top 25 as legendary status they also missed Tales from the Crypt, an EC comic book. And then you have to think about Dick Tracy being skipped over for a couple of less known animations films. Which is especially insulting when they didn’t add in any of Marvel’s full length Comic Book Animations. “Batman: Under the Red Hood” was an amazing movie. But I can see why you wouldn’t want to add another Batman to the list.

I must think that there is some criteria that is not being explained in the author’s selection. Some unwritten rule about it having to be a Comic Book prior to being a movie, which is understandable. I mean the Stars Wars and Indiana Jones movies made the comic books. But this doesn’t explain why Transformers was left off the list. Granted it was a Toy prior to it’s TV and Comic Book debut. But none the less, Transformers was a comic book at the same time it was a TV series, so without proper exclusion from the list for being a toy first, Transformers should have made the top 25. The author also included “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” which was graphic NOVEL, not a comic book.

Disclaimer: I am not a certified comic book specialist. So don’t mind me, just a Phoenix pest control guy doing my pest controlling.

Zombie Ant Control - The next weapon.

Just when you thought it was safe to sleep at night…

When little fire ants bite’s only meant a painful welt…

We bring you a pest control story worthy of Forbes, Times, and the Wall Street Journal…

Could it be evidence of  living dead are being found at less then centimeter high?

Fungus that eats on brains is stirring…

From the deep dark Brazilian Rainforest…

We bring you…

The Zombie Ant in…

THE PEST CONTROL HORROR!

So I am not sure if I should laugh, cry, or applaud. It is true that everyone these days wants to be sensational, yes even us dole boring pest control guys that run the same routine day in and day out. Sure Billy the Exterminator makes our jobs look exciting and fun, but really… spraying scorpions, baiting ant mounds, sweeping spider webs from the eaves… It’s not as glamorous as Dirty Jobs makes it seems. Granted on occasion stepping back 20 feet from a huge hornets nest and letting the Wasp Freeze fly is pretty cool. And the adrenaline certainly kicks in when those nasty flying pest going a buzzing. But can it be that we have reached a new level when we start calling ants dieing because they are infected with a fungus ZOMBIE ANTS?

Forbes Jumps on the Zombie Ant Viral Band Wagon

Okay, today’s post comes after receiving a notification of ants hitting Forbes’ News. http://blogs.forbes.com/johnfarrell/2011/05/10/now-science-falls-to-the-zombie-meme/ Granted John Farrell makes his case that this news is getting way too much attention…

But to take up Larry’s point, the ants aren’t really zombies in the classic sense of walking corpses. They linger for a while, as automatons, before slowly dying. They don’t come back to life looking to eat their healthier compadres.

Come back to life looking to eat other ants… LOL.. Good one John. I mean that would be freaking amazing and truly worth a journalist’s time, yet somehow we are both still dedicating time to this social phenomena. For those that don’t pay attention to Yahoo… Zombie Ants was trending on Yahoo. (Does anyone know what that means?..) I guess John and I are really hoping that this will trend on twitter so that we can get some real mileage out of covering an unworthy ant story.Yes, it takes an oxymoron to know one. Again, crying or applauding are both equally felt emotions.

The Rest Of the Story

From the scientists corner: “Zombie Ants Have Fungus on the Brain, New Research Reveals” http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110509065536.htm

For a scientist that studies ants all day long, little carpenter ants that start acting erratic by stepping out of line is a big deal. And it is a little uncanny that these ants will react in sync with the high noon sun phase, biting their fierce jaws on the vein of an unsuspecting leaf. Oh yes, it is frightening to think that “lock jaw” position is the zombie corpses last act.  The leaf now providing the perfect nutrition to foster more fungus zombie creating spores to attack the next ant that wonders it’s way. Fantastic story!

Let’s hear it from their own words:

“The fungus attacks the ants on two fronts: first by using the ant as a walking food source, and second by damaging muscle and the ant’s central nervous system. The result for the ant is zombie walking and the death bite, which place the ant in the cool, damp understory. Together these events provide the perfect environment for fungal growth and reproduction.”

<APPLAUDING!>

Props to a very creative story and a killer headline and name. Who doesn’t want to know what a zombie ant is especially after a scientist has called it as such? And who says that a scientist can’t be sensational and that bugs can’t be fun? Everyday ant control needs a little extra fire in it. Exterminators what a splash of color in their work as well. So yes, there is that ever present exaggeration, but who believes in green Zombie’s anyways?

Related Pages: Charlotte Ant Control

With all the gloom and doom around bed bugs the authorities have fought long a hard to stiffle any claims made about bed bugs carrying diseases but per the Medical Entomology Team at Perdue:

“At least 27 agents of human disease have been found in bed bugs, including viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and parasitic worms. None of these agents reproduce or multiply within bed bugs, and very few survive for any length of time inside a bed bug. There is no evidence that bed bugs are involved in the transmission (via bite or infected feces) of any disease agent, including hepatitis B virus and HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. ” http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/publichealth/insects/bedbug.html

Can bed bugs carry disease? Yes. Many professionals have suspected this all along. So the next argument being debated is this:

Can Bed Bugs Transmit Diseases such as Hepatitis B and HIV?

Bed Bug Bites

So yes they carry disease causing bacteria and virus, but does that mean they can actually transfer it from one human host to the next. It is a very frightening though indeed, and no need to scare the public if it’s not yet proven, RIGHT? But today’s reports leave the possibility very suspect. The Blaze reported yesterday afternoon that a medical Microbiologist became suspicious after seeing a rise in MRSA patients and bed bugs in a poor part of town. So the scientist and his friends collected 5 bed bugs from the neighborhood and found MRSA in 3 of the 5. Circumstantial evidence?

While these findings may not be conclusive, the thought is eery. Protect yourself… And if true, you REALLY don’t want the bed bugs to bite.

I let a bed bug bite me for this information…

Soooo Just a reminder… Get Bug Repellent.

Cuban scientists believe they have discovered a major breakthrough in the fight against Cancer.  Vidatox, a homeopathic product derived from the venom of “Red Scorpions” (Rhopalurus junceus), has shown promising results from 15 years of research.  The medication is designed to be an anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor agent, and has been effective as such on more than 15 various cancer cell lines.  Over 5,000 Red Scorpions have been used to develop and produce Vidatox.  Now that manipulation of the natural scorpion venom has been perfected, researchers plan to explore synthetic versions of the toxin.

The Rhopalurus junceus or “Red Scorpions” are indigenous to Cuba and known to have moderate toxicity levels.  While people are regularly stung in Cuba and Haiti, very few deaths have been reported due to negative, allergic reactions.  The Red Scorpion is also one of the few scorpion species that is known to make an audible sound when disturbed.

Vidatox Medicine Made of Scorpion Venom

Where to buy Scorpion Venom as Medicine AKA Vidatox?

We haven’t quite discovered this out yet, but Vidatox is already a registered product and shipments are set to go out to countries in Europe and South America.

Can I Sell Scorpion Venom?

Maybe.  Considering that the market price of scorpion venom is at $38 million per gallon, it would certainly be nice.

The most venomous and dangerous scorpion in the United States is the Bark Scorpion and is primarily found in the southwestern, desert regions of the country.  The Bark Scorpions is also commonly known as the Arizona Bark Scorpion.  Because of the extreme heat, Phoenix scorpion control companies battle numerous scorpion cases for the better part of six months every year.  Maybe these little critters can start working for us from now on.

Scientists are also exploring various ways scorpion venom can be used in common, every day life.  For example, venom is being altered and tested as an actual pesticide to combat household pests.  Venom is also being developed into variations of morphine that may potentially be used in the medical field.  That almost makes a trip to ER worth it.

“Nurse!  I need 50 CCs of scorpion venom, STAT!”

DDT nearly wiped-out the bed bug population in America until the EPA banned its use on June 14th, 1972. DDT was widely used around beds, furniture and other favorite bed bug hideouts. Some reports say it was generally effective at killing bed bugs for about a year after treatment but was also considered harmful to human health and to the environment. Although we all grew up hearing the phrase, “Sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite,” I don’t think most of us knew what bed bugs were or what pests bed bugs could become if they made it into our home.

Now that bed bugs are on the rise again, it is interesting what information you can find from Search Engines. On Google Trends, it shows which terms are being searched for and ranks them according to their increase in search volume. Below, you will find some search terms related to bed bugs that are increasing; the last column even shows how much the volume of the search term has increased:

What is also interesting to know is what people are actually searching for. According to one search engine, some of the popular searches related to bed bugs are:

Another interesting automatically-generated bed bug info-graphic is dynamically created by searching for bed bugs in Google’s Insights tool. I used Google’s tool to create the map below. There are a couple of observations I had when I viewed this map for the first time. The first thought I had was that I was not surprised that the darkest shaded area, and therefore the area with the most search volume related to bed bugs, were in the states of New York and New Jersey. When it comes to bed bugs, New York is kind of the Mecca. I assume it is because of all of the international travel that goes through New York or it could be other reasons but I was not surprised to see that most of the nation’s bed bug search queries came from New York and New Jersey. With all of the travel and the great weather in Florida, I was also surprised that there weren’t more instances of bed bugs in that state; along with the other southern states. The mild and moist weather through the south keeps many bugs happy all year long.

West of the Mississippi, I was surprised to see such high search volume for bed bugs in Arizona and Colorado. I expected to see more search volume in California, Oregon and Washington.