How To Enhance Your Image With Strategically Designed Pest Control Uniforms

This past weekend I was going for a late afternoon walk with my wife and daughter when something peculiar caught my eye. I passed a pest control technician getting out of his truck wearing nothing more then shorts, sneakers and a tee-shirt (I’m in Queen Creek, Arizona). If it wasn’t for a small vinyl decal affixed to his truck window, I would have never of guessed he was a pest control technician.

Since this experience, I have been doing some digging. Come to find out, almost 37% of pest control professionals are not required to wear a standard uniform. These numbers vary somewhat depending on the reports you read, but not wearing pest control uniforms definitely raises several safety and image issues.

Uniforms Enhance A Safe And Secure Image

A survey conducted by J.D. Power and Associates found that 83% of consumers believe that uniforms make it easier to identify who can help them. The survey also found that 87% of business owners and managers want to see contractors in uniform to help confirm that they are who they say they are.

With this data the question must be asked,

“Why aren’t all pest control professionals wearing uniforms?”

Safety And Security Issues

Security issues can easily arise for pest control businesses when technicians visit residential and commercial customers. Although the right protective gear provides the most important safety measure against chemicals and equipment, other enhancements of employee safety helps protect both your workers and your customers. A strategically planned uniform program can be a strong solution to a variety of security and safety issues.

Uniform Suppliers

Uniform rental and service companies provide assistance to customers going beyond just providing new uniforms. Many will also pick up dirty uniforms, wash them, and deliver clean ones. These companies can also help ensure that uniforms are ideal from a functional standpoint. They can help you select styles, fabrics, designs, and colors. There are thousands of uniform companies across the country to choose from, so pick one that best fits your pest control business needs.

How To Enhance Your Pest Control Image With Strategically Designed Uniforms

If your pest control technicians are not wearing uniforms, make them start now. Here are some pointers to help you get started and get your company on its way to an enhanced secure image.

Brand your pest control business. Your company name, logo, slogan, and other unique identifiable business elements need to be incorporated into all possible items employees wear.

Be unique. Pick colors and styles that make your technicians immediately recognizable when out on service calls. Don’t go too crazy with colors and styles because you still want to have a high sense of professionalism. With that being said, you also don’t want your techs blending in with the crowd.

Design uniforms that would be difficult for competitors to copy. Use company logos, colors, slogans and other design elements as precisely and consistently as possible. Extend these across all job functions so they are clear to other employees and customers. I know this can be challenging for some techs in the field, depending on the specific pest you’re eradicating, but do as much as you can.

Make sure uniforms keep employees safe. This is a no-brainer in the pest control industry. Choose performance fabrics that wick away sweat and moisture as many techs focus on working in cramped, hot spaces.

Spread the word about your new look. If you get new uniforms, or change an existing design, let your existing customers know about it through an announcement. Hand out business cards or postcards with pictures of your techs in their new uniforms. This is also an effective marketing opportunity. “New look, same great service.”

Keep uniforms in good repair. A technician’s less-than-neat uniform may cause customers to feel uncomfortable with him or her, potentially impacting feelings of safety and security. A uniform supplier will ensure that needed repairs are made to your uniforms, stains are removed, and worn uniforms are replaced with new ones.

Keep track of uniforms. If your employees aren’t laundering their clothing at home, store uniforms collected for laundering in a secure location. Ensure managers collect all uniforms distributed to employees who resign or are terminated.

Get to know your suppliers. Just as your uniforms identify your people when they visit accounts, ensure that your office staff can easily identify uniforms of vendors who service your office. They should understand the need for caution if there’s any question regarding a worker’s identity.

Strategically Planned Uniforms

A strategically planned uniform program can be a strong solution to a variety of security and safety issues, not to mention aid in your pest control businesses’ brand awareness. There is no reason why your technicians should not be consistently wearing strategically planned uniforms. It’s just good business.

Your thoughts?

Related articles

• Make Your Uniforms Stylish and Safe with BLT
• Police trial ‘professional’ uniform
• How to Expand your Service Offering

Anthony Ball

Spiderman And His Amazing Spider Silk 

Every boy growing up watched in amazement as Spiderman was able to shoot webs from his wrists; pulling endangered motorist’s cars off of bridges before they fell hundreds of feet into icy water. 

Crooks and bad guys, even those with superhuman strength, were tied up by Spiderman’s webs. Wonderment filled our heads, as we watched all the many possibilities of spider silk. 

I remember wishing I could shoot those powerful spider webs at a schoolyard bully or be able to effortlessly swing from my house to a tree branch. 

A Century’s Old Question 

Apparently I am not the only one who has wanted to unleash the secrets of spider silk. 

For decades, scientists have been studying spider silk hoping to unlock its mysteries and apply this knowledge to real world application. 

Scientists are now closer than ever to answering the question, 

“How does a spider spin a web of silk that is five times stronger, on a weight-to-strength basis, than steel; and how can we manufacture it?”

The Strength of Spider Silk (Photo credit: BlueRidgeKitties)

The Strength Of Spider Silk 

Spider silk is five times stronger, on a weight-to-strength basis, than steel with about 1/6th the density. 

Here’s a real world example displaying the strength of silk:

An 1881 Tombstone, Arizona gun fight gave us all an idea of just how strong real silk is. George Emery Goodfellow, a doctor of the times in Tombstone, AZ was examining the deceased after a gunfight. One of the men involved had taken a couple bullets to the chest, but the Dr. Goodfellow couldn’t find a single drop of blood on the man. As he removed his clothing he found a silk handkerchief holding two smashed bullets. Although the man has still died because of the force of the bullets, the silk handkerchief stopped the bullets from piercing the man’s chest.

Solving The Mysteries of Spider Silk

Over the last ten years scientists have unlocked a few portions of the spider silk puzzle, and hope to replicate it. We now know the key proteins used by spiders to spin their silk. Unfortunately, scientists have been unable to translate this knowledge into a technique that would enable the industrial-scale manufacturing of synthetic spider silk that is as powerful as the real stuff. 

The problem has always been fairly fundamental. While scientists understood the substances or proteins used by these ingenious spiders, they couldn’t figure out the mechanics of how spiders combine those proteins to make spider silk. When they tried it in their labs, they got inferior products… Until now! 

It turns out that a key part of the answer to this complex question is really pretty simple. It’s all in the timing… The timing of tiny globular structures. 

Tiny Globular Structures

Scientist recently stumbled upon some unusual spider silk features, and a big part of the secret. These features happened to be tiny globular structures called “micelles” which when combined together formed larger and larger gel-like structures. These micelles happened to be the precursors to silk fibers. 

Scientists now believe that they can take these micelles, and add some non-silk polymers to it to enlarge them and manufacture spider silk… But there is still one challenge. 

The Next Challenge

Spiders control the water content of the gel to prevent the proteins from crystallizing until they are ready to spin the silk fibers. If the proteins crystallized too soon, the process would fail. Scientists are still trying to unlock this last part of the spider silk puzzle and replicate the process that nature has provided. 

Look at That Spider-Man Go! (Photo credit: The Rocketeer)

Real World Applications of Manufactured Spider Silk: Inspired By Spiderman 

• Quick urban travel by rapidly firing thin strands of spider silk from building to building
• Biomedical devices like artificial tendons and ligaments
• Artificial skin for burn victims
• Binding captured criminals with a webbing
• Bomb stopping bulletproof vests
• Biodegradable bottles and packaging
• Blindfold an opponent with a thick blob of spider silk
• A super strong spider silk polymer for high performance aircraft or motor vehicles
• Super strong ropes, nets, seat belts, and parachutes
• A massive web cast across a street or alley to snare rapidly-moving persons or vehicles

Going Forward

Spiders are amazing creatures, and so is the silk they spin. Let’s hope scientists can figure out the last few pieces of the spider silk puzzle, so we can all live out our childhood fantasies of becoming Spiderman! 

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=97539&page=1#.ULkLyOQ0V8E

Related articles

• Review: The Amazing Spiderman #700
• Your Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman
• The Amazing SpiderMan (2012)
• Film Review: The Amazing Spiderman (2012)
• Spider-man: Legacy
• I am Spiderman – The End

Anthony Ball

If you’ve had rodent problems before, then you are probably aware about how challenging it is to get rid of these destructive critters. Rats and mice are the most common types, but another rodent that is also known to wreak havoc to properties is the vole. Once any type of critter has set up house in your property, it becomes a battle. You need to defend your home from these creatures that damage property and possessions. More importantly, you have to get rid of these animals because they can also bring dangerous diseases.

Because you do not want to have rodents around, you should seriously consider what sort of preventive measures you can take. It is definitely better to put a stop to things before they even begin rather than suffer the consequences of negligence. So, there are several ways to deter rodents, and one factor that you can focus on is odor. This is because mouse, rats and other creatures are attracted to certain scents. Hence, you should get rid of certain smells from your home to avoid attracting pesky animals.

Smells that Mice and Rats Like

Rodents are scavengers, and so they are drawn to the smell of food. The scents of meat and meat products, as well as oils from pork or beef are particularly attractive. Because these creatures require carbohydrate-rich foods for energy, they are naturally drawn to food items such as cereals, breads, rice grains, and root crops, like potatoes and yams. Peanut butter is particularly tempting to mice, which is why it’s often used as bait. All in all, odors that are appealing to humans are also very enticing to rodents.

Should You Use Food as Bait?

The thing about rodents is that they have a very keen sense of smell. In case you want to use food as bait, this could be counterproductive as you might only be attracting more rodents into your home instead of catching them or keeping them away. So, what are your options?

1. Reduce attractive odors.

As mentioned, the smell of food attracts rats and mice. But there are many things that you can do to reduce or remove odors that entice rodents. Keeping kitchen counters and cooking stations clean is very helpful. After preparing and serving food, wipe counters with a sponge dipped in a warm and soapy solution. Rinse and then wipe again until surfaces are pretty much dirt and odor free. Then, get an antibacterial solution or maybe rubbing alcohol and use this to wipe surfaces. This will keep things sanitary and get rid of food odors too. In addition to this, always clean up after juice or food spills.

2. Keep food in secure containers.

When you are leaving food to eat later or in case there are leftovers, keep these in tightly sealed containers. Also, instead of leaving sweets or meats on tables or counters, put these inside your refrigerator.

3. Dispose of garbage properly.

Throw garbage out regularly. Don’t leave a bin filled with food scraps inside your house overnight as this will attract rodents. Put food in a plastic bag and throw this in a garbage bin that has a secure cover. It will also be best to put some space between your bin and main house so that in case the bin draws in rodents and other pests, these critters won’t find your house immediately.

Citations:

• 3n. “Jack’s rat is named Terri Schiavo”. October 15, 2005. Online image. Flickr. January 7, 2013.

Claire Lassiter is a freelance writer who has been writing about pest management since 2008. She covers issues about environmentally friendly pest control, and she writes about all sorts of pests often found in homes. She also blogs for Rove Pest Control, which is a company that provides first-rate pest control services.

Related articles

• Pests that can damage your home and make a hole in your wallet
• Advice on Rodent Control Released by Bonnington Plastics
• They Still Haven’t Built A Better Mousetrap

\
Thomas Ballantyne

Pest Of The Week: True Chinch Bug

The True Chinch bug is a small insect, native to the United States, and quite common in the Mid-western States.

Adults may vary in body color, ranging from dark red to brown, with white wings; and red legs. Due to their small size, reaching about 4 millimeters in length, the True Chinch bug is hardly noticeable. As such, they can become a pest control problem for unsuspecting homeowners. True Chinch bugs are notorious for devouring the stems of delicate turf-grass.

In most cases, an effective pest control strategy against the True Chinch bug will include the application of a pesticide, and/or the introduction of pest-resistant grasses. Furthermore, because this pest prefers hot, dry, and sunny conditions, the true chinch bug population is sharply reduced in moist, warm, and humid climates; especially when heavy rains are present.

Weekly Pest Control Links Round-Up

Chinch Bugs Causing Brown Lawn Spots? 

If you are seeing brown spots on your lawn this year, there may be a chance you have chinch bugs. These pests (our pest of the week) feed on grass and can eventually kill it. More…

One Man’s Clutter Is A Pest’s Home 

There are several different kinds of pests that love clutter. Organizing and cleaning can go along way in helping to control spiders, mice, and bed bugs. More…

Pest Control Marketing Tip #2 – Homeless Man Learns Powerful Marketing Lesson! 

Pest Control Marketing guru Hal Coleman shares a true story about how a homeless man was able to dramatically increase the $$ people gave him by simply changing the wording on the cardboard sign he held. Click here to watch the video.

Prevent Bed Bugs from Going Back to School 

The new college semester has just begun, and there are a few steps you can take to prevent these tiny blood-sucking bedbugs from infesting your college dorm; a heavily populated place that bedbugs like to frequent. More…

Bulwark Awarded Angie’s List Super Service Award 

Bulwark Pest Control’s Las Vegas branch got some good news this week as they discovered they received the Angie’s List Super Service Award. To learn more about what it all means, click here.

A Brief History of the War Between Humans and Bed Bugs

The world has been battling bedbugs for centuries, and has discovered several different ways to eradicate these tiny pests over the years. To learn of their history, click here.

Related articles

• Anderson Pest Solutions Receives Angie’s List 2012 Super Service Award
• Name the bed bug! Tracking down the critters that can spoil your sleep
• Know your enemy

Anthony Ball

English: Striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you’re like most people, you can easily identify a skunk at first glance (or at first smell!) Skunks are small to medium-sized black animals with a noticeable white strip of fur running down the middle of their bodies.

Even more famous than their coloring, however, is the intense odor that they give off when they feel threatened. In addition to being unpleasant, this odor can also cause damage and irritation when it comes into contact with a person’s skin or eyes – plus, the smell can be hard to get rid of once it’s made contact!

Skunks Aren’t All Bad

Though you might be tempted to view skunks as disgusting pests, these little animals are actually quite beneficial to the environment. According to the Humane Society of the United States, skunks perform a valuable service by commonly eating small rodents and bugs that can cause a nuisance. Also, these animals are not known for purposefully bothering humans or common household pets. When an unpleasant interaction does occur, it is usually accidental and only happens because the skunk has been startled or disrupted.

Signs of a Skunk Problem

Generally, you’ll know if a skunk is lurking around your property by the tell-tale musky odor. Other common signs of a skunk infestation include unexplained holes in grassy areas on your property and damage to the lower parts of plants and/or crops.

An Ounce of Prevention

To avoid skunk infestation, make sure not to leave garbage, particularly garbage containing food waste, or pet food out during the night. Investing in a strong garbage can with a reliable lid is an easy way to keep skunks at bay. You should also clear your yard of wood piles, rock piles, easily accessible sheds and other structures, and porch, basement, or crawl space openings, all of which make attractive homes for skunks.

A Pound of Cure

If it’s too late to prevent a skunk problem, then all you can do is take care of the problem at hand. The best way to do this is to invest in a humane skunk trap. Once you catch the skunk, you can contact your local animal control center or humane society for further instructions as to what to do with the animal.

How to Trap Skunks

You should read and carefully follow all the directions included with your skunk trap. Most traps use bait to attract the skunk. While there are many different types of bait, your best options include chicken intestines, insect larvae, cat food, canned fish, bacon, and cracknels. After you catch the skunk, minimize contact with the animal and the trap until you speak with animal control or the humane society.

Adrienne is a blogger and aspiring writer. When she’s not blogging about tech and social media, you might find her practicing her French, whipping up some recipes she found on Pinterest, or obsessing over vintage postcards and stamps.

Related articles

• Girl in costume at Halloween party shot after being mistaken for skunk
• Three Ways to Catch a Skunk
• Hog-nosed skunk causes stir at Grand Canyon

Thomas Ballantyne

Pest Of The Week: Pocket Gophers

Pocket Gopher by Tooth and Nail (Photo credit: USFWS Pacific)

Pocket gophers have dark brown fur, large heads, powerful necks, very short tails, and very large, broad front feet with enlarged claws, which they use in combination with their teeth; to dig and push mounds of soil to the surface. They are approximately the size of a small rat, and can reach 10 inches in length. Because this rodent uses it’s two exterior, fur-lined cheek pouches to carry food materials, it has earned the name Pocket gopher. More…

This Week’s Pest Control Links Round-Up

Guide To MPMA PestWorld 2013 In Phoenix

PestWorld will be coming to Phoenix, AZ October 23-26, 2013, and over 3000 pest management professionals are expected to attend. If you are one of the 3000 PCO’s, here is you guide to the nearby restaurants, hotels, events, and activities.

America’s #1 Nuisance Pest: Ants

It’s no question that ants are a nuisance, but did you know that ant infestations are on the rise. According to a recent survey conducted by the NPMA, 100% of people polled encountered an ant situation during the year: and 54% said the problem is growing. More…

How To Avoid Food Infesting Pests

Pantry pests like beetles, and Indian meal moths will infest your flour, cereal, grain, and sugar. For a few tips on how to keep them out of your food, click here

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie… 3 Practices To Avoid Mice Infestations

Sealing your gaps and cracks, taking out your trash, and setting a few mousetraps are all strategies in to combat mice infestations. For more information, click here.

Organizing Your Attic Can Prevent Pest Problems In The New Year

Modern Pest Services suggest your New Years resolutions should be to organize your attic to keep pests out. Here’s how…

FMC Pest Wire Top Tweets

FMC Pest Wire shares with us their most popular tweets from the past few weeks, here.

Crickets Chirping

Male crickets will commonly chirp, or rub their wings together against each other. The sound is designed to keep other males away from their territory, and it also is designed to attract females to the male for mating purposes. While the sound of crickets chirping may be pleasant and appealing to female crickets, it can be entirely bothersome to our own ears. More…

What Are Indian Meal Moths?

These pesky moths are notorious for damaging your clothing by munching on a variety of fabrics from silk to wool. More…

Related articles

• New Way to Kill Bed Bugs Discovered; Bed Bug Bully Says Use of Bed Bug Spray Remains the Better Technique to Kill the Pests
• The New York Pest Expo Defies Weather, Exceeds Expectations
• Know your enemy
• Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Anthony Ball

Coyotes Battle Chicago Rat Infestation

Chicago’s municipality has found some new employees, about 250 of them, to help keep the city clean—and without the need to dole out any expensive pensions, either.  So who makes up this new hiring push in Chicago?  Coyotes, of course.

WGN-TV aired a news story showing a video, presumably captured on someone’s phone, of a coyote running down the Loop’s State Street at around 3am.  An inquiry was made to the city’s police, asking them if they were aware of the predator or coyote problems in the city.

The police stated they had no knowledge of why the animal might be there; however, a supervisor at the Chicago Commission on Animal Care and Control, Brad Block, stated that he knew the real reason the coyote was spotted: he was working.

According to Block, this coyote and a number like it, each fitted with a GPS collar, are used to help the city lower its pest problems.  The coyotes feast on rats, mice and rabbits—veritably, the greenest pest control available as it fits right in with the ecological food chain.  Block goes on to say that these coyotes are not a problem: “He’s not a threat…He’s not going to pick up your children…His job is to deal with all of the nuisance problems, like mice, rats and rabbits” (Chicago Breaking News).

These coyotes are not a source of concern for citizens, Block affirms, they’re let loose only to control the pest population.  However, since this news story broke, there have been several other ideas put out there as to the real reason Chicagoans are seeing coyotes in their city.

Treehugger.com, the popular green blog, believes the coyotes are part of the 250 coyotes radio-tagged for the Urban Coyote Ecology and Management program, a research project run by Cook County to see how coyotes fare in large urban areas.  Coyotes, a natural part of the plains geography and ecological system, have been pushed out of the city and had to redefine their role within the dynamics of the human presence.

What’s become remarkable is that these coyotes have risen to the top of the food chain in many metropolitan areas where coyotes are present.  This means that the coyotes have become more brazen and bold, venturing outwards into the cities where years ago they would never have been found.

Is Coyote Pest Control Safe?

Many cities in the Southwest have already learned first-hand what happens when the coyotes move in to the metropolitan area.  In California and Arizona, people have taken to feeding the coyotes, giving them handouts, making them more comfortable with people and counting on people as a source of food.

Many coyotes have had to be removed from those areas as the coyotes start to take advantage of the comfort afforded to them: often times attacking and eating pets and, in very small cases, attacking children. The coyotes had become a pest.

While it isn’t certain exactly if the coyote caught on video was part of the Urban Coyote program, or if it was in fact “let loose” for the purposes of pest control, what is certain is the rising number of coyote sightings (and road-kill) in Chicago and the very real fact that they’re figuring out how to return to their indigent plains habitat and reclaim their role as top predator.

About the author: Thomas dedicates himself to environmental issues including humane bird and pest control. When he’s not reviewing companies like www.bird-x.com, you can find him training for his first marathon.

Related articles

• RIP Neighbour Cat
• Coyote Highway
• Brown Rat Habits

Thomas Ballantyne

Kudzu bugs are a relatively new sight in the south, arriving on the scene less than a year ago. As colder weather arrives, these pests are beginning to head indoors in search of warmth. It is important to remember, though, that the bugs should not be feared. They will not cause harm to either you or your property, although they do release a smell if they are stepped on, and their remains could leave a stain on your floor or countertops. If your home is showing signs of a kudzu bug infestation, the following information will help you manage your problem.

Complete a visual inspection of your property

You will not be able to entirely prevent kudzu bugs from congregating around your property. However, there are things that you can do to help. Spend an afternoon thoroughly examining the outer perimeter of your home. Look for cracks or crevices where the bugs could squeeze in; sealing up these holes should make a substantial difference in your infestation.

Consider the pros and cons of pesticide spray

Be aware that spraying pesticides is unlikely to be effective. Of course, spraying chemicals directly on the bugs will kill them, but the population is typically so large that simply spraying a few will not make a big difference in the grand scheme of things. You can spray around your door frames and windows if you would like, although it may be hard to target the right areas if you don’t have professional pest control knowledge.

If you do need to get rid of a few bugs quickly and you are interested in using a spray, look for something that has synthetic pyrethriod in the ingredient list; this will work the best to eradicate these pests. The names you are looking for include cyfluthrin, lamda-cyhalothrin, bifenthrin and permethrin. Those hoping to go green may be disappointed. Organic products generally don’t work that well with kudzu bugs, although if you are determined to give it a try, look for a product with pyrethrins in it.

While you may think it just a formality, it is always important to thoroughly go over the directions for any pesticide that you are using. A few precautions you may want to take include wearing protective eye gear and covering up or relocating any furniture, toys or other possessions in the path of the spray. Spraying is not a long term solution; it will kill the bugs that you are spraying, but it will not work to keep them away over time.

Use alternative indoor pest control methods

Spraying inside your home is basically ineffective, and you run the risk of pets or family members coming into contact with the poison. Therefore, the best tool to combat kudzu bugs is actually your vacuum cleaner. By sucking up the pests, you don’t have to worry about stepping on or crushing them to get rid of them. Be diligent about throwing out your bag, though; if you don’t switch it out on a regular basis, you will begin to notice a distinct odor.

A kudzu bug infestation can be very irritating. By using the tips included above, you may be able to get a handle on the problem without involving pest control specialists.

About the author: Mike owns and operates a Stamford Pest Control company, helping his clients deal with nasty and pesky home invaders like the kudzu bug.

Image Credit: Wikipedia

Related articles

• Kudzu Bugs Hurting American Soybean Farmers
• Kudzu bug establishes foothold in Tennessee
• Kudzu bugs overwhelm some Upstate neighborhoods

Pest Of The Week: The Fruit Fly

Fruit fly (Photo credit: John Tann)

Fruit flies are part of a diverse, cosmopolitan family of flies.

The Fruit fly has a very short lifespan, and shows gradual signs of maturing. As in other species of flies, temperature plays an important role in influencing the lifespan, of this pest.

Generally considered a simple nuisance, some Fruit flies destroy figs, raspberries and cherries, and are designated a serious agricultural pest; and pest control problem.

Links Round-Up: January 4, 2012

The Most Popular 2012 Pest Control Blog Posts From FMC Pest Wire 

http://www.fmcpestwire.com/2013/01/the-most-popular-2012-pest-control-blog-posts-from-fmc-pest-wire/  

How To Pack Your Christmas Decorations So As To Deter Pests

http://allamericanpestcontrol.com/how-to-pack-your-christmas-decorations-so-as-to-deter-pests/  

Top 10 Reasons to use Macy’s in 2013! 

http://www.macyspestcontrol.com/blog/top-10-reasons-to-use-macys-in-2013/ 

Pest Control Services: Do Bug Bombs Work?

http://www.resteasypestcontrol.com/blog/bid/255472/Pest-Control-Services-Do-Bug-Bombs-Work  

Pest Control: Maybe Roaches Aren’t So Bad?

http://www.pinnaclepestcontrol.com/grand-rapids-pest-control/pest-control-maybe-roaches-arent-so-bad/  

Birds May Use Cigarette Butts to Repel Pests

http://ehspest.com/_blog/RI,_MA_EHS_Pest_Control_Blog/post/Birds_May_Use_Cigarette_Butts_to_Repel_Pests/  

Pest Control Tip: Bee Awareness 

http://www.completelawn.net/pittsburgh-pest/pest-control-tip-bee-awareness/

Related articles

• Farmers tackle pests with colas
• Happy New Year From Blog Pest Control
• Pest control company nearly done with relocation to Nevada
• News Release: EPA Takes Action against Companies that Sell and Import Illegal Pesticides

Anthony Ball

Inventory-Control-Q-IC da (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Four Points of Inventory Control

Do you operate a business where products must be stored and distributed in multiple locations? If so, then you are aware of how important it is to keep an updated inventory control system. Several factors function within this system, wherein each transition and distribution point must be supervised and documented. Keeping management connected with each division of the company is key. Here are four points to discuss at your next managerial meeting, to help tighten inventory data and maximize efficiency.

• Product Analysis: A crucial part of strong inventory management is a thorough knowledge and documentation of the services and goods at hand. Make sure that each division of the company knows how to evaluate and input product information into your system so that information remains current. If you are operating a small business, you may overlook smaller details related to product data. This can be easily remedied. Small business must keep records of product data, even if the information does not seem to directly affect sales. The statistics of your business will increase your knowledge about sales trends and enlighten you about possible overhead that may have an impact on your budget.
• Site Representation: If your products are traveling to multiple locations or distributed among warehouses and store sites, it is essential to keep close contact with personnel at these locations. This may seem like an obvious point to address, but many key players are easily overlooked. Communication with those in control of the items that create your business should be frequent. On a basic level, your factory, showroom and warehouse
  representatives handle your materials, which you rely upon for business growth.
• System Cohesion: All positions of management should be familiar with your inventory control providers and be able to navigate within the system with ease. A firm command of data entry protocol is necessary. In addition to this, management must have the ability to translate a body of information, including thorough product evaluation, into the data system. This way, all areas of the company will be abreast of new developments and all progress. Making data cohesive throughout your organization will serve to eliminate many financial errors.
• Employee Training: Some inventory companies provide on-site employee training for businesses with fast-growing product and client bases. Inventory system companies can bring each element of your business together to function as a better whole. The most successful businesses put an emphasis on the importance of each employee being familiar with the system. This means understanding each person’s tasks within the system, but more importantly, the system as a whole. The team of people that comprises your business is only as intelligent as the most ignorant individual. Make inventory knowledge and management a priority.

Gabriella only writes about topics that interest her and one of those happens to be moving. If you would like more info regarding inventory system companies, please visit http://www.unigrouplogistics.com/

Related articles

• How to Take Control of Your Company’s Inventory Management
• Five Ideas to Improve Your Business’s Stock Management
• The Breakdown of Warehousing