An adult bed bug (credit: Wikipedia)

Recently the University of Nebraska-Lincoln underwent extensive investigation into its Bed Bug problem.  The University hired a K9 Inspection company to bring in the dogs to search 3,256 rooms and of those rooms they only found bed bugs in 197 rooms. Considering the major problems that we are having with Bed Bugs this number isn’t too bad and it’s encouraging to see that the university is doing what is necessary to keep this problem from becoming a nightmare to its students and staff. Although the numbers above are encouraging I’m sure the numbers associated with the cost are more discouraging to the universities bottom line especially when budget cuts and higher tuition are already concerns for educational institutions across the country.

What does a bed bug problem cost a University? $100,000+

With bed bug inspections ranging from $25 to $55 per room (3,256 rooms) and treatments ranging from $300 to $600 per room (196 rooms), it’s estimated that the total cost for bed bugs at Nebraska-Lincoln will be in the hundreds of thousands.  When treating for bed bugs the costs for eradication are high. With the particular pest, 100% control is expected its unacceptable to have even one living bed bug remain after treatment. One female bed bug can lead to an entire new infestation. Because of this, more aggressive methods have been called upon to treat bead bugs such as fumigating an entire structure. To fumigate an entire structure an exterminator must put a massive tarp over the whole building being treated and fill it with a viakain gas. The gas will penetrated the walls of the structure and kill the bed bugs no matter where they are hiding. Beyond the price of the tarp alone, the man hours and equipment cost are not cheap. Cost of a bed bug fumigation service is expensive. For the University this type of service is less likely of an option because the problems are more than likely in a dorm room environment and with fumigation you have to tent the entire structure so in this case the better option would be Thermal Remediation. Thermal remediation is also a very effective service for treating bed bugs especially in a dorm room or hotel environment. A good heat system can treat a problem in this type of environment easily and with only a few hours. But this method is not cheap either due to equipment costs and man hours. With the bed bug problem at an all time high and is expected to continue to get worse Universities and other types of facilities that offer housing should expect this problem to continue.

Is Bed Bug Prevention the Better Cure?

Clearly, a fool proof prevention plan could prevent costly fumigation or heat treatments, the problem is that there is no fool proof prevention program for bed bugs. The is no pest control treatment that can be applied regularly to a structure that would prevent a bed bug infestation. The best prevention against bed bugs is vigilance. Knowing how to spot problems, how to steer clear, and how to report problems is a University’s best plan of action to keep bed bug costs to a minimum. So we encourage continuing education to both students and faculty and to maintain regular inspections at the dorms. This will help prevent future outbreaks and keep costly treatments down. Hiring a bed bug dog to assist with the inspections is a must. The dogs can do the work in a much shorter span than a human inspector alone.

Saving Enrollment Cost

While we have outlined treatment costs, lets not forget the potential enrollment cost. Having a bed bug problem in your dorms will cost the University occupants. It could cost future enrollments. Having had bed bugs will leave it mark on the school. The University must not only devise a plan to prevent bed bugs and stay vigilant to keep them out, but they must now express these measures to students, potential students, and parents as to regain faith and save enrollment. Having a future and on going plan for prevention is the only way to restore confidence and keep this a non-issue for enrollment. This shouldn’t just apply to UNL, this should be the case for every college and university out there. ASU has had it’s share of bed bug problems as well. All schools should take a proactive stance a develop a preventive program now to save them from future costs of treatments and enrollment.

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I’m sitting in McDonalds amazed at the restaurant that it now is compared to what it once was.

Modern art on the wall. Lounge chairs with coffee tables. Menu changes with smoothies, lattes. Sure the iconic happy meals are still available, but now you can order those with apple slices. The milkshakes are still on the menu as well, but I honestly don’t remember the last time I had one. What, 15, 16, maybe even 20 years ago? And I haven’t seen a styrofoam hamburger box around for awhile.

The decor is what most intrigues me. I would venture to guess that the menu changes are the quickest and least costly changes. Adding a disposable item is much less risky than adding the permanent fixtures of booths and the tile backsplash. Such interior make overs aren’t cheap. So just what is the cost benefit? Does replacing perfectly usable tables, chairs, and booths really pay off?

I don’t have the answer for McDonald’s, but I’m confident that they do. I’m also certain that not every restaurant needs an interior decorating overhaul to stay profitable. But what I do know is that staying relevant is vital to every business. Businesses need to check the lay of the land and make sure they are staying current for their market and their customers. Stay relevant. Know when a little painful and costly interior redecorating is needed to make sure your business is still alive in the future years.

Me: It’s Star Wars day! May the Fourth be with you!

Co-Worker: Ha, that’s funny. :\

Why is today Star Wars day? Why not June Fourth?

Me: …. ? .. May the Fourth…

 

 

And that is the reason behind Star Wars day, because of the pun, “May the fourth be with you.” Some of the credit goes to the London press who put this now infamous quote into ink with “May the Fourth Be with You, Maggie. Congratulations.” On May 4th, 1979, Margret Thatcher was elected as Britian’s Prime Minister. In 2005, an interviewer of George Lucas misinterpeted the saying “May the force be with you.” into “We shall be with you on May Fourth”. The first ever huge organization of a May 4th, Star Wars party was held last year, in Toronto Canada by the Toronto Underground Cinema. And today May 4, 2012 will be the 2nd edition of the Underground’s Star Wars Party, with the claim “IT WILL BE THE BEST PARTY IN THE GALAXY!” I must admit, I am just a little jealous.

NEVER SEEN STAR WAR?!!!!!

Really? So blogger, whyevolutionistrue, has never seen star wars. Yes, it’s true there are a few people that have never seen Star Wars. I myself could claim that I had never seen a full episode of “Friends” during it’s first four seasons… But that was only 3 hail Mary’s, Star Wars would have to be at least 30 Hail Mary’s and 6 Confessions.

Bulwark’s Pest Control Jedi Skillz

 As a side not, May 25th, 1977 was the release date of Star Wars.

What do you know, just a few short weeks after my birthday. Star Wars and I are the same age! We are getting old.

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Transcript From Black Widow Spider Control:

Black Widow Control Professional: “Today we’re going to talk about black widows. The most common place to find them are right down by the J-rail, just all crazy mixed up down here by the J-rail, okay? Why? Because the J-rail offers goes into, inside of the wall, offers a lot of cool air coming out, cool, moist air coming out. Also is a great place for crickets to breed. Remember that crickets breed in these plants because there are water drippers on the plants, so there’s a huge population of crickets in the yard, therefore, that which preys on crickets will also do well, which is black widows, okay?” “So, the black widow, if you walk around the foundation of the house, you’ll find a web like this purple web I have here, at the base down by the J-rail. Very common to find them right at the entryway, right at the entryway here or there, the other place.” “So, how do you know it’s a black widow’s web if there’s no black widow in the web? Number one, they’re chaotic, okay? A chaotic web means that it has no order to it. If you remember the story Charlotte’s Webb, a lot of spiders create a pattern to their web, you know, a design in their web. Black widows have no pattern to their webs, none at all. It’s just all chaotic. Often times, you’ll find leaves and debris in the black widow’s web because the web is so strong; it’s the strongest web of any spider here in Arizona.” “And, so it’s a very strong, sticky web. It’s low to the ground. Sometimes you will see severe infestations black widows with webs up in the eves. And you’ll actually be able to see her sometimes in the very corner; she’s trying to hide as much as she can, but usually it’s down by the ground because their number one food source is crickets. So, if the web is low to the ground and it doesn’t have any spider out in it, other spiders don’t usually recluse back into a lair, they don’t recluse back into a dark space. Most of them don’t.” - Bulwark Exterminating Spider Control [caption id="" align="alignright" width="280" caption="Latrodectus hesperus with egg sac (Photo credit: Wikipedia)"][/caption]

Las Vegas Pest Control Reviews Earn Bulwark an Award!

Super Service Award 2011

Bulwark Exterminating has been awarded the 2011 Angie’s List Super Service Award in Las Vegas for the fourth consecutive year for the branch’s exceptional service and customer service rating.

Angie’s List, the pay-for consumer review website, awards its annual Super Service Award to approximately five percent of its listed businesses. Business operators are rated each year on aspects such as customer reviews, maintaining a limited number of reports and abiding by operational guides.

“It’s a real testament to the hard work and dedication of each of our technicians,” said Branch Manager Wayne Bryant. “We treat every customer like our best and most loyal customer, and they notice the difference.”

Bulwark’s Las Vegas exterminator branch has won the prestigious award since 2008. Since then the branch has seen consistent growth from year to year not just in customer base, but employed technicians and office staff. The Las Vegas valley also presents unique pest problems which are not easily eliminated.

“Scorpions in Las Vegas are the hardest household pest to eliminate,” said Bryant. “It’s quite satisfying to be recognized for our ability to successfully treat the homes of our customers, knowing they have some one of the most challenging pest problems.”

Bulwark Exterminating has been the center of attention in recent online marketing events for their insights on turning satisfied customers into online reviewers. Back in March of this year at the Search Marketing Expo in California, Thomas Ballantyne of Bulwark Exterminating spoke on the correlation between online reviews, customer satisfaction, customer retention, and customer referrals. “The type of behavior that is required to earn an online review is the same behavior that improves customer satisfaction which improves referrals. Our Las Vegas branch scored high in all of these areas. Wayne Bryant is a fantastic leader and motivator.”

Bulwark Exterminating LLC is based in Mesa, AZ and is an industry leader in providing high quality pest control service. Bulwark is fully operational in seven states, including the eleven U.S. cities of Charlotte, Raleigh, Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Atlanta, Tulsa, Mesa, Phoenix, St. George, and Las Vegas. While Bulwark provides pest management for common insects such as ants, roaches, crickets and spiders, the company’s differentiating specialty is scorpion control. To do this, Bulwark uses the finest and most effective products in the world to solve common pest problems. Bulwark is privately and family owned, has approximately 250 employees and services over 50,000 customers nationwide, providing pest control in North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada. Local offices in Las Vegas are located at:

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Most people will agree that while its the skills of the NASCAR driver that wins the race, that if we take away that well oiled racing machine and replace it with a pest control truck it doesn’t matter who is behind the wheel, he/Danica Patrick would have no chance at winning. No matter how great of a technician you hire, crappy abused and broken equipment will cause your pest control company to fail. So let’s show a little more love for our pest control trucks and equipment.

Top 10 Pest Control Equipment Productivity Tips

By Andrew Greess

#10 – Good Filtration

Design good filtration to prevent debris from getting into your system.  Debris will clog or damage pump, plumbing, fittings, hose and spray guns.  It will cost you money and productivity by bringing your system to its knees and causing expensive repair bills.  Design your filtration based on your water source, type of application, sensitivity of your pump, technician skill.  For example, bad water in new housing developments may require more than one strainer.  Place filtration so it is easily accessible for technicians to check and clean.

#9 – Clean your filter

The biggest secret in spray equipment is “check your filter”.  There is nothing you can do with your spray equipment that will save you more money than this simple activity.  We repair and replace more pest control spray equipment (and weed control spray equipment) because of clogged filters than for any other reason.

#8 – Release the pressure

Take the pressure off.  When you are done spraying, release the pressure.  Squeeze the handle of your spray equipment so that the system is not under pressure.  If you don’t want to waste the material, spray it back into the tank.   Your equipment will have fewer breakdowns and will last longer if you remove the stress of constant pressure from the spray components.    Never store equipment overnight under pressure.

#7 – Don’t run it too fast

Don’t push your equipment to its limits.  Our experience is that techs run power spray rigs at high speeds to get done quickly, and tend to overpressurize B&Gs and backpacks.  All of these actions will reduce sprayer life.  Your power spray rig can run at extremes for short periods but it is not designed to be run full out all the time.  Running “in the red” for extended periods will shorten engine and pump life.  Make sure your techs know proper operating ranges.

#6 – Clean it out

Rinse your system with clean water periodically to remove old chemical buildup, debris, etc.   Chemical buildup & debris can clog your filter, starve your pump, damage spray tips, and play havoc with other components as well.  All of these items fall into the category of “not good”.  When in doubt, rinse it out.  Be sure to follow all labels and laws when cleaning out spray tanks.

#5 – Don’t wait for failure – do your Preventative Maintenance (PM)

PM will save you time, money, equipment breakdowns, unhappy customers, etc.   You are running your equipment hard and pumping strong chemicals through it.  It will need service.  This service will be much cheaper and less painful if you do it before you need it.  Read manufacturer’s recommendations then customize for your use and application.  A good preventative maintenance program is your best friend for reducing equipment down time and improving productivity.

#4 – Train Employees to Report Problems

We are constantly amazed at the equipment problems employees will tolerate.  They will continue to use leaking pumps, hose, backpacks, etc.  Ignoring these problems inevitably leads to higher repair expenses and increased down time.  Encourage your employees to report problems so that you can take the appropriate action.

#3 – Emergency repair kit

Many simple repairs can be performed in the field. Field repairs can allow the technician to finish their work before heading to the service site for more thorough repairs. You’ll want to assess technicians’ skill and training to determine which parts you are comfortable with technicians changing in the field. A little tracking can go a long way toward understanding the causes of your breakdowns. Track equipment failures by part to determine which items you should consider stocking on your trucks. Also track equipment failures for each technician to identify training opportunities, and track failures by truck to set time frames for preventative maintenance and replacement.

#2 – Pre-flight Checklist

Every pilot has a checklist and goes through a pre-flight routine BEFORE taking his or her plane into the air.   Spray techs should do the same thing.  Before getting into the truck and heading to the first stop, a few minutes spent checking equipment can save time and money, as well as preventing downtime that hinders your ability to provide timely service to Clients.  Here’s the key point.  If you are going to have an equipment problem, you are probably better off knowing about it at your office than in the field, when it will most likely take longer and cost more to fix.  Technicians should report any problems or exceptions to their supervisor.

#1 – Don’t Over-pressurize Manual Sprayers

If your backpack isn’t spraying, don’t pump it up more.  You will break it.  It is easy to turn a $3.00 o-ring replacement into a $50 repair.  I like the following analogy for this situation.  I went to France.  The waiter didn’t understand English, so I yelled louder.  Don’t overpressure your manual sprayers!

Andrew Greess is the President of Quality Equipment & Spray, which designs, builds and sells pest control equipment.  Follow Greess on Facebook & Twitter. For more information or to share comments, check out www.SprayEquipmentBlog.com

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A guest post today highlighting some of Canada’s Spring Pest Specials.

09b - Carpenter Ant (Camponotus) (Photo credit: retro traveler)

Carpenter Ant Activity

Have you spotted suspicious bug activities in the nooks and crannies of your home? Or what looks like fine sawdust near some woodwork? If so, there may be carpenter ants in house crawling about gnawing and chewing away at the wooden bones of your home, hard at work establishing their fortifications.

Your home should be a safe, comfortable place to live in. While your home won’t literally fall apart about your ears – the carpenter ants in the house are quite different from termites – they can still do some damage to the wooden frameworks by weakening them with their tunneling, and it’s important to nip this in the bud. Carpenter ants like warm, humid environments for their nests and lakeside homes and boathouses are a popular choice for them.

Most commercially available ant baits won’t work on these carpenter ants. No, they’re cannier than an average ant. There is a new, specialized ant traps just for carpenter ants that you can try. But the best way to get rid of them is to use professional pest control services to treat the whole house, inside and out, in particular targeting the nest.

Bed bugs, on the other hand, is a whole ‘nother ball of wax.

Do the nightly appearances by bed bugs performing a gripping, biting dance on the stage that is your bed keep you up all night? It is awfully hard to grab some shuteye with tiny bugs nipping away at your tender flesh.

Bed bugs are perhaps one of the most difficult (and perhaps embarrassing – but you shouldn’t be!) pests to eradicate from your home without the use of professional pest control services. Some people end up surrendering and destroy their beds, linens, furniture, and even clothes. That’s expensive, sometimes ineffective – and very unnecessary.

There are five different bed bug treatments, and depending on the life cycle stage your bed bug infestation is in, one or other may be the most effective. It may be necessary to utilize more than one different type of bed bug treatments if your infestation is severe. A good pest control services can help you choose the best option for you and your household.

Guest Blog Bio
Environmental pest control offers pest control services and bed bug treatment in the Toronto region.
For more information visit www.environmentalpestcontrol.ca

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Have you lived in a home where you thought you were bug free and then all of a sudden in the corner of your eye you see a bug scurrying across your kitchen counter? Surprise! Well you are not alone, we get customers calling in all the time saying, “I’ve lived in this house for years and have never seen a bug; all of a sudden I’m seeing them in my kitchen and bathrooms.”

Why am I starting to see bugs now?

If you think about it, we’ve built our homes on “their” land; therefore it’s a fact that they will always be in “their” neighborhood. So the pests have always been there, even if you have not seen them.

Bugs, like humans, need water to survive. Hoses, sprinklers, water boxes, and plants provide the necessary moisture for these little guys to thrive. On a hot summer day the air conditioning is an essential part to being comfortable in our own homes. Having the air conditioning on builds condensation in our walls and that condensation needs to escape so that the home’s walls don’t get moldy. Each house is purposely built with “weep holes” or “J-rails”, holes or gaps to allow that condensation to escape outside. Bugs will sense this moisture escaping and eventually make their way inside the walls of your own home through these openings. Once inside your walls they grow in population and eventually they will put pressure on you. Imagine years of bugs breeding inside your walls, it’s getting crowded and they have to go somewhere. Do you think they are more likely to move back outside or further into the moist rich environment of your home?  What better place is there than our kitchens and bathrooms? Having a bug problem isn’t an over night thing. It takes time. It all starts out in your yard. It could take months and even years to finally see them inside your house. Why not stop it before it happens?

In order to stop future surprises in your home, it’s important to stop it where it first began. Bulwark Exterminating does this by maintaining a protective barrier around the perimeter of your home to stop them breeding and sneaking their way inside the walls of your home. So unless you want to stop running your A/C, protecting those cracks that breathe out the inviting moist air is a must.

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Coweta Pest Control

Thank http://www.suburbanexterminating.com for the image.

Bed Bug Epidemic

There is a lot of scare around bed bugs and the rising accounts of it in the US, and the scare is justified. Bed bugs are very difficult to control and spread very fast if not kept in check. Regular pest control treatments are not enough to keep these pests at bay. Pest management professionals charge a pretty penny when bed bugs become an infestation. If you have a concern about bed bugs it is best to call early and react quickly if signs point to ‘yes’.

Bed bug dogs are a very effective way to search for bed bugs, both to prevent and follow up on pest control treatments for bed bugs. To learn more about bed bug dogs contact AJ Richards – http://www.specialtypest.com/

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Feel free to post comments and questions below.

Awe Spring, Life is Buzzing, the Birds and the Bees… oh and don’t forget the spiders.

The Blue Skies of Spring Bring Spiderlings

Raleigh Spider Control

As the beautiful blue skies of spring turn to sunny summer our minds turn to watermelons, swimming pools, and heat waves. Unfortunately as we contemplate what drink we want to have poolside, the bugs around our house are contemplating how to grab a drink from our sinksides. With the AC turned on pumping deliciously cool air throughout our own personal compounds we create a great escape from the heat for the wondering insects on the outside. In fact it may feel as if these creepy crawlers are appearing from thin air. But it’s actually that cool moist air seeping out of our homes that draws the pests in. The hollowed walls of your home may have never seen an attack from such a sneaky adversary, but sure enough here they are. Sure you’ve seen the occasional spider or cricket but now it’s like your house is their own personal oasis.

This is a problem all too common in the insect world. Over the years I’ve had many conversations with people wondering how this could be, and what is going on. Well let’s take a conversation I had recently with a lady, I’ll call her Lisa.

Lisa: Can you help me I’m seeing spiders?

Me: Absolutely, tell me a little about the problem.

Lisa: Well we moved into the house about a year ago and didn’t have any problems and now just seem to see them everywhere. I’m not seeing any webs but they are crawling all over the house. I don’t know what is going on. We are clean people and don’t leave food out. It makes no sense.

Mating pair of Argiope appensa garden spiders in Kauanakai, Hawaii (island of Molokai). A batch of spiderlings hatched from an egg sac that already existed in the female's web, about two weeks later. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is a scenario that plays itself out in homes all over the nation around this time of year. Spiders typically are solitary creatures that like to live by themselves hunting and trapping their food with webs and various other methods. However, every year the call of nature arrives and the need to mate hits spiders everywhere. The mating really isn’t the problem though…it’s the aftermath of the mating. Being the solo creatures that they are, spiders decide that if they are going to mate they are going to make it worth their while. So with each egg sac they lay they make sure it is full with 200-300 baby spiders. The egg sac itself doesn’t look like much, just a small white little fluffy ball of web, but it sure does pack a punch. As those eggs mature and eventually hatch these hundreds of baby spiders quickly become the massive infestation you never knew you had. The spiderlings begin ballooning and spreading. And literally hundreds of new spiders are now lurking about. All from one small white egg sac. Add three, four, or five of these eggs sacs and hundreds become thousands.

That’s why we exterminators are here; to fix infestations as they occur or even better stop them before they happen. Bulwark (a defensive barrier) is our name, and protecting homes is our game. To see how we can best help you, give us a call.

-Craig S.

Pest Management Professional Criag Can be reached at:

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