Pest Control and Bug Exterminator Blog

Sun Tzu’s book “The Art of War” has made it’s way into the hands and minds of great and powerful men and women though out history.  Some argue that the book may have actually been mis-titled and perhaps the word “War” is better substituted with “Strategy”

Either way, true principles of business, relationships, tactics, management, and strategy can all be found within Sun Tzu’s writings.  He was a great teacher. But clearly I am not the first to think so, and with new translations being reproduced every so often Sun Tzu’s writings have become immortal.

So today’s post was inspired by the following:

The Concept of “Interests” in Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War”

http://www.china-defense-mashup.com/?p=6390

Very good read and the general idea is to define your goal and keep your eye on the target, or “interest”.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, I got an error when leaving my response, and as I hate to loose my thoughts I decided to post it here instead.

“American military thought flies in the face of these principles.” @acs

I think the problem with the American interest is that it is not a singular interest shared by the whole. It is much easier for a dictator to go to war than a democracy.

… not that I am an expert.  I only deal with battling little bugs and setting up a bulwark to keep the pests out.

But great post. One’s interest and intent should always be clearly defined.

Thos003
-Don’t mind me I am just a pest control guy.

thos003 General Pest Control bug control, business, exterminator, pest control

I’ve been using Bulwark for many years and have referred your services many times over. Rest assured, I will continue to do so…You guys rock at customer service!

Debbie S.
Austin, Tx

Bulwark has shown that it understands the needs of its customers. I was impressed when I needed to cancel my service due to our financial restructuring, Bulwark did not try any “arm twisting” salesmanship in order to keep my service on-going. Now that our finances are “back on track”, I had no hesitations on letting them fulfill my exterminating needs.
Mauricio M
San Antonio, TX

Bulwark has been taking care of our property, inside and out, for the past 3 years or so. They’ve taken care of our routine bug maintenance as well as special problems that have cropped up. They were able to take care of a fire ant problem in one visit last year. John was here today to take care of an ant problem we were having. He came during the earlier part of the time slot assigned to us, which was wonderful. He took care of everything quickly and professionally. He even took off his shoes before coming into the house without me even having to ask.

Robin P.
Raleigh, NC

Bulwark believes that pest control is about taking care of the little things. …(pun intended)

Pest-Control-Stories General Pest Control ant control, bug control, pest control

Okay, I feel just a little bad about this phone conversation I had yesterday.  A guy calls and says that he is with Google Places wanting to verify my info, in reality he was with “Local Splash”.  He began his practiced speech…..

<a few seconds later>

“….So we can get you on the maps!”

“Where am I currently on the maps?”

“I don’t know… Let’s look…. Humph… Well we will 100% guarantee you a position at all times on the first page so you don’t have to worry about whether your there or not.”

“But I am already on the maps…. Where did you get my number?”

“From a list at the local library…But we are a full fledged SEO service.”

“SEO service?  Do you know who Matt Cutts is?”

“Uh…Does he work for Local Splash?”

“I’m sorry, but  I’m good… But uh…Good luck with the next guy.”

I actually felt sorry for this guy as I hung up the phone…

SEO Litmus Test – Do you Know Who Matt Cutts is?

If you don’t know the name of the guy who heads up the army that could wipe your website from off the face of the cyberworld than you won’t be leading my troops into battle.  Not that Matt Cutts is really out to get everyone, but if you cross his team then you will get it.  When I started SEO I didn’t know who he was.  I hired SEO teams, I have since had to learn to evaluate those teams and the work.  I have fired SEO teams. Word of advice, if you get a call on the phone for SEO run this litmus test.  If they can’t answer that question then you are running a higher risk.

Twitter Litmus Test – How to Determine who to Follow?

The first thing I do when I get a follow: I will look through their tweets to see if they are just blasting links, or if they are actually communicating with others.  I will follow people that provide good information and links after meeting them in real life.  I will follow people that engage me in conversations via twitter.  I follow people I want to endorse.  I unfollow people I don’t want to endorse any longer.

Social Media Litmus Test – What’s the Online Conversation?

Social media isn’t for everyone and just because many companies are jumping on board doesn’t make it right for all companies.  What people are most desiring online is communication.  Social media is communication. A telephone, a fax, face to face, email, blogs, all of these facilitate a conversation.  All of these are a type of social media. Just as much as you hated a “Win a trip to Disneyland” fax blast from the past, this new age of social media is about engaging people, not blasting your horn. Too many salesmen want to just talk TO you, not WITH you. Don’t hit me up with a bunch of solicitations.  You may ruin any chance you had.  If you choose to engage me than learn to listen.  I will tell you exactly what I want.  If you say you can deliver then I will proceed to drill you on what I want and how you are going to deliver it. I have no problems with a well thought out plan of engagement and I will give some of my time to listen to you.

By the way, I am just a pest control guy.  I learned my tenacity from a spider.  I learn that better businesses listen, from books like J.D. Powers, “Satisfaction”, I learn better SEO from reading legit SEO blogs, and books like “The Blueprint to SEO” and “The Art of SEO”. I am happy to share what I can.  You are welcome to disagree, share, or joke about anything I post… so long as I know you are listening to me and not just talking to me.

thos003 General Pest Control bug control, business, exterminator, matt cutts, pest control, pest control guy, SEO, SEO Litmus Test - Do you Know Who Matt Cutts is?

thos003 General Pest Control bug control, exterminator, pest control

Phoenix Roach Pest Control By Bulwark Exterminating. Cockroaches are not a favorite dinner topic, but they sure do enjoy eating your leftovers. Call Bulwark.

Cockroaches Found in Phoenix

American Roaches, German Roaches, Oriental Roaches, and a few other roaches are found reproducing by the thousands, and millions in the city of Phoenix. Have a roach problem? Call Bulwark today.

Peoria Pest Control AZ

PestControlPhoenix General Pest Control, Uncategorized bug control, Bulwark Exterminating, Cockroaches in Phoenix AZ, exterminator, Peoria Pest Control AZ, pest control, Phoenix Cockroach Control, Phoenix Pest Control, Phoenix Roach Control

Are your pests under control?

Pest control is any process or method used to “control pests”. The once popular terms of exterminator and extermination have become the softer more gentle term of pest control.  Perhaps to become more socially acceptable, but the new term is more accurate.  Exterminating ants in their entirety is not likely.  Controlling ants is achievable.  Keeping pests out of a home with regular pest control service is attainable.  Keeping bugs from infesting a structure is do-able.  Exterminating every roach in the city is not realistic.

History of Pest Control -

Some believe that pest control has its roots in agriculture. (Pun intended) Humans need to keep crops free from pests. Insects can destroy crops. Herbivores will clear the farmer’s field. In order to maximize food production, pest control was implemented to protect the harvest from ants, crickets, moths, grasshoppers, rats, mice, gophers, rabbits, beetles, and the list can go on. But pest control, probably goes back to before agriculture.  A hunter would still need to protect his food from vermin.  Storing food in a sack hanging from a tree to keep raccoon, coyotes, or other prehistoric pests from eating your dinner would be a pest control method.  But at the core, I still believe that man has never wanted to cohabitate with creepy crawling things like spiders, roaches, and scorpions.  So beyond the need to control pests there is simply a desire to live without pests.

Pest Control:

Preventive measures to fortify an area against potential unwanted species .

Ideology of Pest Control Methods

While a majority of people may not want to live with pests, I also believe that most don’t wish total annihilation of the insect kingdom.  Bugs are an essential part of the food chain, and the break down, consumption, and recycling of matter in general.  Eliminating all pests from the world may seem ideal for some, but the re-percussions of such a mass extermination may destroy the world all together. So pest control methods today are used to protect specific areas with an attempt to limit the effects to the target pests.  Others believe the most ideal form of pest control is that of “making your home less desirable to the pests.” They propose that keeping a home clean and  minimizing the potential for providing food and water for pests will keep pests from wanting to invade your home. Unfortunately certain pests will eat just about anything.  Roaches are not picky eaters. A roach will make human hair, fingernails and toenails their staple food if needs be. Little Black Ants survive on plants, so any interior plant make an inviting meal. Termites eat wood. Crickets eat cotton, silk, and wool. Silverfish and firebrats consume glue, wallpaper paste, bookbindings, paper, and photographs. Lice, fleas, and ticks are pests that live on mammals. Human homes are pretty inviting to pests.

Pesticides have been developed to provide structures a force field made of products that are engineered to target pests, not mammals. Pest control products today are checked and tested by the EPA. Strict requirements most be meet in order for a pest control product to be labeled for general use. EcoSmart products are designed to break down over time, to have low impact on the environment.

So if you’d like a pest-free environment, cleaning your home is a good step, but ultimately it won’t be enough once bugs have found your home. Further, once an ant has scouted out a new food source and brought in the ant cavalry, those marked marching lines will remain for up to year. Regular pest control service is intended to prevent pests from infesting a given area. Pest control emergencies can be avoid if homeowners would maintain a bulwark around their home that protects them and wards off insect intruders.  Do-it-yourself pest control methods can be implemented successfully if the individual is consistent and persistent in their treatments. But certain pests will require more.

Pest-Control-Stories General Pest Control ants, bug control, Crickets, insect control, pest control, roaches, scorpion control, spider control, spiders

thos003 General Pest Control bug control, exterminator, pest control

In light of the recent FTC law that will attempt to cure the blog-o-sphere from the potential false and/or misleading reviews, one blogger makes an excellent point:

If you deliver enough value BEFORE asking for the sale, you should be able to sell plenty of stuff forever.

- Frank Kern http://masscontrolsite.com/blog/?p=59

What Frank is getting at is that if you provide a quality service or a quality product then you shouldn’t need to worry about using underhanded or sneaking marketing tactics.  Companies that build on solid foundations will be solid companies.  This applies to pest control just as much as any other industry.  Read J.D. Powers book on Satisfaction.

BUT… I do disagree with Frank a little on the customer testimonials.  I believe that customer testimonials are the blood line of successful marketing.  You do what’s best for the customer and then they talk about it.  Those are the testimonials that sell.  Our pest control marketing efforts ultimately pale in comparison to our referrals.  So again, it is…

Quality Service first – Marketing Second.

If you don’t have a quality service or product then marketing becomes a black hole, sucking your money up almost as fast as it brings it in.

But just to make sure we are compliant with the FTC here is our disclaimer… **Customer testimonials on google are reviews from the customers and happy customers is a typical result of quality service as evident in our company wide survey that reports; 94% of customers would recommend us to a friend or family member.  All other companies listed on this site have not paid us, to date, anything to be listed here.  We offer our praises of other pest control companies freely and of our own accord.  We do accept backlinks from some of these companies and would gladly accept more backlinks from more quality services.

P.S. I, Thomas (not Bulwark Exterminating) feel that this FTC law is going to be very ambiguous and unenforceable.  So those the FTC wishes to take a beating on will be subject to a whipping post that has no bounds.

kennetht Uncategorized bug control, exterminator, FTC, pest control, pest control marketing, Quality Pest Control

After a recent visit from an exterminator declaring they were indeed infested with bed bugs the Wilmington Fire Station threw out mattresses, upholstered furniture and carpets, anything that might be housing the bed bugs.   And these little blood suckers cost more then a few drops of blood.  The total cost to the fire station was over $5000 between the loss of the furniture and the pest controller’s bill of $800+.

ABC reported on the matter first.  Also citing a CDC saying bedbugs are up by 500% over the last few years.  Considering that bed bugs had been virtually eradicated from the US over 20 years ago, that number doesn’t do the Bed Bug epidemic justice.

Fortunately doctors still have not found any serious health risks associated with bedbugs or the spread of disease through bedbugs.

Interesting points specifically about this bed bug case – Was it really necessary to throw out all the furniture?

Perhaps not, but throwing away old mattresses that need to be replaced anyways will certainly help cure a bed bug problem.  Perhaps consumers should consider the old adage, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

And prevention is easy.  A proper mattress cover will thwart any attacks made by bedbugs on your resting place. Yes, it really is that simple.  No need to pay $300 per room as some exterminators quote for bedbug treatments.

Get a mattress cover today so you can rest easy… pun intended.

ThomasB Health Risks, In the News bed bug, bed bug epidemic, bed bugs, Bedbug mattress cover, Bedbug fight, bedbugs, bug control, firefighters, insect control, insects

While going through our emails today, I found the following to be entertaining…

We have a townhouse in Wakefield Plantation. How much would it be to have the house sprayed indoors and out. Our roommate is a smoker and when he comes in and out he lets bugs in. Email is preferred contact.

Jessica C.

ZIP Code           27614

I guess I never thought about what additional damage a smoker can do to destroy one’s comfort.  It seems perfectly logical that a anyone that is frequently opening and closing the door would be opening and exposing the home to potential invasion. So it seems we could conclude that smoking is bad for bug prevention.

A few do it yourself pest control tips, try to stop the flow of bugs created by your smoking friend.

1- Lighting – Yellow bug lights are available.  While these lights do not repel bugs the yellow spectrum attracts fewer bugs. Simply put, these lights are more difficult for bugs to see since bugs can see blue or ultraviolet light.  Or you can try lighting the area from a distance, meaning buying a stronger light and keeping that light away from the entry point.

2- Candles – There are bug candles that you can buy that will repel some bugs, but not all bugs.  Studies indicate a 24% to 42% decrease from Citronella.  Candles may also combine other herbs and natural ingredients, such as rosemary, lemon, thyme, clove oil, eucalyptus oil, geranium, mint oil, and peppermint oil.

Thanks for the email Jessica, I am sure we can help control the bugs, but we can’t do much about the smoking or flying pests that come in and out with the smoker.  But I hope these tips help in further controlling bugs around your home.

Note – While a pest control professional can do little to eliminate flying insects, a regular pest control service can help cut back on flying pests in your home and around the yard.  Ask your pest control professional what treatment options he has for eliminating flying pest nests and harborages.  Proper IPM will help control and limit this pests.

ThomasB All Natural Pest Control, Do It Yourself, flying pests bug control, clove oil, eucalyptus oil, funny, geranium, insect control, joke, lemon, mint oil, peppermint oil, Raleigh NC 27614, Raleigh pest control, rosemary, smoking, thyme