Time for a change?

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Is it time for a change with your Pest Control company, do they answer calls promptly and do they provide exceptional customer service? If they don’t I think it is time for a change. What should they provide you for pest control?

Well they should be able to get rid of the bugs. A few years back I just happened to be at a house for a termite inspection refinance and we got talking about bugs. She complained about American Cockroaches getting into the kitchen, as I did my inspection I brought along my bellows duster and just started dusting wall voids and the block wall voids. Surprise – the roaches came out in droves, they were everywhere. I took that account away from another pest company that day, just because I paid attention to her complaint.
Are they members of their local, state and national pest management association. Arizona Professional Pest Organization (AZPPO), National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and are they QualityPro?
Does your Pest Company listen to you, do they answer your calls promptly and do they return calls promptly?
It’s the year of Social Media, do they have reviews from customers just like yourself?

Have you ever heard of Edward O. Wilson?

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Have you ever heard of Edward O. Wilson?

To a bug guy like myself – he is the man!

Edward Wilson is an American biologist, researcher (sociobiology, biodiversity), naturalist (conservationist) and author. His specialty is myrmecology, the study of ants, on which he is considered to be the world’s leading authority. “He found that living insects, such as bees and wasps, have a complex hierarchy, with strict rules governing who reproduces, who gets food, and who defends the colony.” He is often considered to be “The Father of Socialbiology” – the study of both social behavior and organization of all kinds of animals.

http://en.wikipedia.org

Reputation versus Character

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Reputation versus Character

I’m often reminded that it takes an extreme effort to run a business, you have taxes, government things, employee’s, location and the other stuff. All these things matter but how quickly it could all fall apart if you are not careful in minding the store.

Here are a few of my tips for staying ahead of the game.

Stay current with the BBB, they track and keep things in check.

I have alerts set with Google to check my trade name and personal name.

Stay current with review sites, answer the reviews and thank people for spending their time to review your business.

Try to get your customers to give reviews, I would rather have an opinion from a friend or neighbor than just wing it.

If possible try to have a business which you enjoy, many people start a business as a hobby and then one day it becomes something you will continue to enjoy.

Do you know why sprays don’t always work on ants?

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Do you know why sprays don’t always work on ants?

ants

What you see isn’t anything compared to what is below the surface. So if you decide to spray, you will only kill the ones in direct contact with the pesticide. It is important to kill the Queen ant, when she is dead you will have accomplished the task at hand. Death to the entire colony.

My favorite for this job is TerroPCO, which we carry at our office.

Photo from ProBest Pest Management

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Photo from ProBest Pest Management

Guess the bug, any ideas? Is it a fly or is it a bee? How can we tell?

ProBest Pest Management

425 W Guadalupe Road #110

Gilbert, AZ 85233

602-249-7378 or 623-414-0176

What causes the Mexican Jumping Bean to jump?

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What causes the Mexican Jumping Bean to jump?

The bean moth lays an egg within the seed pod, the egg hatches which produces a larva or caterpillar. When the bean is heated by sunlight or the heat from your hand the larva shifts it’s weight causing the jumping action.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQKMkBtRGB8]

Thanks to W.P. Armstrong for this great picture of the jumping bean. http://waynesword.palomar.edu/mrwolfia.htm

Watch where you step while hiking…

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Watch where you step while hiking…

My Beagle Lilly almost ran into this guy yesterday on our hike at Sears Kay Ruin in Cave Creek, Arizona. It is very important to be aware of everything while hiking. You never know when you may be attacked by bees or a spider may walk in front of you.

So be careful and enjoy your hike!

Ever wonder about Chili peppers and pest control?

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Ever wonder about Chile peppers and pest control?

I remember many years ago when my Grandparents had a garden and occasionally rabbits would venture in and eat the new stalks of green. We put up some chicken wire and that stopped the intruders from getting in, but what about the new repellents with chili peppers or those that contain capsaicin? For thousands of years Asian cultures have used chili pepper products to repel all kinds of pests. One thing for sure is that you must be extremely careful using a product like this.

One of the products that we use is PiGNX and a similar product called DeTour for rodents, the reasons that I like this product include:

The product won’t freeze or melt, the freeze thing isn’t a problem in AZ but melting is. There are times in the summer that I think I’m melting from the heat.
This product is a contact repellent – animals in contact may take it back to their nest transferring it to others.
Food grade product.

In the case of pigeons, you place this product in areas where they tend to land and hang out. They get the product on their feet and they hate it, sqawking and letting every other bird aware of the product – they don’t come back…

Rodents coming into contact believe that the building in on fire due to the heat from the product and will do whatever it takes to get out of the structure.

New technology for pest control…..

Bugs and Spiders do travel

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Bugs and Spiders do travel…

Green tires go black By: Bob Bissler

Stories like this above fascinate me and always get me to think about the way that bugs might hitch a ride. Way back in 2011 I wrote a home seal “The Beast escapes….“, where I mentioned the Brazilian Wandering Spider ending up in Germany on bananas. We are a traveling nation, we can pick up today and move without any concern to location. We can store all of our stuff in facilities and we never know what we might be bringing with us.

Border agents work with this premise everyday and every state cutting budgets over the years “Budget cuts affecting everyone” – is it possible to stop the pests? I guess time will tell, so be aware when placing hands into places where you can’t see.

I think I need this – it’s like a Bat signal.

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I think I need this – it’s like a Bat signal.

The Bat-Signal is a distress signal device appearing in the various interpretations of the Batman series. Just like Batman has his Bat signal, I think I should have a Bug signal. This could or would alert me to respond maybe when my phone rings.

This last week the Batmobile sold for $4.6 million to somebody who lives right here in the Valley, by the way if the owner reads this we (ProBest) would be happy to assist in pest control for your residence. Got to keep that great machine free of anything nasty.

I do know one thing for sure, I couldn’t afford the car but maybe I could afford the light ($9.95) but out of stock I noticed. So until I get a Bug – Signal you still have to call us. 602-249-7378 or 623-414-0176

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Green tires go black By: Bob Bissler