Monthly Archives

January 2020

Top 5 Areas for Exclusion Around the Home

By | blog, Rodents, Tips & Inspirations | No Comments

Catching and trapping rodents are ways to resolve an existing rodent problem, but getting to the root of the problem is essential – here are the top 5 areas to consider for exclusion around the home.  Excluding rodents from your environment is an important part of any intelligent pest management solution.

Top Five Areas for Exclusion Around the Home

Exclusion is the process of eliminating areas in the home that a pest may enter. It is a long-term solution to a pest or rodent problem and an important part of Intelligent Pest Management.

Top 5 Areas for Exclusion Around the Home - IPM

Does exclusion sound like a great idea but you’re not sure where to start? When looking for areas to perform exclusion keep in mind that rodents enter a home in search of food, water or shelter. Experts say a mice can fit through a hole the size of a dime which is about ¼” in diameter. Rats can fit through an entry the size of a ½”. As a result, copper mesh is an excellent tool to fill in gaps and prevent rodents from entering.

Here are the top five areas to consider when performing exclusion work:

  1. The roofline of the home. Mice are excellent acrobats and can follow utility lines or even climb horizontally to enter via gaps in the roofline or damaged eaves. Consider going into your attic during daylight hours in search of areas where light may enter and secure them.
  2. Areas where plumbing and utilities enter the home. Plumbing, gas lines, damaged ducts and drainage pipes area all very common entryways into a home for rodents. Without a doubt, it is important to inspect these areas from both the inside and outside of the structure to ensure they are sealed tight with no gap larger than ¼”.
  3. Doorways and garage doors. Inspect the rubber sweep and weather strips on exterior doors and garage doors. Over time the rubber may wear down allowing mice an easy entrance right into your home.
  4. Gaps in the foundation, cement or brick. Some holes may accumulate over time as brick or cement break down. Those types of entries can be completely sealed. However, weep holes in brick walls serve a purpose from drainage to allowing a house to breathe. Weep holes should not be sealed tight, but you may use copper mesh to keep rodents and insects out.
  5. Trees, hedges and shrubbery. It is important to keep tree and shrubbery trimmed and away from the home. Branches and other greenery that meet the house offer a highway for rodents and other pests to enter.

Top 5 Areas for Exclusion Around the Home - Trouble Spots

Bonus Professional Tips

  • Don’t forget to check and seal up any cracks or damage around chimneys, dryer vents or attic vent caps.  Also, replace any damaged screens (Thank you to Ryan Ridgley from Hunstman Wildlife)
  • Under the eve where the soffit meets the roof the junction will have a 1/8 to 2 inch gap allowing mice, insects and pests to enter. (Props to Gary Andrews from Prudential Pest Management)
  • HVAC lines in particular can be a trouble spot and should be checked (Shout out to Cody Sandhoff from Sandhoff Services Pest & Termite)
  • Ridge and gable vents can cause problems and so can any  landscaping, particularly if it is against your home (Great tip from Josh McCloud with Hold Fast Enviro Pest  Solutions)

Bobby Kossowicz is a content creator for the Catchmaster® brand, learn more here: https://catchmasterpro.com/blog/bobby-kossowicz/

Top 5 Areas for Exclusion around the Home – additional resources

Get more great content like this in your inbox – sign up for our mailing list here: https://catchmasterpro.com/join-email/

Learn more about our full line of rodent management products here: https://catchmasterpro.com/collection/rodent-management-tools/

Finally, Learn more about your pest management professional options from the National Pest Management Association here: https://npmapestworld.org/

 

Catchmaster Pestimonial – Horizon Pest Control

By | blog, Pestimonials, Tips & Inspirations | No Comments

Catchmaster Pestimonial – Horizon Pest Control

There are great things on the Horizon for this NJ firm who reaps the benefits of Catchmaster® Private Label Products

In this Catchmaster Pestimonial we discuss our line of private label products.  Private label products from Catchmaster feature your brand in its best light.

Bernie Holst III is a second-generation pest management professional and now CEO of Horizon Pest Control located in Midland, NJ. Young Bernie began working for the family business before he even had a driver’s license and will take Horizon Pest Control into its 50th Anniversary in business in 2020.

“We’ve been using Atlantic Paste & Glue products for as long as I can remember,” said Bernie Holst III. “Throughout the years we moved into using Catchmaster® traps in addition to the glue products. We just seem to use more and more Catchmaster® products over the years because they work well for us and they’re cost effective.”

This family owned business is always looking for unique ways to brand their company and market their services. Private label glue boards have become a staple product for them for about five years now.

Catchmaster Pestimonial - Horizon

Private label benefits

Bernie recalled a recent example of how private label products have worked for Horizon. Bernie received a sales call to a building in Manhattan that had concerns over some roach activity. He himself visited the account and did a one-time service for roaches after detecting just some low-level activity. He finished up the service by placing some private label insect monitors in the account and the client was relieved to be left with a way to track any further roach activity on her own.

Bernie felt confident he’d get a callback if there was indeed a need down the road, “Having our company name and number on the monitors has really benefited us. This client appreciated our one-time treatment but when she later experienced more roach activity she had our name and number handy. It’s really a great marketing tool for us to leave behind in an account.”

Private label products are helping this well-respected NJ firm stay on top of their customers minds. And, it can work for your business too. Learn more about how you can private label our glue products or traps by contacting your regional sales representative.   https://catchmasterpro.com/sales-representatives/

Bobby Kossowicz is a content creator for the Catchmaster® brand, learn more here: https://catchmasterpro.com/blog/bobby-kossowicz/

Catchmaster Pestimonial – additional resources

Get more great content like this in your inbox – sign up for our mailing list here: https://catchmasterpro.com/join-email/

Learn more about our full line of rodent management products here: https://catchmasterpro.com/collection/rodent-management-tools/

Finally, Learn more about your pest management professional options from the National Pest Management Association here: https://npmapestworld.org/

 

Top 5 Food Rats

By | Rodents | No Comments

2020 is the year of the rat and to celebrate here is our list of the top 5 food rats.  All of our little friends became Internet-famous in one way or another and we hope 2020 brings some additions to our list.  Did we miss your favorite?  Let us know in the comments below!

Top 5 Food Rats - Fun Facts

Top 5 food rats

  • Pizza rat – the Godfather of them all. When this little guy came onto the scene in 2015 we couldn’t help but love the purity of it all.  He was, after all, a rat, in New York, in the Subway, eating pizza – it practically writes itself.

  • Avocado rat – this champion’s efforts emerged in 2017 in Brooklyn. Yes, a rat in Brooklyn with avocado lends itself to hipster jokes, none of which we are going to tell.

  • Pretzel rat – well, if New York is going to get pizza rat then Philly must get pretzel rat. This newcomer emerged in 2019 and we were enthralled.  The clip of this underdog shows him trying to grab not one, but two, soft pretzels.

  • Bagel rat- the satisfying (if you are rooting for the rat, of course) end to this 2015 clip showcases our hero making a clean swipe and getting away with a feast.

  • Donut rat – rounds out our trio of carb-loading New York residents. This guy has a scurry that just won’t stop and succeeds in lugging his catch clear across a subway platform.

So there you have it, our top 5.  Did we miss your favorite?  Chances are we did – let us know in the comments below!  Extra bonus if you can share the whereabouts of the mythical pastrami rat.

Top 5 Food Rats - Pastrami Rat

Top 5 food rats – additional resources

Get more great content like this in your inbox – sign up for our mailing list here: https://catchmasterpro.com/join-email/

Learn more about our full line of rodent management products here: https://catchmasterpro.com/collection/rodent-management-tools/

Finally, Learn more about your pest management professional options from the National Pest Management Association here: https://npmapestworld.org/

 

Intelligent Pest Management

By | Insects, Mosquitoes, Rodents, Tips & Inspirations | No Comments

AP&G Co., Inc. = Intelligent Pest Management (IPM)

The pillars of our approach are grounded in a multi-step process to dealing with pests.

The 4 Steps of Intelligent Pest Management

  1. Inspection – spend as much time as it takes to do an excellent inspection to get a thorough understanding of the unique situations and problem areas that are present in your account.
  2. Plan – habitat manipulation to remove conducive conditions is critical – making sanitation and exclusion the cornerstones of any IPM plan.  Special consideration needs to be paid to sanitation and structural issues that are creating conducive conditions, attracting pests to your account and allowing them to thrive.  Your IPM Plan must take exact species identification and problem areas identified in your initial inspection consideration to identify the most prudent and effective means of removing the existing infestation.
  3. Execute – mitigate all conducive conditions, incorporate any sanitary or exclusion requirements where necessary and remove remaining pests from your account based on your comprehensive IPM plan.
  4. Monitor – install monitors or schedule repeat visits to evaluate the results of your plan and to identify new or recurring problems.

Working together, each of the steps in Intelligent Pest Management provide a holistic system for protecting your client’s “turf”.

Intelligent Pest Management - 4 Steps

Additional Resources

Learn more about our full line of IPM monitors and other products here: https://catchmasterpro.com/product-line/ 

Get more great content like this in your inbox – sign up for our mailing list here: https://catchmasterpro.com/join-email/

Learn more about your pest management professional options from the National Pest Management Association here: https://npmapestworld.org/

Stan Cope, PhD

By | Mosquitoes | No Comments

You may know our Captain Stan Cope (aka the Mostquito Man) from our online content.  Each month he publishes a new article covering everything mosquito.  But how did Stan become such a mosquito management expert?  Read on for some background on our Vice President of Technical Services.

Stan Cope – Educational Background

Stan was born and raised in Huntington, Indiana.   He was graduated in 1976 from Swarthmore (PA) College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology.  In 1980, he completed a Masters in Entomology at the University of Delaware, with emphasis on medical entomology.  In 1988, Stan was awarded a PhD in Public Health from the University of California, Los Angeles, where he focused on medical entomology, tropical medicine and infectious diseases.

Military Career

In 1988, Stan was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy, where he served as a Medical Entomologist for the next 23+ years, retiring with the rank of Captain (same as a full-bird Colonel).  He held a wide variety of assignments, conducting operational and research entomology in 18 countries.  The pinnacle of his career in the Navy was serving as Director, Armed Forces Pest Management Board and Director, Defense Pest Management in Washington, DC, where he had responsibility for all aspects of pest management for the United States Department of Defense.

Stan Cope - Fun Facts

He also directed a $5 million/year federal research program targeted at product development for arthropod control.  In this capacity, Stan fostered numerous global industry agreements, resulting in licensing, production and availability of several new tools including traps, attractants, baits and spray equipment.

Stan was awarded 24 ribbons and medals, including the Defense Superior Service Medal.  He retired from the Navy on September 1, 2012 and joined Terminix International two weeks later as Manager and then Director, Entomology and Regulatory Services.  Stan left Terminix in December of 2016 and joined Atlantic Paste and Glue (Catchmaster) in May of 2017.

Publications & Professional Stewardship

Dr. Cope has authored or co-authored over 80 scientific and technical publications.  A highly sought-after speaker, he has delivered over 150 presentations at scientific, technical and certification meetings and has given numerous lectures to community groups, school children and civic organizations.  He is a recognized expert on the history of medical entomology and yellow fever.

From 2008-2012, Stan served as a Regional Director for the American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA) and was instrumental in launching AMCA’s Young Professionals group, designed to recruit a younger and more diverse membership interested in entomology, mosquito control and pest management.  He was elected Vice President of AMCA in 2014 and served as President in 2015-16, during the Zika crisis.  He also worked closely with Bayer to establish the Kelly Labell Travel Award, which funds a mosquito researcher, usually a student, to attend the AMCA annual meeting.  Kelly’s young life was tragically cut short by Eastern equine encephalomyelitis.

Stan Cope - Deadliest

Catchmaster & Leadership

Since joining the pest control industry, Stan has become the ‘go to’ person for all things mosquitoes.  Whether conducting site visits, providing field training or giving one of his highly popular lectures, he is always full of enthusiasm and passion for his subject.  He has been a crusader to encourage private industry to increase its commitment to Integrated Mosquito Management.  Additionally, Stan has developed a three-hour recertification class on mosquitoes, which he customizes depending on what audience and geographic region is targeted.  And check out his highly successful blog, ‘Captain Stan The Mosquito Man’ on the Catchmaster PRO website.

Stan has been very active in the National Pest Management Association.  Besides giving several presentations at NPMA events, he has served on the Technical Committee as a member and correspondent, served on the Commercial Committee, and served on the Pest Management Foundation’s research advisory group.    Also, he is a ‘Founding Father’, along with Marty Overline of Aardvark Pest Control, of NPMA’s PestVets Committee.

Finally, Stan is a regular contributor to Pest Control Technology (PCT) magazine and has written some pieces for Pest Management Professional (PMP).

Personal

In his ‘spare time’, Stan enjoys gardening, Civil War history, book collecting, sports, reading and family time.  Oh, and he also pitched three no-hitters in his baseball career; one in Little League, one in high school and one in college.

Stan Cope – Additional Resources

Get more great content like this in your inbox – sign up for our mailing list here: https://catchmasterpro.com/join-email/

For help with your upcoming mosquito season, discover Catchmaster® mosquito management tools:  https://catchmasterpro.com/collection/mosquito-management-tools/

Learn more about mosquitoes from the NPMA here: https://www.pestworld.org/pest-guide/mosquitoes/

Discover more efforts in mosquito management with the American Mosquito Control Association here: www.mosquito.org