Monthly Archives

June 2021

Tips for Reducing Mosquito Callbacks

By | Mosquitoes, Tips & Inspirations | No Comments

Learn how to maximize your  time in the field with these tips for reducing mosquito callbacks.

Callbacks and retreatments for your mosquito service can be costly, time-consuming, and usually result in unhappy customers or the service being cancelled.  Here are a few tips to help you avoid them.

Tips for Reducing Mosquito Callbacks

Top 14 Tips for Reducing Mosquito Callbacks

  1. The number one reason for callbacks, in my experience, is improper or a lack of inspections on each visit.
  2. Do the proper math on the treatment area and apply the correct amount of product.
  3. Use the highest label rate allowed for the first treatment of the season.
  4. Use the proper application technique to get maximum penetration and product on underside of vegetation and other resting places (under decks, sheds, etc.).
  5. Vegetation grows quickly in summer. Be sure to target NEW vegetation on each service.
  6. Rotate chemicals with different modes of action to avoid resistance.
  7. Many times the breeding sites are on adjacent properties. If you suspect this:
    • Offer a free inspection to the neighbors.
    • Incorporate traps in your service to intercept egg-laying females coming onto your customers’ property.
    • Ask your customer to speak with the neighbors about your service.
  8. Keep vegetation trimmed to impact CAPT Stan’s Big Four where mosquitoes hang out: shade, moisture, cool, out of wind.
  9. Set/manage customer expectations.  We aren’t very good at this as an industry.  If you advertise ‘eradication’ or ‘no more mosquitoes’, you will have callbacks.    I prefer the phrase ‘nuisance reduction’.
  10. Recommend floor fans and use of repellents in between services (CDC has a great website on the latter – Insect Repellents Help Prevent Malaria and Other Diseases Spread by Mosquitoes (cdc.gov)
  11. Verify with customers where in the yard they are being bitten and what time of day. This will provide clues as to what species you are dealing with.
  12. Check for cryptic breeding sites such as plant drainage saucers, piles of leaves, corrugated attachments for downspouts, clogged gutters, etc.
  13. Change outdoor lighting scheme to sodium vapor. Many species of mosquitoes are highly attracted to ‘regular’ light.
  14. If a problem persists, try and get the mosquitoes identified. This can be done by your Chief Science Officer (if you have one), technical specialist, a local mosquito abatement district, or an entomologist at a local university.

Captain Stan Cope (aka the Mosquito Man) is our Vice President of Technical Services and blogs frequently on mosquitoes. In addition to his social media content you can find his blog archives here: https://catchmasterpro.com/?s=captain+stan

Additional Resources

Get our free mosquito management program guide when you sign up for our e-mail list here: https://catchmasterpro.com/mosquito-management-program/

Get more content like this daily when you follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catchmasterPRO/

Discover our full line of Catchmaster® mosquito management tools:  https://catchmasterpro.com/collection/mosquito-management-tools/

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

Catchmaster Pestimonial – Savage Mole Trap & Rottler Pest Solutions

By | Rodents | No Comments

In this Catchmaster Pestimonial for the Savage Mole Trap learn how Jay Everitt, Technical Director at Rottler Pest & Lawn Solutions for the past 27 years, uses the Catchmaster Savage Mole Trap to keep his customers happy and his callbacks to a minimum.

Savage Mole Trap

Savage Mole Trap – Keeping Moles at Bay

Mole control is important to the customers of Rottler Pest Solutions based in St.Louis, MO. The Rottler team uses lots of tools to manage this damaging pest. “Moles are one of the more challenging pests. They can require a lot of return visits and cost us a lot of money in callbacks if they are not managed properly from the start,” Jay Everitt, Technical Director, commented.

Rottler includes mole control as part of their General Pest program in order to offer full service to their customers. They use a combination of tools including baits, traps and repellents for moles.

When Everitt noticed his team wasn’t having the same success with the mole trap they were currently using he was eager to try a new trap introduced to him by Liz Turner, AP&G South Central Regional Manager. Everitt commented, “I appreciate Liz providing new options to me and making me aware of new technology that Catchmaster brings to market. This particular product was very timely and has been very successful for us so far.”

High Capture Rates

Everitt shared that his team was getting a high capture rate right from the start. They placed four traps and captured four moles.  Next, they placed eight more traps and again captured eight moles. He sees the design of the trap as a game changer. The Rottler team needed something robust and the Savage Mole Trap delivered. The Rottler team liked the adjustable trigger plate and the metal construction.  And when you step on it to set it it clears the scissors of the trap.  The lack of this feature had been a challenge with other products.

If the high capture rate with the Catchmaster Savage Mole Trap continues, Everitt believes it will be worth it to change over completely to this product. “The very high capture rate we are seeing makes the Savage trap 3-4 times more effective than others we have tried on the market. It is proving to be effective and worth the cost and savings we are seeing on callbacks,” said Everitt.

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

Additional Resources

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

Next, learn more about our rodent management tools 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/