Tag

Catchmaster Archives - Page 2 of 8 - Catchmaster Pro

Resources to Improve Your Mosquito Service

By | Mosquitoes, Pest Business, Tips & Inspirations | No Comments

The mosquito business can be tough, fortunately there are resources to improve your mosquito service.  As you gear up for the mosquito season, I draw your attention to what are likely untapped resources for your company – professional mosquito control organizations (PMCOs) and mosquito abatement districts (MADs), which are usually funded by various taxes.

Resources to Improve Your Mosquito Service

Resources to Improve Your Mosquito Service - Map

Mosquito Abatement Districts

The responsibility for public mosquito control in the United States resides in different organizations, depending on state and county policies.  It may be the state health department, a county public works facility or other.  But what I am specifically referring to here are the MADs.  As you might expect, they are more numerous in some states than others; for example, Florida alone has about 60!  I strongly urge you to find out if there is a MAD in your areas of operation.  If so, give them a call and ask to visit.  They are very proud of what they do, and you can learn a great deal from them.  One piece of valuable information will be where they treat and DON’T treat = business opportunities for you!

Professional Mosquito Control Organizations

Also, many states have mosquito control associations, and there are also several regional ones that cover several states.  In addition, there is the American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA), which has around 1,400 members in over 50 countries.  See www.mosquito.org for more information.  Membership for you or your company (as a sustaining member) in one or more of these will bring many benefits including access to newsletters, up-to-date information on mosquito control products, tremendous networking opportunities, training events, workshops, annual meetings, etc.  If you really want to learn and practice Integrated Mosquito Management, this is a great place to start.

If CAPT Stan can facilitate any of this for you, especially the MAD visits, please contact me.  I would be happy to provide you with an email introduction.  I am standing by to assist.  scope@catchmaster.com or 551.689.8073.

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

Resources to Improve Your Mosquito Service – Additional Links

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/

Things We Love About Pest Control

By | Pest Business | No Comments

Now, more than ever, we have more things to love about pest control. Every industry has something special, something unique. Pest professionals likely never dreamed they would land here and, at the same time, cannot imagine leaving. Pest pros are passionate about what they do and their community. So, what makes the industry so attractive that people don’t want to leave? Here are four things we love about the pest management industry.

Things We Love About Pest Control - IPM

Four things we love about pest control

  • The People –From hard-working technicians to entrepreneurs to some of the largest chemical companies in the world, the folks you encounter in pest management are truly diverse and from every walk of life. It is an extremely hard-working group that makes the experience in this industry worthwhile. Once you are in you truly feel like you are a part of a community. Annual meetings offer great opportunities to rekindle lifelong friendships and learn more from folks of different regions and differing perspectives. People are so often willing to share their experience and knowledge, oftentimes even with their competitors.
  • The Democracy of Design – okay, we are biased on this one because we are creative folks who love the unique logo designs in the industry. Whether one-truck solo operators or larger regional and national chains, the different logos throughout the industry are as varied as the people. There are over 20,000 pest control organizations in the US, each with a design to match. We truly believe in the more the merrier.
  • The Entrepreneurial Spirit of the Industry – The “American Dream” has been realized by so many in the pest management industry:
    • Pest control technicians who rose up the ranks of national firms then grew their wings to launch their own successful regional company
    • Family-owned and operated manufacturing firms spanning over several generations with grandparents and grandchildren working side by side
    • Consultants who later in life take their industry experience and offer it back to the industry.
  • An Essential Industry – Pest professionals are incredibly important to the communities they serve. Professional pest management services protect public health, people’s homes and family and businesses reputations. Perhaps part of the love and draw of this industry is working for the greater good.

Easy to love

As the saying goes, love what you do and you will never work a day in your life. We believe that is why so many people have found success in the pest management industry, as it is an easy career to love.

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

Things we love about pest control – additional resources

First, 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/

 

The 2020 Mosquito Season Review

By | Mosquitoes | No Comments

As cold weather settles in over most of the United States and insect activity diminishes, let’s take a look back at some of the happenings with a 2020 mosquito season review.  Two of our most dangerous disease vectors, the yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) and the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) continue to expand their range in the US.  These two species are the primary transmitters of the viruses that cause Zika, chikungunya, dengue, and yellow fever.  A third species, the Asian bush mosquito (Aedes japonicus) is rapidly spreading in the Eastern US.  Its disease-transmitting potential is not well understood.

2020 Mosquito Season Review - Fun Facts

2020 Mosquito Season Review – CDC Statistics for 2020

The mosquito-borne disease burden for humans and animals was substantial.  The numbers below are from CDC’s website.  Note that full reporting for 2020 is not yet complete.  There was evidence of West Nile virus activity in people, birds, or mosquitoes in 44 states.  Also, there were 540 human cases, well below our average of about 2,000 per year; 184 (34%) of the cases occurred in California.  There were 9 human cases and a large number of equine cases of Eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE), compared to 36 human cases in 2019.

Dengue fever made a dramatic reappearance, with 250 total reported cases.  181 of those were travel-related while the rest of the cases (69) were all locally acquired in Florida, primarily in the Florida Keys.  Finally, there were 5 cases of a relative rare disease, caused by Jamestown Canyon virus, reported from New Hampshire.

A Rough Year for Mosquito Surveillance

It is really unclear how much actual disease from mosquito bites there was in 2020.  Many surveillance and control programs were crippled or actually shut down by the pandemic, and personnel resources were reallocated.  One piece of good news, however, is that there is absolutely no scientific evidence that the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is transmitted by mosquitoes.

2021 will likely bring more outbreaks and surprises in the mosquito universe and CAPT Stan will be here to bring you all the news!  Best wishes for the holiday season and new year.

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

2020 Mosquito Season Review – 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/

Mosquito Service Certification

By | Mosquitoes, Pest Business, Tips & Inspirations | No Comments

With down time in the winter months, now is a great time to focus on your mosquito service certification. Are you or one of your ambitious staff members looking for a winter project?  The National Pest Management Association (NPMA), through the QualityPro program, has made available Public Health certifications targeting mosquito and rodent services.  Additional certifications for bed bugs, stinging and biting insects, and wildlife are in development.

Mosquito Service Certification - US Map

QualityPro Certification – Background

To create these certifications, QualityPro brought in the ‘Pros From Dover’ including folks from NPMA, the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, the American Mosquito Control Association, the Entomological Society of America, the National Environmental Health Association, a vector control district, and five pest control companies!

Before applying for the Public Health certifications, a company must first earn QualityPro accreditation and be in good standing.  The package of materials and information that must be submitted is substantial and will likely take a few months to compile so be ready.  Upon submission, QualityPro will review the package and either accept it or suggest modifications to improve it.  All materials submitted will be treated as confidential and proprietary.

Getting your mosquito service a national certification is a major differentiator for your company and will instill greater confidence in current and future customers.  To learn more about the program and requirements, visit:

https://www.npmaqualitypro.org/available-credentials/qualitypro-public-health/

Good luck and be sure to address all the requirements!

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

Mosquito Service Certification – 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/

 

 

Press Release: Catchmaster Acquires the Vector Line of Fly Lights

By | Press Releases | No Comments

BASF divests its global Vector® light fly trap portfolio to AP&G Co, Inc./Catchmaster

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, October 1, 2020 BASF announced the divestiture of its entire global Vector® insect light fly trap business to AP&G, Co., Inc.  Financial details of the transaction are not being disclosed.

The Vector insect light fly trap business had been part of BASF’s Agricultural Products, Professional & Specialty Solutions division. The division’s portfolio includes a wide range of niche customer segments such as urban and rural pest control, professional vegetation management, public health and other specialty markets.

“We are thrilled to add the Vector® brand to the Catchmaster® portfolio,” said Jonathan Frisch, Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “The Vector brand is iconic in the Pest Control Industry and combining their innovative insect light traps with trusted Catchmaster glue boards allows us to further our goal of providing intelligent pest solutions to pest management professionals.”

“This decision to divest the Vector® light business to AP&G will ensure our focus is on our key brands and advances our global product portfolio strategy,” said Ron Kehler, Vice President of the Agricultural Product Professional & Specialty Solutions division.

About AP&G Co., Inc.

AP&G Co., Inc. is a leading manufacturer of Intelligent Pest Management solutions headquartered in Bayonne, NJ. Utilizing a science-based approach, we create high-quality products for rodent, insect & mosquito management. Our roots go back to the early 1950s starting with the production of specialty adhesives. AP&G Co., Inc. introduced the Catchmaster® brand in 1977 to deliver Intelligent Pest Management solutions to pest management professionals worldwide. For more information on AP&G Co., Inc. and Catchmaster® please visit www.catchmasterpro.com.

About BASF

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 20,000 employees in North America and had sales of $19.7 billion in 2018. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.com.

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 122,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of around €63 billion in 2018. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com.

 

Top Rodent Control Target Markets

By | Pest Business, Rodents, Tips & Inspirations, Uncategorized | No Comments

Knowing the top rodent control target markets can give you a leg up on your competition. There is a great need for rodent management in both residential and commercial settings. As a pest management professional, consider the following target audiences for your non-toxic rodent management offerings.

Rodent Control Target Markets - Mouse

Top 5 Rodent Control Target Markets

  1. Residential, single family homes – single family homes with children or pets are an ideal target for rodent control services.  Although rodents infest homes in the city and suburbs, homes near wooded areas may be under more pressure from rodent infestations.
  2. Property Management – housing managers of apartment complexes, condo associations and homeowner associations are responsible for ensuring a pest-free environment for their tenants. Rodent management is ideal as to ensure the safety of children and pets who may inhabit some units.
  3. Education Facilities – such as child-care facilities and elementary schools, colleges and universities are required to follow Integrated Pest Management (IPM) guidelines and use IPM rodent management techniques.
  4. Restaurants, Food Service & Food Processing Plants – rodent control is critical to restaurant operations. The food industry has very strict guidelines and no tolerance for rodents in their establishments. A rodent sighting in a restaurant can be extremely damaging to their reputation. Beyond that, rodents are dangerous pests known to carry food-borne pathogens and disease. Rodent management is critical to any restaurant and food establishment
  5. Warehouses – rodents can be very difficult to control in a large environment such as a warehouse but doing so is critically important in order to maintain a safe work environment for employees and ensure that products stored within the warehouse do not become contaminated from rodent pests.

Rodent Control Target Markets - Rat

Rodent control is important to many businesses but particularly to the one’s above. Keep these top rodent control target markets in mind as you develop your marketing materials!

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

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

First, 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/

Mosquito Season Arbovirus Update

By | Mosquitoes, Tips & Inspirations | No Comments

In this 2020 mosquito season arbovirus update learn about the need to remain vigilant.

As Fall arrives in much of the United States and cooler temperatures prevail, there may be a tendency to minimize the threat posed by mosquitoes when in fact the opposite is true.  Several arthropod-borne viruses (known as ‘arboviruses’) transmitted by mosquitoes are still active. And the threat will continue until the first hard frost hits your area.

Mosquito Season Arbovirus Update - Map

2020 Arbovirus Update

At the time of this writing, there have been 49 cases of West Nile disease in humans in Miami, Florida.  Similarly, 26 cases of dengue fever in the upper Florida Keys.  Additionally, there have been 5 human cases of Eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE), 4 in Massachusetts and 1 in Wisconsin. Two human cases of Jamestown Canyon virus have been reported in New Hampshire. Finally, there has been a death from St. Louis encephalitis in California.

The current COVID-19 mayhem has impacted our national ability to monitor for mosquito-transmitted viruses.  Many surveillance programs, particularly at the state health department level, have been compromised as personnel, resources and funding have been redirected (and justifiably so) toward the pandemic response.  Additionally, practices such as social distancing and self-quarantining have reduced bodies in the workplace, where folks would be testing mosquito pools for viruses, as well as on the road, where folks would normally be out collecting the mosquitoes for testing or just doing mosquito control.  Overall, this has somewhat reduced the normal amount of information and knowledge we would have regarding the risk of mosquito-transmitted diseases.

Therefore, CAPT Stan implores you to not let your guard down as the seasons start to change.  Please follow CDC’s guidelines at the link below to help protect you and your family.  Thank you.

https://www.cdc.gov/zika/prevention/prevent-mosquito-bites.html

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

Mosquito Season Arbovirus Update – 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/

Post-COVID Pest Management Tips

By | Pest Business, Rodents, Tips & Inspirations | No Comments

Navigate changing conditions with these Post-COVID pest management tips. Small businesses feel the impact of the pandemic, even six months in.  Pest control is an essential service but is still impacted via the customer base. Pest professionals report home and business owners suspended or reduced their contracts due to their own financial impacts. In other instances, concerned or immune-compromised clients refused indoor services.

Post-COVID Pest Management Tips - IPM

What are successful businesses concentrating focusing on in these times? Here are 3 tips that can help.

3 Post-COVID Pest Management Tips

  1. Businesses are being forced to digitize. To reduce or eliminate personal interaction, businesses must utilize technology like never before. From digital marketing to text and email communications with clients, businesses are feeling the impact. Those who already embraced technology are well ahead of the game while others are racing to catch up. Now more than ever technology can help your business to thrive in this new pandemic business climate. Lean on your software and marketing partners to take your business to the next level with technology.
  2. Capitalizing on commercial rodent work. Offices, hotels and restaurants sat vacant for months during quarantine.  As a result, rodent populations increased. The food source depletion prompted increased foraging ranges. Pest professionals are finding a high demand to control rodents, cockroaches, flies and more in this post-quarantine world. Ensure your business is ready to take on this demand and seek out commercial opportunities by communicating the on-going importance of pest control. This approach can work even when buildings stand vacant.
  3. Have safety policies in place and communicate them to your customer base. Safety takes on new meaning for pest control companies during a pandemic. Now is the time to put protocols in place when it comes to indoor pest services. Face masks, social distancing protocols and surveying your customer prior to service at the home or office are all things to be communicated. It ensures your customer is comfortable with your technicians in their home or place of business.

While these are trying times for businesses, they are also a time of opportunity. Stay positive and aggressive in your marketing efforts. Use this time to increase your business’ digital capabilities.

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

Additional Resources

First, 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/

Catchmaster Pestimonial – ABES Pest Control

By | Pestimonials | No Comments

Catchmaster Pestimonial – ABES Pest Control

In this Catchmaster Pestimonial learn how company-branded insect monitors from Catchmaster are one of ABES Pest Control’s most effective marketing tools.

24/7 Business Cards

While Jeff King, president of ABES Pest Control, is an entomologist at heart, he’s also an accomplished businessman. That’s why this successful PMP with more than a quarter-century of industry experience appreciates it when an industry product supplier like Catchmaster not only offers a wide array of quality products, but also provides sales and marketing support.

King grew up on a small family farm in rural Indiana, pulling weeds and bailing hay for 50 cents an hour, before graduating high school and heading off to Ball State University to study business. Eager to expand his horizons, King left college after two years and joined the U.S. Air Force, studying meteorology before transferring to an entomology program, where he embarked on what would become his life’s work.

“I was stationed at Beale Air Force Base in the Sacramento Valley for four years where I learned about Pacific Coast termites, snakes and a number of other pests,” he said. “It was a great training ground for me.”

Catchmaster Pestimonial - ABES Pest Control - Stockroom

The Start of a Career in Pest Control

Following his military career, King returned to the “Hoosier State” in 1985 to join Pest Doctor Systems, rising through the ranks of the company to become part owner. Then, in 1999, he and wife Gena decided to venture out on their own, moving to Northern Kentucky to launch ABES Pest Control (Absolute Best Exterminating Service).

“We started from scratch and worked out of our house for several years,” Jeff says of those early days. “Now we have an office, several techs and a CSR, but we’re still maintaining that small, family business image that is dedicated to personal service and customer retention.”

Not surprisingly, a major reason for the company’s success is Jeff and Gena’s business acumen, which has allowed them to support a number of families and put two children through college. In fact, before deciding to relocate to Florence, Ky., home of ABES Pest Control, they did a demographic study of Boone County, which had grown in population by 50 percent between 1990 and 1999. “We knew it was growing rapidly and residents were going to need pest control,” Jeff says, “so it was the perfect place to start a pest control business at that time.”

Growth Supported by Suppliers

Another reason the company has grown so quickly is the support of product suppliers like Catchmaster. King describes the company’s insect monitors as “great advertising tools” that have “generated lots of compliments since I started using them two years ago.” Jeff says he uses the monitors liberally to assess insect pressure in both residential and commercial accounts. “You try to keep them discreet, but customers see the name of our company printed on the devices and it reminds them of our company on a daily basis,” he says.

Jeff also has found a creative, high-profile way to use the custom monitors, which he purchases by the pallet from longtime sales rep Dave Johnson, to promote his business. “I take them to networking meetings and I hand them out to my business colleagues,” he says. “There’s a small upcharge for purchasing the branded insect monitors in volume, but it’s well worth the investment. It’s like a glueboard business card!”

Catchmaster Pestimonial - ABES Pest Control - Product

While the year of COVID-19 has been challenging for everyone involved in the pest control industry, King says his business has weathered the storm thanks to a solid termite season, a steady increase in residential service calls, and a rebounding commercial market, the latter of which has been driven by the enhanced visibility of company-branded insect monitors. “We’ve been blessed,” he says.

Thank you to our friends at PCT Magazine (http://www.pctonline.com) for the article.

Catchmaster Pestimonial – Additional Resources

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

Sign up for our mailing list here: https://catchmasterpro.com/join-email/

Learn more about private label products from our sell sheet located here:  https://catchmasterpro.com/sell-sheets/

Check out additional Catchmaster Pestimonials here: https://catchmasterpro.com/?s=pestimonial

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

Top 5 Marketing Tactics for Your Rodent Service

By | Pest Business, Rodents, Tips & Inspirations | No Comments

These top 5 marketing tactics for your rodent service can be vital to your success. Whether you are just starting out or perfecting your service, these 5 simple tips can help your business grow right now.

Top 5 Marketing Tactics for Your Rodent Service

Top 5 Marketing Tactics for Your Rodent Service - Knowledge

  1. Understand your market– Take a close look at the competitors in your area that are offering rodent services. Become familiar with your competitor’s service offerings and develop your own value proposition. Clearly explain why your service is more valuable to your clients.
  2. Advertise – What media does your target audience consume? In other words which websites do they visit or which magazines do they read for information? Where do they go to search for service providers? These are the places you will want to place advertisements for your services.
  3. Add Value – look for ways to offer value to your target audience.  Consider emailing them a rodent management eBook or a sample of private label glue boards branded with your logo. Include tips for placement to protect their home or business from rodents. Consider offering a free inspection service and follow-up with a rodent management plan to attack their problem.
  4. Focus on the customer experience – train your employees to go above and beyond with an account. Take time to talk with customers about ways they can reduce rodent activity on their property. Follow-up ensuring your service tactics are working. Finally, ask for a testimonial that you can use online and in your marketing pieces to help new customers feel confident in your services.
  5. Own the referral – once you have a happy customer don’t be afraid to ask for their referral and train your employees to do the same.  Offer the customer something of value, like a free treatment or percentage off their next service in exchange for their referral.  Remember, if you don’t ask the answer is always no!

Top 5 Marketing Tactics for Your Rodent Service - Referral

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

Additional Resources

First, 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/