Venus Pest Company Blog-Category-For Your Business

Ever Wish You Could Interrogate A Roach, Or A Rat?

service@venuspest.com — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 09:37:00 GMT

Household pests bring with them a wide variety of health and aesthetic concerns for homes and businesses. Cockroaches can trigger asthma attacks and are responsible for a slew of other gross bacteria and health risks. Bed bugs cause itchy welts when they bite you to get a blood meal, and can also transmit bacteria and disease. Rats, please, if we have to tell you how gross rats are, you’re in trouble!

Did you know April is National Pest Management Month? For more than 30 years the pest management industry has observed April as National Pest Management Month. In honor of National Pest Management Month this year, the NPMA is raising public awareness about the risks posed by household pests and encouraging homeowners to take proactive steps to prevent pest infestations in their homes and properties.

The Professional Pest Management Alliance (PPMA), in conjunction with the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) has released a new PSA campaign to heighten awareness. Check out this funny commercial where they’re interrogating a roach, a rat, and a bed bug.

There are serious implications when it comes to pests in and around your homes and businesses. Don’t let yourself be overrun and create additional problems that could have been easy to prevent by calling a pest management professional.

How To Catch (Or Save?) A Cat

service@venuspest.com — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:03:00 GMT

What do you do when animal control says they can’t help you? Who do you call when the shelter won’t come pick them up?

You call Venus Pest Company!

Recently we received a call from a panicked business owner in Downtown Bryan who told us they had been hearing a cat meowing in their wall all day. He called animal control, but they wouldn’t help because the cat was inside the building. He then called the local animal shelter and they told him they couldn’t help him either.

His landlord recommended he call a pest control company, and directed him to another popular pest control company in the area. What did they tell him? By his account, they laughed at him a bit and said they could not help. The next call was to Venus Pest Company and while we were apprehensive at first, we just could not leave a cat stuck in someone’s wall to starve. Plus, this presented a new challenge and appealed to our adventurous side so we decided to go check out the situation.

When we arrived, we were shown the area where the noise was coming from. Want to hear the best part? The only way to access that area was through a small, we’ll say 18 inch by 18 inch hole. Oh, and it’s about 20 feet off the ground too! When we climbed up a ladder to get our first look, we could tell immediately that it was more than one cat, but luckily they were in the attic, not in the wall.

After going back outside to check the roof to see how they were getting in to the attic, we found some large open vent shafts. We weren’t sure at first if these were the actual entry points because we couldn’t see down inside them. At that moment, one of the cats actually jumped out of the vent and scared us so badly we nearly fell off the roof! Now it became a question of how to keep the cats from getting through these vents, and how to catch the ones that are in there and get them out?

At this point, it became a rodent job on steroids. The three components of a successful rodent control program (and now feral cat control program) are:

Exclusion

Baiting

Trapping

Exclusion

Since Dr. Scott is second cousin to Andre the Giant (not really for those who don’t know him), it was not really an option for him to squeeze into the attic. Climbing through the tiny hole into the attic and maneuvering around the small space without falling through the ceiling was not an easy task. You can see my shoes sticking out of the hole in this picture. I was able, however, to block off the access points underneath the vents using hardware cloth (screen) and securing it so the cats could not disturb it. One of the cats had jumped out again, but I knew there was at least one other cat still in there. Ever been trapped in a dark attic, hardly able to move, knowing a feral cat is somewhere close to you and you have no idea what it’s thinking? It’s like an episode of fear factor!

Baiting

Of course we can’t use any kind of poison bait to solve this type of problem. Using some dog food the owner had and a bowl of water, we set up a scenario we thought would work.

Trapping

We set up a live animal trap that we usually use for squirrels or other small animals using the dog food as bait. Like other animals and rodents, theory holds that if they are trapped and only have one food source, chances are they are going to eventually have a go at it.

Well, we caught the cat the very next day and are so thankful that the animal shelter agreed to take the cat when we delivered it over there. Sorry we didn’t have our camera when we caught the kitty or I would have posted it here.

Situations like this are why I love working for Venus Pest Company. When everybody else turned them away, or laughed at them, we were able to solve their problem and make some new friends (and clients) in the process. It’s amazing what you discover when you’re able to say “Yes, we can help!”

Rob Jones, CMO Venus Pest Company

7 Things You Should Expect From A Pest Control Service For Your Business.

service@venuspest.com — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:56:00 GMT

Partnering with a professional pest control company is a critical decision business owners and managers all face. For any business that regular interacts with customers inside a physical establishment, it is extremely important to present and maintain a clean environment, especially in regards to unwanted pests. Making mistakes in commercial pest control can result huge amounts of lost business. For example, local media outlets love to report on findings of rodents or insects in restaurants.

Commercial pest control services make up about 25% of an average pest control company's business. Although Texas does not require a separate certification, performing commercial pest control presents many different challenges than residential pest control. Responsible business owners and managers must ensure they are partnering with the right professional. Below is a checklist of important qualities to consider when selecting a pest control service for your business. This list is compliled from our experiences in commercial pest control over the years and Dr. Scott's prior experience with Trece Inc, a supplier to the pest control industry.

1. Service Guarantee - A commercial pest control company should clearly outline which pests will be controlled with their regular service in their service agreement, and highlight those that will require additional services. They should also be able to provide you with a price list for controlling pests that are not covered with their regular service, so you won't be surprised later. You should make sure that any service fees for call back appointments are clearly defined and have an understanding of their service guarantees.

2. Communication - Communication between your pest control company and your staff is essential for effective service. A pest log book is a good tool to keep so you can effectively communicate pest problems to your technician and track what control actions have been taken. Also, you should expect your pest control technician to check in with the manager of your facility before and after each service.

3. Security - All technicians should wear recognizable uniforms so you know they work for your pest control company and are present on official business. The company may also provide you with pictures of their staff in a log book and require them to wear identification badges. Finally, pest control companies should be expected to perform background checks on their technicians, so you can feel comfortable with them in your facility.

4. Knowledgeable - A reliable pest control company should have strong internal training and evaluation procedures in place. The state of Texas only requires a score of 70 on their certification tests for pest control applicators. Partnering with a company that has more extensive internal training and evaluation programs will provide the best prepared and most knowledgeable technicians to protect your business from pest problems.

5. Dependable - As in residential pest control, you must be able to depend on your pest control company to be dependable. Basically, show up on the correct day, at the correct time, and get the job done right. This is even more critical in commercial situations where applications often need to be completed before food prep starts or customers begin to arrive.

6. Courteous - Every technician should be courteous to managers, employees, and any customers they may encounter. Top technicians always do their best to not interrupt any business taking place including employees trying to work, staying invisible to your customers, and being sensitive to any concerns about pesticide exposure.

7. Clean - Although pest control work is very demanding, technicians in commercial environments should maintain a clean professional appearance. While working at your business, they are essentially a representative of your business. In addition to a neat appearance, they should complete their work in clean and safe manner that does not create a new mess for you to clean up.

Remembering these important guidelines will help you choose the right company to partner with for your business. Maintaining a clean, pest-free environment where you work is valuable for your employees, your customers, and you! Find out more about commercial pest control services here.