Spring 2011 - Wisconsin Pest Control Association

THE PEST
DISPATCH
w w w.w i s c o n s i n p e s t . c o m • 2011 Spring News l e t t e r
WPCA ANNOUNCES
LEADERSHIP SCHOLARSHIP
WPCA is pleased to announce its first
scholarship available for children
and spouses of WPCA members. The
scholarship, in the amount of $500,
will be presented to one student
who will be attending an accredited
college, university, trade school or
institute of higher learning.
The Leadership Scholarship is open
to qualified nominees with a minimum 2.5 GPA. Nominations, applications, and a 500-word essay must
be submitted by April 30, 2011. The
award will be distributed in the fall
of 2011.
For further information, and to download the application form, visit
www.wisconsinpest.com.
Page 2
President’s Message
Page 4
Marketing Within Your
Company
Page 7
From The Insect
Diagnostic Lab
A SPECIAL WELCOME TO THESE NEW WPCA MEMBER COMPANIES
Four pest control companies recently joined WPCA. A warm WPCA
welcome to:
4 Lakes Pest Control, Palmyra, WI
Ants Away Pest Control, Racine, WI
Hanson Pest Management, Oregon, WI
Mautz Pest Solutions, Black Earth, WI
www.w isconsinpest.com • 2011 Spring Newsletter • pg 1
The Pest Dispatch
President’s Message
Jim Mieszala, HITMAN Pest Control
[email protected]
Well, our WPCA 2011 conference, “Technically Speaking”, has come
and gone and all preliminary reports indicate that attendance numbers
were up in every category.
W
hile final numbers are not
yet available at this writing,
it appears we had 60 people for
the 7.1 Training; 24 for the Master
Tech exam; and, approximately
175-180 people, including vendors and Board members, attending the two-day event, all record
numbers, to my understanding.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would first like to thank
our fantastic line-up of speakers: Mark Kuether, Robby Personette, Dr. Clay Sherer, our
keynote speaker Dr. Bobby Corrigan, Arnold Ramsey, and, Phil
Pellitteri, for their insightful presentations, and putting the technical in “Technically Speaking”.
A special “Thank You” to Arnold
Ramsey for covering the B&G
presentation at the last minute,
when Dave Mathis was unable to
attend due to an injury suffered
the Sunday before the conference. Our best wishes go out to
Dave for a complete recovery.
Next, a huge “Thank You” to each
of our 24 vendors for their attendance and sponsorships of a vari-
ety of events for the conference.
As with any organization, the financial support and participation
of our vendors is the backbone of
a successful event.
I would also like to personally
thank each member of the WPCA
Board of Directors for their tireless effort and contribution of
time in making the conference a
success. All too often, it appears
that an event such as the conference, “just happens”, without
recognizing the involvement and
hard work that takes place behind
the scenes to present the finished
product.
This year was the election of the
Board of Directors for a 2-year
term. As with anything, there were
a few changes. We would like to
express our sincerest “Thanks”
for jobs well done to four departing members of the Board: Jerry
Batzner, Will White, Bob Barushok, and Jerry Smith. Their contributions have been invaluable
to our organization. We would
also like to welcome three new
members to the Board: Pete Bar-
rett of Anderson Pest Solutions,
Matthew Snorek of Guaranteed
Gone Pest Control, and Michelle
Resetar-McDowell of Pest Control
Services, Inc.. We look forward to
working with these folks.
In addition, there was one switch
within the Officers and the Board.
Tom Kofler, due to business reasons, requested to step down from
the responsibilities of the Treasurer position and move to the
Board, and Mark Mumm stepped
up to assume the Treasurer position for the remainder of the term.
We welcome Mark and Tom to
their new roles.
Finally, once again, on behalf of
the Board, a sincere “Thank You”
to everyone who attended our
2011 Conference. While having
great speakers, wonderful vendors, and a Board coordinating
the event, none of that truly matters without your attendance and
involvement. And if you happened
to miss this year’s conference, not
to worry. We are beginning to
work on next year, and look forward to seeing all of you February
14 - 15, 2012, at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells.
Till next time!
www.w isconsinpest.com • 2011 Spring Newsletter • pg 2
The Pest Dispatch
M
ost companies
view marketing as being solely
the responsibility
of managers, owners, sales people, or
marketing departments to generate
sales. Nice
radio and
TV ad campaigns,
sales flyers,
lunches, or
tickets to
sporting
events may
keep you
around for
awhile but
do not earn
customer
l o y a l t y,
and they
don’t guarantee more
business.
MARKETING WITHIN
YOUR COMPANY
Bill Dyra, Univar, USA
Check your marketing plan and re-evaluate. I believe every single person within your
company is a marketing person. They all have the ability to generate business and to
retain your existing customer base.
Review with your employees their role
within
your
c o m p a n y ’s
marketing
plan. Find out
how your employees answer
the
phones.
Are they just
going through
the motions or
do your customers
hear
that big smile
in their voice?
Their approach
to conversation on the
phone can give
positive goodwill, spoil a sale, or have
a customer cancel. You want this conversation to have a solid foundation and
built on your marketing plan. This goes
for every contact your employee has
with your customers.
Nothing turns people off more than a disinterested employee and nothing is more
appreciated than speaking to a friendly
person who is eager to help you. Your
employees should be encouraged to be
proactive. The little things add up to give
you a big impact. Have your people call
customers before they feel the need to
call you; call customers when important
events or promotions by your business
are going to be marketed.
If you are going to be late for an appointment, make that call. Small or large companies need to train their employees to
take advantage of marketing opportunities that arise during the day. Your techs
and office personnel should get to know
their customers. They may have friends
that need the service your company provides. You may service their business
but how about the ant problem at their
home? Go get that business.
Your technicians or staff will never know
if they don’t ask and get some information. Teach your people to ask the customer for a referral. Opportunities for
marketing and sales will come up everyday. Be sure to identify these opportunities and train your employees to capitalize on them. Your employees can be an
asset for your company. Don’t just spend
thousands of marketing dollars and forget about one of your best bets: the marketing power of your people.
www.w isconsinpest.com • 2011 Spring Newsletter • pg 4
The Pest Dispatch
TV PRODUCTION COMPANY
LOOKING FOR INFESTATIONS
A London-based TV production company is making a new series of Infested! for
Animal Planet and they are looking for case studies. Specifically, the producers
are seeking stories of domestic infestations of all kinds of pests including mice,
bees, moles, caterpillars, raccoons, snakes and spiders. They’d like to
focus on examples that demhear from pest control professionals
he stories will be told in great
onstrate the problems these
who may have story ideas.
detail through a combination
creatures can cause I the
home and the distress this of interviews with the victims of
For further information on the series
can cause to its occupants. the infestation, dramatic recreation
and to watch clips from the first series
and expert interviews.
of Infested!, visit http://animal.discovery.com/tv/infested/
The production company, Darlow
Smithson Productions (www.darlowIf you have an infested story idea,
smithson.com) needs many stories for
email producer Kelly Nobay today at
the new series, so they are eager to
[email protected].
T
UNIVAR-SPONSORED
EDUCATIONAL
PROGRAM SET FOR APRIL
“Raising the Bar in Pest Control” is a
one-day educational program set for
April 6, 2011 at the Olympia Resort
and Hotel in Oconomowoc, WI. The
program, which runs from 8 a.m. – 5
p.m., features six speakers on topics
that include bird control, flies, perimeter treatments, rodent control,
WDATCP regulatory updates, and
mosquito control basics.
The $10 registration fee includes
continental breakfast and a buffet
lunch. Obtain the registration form
by going to www.pestweb.com. Click
on “industry events”. If the dates do
not extend into April, click on “more
industry events” to get to April. Scroll
to “Raising the Bar in Pest Control”
and click on “File 1” for the form.
Credit card payments can be faxed
to 312-523-1511. If you are registering more than one person, please include a list of all attendees.
For further details, please contact call Sheri Cunningham at (708) 308-0706, or
Bill Dyra at (312) 320-6612. We look forward to hearing from you.
www.w isconsinpest.com • 2011 Spring Newsletter • pg 5
The Pest Dispatch
have these types of parasites. The
males and sometimes the queens
of some ant species are quite
small and when they swarm can
be mistaken for small flies. Both
the wasp and ants will have a
FROM THE INSECT
DIAGNOSTIC LAB
AT UW-MADISON
Phil Pellitteri • UW Insect Diagnostic Lab
[email protected]
Technically speaking it is an one of a number of dark
gray, small flies (under 2.5mm) but to the general public
it is any small critter with wings. I would like to share
some of the insects I have had submitted as a “gnat”.
T
rue flies only have one pair
of wings. The only true gnat I
see indoors is one of the fungus
gnats. There are two families of
flies that are called fungus gnats
— both with long antennae and
usually found associated with
some type of damp organic
matter in potted plants or somewhere else in the building. The
adults like humid areas and often show up around sinks.
Fruit flies, phorid flies and small
dung flies are small indoor flies
that could be called gnats. They
tend to be a bit bigger and each
has its favorite environment. Fruit
flies favor decaying fruit and vegetables, phorids prefer sewer lines,
and small dung flies opt for any
damp rich organic waste.
When insects have more than one
set of wings they
cannot be considered a fly. I have
seen a number of
cases of winged
aphids
coming
from houseplants
being mistaken for
gnats. They often
show up at windows and confuse
people. I also see
four-winged critters that are parasitic braconid or
chalcid wasps indoors. Many species are about the size of a fungus
gnat and without a good scope
my eyes are not good enough to
tell who they are. These wasps
breed inside a caterpillar or beetle larvae and many adults emerge
from one host. It is often very difficult to find the source, but the
insects found in firewood often
constriction between the thorax
and abdomen.
We do find some fall invaders that
could be called gnats. Hackberry
psyllids come from the bumps
on the leaves of hackberry trees
and invade in the fall. The larger
brown birch catckin bug also will
cling to the outside of a home in
fall and could be called a gnat.
Outdoors biting gnats usually or black
flies
(also
called buffalo
or turkey gnats)
or the small
biting midges
or
“no-seeums”
which
for some odd
reason people
call sand fleaseven though
fleas do not
have
wings.
The
clouds
or swarms of
insects
seen
on still days could be lake flies,
March flies, fungus gnats, or gall
midges.
We all know that the first step to
controlling a problem is proper
identification. If you are not sure
what you have, get some help.
Calling something a “gnat” really
doesn’t mean much unless you
know what you have.
www.w isconsinpest.com • 2011 Spring Newsletter • pg 7
3
NEW MEMBERS
HELP SHAPE
WPCA BOARD
OF DIRECTORS
AT WPCA”S recent conference in Wisconsin Dells, three pest
control professionals stepped forward and were nominated
and approved for two-year terms on the Association’s Board
of Directors. A few words about each new Board member.
P
eter Barrett has been in
the pest control industry
for 9 years, all of it with Anderson Pest Solutions. Currently the district manager
for Anderson’s Libertyville office, Barrett leads a team that
includes 16 technicians, 3
service managers and 2 sales
representatives. He worked
previously as manager of Anderson’s Chicago north side
office where he was introduced to urban pest control.
“I came face-to-face with all the
issues of urban pest control —
dealing with insects and rodents
in high-rise buildings, multiple
family housing — all the good
things that city dwelling brings,”
he explains. Two years ago, was
transferred to the Libertyville
office and has since become
familiar with the world of suburban pest control. “Compared
to the city, in the suburbs we
deal more with homeowners.
It’s their home, something they
prize and if they have issues
they take it personally and they
expect the company they hire
to also have a vested interest in
solving the problem,” he
explains.
Barrett is looking forward to
his involvement on the WPCA
Board. He says he expects to
give back to an industry that
has given him a lot, and to help
raise the bar in professionalism
and service across the industry.
Michelle Resetar-McDowell
grew up in the pest control
industry and is proud of the
family heritage that serves as
the foundation for Pest Control
Services, Inc. (PCS). ResetarMcDowell is currently technical supervisor for the firm,
which is located in Antioch,
IL and serves northeast Illinois and southeast Wisconsin.
PCS, started by her father Don
in 1975, covers an array of
pest control issues from fumigation and termite work, to inspections, training and service
at food processing plants and
warehouses.
Resetar-McDowell
began
working for the family business in the mid 70s, perform-
ing various office functions until she began running service routes in 1981. A few years later she
assumed her current position of technical supervisor. She has always been interested in the science
that serves as a backdrop for the industry. “You
cannot walk into a job without understanding the
biology and behavior of the pest. If you don’t understand that and how the chemicals work, you
just cannot do your job correctly,” she explains.
The third generation of the family is now starting to get involved, with Resetar-McDowell’s two
daughters helping with office work, and her nephews in the field on service calls.
In her involvement with WPCA, she looks forward
to participating in making a great association even
greater. “WPCA is very open to all members and
those who care about the pest control industry to
share their ideas and views, and that to me is refreshing,” she explains.
Matthew Snorek has been in the pest control industry for about 5 years. He worked for about 3 years for
a large southeast Wisconsin based firm and in 2008
ventured out on his own with Guaranteed Gone Pest
Elimination. He’s a one-man shop, serving a 5-county region in southeast Wisconsin.
Snorek says he thoroughly enjoys his work and
the creative challenges that pest control presents
every day. “One day it might be a bat in a child’s
bedroom. Another day a raccoon scratching inside a kitchen wall and next, how do you get a
screech owl out of an upstairs bedroom,” he says.
Pest control, he explains, is always changing and
requires the technician to think outside the box for
the best solutions and outcomes for the customer.
Involvement with WPCA is attractive to Snorek
because of the Association’s commitment to education and industry updates. “I rely in WPCA to
keep me abreast of the industry and how changes
will affect me. I took this for granted with my former employer, as it had a great training program
and managers. But, when you are running your
own business you have to take responsibility for
being aware of all those changes and training.
WPCA is a great tool that helps me in my career
and helps me offer more value to my customers,”
he explains. He looks forward to his service on the
WPCA Board of Directors, saying he enjoys brainstorming with others for a common goal.
www.w isconsinpest.com • 2011 Spring Newsletter • pg 8
The Pest Dispatch
More than 150 pest control professionals, and
about 25 industry exhibitors attended the twoday conference held at
Draws Huge Attendance To the Kalahari Water Park
and Resort in Wisconsin
Wisconsin Dells
Dells. We’ve included
just a few photos here of
the event. Visit www.wisconsinpest.com to see our complete
photo gallery from Technically Speaking.
T E C H N IC A L LY
S P E A K I N G
CONFERENCE
WPCA would like to recognize and thank this year’s conference sponsors.
Platinum Sponsors
Bell Labs (lunch sponsor)
Univar USA (speaker sponsor)
Gold Sponsor
Bayer Environmental Science
West Bend Insurance
Silver Sponsor
DuPont Professional Products
Mark your calendar for next year’s WPCA conference:
February 14-15, 2012 at the Kalahari.
www.w isconsinpest.com • 2011 Spring Newsletter • pg 9
The Pest Dispatch
WPCA Recognizes these Member
Businesses for their Dedication to the Profession
4 Lakes Pest Control
‘AAA’ Pest Management, LLC
ABC Exterminating, Inc.
ABC Pest Control
Active Fly Control, LLC
Advanced Wildlife Control
AG Pest Solutions
All Pest Control
Alternative Pest Services
Alternative Pest Solutions, LLC
American Pest Management
American Pest Solutions
Anderson Pest Solutions
Ants Away Pest Control
ANTS Complete Pest Control
Arrow Pest Control
Badger Country Pest Control
Badger Pest Control
Batzner Pest Management, Inc.
Bee Guy, LLC
Blake N. Tonn Pest Control
Bug Blaster, Inc.
Bug Masters Pest Control
Bugman and Queenbee, Inc.
Bugs Beware
Central Wisconsin Pest Control
Clean Kill Pest Control
Copesan Services
Critter Catchers Pest Management
Critter Gitters
DeBoer Pest Control, LLC
Diamondback Pest Management
DOA Pest Control
Eliminator Pest Management
Erspamer Pest Management, LLC
Farm Fly Services, LLC
Final Hour Pest Control
Fisher Pest Control, Inc.
Guaranteed Gone Pest Elimination
Guardian Pest Control, Inc.
Hanson Pest Management
HITMAN Pest Control
Imperial Pest Management
K&C Pest Control
K&S Custom Spraying
King Pest Solutions
KOA Pest Control
Kwik Kill Pest Control
Mautz Pest Solutions
MB Integrated Pest Control
Minocqua Pest Control
Nexus Pest Solutions
North Shore Pest Control
Orkin Pest Control
Pest Control Services, Inc.
Pest Management Solutions, LLC
Pest Tech, LLC
Plunkett Pest Control
Port Supply and Property
Management
Premier Pest Elimination
Pro-Tec Services, Inc.
Pro-X Systems
Professional Pest Control, Inc.
Prompt Action Pest Control
Safeway Pest Management
Schopen Pest Solutions
Sleep Tight Remediation
Smithereen Company
Spectrum Pest Control/Eco-Tech
Tazman Pest Control
Terminator Pest Control
Up North Services, Inc.
Urban Pest Solutions
Valley Pest Control
Wendells Pest Control
The Pest Dispatch is published by the
Wisconsin Pest Control Association, a
Werner Pest and Odor Control
Wil-Kil Pest Control
non-profit organization dedicated to promoting
Wild Things Animal Damage
Control
Wisconsin. | www.wisconsinpest.org
Vendor Members
AP&G Company, Inc. Catchmaster
BASF
Bayer Environmental Science
Bell Laboratories, Inc.
Central Life Sciences
Contree Sprayer & Equipment
Denman May & Associates
Insturance
DuPont Professional Products
Ensystex
John Deere Landscape
JT Eaton
Kness Manufacturing
Liphatech
Nisus Corporation
NSI/West Bend Mutual
Pest Control Solutions
Pest Management Supply
Philadelphia Insurance Companies
PigNX Company
Presto-X
Rhodes Chemical Company
Syngenta
Therma-Stor
Tomahawk Live Trap
Univar
Veatch Chemical
West Bend Insurance
Associate Members
City of Milwaukee Housing
Authority
* If we somehow omitted your company’s name, please let us know so we may correct the error.
the interest of the pest management industry in
Production: The Wingra Group, LTD., Madison, WI
Editor: Mark L. Hendrickson, [email protected]
Designer: Danielle Hendrickson, [email protected]
Copyright 2011, WPCA. All rights reserved.
WPCA Officers:
President Jim Mieszala, HITMAN Pest Control,
[email protected]
Vice President, Keith Baricovich, Up North Services, [email protected]
Secretary, Doug Blume, Arrow Pest Control, [email protected]
Treasurer, Mark Mumm, Orkin Pest Control, [email protected]
WPCA Board of Directors:
Randy Allen, Wil-Kil Pest Control, [email protected]
Pete Barrett, Anderson Pest Solutions
Sheri Cunningham, Univar USA, [email protected]
Bill Dyra, Univar USA, [email protected]
Rick Freye, Past President, Professional Pest Control,
[email protected]
Tom Kofler, Final Hour Pest Control
Michelle Resetar-McDowell, Pest Control Services, Inc.
Matthew Snorek, Guaranteed Gone Pest Elimination
Kyle Stiemsma, Terminator Pest Control, [email protected]
Brent Towle, Spectrum Pest Control, [email protected]
Darrell Werner, Werner Pest & Odor Control, [email protected]
Mike Werner, Pest Management Solutions,
[email protected]