Pest Geek Podcast

Insecticide Dust Applicators Dusting Gear For Professional Pest Control Jt Eatons bellows dusters, Airofog Duster, and the Exacticide. Jt Eaton Insecticide Duster AiroFog Insecticide Duster Exacticide Duster For Speaking and Training Contact Jeff McGovern 400 N. Third St. Palatka, FL 32177 https://jeffmcgovern.com/contact/ (770) 331-4348 jeff@jeffmcgovern.com

The biggest problem we have with apartment bed bug control is not which control method to use chemical, heat or vacuum. It all comes down to lack of knowledge from those that are responsible for preventing it before it becomes an epidemic. Apartment Bed Bug Control Problem #1 Who to blame Finger pointing between tenant and landlord. Management we have a bed bug Addendum. You must confirm the unit has no bed bugs We confirmed the unit has no bed bugs. Was the inspection done by a pest control pro that can certify it. You Must Report No one wants to admit they have them. I am ashamed. If I report it I could be responsible to pay for it. If the surrounding unit is the cause, they won’t let you because they don’t want to be responsible for the charges to fix the entire problem. Apartment managers often refuse to let you inspect surrounding units unless the occupants pay for it. charge fees for those not reporting or not cooperating. That furniture will have to be thrown away for sure. Apartment Bed Bug Control Problem #1 Proper Treatment The biggest challenge is convincing owners of the need for proper treatment In multi-units? Land Lord or CM would say we have monthly or quarterly spraying to prevent it? Mandatory Housekeeping checks, Our maintenance manager does an inspection of every unit every quarter or 6 months. With 20 to 60 work orders per week they have to do how much time are they spending in a unit are they pulling back the sheets. How do you know they didn’t perform a service in one unit and then transferred it to another. We used to check furniture on move-ins in the hi-rise. Here is the problem with that the average Apartment building is paying between $1 to $3 per unit per month the average service is 1 to 3 minutes for spray. Apartment Bed Bug Control Problem #3 Self Treatment I get at least 1-bed bug call per week all telling me the same thing I have bought and tried everything to fix this problem myself and its getting worse. That manager paid for a spray and nothing. Tenants can leave with bed bugs on themselves. Community areas barber shops, dining halls, lounge and activity rooms just a few issues to point out. Community Laundromats. Check the lint traps and you’ll know if someone has bed bugs. Tenants doing curbside recycling bringing infested items in from other’s apartments.

Pest Control Product Packaging Pet Peeves 1 Bags that rip. 2 Ziplock bags that do not zip or lock. 3 Measurement on bottle infraction of oz with ml on the label. 4 Nonergonomic scatter bait bottle. 5 Tips that break off when dropped on bait tubes. 6 Forcing us to buy the case when products come individually wrapped. 7 Bottles that leak when the tip over. 8 That cardboard seal that becomes unglued falls off the cap after 2 days of opening. 9 No measuring devices on the bottle. 10. Squeeze bottle of that explode.

German Roach Biology Blattella germanica (Linnaeus) Adult German cockroaches are between 1/2 to 5/8 inch long. They love tight spaces (Thigmotropic) It favors warm, humid atmospheres, areas with temperatures are between 70° to 75° F. It has an incomplete metamorphosis. Three life stages the egg, nymph, and adult. The entire life cycle is complete in about 100 days. A typical egg case can contain up to 48 eggs typically somewhere between 30 to 40 eggs. Adult females usually produce from 4 to 8 egg capsules during her lifetime. At room temperature, one capsule is produced about every 6 weeks. It usually takes 28 days for the capsule to hatch from the time it begins to form. Formation of the next egg capsule usually begins within a couple of weeks. The length of the egg stage varies from 14 to 35 days. six to seven nymphal stages (instars) occurring over a period of 6 to 31 weeks. The lifespan of the adult female varies from 20 to 30 weeks. In one year over 10,000 descendants can be produced, assuming two generations per year. The stage between molts is called an instar. At room, temperature nymphs complete development in about 60 days. Typical Adult females can live about 200 days. The German cockroach is omnivorous they will eat just about anything table scraps, pet food, and even book bindings. They will eat their own feces! (oprophagy) They eat their own vomit! (Emetophagy) They eat their own kind (Cannibalism) There are distinct difference between male and female (Dioecious) They produce eggs that hatch outside the body. (Oviparous) Some roaches deposit the eggs and others carry the eggs along with them until they hatch. German Roach Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia – Animal, animaux, animals Subkingdom: Bilateria Infrakingdom: Protostomia Superphylum: Ecdysozoa Phylum: Arthropoda – Artrópode, arthropodes, arthropods Subphylum: Hexapoda – hexapods Class: Insecta – insects, hexapoda, inseto, insectes Subclass: Pterygota – insects ailés, winged insects Infraclass: Neoptera – modern, wing-folding insects Superorder: Polyneoptera Order: Blattodea – cockroaches, termites Superfamily: Blaberoidea Family: Blattellidae – wood cockroaches Subfamily: Blattellinae Genus: Blattella Caudell, 1903 Species: Blattella germanica (Linnaeus, 1767) – German cockroach, blatte germanique German Cockroach Sources http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/urban/roaches/german.htm http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/german-cockroaches https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=102415#null https://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/insects/find/cockroaches/ German Cockroach Control Equipment Vacuum Air Compressor Crack and Crevice Devices like an AccuSpray or Airofog German Cockroach Control Products Roach Gel Baits Roach Dust Baits Roach Granular Liquids Non-Repellant

Multi Tools With Jeff McGovern Jeff McGovern discusses multi tools Gerber, Leatherman, Piranha and Swiss Army Knife which is the best Multi Tool for the pest control technician. https://www.leatherman.com/Home https://www.gerbergear.com/    

Bait Station Safety With James Rodriguez of JT Eaton 4.5″ x 15.25″ x 12″ Bait Station can be mounted anywhere mice and rats travel Indoor and Outdoor, Commercial or Residential Use Will hold Bait Blocks or Liquid Bait holder Packed 6 per case with bait holder rods, screws, plastic disk nuts, Hex Keys and Poison Labels http://www.jteaton.com/professional_productpage.php?id=2_3

German Roach Control Commercial Food Service Accounts Controlling German roaches in food service in restaurants, food trucks, cafeterias, lunch rooms, gas stations can prove to be more challenging than it seems especially to a GHP Technician. By Special Request From Brad Gamble Inspection is the NUMBER #1 thing. Sanitation is #2 Exclusion #3 Monitoring is #4 Without these 4, chemical as a control method is an illusion. What am I inspecting for I already know what I’m looking for? I’m inspecting for how they got in. I have been in the food service business in one or another for several years as a manager, distributor, supplier I’ve seen more things in food service than I care to remember. I’m looking at who are the suppliers and what chain of custody they have. I have restaurants say they have had milk cartons with roaches coming out of them when they picked it up at the suppliers. I’m looking at what type of structure this is who are the other tenants in the building. Is it in a strip mall or a standalone building? How many feet from the dumpster is it more than 25 or 5? Is it dry or is their standing water overnight. I want to id every condition that is conducive to breeding roaches and have a discussion with the owner or manager and see what the attitude is are they willing to modify and work to fix it or are they expecting a chemical to solve the problem. Is their clutter in every corner or is stuff a foot off the floor. Label Requirements: For food service areas Is must since most products have a label restriction of crack and crevice or spot in areas where food is stored, prepared, or served. Monitor some hate them some love them. Monitors are difficult sometimes to maintain in a busy wet environment. You can’t develop a treatment and service protocol unless you have assessed the difficulty and dynamics of service. Restaurant Pest Control Equipment * Vacuum * Air Compressor * Crack and Crevice Devices like an AccuSpray or Airofog * Monitors Restaurant Pest Control Products * Roach Gel Baits * Liquids * IGRs * Monitors * Borates

Mario Lazano The Mastering SEO Series Part 1 https://madeyalook.co/

Eric Critter McCool Discussing Stinging Insect Removal and Extraction http://www.crittermccool.com/

Shining the light on the situation Jeff discusses where flashlights have come and how to select the best one.

Using Foam Fresh for a wall void. Same concept applies for sink and floor drains. Foam Fresh is FUN!

Getting a call from a client saying my you poisoned my pet with rat poison, Are you ready for that?

Selecting the Right Pest Control Product How do most of us select a product? Mostly we ask what are you using to control blank. That has proven to be hit and miss. Mostly because I’m in niche that very few people have experience in, second because most people have made a selection based on the same question. The worst product I ever purchased was the one I did no real research on that didn’t work for the target pest, sat in my truck for a year and used it up just to get rid of it or found another use for it, or gave it away. The truth is there is a scientific way to select a product, I will discuss the 3 steps I use to make a product selection. 1. Identification: A positive ID is 90% of the cure 2. Once I have positively id the pest I now get the scientific name no not the common name I.E. “ghost ant” Tapinoma melanocephalum. I want To know 5 things Order Suborder Family Genus Species I know pull a sheet on that pest from multiple sources my first is IFAS University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences I learn everything about that pest. Nesting Harborage Reproduction Feeding Foraging After that I will go to Google Scholar or http://www.bioone.org/ “ghost ant” Tapinoma melanocephalum I will pull 3 to 10 studies on the studies on that pest and Active Ingredients tested on the target pests Once I’ve narrowed down the best actives I pull an environmental fate study on each active. I want to know how that product is going to behave PH Solubility In water Hydrolysis In Sun Photo-degradation In Soil Degradation On Concrete Once I have narrowed it down to 2 or 3 active ingredients I will speak to a Manufactures Rep about the best use of that product based on the research. How, where and when to apply it.

Ghost Ant Control Basics Ghost ant control has been proven to be very difficult in highly suburbanized areas almost as difficult as its close relative the odorous house ant. Ghost Ant Taxonomy Family: Formicidae Subfamily: Dolichoderinae Tribe: Dolichoderini Genus: Tapinoma Species: melanocephalum Ghost Ant Biology Ghost ants have polygyne and unicolonial colonies. New colonies are generally formed by budding. Budding occurs when one or more females, accompanied by several workers and possibly some brood (larvae and pupae) leave an established colony for a new nesting site. The development of workers from egg to adult lasted 16-52 Ghost ants have 4 Nymphal Stages The highest egg production was 5.3 eggs a day. The colonies are broken into sub-colonies that occupy multiple nest sites and exchange individuals back and forth along odor trails. Ghost ants are opportunistic nesters in places that sometimes remain habitable for only a few days or weeks meaning they move the nests. Ghost Ant Feeding Habits The ants have an omnivorous diet typical of many tramp and pest ant species. Worker ants have observed destroying eggs and first-stage larvae of the common housefly Musca domestica. Diamondback moth larvae. Two-spotted spider mites. Aphids in glasshouses. Western flower thrips. They are frequently observed tending honeydew producing homopteran pests. Dispersing a grass root mealybug on the roots of sugarcane. Ghost Ant Colonies Colonies occupy several local sites that are too small or unstable to support the entire colony. Nests will exchange workers along pheromone trails. Ghost ants colonies individual nests contain between 100–1000 individuals. They primarily nest outdoors in small protected areas such as in a dead tree, in palm fronds, under potted plants, in limbs, under stones, and in organic debris. Ghost Ant Eggs & Egg Laying Queens lay large number of eggs which will hatch between 2 to 4 weeks into larvae. Queens have a lifespan of only a few weeks in tropical environments. Ghost Ant Control Based on this pest biology it is not possible to control permanently with one service, 1 to 2 follow up services may be required within 30 days to achieve control indoors and a minimum of a bimonthly exterior preventive service to maintain control. In certain areas this can be monthly or bimonthly. Using sprays can repel them causing more budding and movement. Ghost Ant Control Products Exterior Perimeter Fipronil Termidor, Taurus or Fuse Indoor Crack & Crevice with Alpine WSG Baits with Optiguard, Maxforce Quantum, Intice Thiquid in Maxforce Buffet Stations and Cracks and Crevices. Ghost Ant Studies Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius) (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae) http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/urban/ants/ghost_ant.htm Effects of Boric Acid, Fipronil, Hydramethylnon, and Diflubenzuron Baits on Colonies of Ghost Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1603/0022-0493-96.3.856 Elimination of a Tapinoma melanocephalum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) infestation using imidacloprid bait. https://www.cabdirect.

American Cockroach Control Can Be Much Easier Than It Seams Also known as large roaches the palmetto bug, palmetto roach and waterbug. Mating and Egg Laying Egg casings called ootheca are like mahogany brown shaped like a hand purse. At the peak of her reproductive period, a female can form approximately 2 oothecae or egg casing per week 1 week after mating. Typically in 3 – 7 days. On average a female can produce one egg case, capsule or ootheca a month for 10 months. A female can produce between 15 – 90 egg capsules. Averaging 12-16 eggs per egg case. The length of the egg stage can vary between 29 – 58 days. At room temperature hatching occurs in 50 – 55 days. They prefer temperatures somewhere between 70°F and 85°F. They can survive if temperatures remain above 15°F. Generally, they deposit the egg casing or ootheca near a food source, gluing it to a surface with an oral secretion. The laid ootheca will contain enough water for the eggs to develop without having to receive any water from the female. The egg case is brown when deposited and turns black in a day or two. It is about 1/3 long and less than a ¼ high. Molts or stages of growth can vary from 6 to 14. In the first instars, roaches are white becoming a grayish brown, subsequent instars the go from white to reddish-brown. Wings are not present in the nymphal stages. Wing pads do not become noticeable until the third or fourth instar. From egg to adult is approximately 600 days. As little 160 days to as long as 971 days. The nymphs, as well as the adults, actively forage for food and water. The number of offspring per year can average 800. Under ideal conditions, an adult female can live up to 15 months. Males live somewhat shorter live. Go figure! Habitat They are known as a “peridomestic species.” meaning they generally live outdoors. However, they can move and populate indoors. They love humid, moist, and warm, environments they can survive in drier areas but they need access to water. Inside common areas will be kitchens where food, water and hiding places are plentiful. Outside in leaf and wood piles anywhere there is decaying organic matter, hollow tree trunks, mulch beds. They avoid extreme weather conditions so dry and then wet drives them inside. Feeding They will almost anything eat sugar, paper, glue, excrement, meat, milk. Exclusion #1 American Cockroach Control Method Seal all exterior vents in basements, crawl space, soffits, dryer vents. Caulk around holes and cracks Foam all pipes under sinks, ac closets Make sure all electrical boxes are in good working order with caps on. American Cockroach Control Products Niban Intice 10 Maxforce Complete Bibor D Cimexa Intice Roach Gel Magnetic Roach Gel http://www.rockwelllabs.com/ http://nisuscorp.com/ Sources: American Cockroach Rachael C. Perrott, Graduate Student, Entomology, Virginia Tech Dini M. Miller, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, Entomology, Virginia Tech https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/444/444-288/444-288_pdf.pdf American Cockroaches