To help you find the right bed bug control provider, here are some things you should ask before you sign the contract:

• Are bed bug teams comprised of specialists? “We allow our technicians to specialize,” says Jennifer Brumfield, Training and Technical Specialist. “This allows them to grow as experts in their field.”
• What does your bed bug training program look like? “Western has a dedicated bed bug training program with internal certifications,” Brumfield says. This matters, because bed bug control is a unique offering that differs in important ways from other pests.
• How many years of experience do you have? Whenever a trend emerges, those looking to cash in emerge in kind. Make sure your bed bug control provider has real experience in the field.
• Does the bed bug control program consist of techniques other than pesticides? Western’s approach to bed bug control uses all of the components of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). In addition to conventional insecticides, we employ vacuums, heat treatments, thorough inspections to identify bed bug populations, exclusion of bed bug harborage sites, and customer advice and recommendations to prevent re-introducing bed bugs back into the home or commercial building.

Bed bug control isn’t something to take lightly. Infestations can be serious, and it takes persistence to address them. Take time to make the right choice, and it will pay off when the bed bugs disappear.

“Especially with clients in healthcare and other sensitive industries, like schools, there is a zero tolerance for pests and pest control materials,” says Jennifer Brumfield, Training and Technical Specialist. “This makes it that much more important to find and remediate the source of pest problems.”

Brumfield explains that with hospitals, pest problems are not usually sanitation problems. “If there are pests, there’s probably something going on, such as pest hitchhiking in with patient belongings. In order to resolve pest issues, we have to know the pest habits, habitat and something about their life cycle. If there are small flies in an operating room, we’ll check to see if there are problems with a pipe in the wall that may have burst or some other problem that is creating a breeding and developmental source for the flies.”

It’s that kind of thinking that turns a provider into a partner. As Brumfield says, “this is true pest control.”

“Rodents have been everywhere lately, but the one thing I’m seeing that’s perplexing is a series of cases where rodents are infesting the upper floors of a property, but not the lower floors,” Johnson says.

Johnson notes that this is happening primarily in apartment buildings, where rodent infestations would normally be scattered more evenly. He suspects the heart of the matter may be access to food, which is always a driver of rodent problems. If your property is experiencing unusual rodent issues, call in a professional. No matter the source, expert rodent and mice control is critical to eliminating problems.

Western is offering a new solution for summer business owners that can help: Western’s new Seasonal Pest Control Program. Designed specifically for those in shore locations like the Jersey Shore and Virginia Beach, the program will get you off to the right start and keep pests in check all season long – without requiring you to pay for an annual service contract you won’t use.

Here’s how it works:

• At the start of the season, we’ll take care of any lingering pests from the off season while taking strategic measures to prevent them going forward
• Interior and exterior inspections are matched with treatments to stop tough pests, like rodents
• Ongoing pest control service all season long keeps your property pest-free and ready for customers
• Final treatment before you close for the winter proactively staves off overwintering pests

Your customers deserve the best, and Western is committed to helping your deliver. Call 1-877-250-3857 to learn more about Seasonal Pest Control.

So how would you rate your property?

“It seems that in some cases, property managers are repairing less and less, which will create more and more issues with pests,” observes Bob Johnson, Entomologist and Technical Specialist for MD/VA. “Often, it’s an issue with costs, but there are affordable things you can do to make a real difference.”

If you can make just a few changes, Johnson recommends that these be on the list:

• Replace missing door sweeps
• Look for pest entry points around pipe stanchions and seal them off
• Check for landscaping that attracts pests and mulch placed too near to the building

Other issues are more complicated. For example, Johnson notes that the EPA has placed limits on the placement of rodent bait stations, forbidding them more than 50 feet from the building perimeter. Unfortunately, dumpsters are often placed further away, creating problems that can be hard to control. If you need help, reach out before your property management pest control needs escalate: the sooner you take action, the more efficiently and cost-effectively pest problems will be solved.

“We’ve run into issues with some of the stadiums and sports centers, which are often close to the water,” Bowman says. “Plus, midges are attracted to light.”

The good news on midges is that they’re simply a nuisance, and won’t cause property damage. It’s also good to know that the midges in this area, while potentially irritating, won’t bite your customers, who might refer to them as “noseeums.” If you have midge problems, Bowman recommends the use of sodium vapor lighting, which can significantly reduce the number of midges that appear. If you need help, seek experts in commercial fly control, who can help you devise the right solution.

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“Anytime you’re dealing with public-health initiatives such as mosquito control, things have to be done right,” Higgins says. “With both ticks and mosquitoes, part of the process is uncovering on-site factors that can exacerbate problems.”

Mosquito-promoting factors include standing water on the property, clogged gutters, tires, poorly graded landscape, and other places where water collects. Many of these can be addressed through standard Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices.

“While off-site factors make it impossible to eliminate mosquitoes completely,” Higgins notes, “addressing factors on the property can go a long way.”

“If I had to predict, I’d say there will be a lot more insect activity in the South Jersey and Philly region this year,” says Hope Bowman, Board-Certified Entomologist and Technical Specialist for S. Jersey / Philly. “Normally in the winter, a certain percentage of insects and rodents will die, but with the warm winter that didn’t really happen this year.”

Bowman notes that increased pest levels may be experienced equally in urban and suburban areas. Be on alert, and invest in commercial pest control early if pest conditions increase at your property.

Johnson sees a few factors that may increase mice control headaches in Maryland and Virginia, specifically:

• A relatively mild winter with few hard freezes, and none in the Richmond / Virginia Beach area
• Resistance to certain pest-control materials
• Lingering effects from damp weather last summer that moved rodents into new areas

“Mice in particular are driving calls,” Johnson says. “We see more and more issues with mice each and every year, especially in apartments and food establishments.”