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Fly to the Top
1 Jul, 2008 By: Phil Nichols Pest Management ProfessionalUse the nuisance of flies to build your residential business.
While they may seem simply like a nuisance to most, flies are a continual problem worldwide. They spread diseases such as food poisoning and dysentery, and can inflict painful bites on both humans and animals. As pest management professionals (PMPs), we have the opportunity to help our customers deal with and avoid the fly nuisance in their homes — and the possibility for additional problems — while building our business and client relationships.
OBSTACLE: PROPERLY TREATING THE SOURCE
There are various techniques that can be used when treating fly problems in the home. At its essence, fly control is a five-step program: identification, inspection, sanitation, mechanical control and insecticide application.
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Take, for example, drain fly treatment. Drain flies breed on the bio film that builds up in drains and sewage pipes, and a bio foam removal product must be used to effectively treat the problem. These products eat away at the elements that accumulate at the bottom of the drain, and are safe to use in a kitchen or bathroom environment. Using a handheld foam sprayer allows the PMP to reach cracks and crevices where small flies breed.
This process works by shutting down the breeding with the naturally occurring microbes in the foam, digesting and eating the organic matter and grease that exist in drains. By knowing which treatment is appropriate for every type of fly, PMPs can better serve their customers and prevent bigger problems in the future.
OPPORTUNITY: INTEGRATE FLY CONTROL IN RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS
Flies are typically treated as a special-case situation, as they are most visible when a problem has grown beyond a general nuisance. However, PMPs can grow their business and expand their customer relationships by providing ongoing and proactive fly treatment.
One main procedural way to accomplish this is by incorporating standard fly treatment into overall routine treatments, or providing the treatment as an add-on to general programs. This includes scanning for and proactively treating fruit flies, fungus gnats and drain fly problems.
As mentioned, each fly has a different treatment procedure, so training on these procedures and the signs to look for must be a part of the process that PMPs go through in their routine training.
OPPORTUNITY: EDUCATE THE CUSTOMER
In addition to including fly treatments in regular services, educating customers on the sources of and dangers of flies is key to building a strong customer relationship and becoming a source of expertise. Here are some commonly encountered fly species:
Drain flies are particularly hard to control. However, customers can maintain their drains through continual cleaning with easily available drain maintainers and cleaners. By advising the customer how to maintain their drain, PMPs can help them keep the problem from coming back after a drain fly treatment.
Customers can prevent fungus gnats by not overwatering indoor plants. In addition, with the popularity of composting in today's green movement, customers should be advised to keep compost bins away from the home and not use any soil from the bins within six months. This "young" soil can create a breeding ground for fungus gnats.
Fruit flies are easily controlled by not bringing overripe fruit and vegetables into the home, and only leaving fruit and vegetables on the counter when absolutely necessary.
Removing outside and open indoor sources of garbage, and periodically checking the integrity of window screens, will also help prevent fly problems in general.
While controlling flies may not be the highest priority of most ongoing pest management customers, PMPs will find great benefit from helping customers proactively prevent these ever-present pests and ensuring that fly control is part of all integrated pest management activities.
You can reach Nichols, staff entomologist for Middleton Lawn & Pest Control, Orlando, Fla, at 407-648-8998 or by e-mailing
pnichols@middletonpest.com.
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