Trapping Dept

Bed Bugs or Bat Bugs

admin — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 23:22:31 +0000

I just finished work on a very nice home in a very nice neighborhood. Bats were in the attic, as were bat bugs. They are cousins to the bed bug, quite often homeowners will have a bat bug problem that gets diagnosed as a bed bug problem. They do just about the same things in the same ways and getting rid of them is the same also. However with bat bugs, if the bats are not excluded (exclusion repairs) from the structure, more bat bugs are highly likely to invade the living quarters of the structure. Now numerous problems have occured. Bat removal, exclusion repairs, bat bug pest control treatment, guana (bat bug droppings/fecal matter) removal, perhaps some insulation removal and then re-insulating are the basic measures needed as a minimum to establish good control of this non-life threatening situation. Most homeowners are ill prepared for this level of work and it is recommemded that they seek professional help regarding these matters. Bat bugs can lie dorment for 9 months to a year and wake up very hungry. When no bats, rats, squirrels, or birds are available as a host the bat bugs will travel thru wall voids and can surface in the living quarters where they will attack a person or a pet to be the host. Batbugs are blood suckers, causing small red welts that lead to scratching which can lead to various infections. Should you have a bat problem in your attic or walls it is also recommended that you ask the right questions. Is the company or person doing all of the work licensed and insured (check with your state licensing agency, usually the Department of Natural Resources),,,, are they capable of doing all the things necessary to remedy the problem or will you have to call 2, 3, or 4 companies to get all things accomplished,,, will they be killing bats or simply relocating them with no harm to the bats,,, what type warranties do they offer on completion of all work? Do not be afraid to ask any questions, remember it is your house, your money, and you are in charge. If bats have been there for a period of time (several months or several years), it is not necessary to get the work done right now but it is important to get the work done right. Take time to inquire about the company doing the work, ask for credentials, proof of insurance, and a copy of a business license, you may want to ask for references. Do not be bullied or intimidated to make a rush decision made out of fear of bats, do your research and pick a company who is qualified, honest and legal ( they are everywhere to be found). Happy trapping.

Firestation 19, Virginia Highlands

admin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 16:16:40 +0000

Several weeks back I was going thru the Viriginia Highlands suburb of Atlanta and passed by the old firehouse on Highland Avenue. This is a beautiful building built in 1924 and it is still used today to house the brave firefighters and equipment that proudly serves that area. As I drove by I thought the building certainly would have had some rats and or squirrels over the years and maybe even a current infestation of some kind. I went back to the firehouse, intorduced myself and ask, “Can I fix your facility”? As it happened, they did have a family of gray squirrels living in the attic and they were also much appreciative of my help in solving their problem. I did a complete and thorough inspection, formulated a plan of attack and did my initial setup for the squirrels. I also repaired numerous openings in the gutter line and eave soffet area, leaving one main opening for the squirrels to utilize. After catching all of the squirrrels, I secured the last opening, thereby preventing the animals from continuing to use the attic as a harborage area. My assistant ask how much money I would write off for doing this work, my answer was none. Sometimes we just have to pay it forward. I am very glad to help people who are always putting their lives on the line to save other peoples lives, they are the HEROS. This firehouse is an awesome part of history which needs to retrofitted and modernized to better help the people who help us. They have caps, t-shirts, patches for sale, they do a lot of local pr work, they are always ready for any emergency, stop by and look at the firetruck built in 1926, what a beauty this one is. Make a donation to their building fund, it is tax deductible and a great way to give back a little something. Engine Company 19, I salute you.

Solstice Part 2

admin — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 23:51:28 +0000

I was interested in putting a luggage rack on my Solstice and did a little reaserch. Someone suggested a website at kappasphere.com. I looked and was impressed with what I saw, they are a bit pricey, but some very nice products. I am ordering some things from them and will let you know the outcome. In the mean time, I had purchased a luggage rack for a Harley Davidson touring bike with a luggage rack. I looked things over and decided I cold install it on the Solstice, so I did. I started by drawing a template, measuring, measuring a second time, drilled the holes, mounted the rack and WOW!, does it look better, more sporty and gives a bit more carrying capacity. I am working on getting some pictures of it. Harley and other bike manufacturers all have these type racks, anyone who is mechanically inclined can istall it, check with the mechanics where you buy. Can anyone point me in the right direction to get some sheep skin seat covers for the Solstice? My car has leather seats and it gets very warm here in Atlanta, thank you.

Rats and Luxury Homes

admin — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 23:47:59 +0000

After being in the business of getting animals ouf of homes for 25 years, I sometimes think I have seen everything when it comes to rats and squirrels entering homes,,,, but I haven’t. I am currently working on a very large home on a golf course community and it has rats. Rats do not know who you are or how much money you have. Rats are rats, they are creatures of habit, always seeking food, water, and shelter. Food and water is abundant everywhere for the animals, so I focus on the repairs of the structure in an effort to fix the problem. Doing a bandaid approach and fixing one opening will not stop animal infestations in the future. When animals invade a structure, the solution will always be in complete and thorough repairs. This particular home is spectactular, it is very well decorated, and could on the cover of many magazines, but it still had rats. The homeowners did not do anything to attract the animals but they still showed up. This home had openings on it that were big enough for the rats to crawl right in, they did not have to gnaw on wood to make an opening. they simply found a weak link in the construction and took advantage of it. These type openings are built into the home during construction, original or addon, it doesn’t matter. Anytime a contractor is doing something to your home on the exterior shell, there is a very very good chance they are going to fix your problem, but there is also a very very good chance they will leave openings that allow animals to enter. Most of there openings are going to be in out of the way places the homeowner will not seen, but the rats and squirrels will certainly find them. The long term solution to keeping rats out of structures will always be in the repairs. When shopping for someone like me, make sure they have a city or county business license and liablity insurance. Over the past sevral years many people have attempted to do what I do and now, there is a lot in incompatancy in the market. Some of these new people will take your money and run. they will not return phone calls because they are thieves and had no intention of completing the work. Ask for references, check them out, call the Better Business Bureau, contact the governing agency that issues the license and permits in your state. I wish you well in your search for a professional who will correct your problem, warrant their work and give you piece of mind that your home has been repaired and is safe for your family.

Continuing Education Credits

admin — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:03:55 +0000

A few weeks ago I taught a class for continuing education credits to the pest control industry in what is called a roadshow. Trade associations set up these classes around the state of Georgia to assist those working in the pest control industry to acquire the necessary class credits to renew their licenses, permits, and id cards. Georgia is one of the best states for these classes in that many are available for free if you are a member of the association. The fee for nonmembers is minimal, a bargain and these fees are always a business deduction at tax time. I taught a one hour class on structural invading animals, the business of structural invading animals and not about the animal themselves. I also taught a one hour class on wildlife, the investigative process (from the time a call comes in until I have finished the job and got paid). These classes had to first be written/developed and then approved by the Georgia Department of Agriculture which governs pest control in Georgia through the Structural Pest Control Commission. Then the photos and words were arranged to fit a power point presentation ready for the audience, a lot of time and effort went into these classes. The pest control industry, overall and nationwide, has always had illegal operators, lowballers and thieves. Unfortunately, these people make the good guys look bad as well. Ask you pest technician how many hours of ceu’s he or she does a year. There is a direct connection to the quality of work performed and the number of hours of classes any person does. Having done some consulting for some of the finest pest control companies in Georgia, I can see where quality starts at the top and filters itself down through the rank and file of the organization. A good business owner will lead by example and not by do as I say and not as I do, a good business owner will understand that continuing education is an asset and not a liability, a good business owner will send employees to these classes and not be afraid to educate the workers, to make them smarter, to help all parties involved. I personally have to do a minimum of 46 hours a year of ceu’s to maintain my credentials, but realisticly do more like 80 to 90 hours a year. I know all industries have some type of requirements for license renewal and it is a good thing they do,,,,,imagine if most people you hire for various services did not have the most recent info with which to make decisions regarding their ability to serve your needs. A word of caution here—— nusiance wildlife control all across the nation does not have enough classes and training to serve the needs of the nusiance wildlife control industry. A lot of people like myself are doing things today to help, to lead, to provide better info that is honest, up to date, and effective. If you are having an animal problem in your home,,,,,, do your reaserch. Check credentials, business license, proof of liability insurence, better business bureau, etc.. Buyer be ware.

No More Car Wash Blues

admin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:02:31 +0000

I have a 2 year old Pontiac Solstice which only gets dirty from being in the rain. Not long ago, I took it to an auto detail shop locally for a wash, vacum the inside, clean the windows, wipe down the dash and upholstry, a $25.oo special. Well, from a distant it looked good so I drove home, a few friends were there and we were looking at the job,,,,, not so good on a closer look, it wasn’t a bad job but more attention to detail could have benn done. I called the shop, one of the owners apologized and said the next wash is free. That was okay with me because as a business owner we can not always be 100% in control of what our employees do and I felt this was a good business decision. I had already scheduled with the shop to completely detail my company truck, a 10 year old Silverado with bells and whisltes. It has been mechanically maintained by a professional mechanic its entire life, but the inside wasn’t treated as nice. Me and my helpers have spilled sodas, dropped food, been wet and muddy, etc.. I inquired about my truck coming back to me the same way as the car only at a price of $275.oo. I was assured that was not going to happen and that my truck would look excellent when the job was done. Well, it did. I knew the outside would look better after a wash and wax, but I did not know the inside would come as clean as it did. Both inside and out, this truck looks as if it just came off the show room floor, an excellent job was done by Sam. I am glad to do business with this company and would highly recommend them for all of your car wash blues. AutoWorld is located at 2018 Scenic Hwy (124), Snellville, Ga. 770-972-4030, this is the intersection with Dogwood. Brothers, Mark and Jeff, own the shop, call them, you will be glad you did and let them know you read my blog, thank you.

Insurance Bundling

admin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:36:33 +0000

For many years I had Progressive Insurance on my company truck and thought I was getting good rates but did not look farther for more competitives prices. Last summer I bought a new car, met with the agent for Progressive to get prices and set up a policy for that car. As I was setting at the desk looking at the computer screen with her, a very interesting thing happened. I told her to add the car to the exsisting policy and inquired about a policy discount. When she pulled up the info, Progressive was not on the screen, I was told these were the best rates and I was being lead to another company with what I thought was some high prices. I demanded she go beyond that and go directly to Progressive which she did,,, at that point she acted both dumb and dumbfouned, like “Oh, here it is”. Well, these prices with Progressive were $288.oo less, each 6 month policy period,,,, $576.oo less for the year. Because I was going to get the car in another 10 minutes, I paid for the Progressive policy but knew I was going to shop around,,,, both this agent and Progressive was going to lose my business. Two months later when my truck policy was ready for renewal, I contacted the company who had my homeowners policy, with their various discounts, I doubled the limits of coverage and saved substantily by doing so. When the new car policy came due, both the agent and Progressive lost my business, probably for ever. The new company now has all of my insurance, saves me money, and has a better rating than the old company. I highly recommend insurance bundling with one company, but first do your homework, find the people you like working with, the company that works best for you, and take charge your stuff.

Well mannered kids

admin — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 22:15:22 +0000

A few months ago I went to one of my favorite diners for a late lunch around 3pm on a weekday. As I entered the restaurant I noticed what appeared to be a Dad with 3 kids, a boy about 10, a girl about 8 and a girl about 5. My first thought was to go somewhere else since I did not want to eat around some noisy kids, but I sat at a booth, ordered my lunch, and begin to read. After a few moments I looked up and everything was still quite, I looked at the family, they were talking, laughing and having a fun time while being as quite as any other respectful person would be. Time passed, my lunch was served, I ate the entire meal in that same quiteness, several times I looked at the family,,,,, they continued to talk, laugh and have a great time while being very quite, respectful and extremely well disciplined. I was so impressed, I will repeat that, I was so impressed with this experience that as I was going to the cashier I stopped at the table and said to the Dad that I wanted to talk to him about his children. He immediately replied, Have we done something to disrupt your lunch? Of course I said No, just the opposite, I was impressed with how quite the diner was and thanked him. The Dad said they have a standing rule that says for any and all unsolicited positive comments these kids get from strangers because of them being well mannered and disciplined kids, the parents put additional $10.oo in the vacation kitty and the kids get to chose how to spend that money on the summer vacation. The kids had already accomplished that for the second time that day = $20.00. The $10.00 in my hand for my lunch, I gave to the Dad and said, Now they have $30.00. The kids all thanked me on their own without parental input, this was awesome. I paid the cashier, was walking thru the door and the boy said, Hey Mister, I turned to look and all 3 kids gave me the double thumbs up. I smiled and knew I was in the middle of something very special. I know a lot of parents have good intentions but sometimes kids can get carried away. I thought about this for a few days and came to the conclusion that my time would be better suited looking for the roses and not the thorns. It also reminded me of how quick we are to pre-judge people, places, and things. As parents you may try something like this, the prize could be a dollar or 5 dollars,,,, but the real prize is the advantages the well mannered and dsiciplined kids will have over those that aren’t. I wish you well in your parenting.

Field of Greens

admin — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 14:29:38 +0000

A few months ago I did a vendor table at what is called The Feild of Greens. It took place on a nice organic food farm just outside of Walnut Grove, Gerogia. This was an all day event that is certainly family friendly with food, music, games for kids, and about 1,000 people who are all interested organic foods. A dozen or so of Atlantas best chefs were there cooking some awesome foods for tasting, wine was given away for tasting and many items were given away at the end of the day in a raffle/drawing. Sometime during the day a big beer truck was brought in and it became a very relaxed atmoshpere with kids able to roam freely on the property along with dogs of many kinds. Everybody was looking out for everyone with mutal respect and no rudeness was observed, all kids and pets were safe where ever they were on the property. Most of the other vendors were arts and crafts, organic food farmers and vendors, and other people like myself who are eco-friendly in our work with our own customers. Plenty of parking was available, the weather was warm with a little overcast and a slight breeze, and the day was a great success for me and the other vendors as well. Most of the arts/crafts people and the food farmers were doing demonstrations throughout the day and hoping to make new customers for themselves. A lot of organic food was tasted and purchased by the end of the day and I personally think everyone went away happy and glad they had come to the event. Just as things were unwinding for the day, a few clouds came up and we had rain at closing time. This was the 14th annual Feild of Greens and will occur again in mid September, 2010, mark your claendars accordingly. I will certainly be back.

Pontiac Solstice 2008

admin — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:21:13 +0000

A few months ago I purchased a 2008 Pontiac solstice and I love it. I think it has the most stylish lines of all the 2 door sports coupes on the matket today. I recently went on a road trip to Deals Gap Tennessee/North Carolina. There is an eleven mile section of that road which has 318 turns in that 11 miles. I went on a week day so the traffic would be less and it was, the weather was also great and I was with an awesome friend. We put the top down and just cruised through the mountain side, sometimes along creeks and rivers,,, it was a spectacular journey. I had traveled the road a few times before on the Harley where you have to really watch the road, it was much more enjoyable on 4 wheels. Then everybody got behind some dingbat who only wanted to go 20 miles an hour with no regard for anyone else or the fact that traffic was backing up. Oh well, the world would certainly be a better place if all of the dingbats had to go ot the back of the line. Anyway, I love this car, many years ago in another life, I had an MGB while in school in San Diego. That was a fun car for the times. Today this Solstice is much more fun to drive and is an overall much better car with more options. Unfortunately, the car is basically more fun to drive when going about 15 to 20 miles an hour over the speed limit, so watch out all of you Solsticeites. I am going to put a luggage rack on the trunk deck, has anyone done that with any regrets. I did see a custom made luggage rack on a Solstice in northeast Arkansas that was purchased from the dealer where the car was purchased. I am researching that for more info later in this article. My car is Brazen Orange which sometimes looks red and other times looks orange,,, it also has a gold metal flake in the paint which shines very bright in the sunlight. I love this car and hope you love your Solstice as well.