Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Appliance Repair & Parts

Montgomery - Bucks County

34 Years of Servicing Home Appliances

Today's appliance repair work demands an advanced set of skills and comprehensive understanding of mechanical, electrical, and electronic systems. At Dave's Appliance Repair, we train our technicians to be experts in these areas to ensure that we're able to correctly service any of your major appliances.

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Dave's Appliance can Repair your:

- Refrigerator - Microwave

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Dave's Appliance Repair and Parts Company covering Montgomery ...

Are you sick of contending with a malfunctioning household appliance in order to get the performance you need? Have you been experiencing a lapse in energy efficiency or desirable results when your major appliances are in use? Appliances are supposed to make modern living more convenient and comfortable, but an appliance malfunction can do just the opposite. If you're in the midst of an inconvenient performance issue with one of your appliances, you should call All Appliance Repair right away. With over three decades of experience in the appliance repair trade, I'm the expert technician you can trust for a variety of appliance repair services. From washer-dryer repair to refrigerator repair to air conditioner repair, I do it all! Call now to learn about the extremely affordable rates and exceptional turnaround times available from All Appliance Repair.

Founded by William Doyle in 1985, All Appliance Repair is Pittsburgh's answer for a variety of impeccable appliance repair services. I have more than 35 years of hands-on training and experience serving the surrounding communities with top-notch handiwork, fast turnaround times, and professional serviceall at a price that won't blow your budget. Whether you'd like expert washer-dryer repair so you can stop dragging your dirty clothes to the laundromat or you need emergency refrigerator repair to keep all of your meat and dairy products from spoiling, you'll be able to count on me for prompt, personal attention.

As a proud resident of Pittsburgh, I'm happy to serve the entire local region, including Green Tree, Mount Lebanon, Wexford, South Park Township, Imperial-Enlow, Penn Hills, Crafton, Carnegie, and Bridgeville. When you hire All Appliance Repair for your much-needed dishwasher repair, oven repair, or air conditioner repair, you'll be able to rest assured that you're receiving superior work from a local resident who shares your values. I never take shortcuts to save on time or use second-rate parts to save on money, and that's because your satisfaction as a customer is my highest priority. At the same time, I still work as efficiently and effective as possible in order to deliver the results you need when you need them.

For your complete protection and peace of mind, All Appliance Repair is fully licensed, insured, and certified by the EPA to work with Freon. I also offer emergency services, free service calls with repairs, 30-day labor warranties, and various manufacturers warranties, ultimately providing you with some of the most satisfying and long-lasting appliance repair services in Pittsburgh. Call or e-mail me today to schedule an appointment!

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Carter Services in Torrance, CA is the South Bays largest and most trusted name in appliance repairand service. We have a very experienced and skilled staff of technicians that come to you. Each technician arrives at your home in a well-equipped and well-stocked vehicle. We want to make sure that we get your appliance repairand services done right by using the right tools. We also want to make just one trip to your home. This saves you time and inconvenience, and that is as important to us as it is to you.

We have serviced thousands of appliances over the decades. Through the process, we have earned the trust of many major appliance manufacturers and become a Factory Authorized appliance repair & service center. We are the factory authorized service company for the brands listed below, noted with an *. We have also earned the trust and praise of thousand of individuals throughout the South Bay, and Los Angeles area.

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Appliance Repair | Appliance Service & Repair Torrance CA

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. Henrico firefighters responded to a call for a possible gas leak in a Henrico County apartment complex Friday afternoon.

Fire officials said they received a call at 4:30 p.m. for an apartment in the 2300 block of Hampstead Avenue, near the intersection of Broad Street and Libbie Avenue.

Upon arrival, fire crews found smoke coming from the roof and immediately requested additional units to assist with the fire.

Firefighters were able to rapidly locate and control the fire, which initiated in a utility closet and then extended up into attic in the apartment above, Henrico Fire spokesman Capt. Taylor Goodman said. The incident was brought under control in less than 40 minutes. Personnel worked to ensure that the fire had not extended further than the area of origin.

There were no injuries in during the fire.

Goodman said that it appears the fire began when work was being done on a gas line leading to an appliance. The investigation is ongoing.

Officials say the apartment may not be inhabitable for the short term.

37.505933 -77.332443

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Appliance repair appears to be cause of Henrico apartment fire - wtvr.com

Hugo, Colo., is home to no more than 850 residents, but has a beloved hospital where staff members know most of their patients by name. To survive financially, the hospital depends on payments from Medicaid, a program that faces deep cuts in the GOP health bill. Hart Van Denburg/CPR hide caption

Hugo, Colo., is home to no more than 850 residents, but has a beloved hospital where staff members know most of their patients by name. To survive financially, the hospital depends on payments from Medicaid, a program that faces deep cuts in the GOP health bill.

When you pull into Hugo, a town 100 miles east of Denver on Highway 287, you're greeted by one grocery store, one restaurant, one liquor store, one historic railroad roundhouse, two bars and a single antique store by the name of Main Street Mama's.

Linda Orrell runs the antique store, Main Street Mama's, on 4th Street in Hugo. John Daley/CPR hide caption

"I am the Main Mama, I am indeed," says Linda Orrell, who runs the shop.

Sitting on a bar stool in what used to be an old pool hall, Orrell says Hugo is pretty small "about 825, or so, maybe 850 [people] on a good year."

The population has held steady for a long time, she says, because it's a good place to live.

"It's a town that people tend to come back to, to retire" Orrell says. "And it is home."

There's something else you'll find in Hugo: one regional hospital. Town residents are very proud of their hospital, but changes to the Affordable Care Act could reduce its funding and force it to cut back services.

The Lincoln Community Hospital and Care Center in Hugo is the only hospital within a 75- or 100-mile radius, or so, on Colorado's Eastern Plains. John Daley/CPR hide caption

The Lincoln Community Hospital and Care Center in Hugo is the only hospital within a 75- or 100-mile radius, or so, on Colorado's Eastern Plains.

From the outside, Lincoln Community Hospital looks more like a small 1960s-era apartment building. But it has all the essential high-tech health care equipment: modern imaging machines, tele-medicine links even an AirLife helicopter. Rachel Smith, the assistant director of nursing, says the thing that really sets the hospital apart is the quality of its care.

"It's definitely not treat 'em and street 'em," Smith says. "It's definitely somebody you're going to see maybe even later that day, later that week."

Smith grew up in Hugo. Her mom, Linda Messer, is the lab director and says what defines the hospital is the sense of community that comes with being in a small town. "The thing that I like best about rural health is that I get to take care of all my friends and family," Messer says. "So it's rare that I don't know everyone that I take care of."

The close connections are apparent throughout the hospital. In one room, recovering from back surgery, is 86-year-old retiree Ken Sterling. He was in the Navy, then did appliance repair and even served as mayor of Hugo. Sterling's dad edited the local paper, the Eastern Colorado Plainsman and helped build the hospital back in the '50s. There's a reason Lincoln Community is in Hugo it's roughly 100 miles to Denver and roughly 100 miles to the nearest hospital near the Kansas-Colorado border.

Ken Sterling, a former mayor of Hugo, was recently a patient at Lincoln Community Hospital. "There are an awful lot of people who depend on this place," he says including people who live all over the county, and truckers and other drivers who pass by on the nearby interstate. John Daley/CPR hide caption

Ken Sterling, a former mayor of Hugo, was recently a patient at Lincoln Community Hospital. "There are an awful lot of people who depend on this place," he says including people who live all over the county, and truckers and other drivers who pass by on the nearby interstate.

"I don't know how much you've driven out in this part of the country," Sterling says, "but there's a whole lot of nothing. People have a tendency to get a lead foot there are a lot of car accidents."

Officially there are a little over 5,500 residents in all of Lincoln County that's a population density of about two people per square mile. But Interstate 70 is only about 15 miles north of town, so a lot of people in cars and trucks pass through the area.

"There are an awful lot of people that depend on this place," Sterling says of the hospital. "And I'm not talking of people that work here. I'm talking about people that get care here."

People like Ted Lyons, who had to be hospitalized because of an infection. Lyons is 69 and was a cattle rancher and a Republican county commissioner for more than a decade. He's been watching a lot of C-SPAN on TV recently, including the push to replace the Affordable Care Act. Lyons says he'd like President Trump to visit Hugo's hospital.

"I thought I'd write a letter to Trump and see if he was flying over in his helicopter," Lyons says. "He could land down on the helipad and come [see] what a real hospital is about."

Lyons agrees with Trump that Obamacare needs to change; that it "leaves too many loopholes." As the co-owner of one of the two bars in town, Lyons hears lots of stories from locals, including one couple who saw their insurance premiums skyrocket.

"They said their insurance went from $400 a month to $1,200 a month and then that outfit quit," says Lyons. "So they were totally without insurance."

Like half of Lincoln Community Hospital's patients, Lyons is covered by Medicare. One chronic problem for the hospital is that its reimbursement from Medicare doesn't cover the full cost of the services it provides.

The hospital also receives and depends on Medicaid payments, and that program is facing deep cuts under the Senate health bill now under consideration.

Lyons was on the hospital's board when it nearly had to shut down a couple of decades ago. He says he wants lawmakers to work together to keep the parts of Obamacare that work and fix funding for hospitals.

"You don't drown the duck to get a feather out of him," Lyons says.

Sterling says he also supports whatever helps save his hometown hospital.

"Don't even talk about losing this place!" Sterling says. "That would be a tragedy. Really."

Both men know that making the finances work for rural hospitals is tricky. As Congress works to change the health system once more, many small town facilities like Lincoln Community Hospital are on thin ice.

This story is part of NPR's reporting partnership with Colorado Public Radio and Kaiser Health News.

Read more:
Health Bill Could Undercut This Rural Hospital And Community ... - NPR

The Firemans Association of the State of New York (FASNY) and the New York Propane Gas Association (NYPGA) have summer safety tips for people in the North Country as Fourth of July celebrations near.

Before we start grilling this holiday weekend, NYPGA wants consumers to stay safe with these key tips:

Safety for Kids The grilling area should be designated as a No Play Zone, keeping kids and pets away from the equipment. To help kids learn about gas grill safety, the Propane Education & Research Council has launched the website http://www.propanekids.com.

Ventilation - Always keep the lid open when lighting your grill. Don't close it until you are sure the grill is lit. Keep the grill in a well-ventilated outdoor area, at least 10 feet away from the house, and at least three feet away from trees and shrubs. Never cover the bottom of the grill with foil - it can restrict air circulation. Always use and store propane cylinders outdoors in an upright position. After filling or exchanging a cylinder, take it home immediately. While transporting the cylinder, keep your vehicle ventilated and the valve closed or capped. Do not leave the cylinder in your vehicle.

Firing Up The Grill Safely - Never use matches or lighters to check for leaks. And never use starter fluid with propane grills. Do not smoke while handling a propane cylinder, and keep all flammable materials away from the grill. If the grill does not ignite within ten seconds, turn off the gas, keep the lid open and wait five minutes before trying again. If the igniter fails to light the grill after two or three tries, turn off the gas and replace the igniter according to the manufacturers instructions. Regularly check the tubes that lead into the burner for blockage from insects or food grease. Never attempt to repair, clean or clear blockages on a hot grill.

General Safety Tips - Always have one person in charge of the fire at all times. Never leave a hot grill unattended. Never attempt to repair the tank valve or the appliance yourself. See a propane gas dealer or a qualified appliance repair person. Be sure to locate your model number and the manufacturers consumer inquiry phone number and write them on the front page of your manual. If you smell gas and you are able to, safely turn off the cylinder vale, turning it to the right (clockwise). Immediately leave the area and call 911 or your local fire department. Before you use the grill again, have a qualified service technician inspect your cylinder.

FASNY is advising North Country Independence Day celebrants to consider not participating in the time-honored tradition of patriotic firework displays if they are not certified professionals.

New York State recently legalized the use of certain sparkling devices, and many counties now allow the sale of these types of fireworks.

Despite their relatively benign appearance, sparklers can be extremely dangerous. According to a National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) report, sparklers accounted for more than a quarter of all fireworks injuries in 2014. The tip of a sparkler burns at a temperature of nearly 2,000 degree Fahrenheit, which is as hot as a blow torch. Furthermore, nearly half of all fires reported on Independence Day were caused by fireworks or similar devices.

The misguided legalization of sparklers and other devices does not change the fact that fireworks and sparklers are extremely dangerous, said FASNY President Ken Pienkowski. Fireworks should only be used by professionals who have undergone the proper training and certification. There are countless, excellent fireworks displays across New York State, and FASNY urges all New Yorkers to enjoy these shows and avoid a serious injury over the holiday.

In 2015, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that 67 percent of all fireworks-related injuries occurred in the month surrounding July 4, and that children and young adults under the age of 20 constituted 42 percent all those injured. For children under the age of five, sparklers accounted for 65 percent of the total number of injuries sustained.

We hope everybody has a happy, safe Fourth of July, said Pienkowski. Should there be an emergency or unsafe situation, we urge New Yorkers to call 911 for help. Its better to be safe than sorry.

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State firemen's and propane associations offer tips to make 4th of July safer for St. Lawrence County residents - North Country Now

Pest control refers to the regulation or management of a species defined as a pest, and can be perceived to be detrimental to a person's health, the ecology or the economy. A practitioner of pest control is called an exterminator.

Pest control is at least as old as agriculture, as there has always been a need to keep crops free from pests. In order to maximize food production, it is advantageous to protect crops from competing species of plants, as well as from herbivores competing with humans.

The conventional approach was probably the first to be employed, since it is comparatively easy to destroy weeds by burning them or plowing them under, and to kill larger competing herbivores, such as crows and other birds eating seeds. Techniques such as crop rotation, companion planting (also known as intercropping or mixed cropping), and the selective breeding of pest-resistant cultivars have a long history.

In the UK, following concern about animal welfare, humane pest control and deterrence is gaining ground through the use of animal psychology rather than destruction. For instance, with the urban red fox which territorial behaviour is used against the animal, usually in conjunction with non-injurious chemical repellents. In rural areas of Britain, the use of firearms for pest control is quite common. Airguns are particularly popular for control of small pests such as rats, rabbits and grey squirrels, because of their lower power they can be used in more restrictive spaces such as gardens, where using a firearm would be unsafe.

Chemical pesticides date back 4,500 years, when the Sumerians used sulfur compounds as insecticides. The Rig Veda, which is about 4,000 years old, also mentions the use of poisonous plants for pest control. It was only with the industrialization and mechanization of agriculture in the 18th and 19th century, and the introduction of the insecticides pyrethrum and derris that chemical pest control became widespread. In the 20th century, the discovery of several synthetic insecticides, such as DDT, and herbicides boosted this development. Chemical pest control is still the predominant type of pest control today, although its long-term effects led to a renewed interest in traditional and biological pest control towards the end of the 20th century.

Many pests have only become a problem as a result of the direct actions by humans. Modifying these actions can often substantially reduce the pest problem. In the United States, raccoons caused a nuisance by tearing open refuse sacks. Many householders introduced bins with locking lids, which deterred the raccoons from visiting. House flies tend to accumulate wherever there is human activity and live in close association with people all over the world[1][2] especially where food or food waste is exposed. Similarly, seagulls have become pests at many seaside resorts. Tourists would often feed the birds with scraps of fish and chips, and before long, the birds would rely on this food source and act aggressively towards humans.

Living organisms evolve and increase their resistance to biological, chemical, physical or any other form of control. Unless the target population is completely exterminated or is rendered incapable of reproduction, the surviving population will inevitably acquire a tolerance of whatever pressures are brought to bear - this results in an evolutionary arms race.

Perhaps as far ago as 3000BC in Egypt, cats were being used to control pests of grain stores such as rodents. In 1939/40 a survey discovered that cats could keep a farm's population of rats down to a low level, but could not eliminate them completely. However, if the rats were cleared by trapping or poisoning, farm cats could stop them returning - at least from an area of 50 yards around a barn.[3][4]

Ferrets were domesticated at least by 500 AD in Europe, being used as mousers. Mongooses have been introduced into homes to control rodents and snakes, probably at first by the ancient Egyptians.[5]

Biological pest control is the control of one through the control and management of natural predators and parasites. For example: mosquitoes are often controlled by putting Bt Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. israelensis, a bacterium that infects and kills mosquito larvae, in local water sources. The treatment has no known negative consequences on the remaining ecology and is safe for humans to drink. The point of biological pest control, or any natural pest control, is to eliminate a pest with minimal harm to the ecological balance of the environment in its present form.[6]

Mechanical pest control is the use of hands-on techniques as well as simple equipment and devices, that provides a protective barrier between plants and insects. For example: weeds can be controlled by being physically removed from the ground. This is referred to as tillage and is one of the oldest methods of weed control.

Physical pest control is a method of getting rid of insects and small rodents by removing, attacking, setting up barriers that will prevent further destruction of one's plants, or forcing insect infestations to become visual.

Proper waste management and drainage of still water, eliminates the breeding ground of many pests.

Garbage provides food and shelter for many unwanted organisms, as well as an area where still water might collect and be used as a breeding ground by mosquitoes. Communities that have proper garbage collection and disposal, have far less of a problem with rats, cockroaches, mosquitoes, flies and other pests than those that don't.

Open air sewers are ample breeding ground for various pests as well. By building and maintaining a proper sewer system, this problem is eliminated.

Certain spectrums of LED light can "disrupt insects breeding".[7]

Poisoned bait is a common method for controlling rat populations, however is not as effective when there are other food sources around, such as garbage. Poisoned meats have been used for centuries for killing off wolves, birds that were seen to threaten crops, and against other creatures. This can be a problem, since a carcass which has been poisoned will kill not only the targeted animal, but also every other animal which feeds on the carcass. Humans have also been killed by coming in contact with poisoned meat, or by eating an animal which had fed on a poisoned carcass. This tool is also used to manage several caterpillars e.g. Spodoptera litura, fruit flies, snails and slugs, crabs etc.

Traditionally, after a sugar cane harvest, the fields are all burned, to kill off any rodents, insects or eggs that might be in the fields.[8]

Historically, in some European countries, when stray dogs and cats became too numerous, local populations gathered together to round up all animals that did not appear to have an owner and kill them.[9] In some nations, teams of rat-catchers work at chasing rats from the field, and killing them with dogs and simple hand tools. Some communities have in the past employed a bounty system, where a town clerk will pay a set fee for every rat head brought in as proof of a rat killing.

In Texas, the Wild Hog population has grown out of control and hunting is the most commonly used way to remove them.

A trap crop is a plant that attracts pests, diverting them from other crops in an agricultural field.[10] This leads to pest aggregation on the trap crop, where they can be more easily and cost effectively controlled using pesticides or control methods.[11] However, trap-cropping, on its own, has often failed to cost effectively reduce pest densities on large commercial scales, without the use of pesticides, possibly due to the pests ability to disperse back into the main field.[11]

Unlike trap crops, most traps used to control pests are man made, and used by rat catchers. A variety of mouse traps and rat traps are available for mice and rats, including snap traps, glue traps and live catch traps. Sticky traps, which often include pheromones to attract the pest, are also a common way of controlling many moth pests, such as Indian mealmoths.

Spraying pesticides by planes, trucks or by hand is a common method of pest control. Crop dusters commonly fly over farmland and spray pesticides to kill off pests that would threaten the crops. However, some pesticides may cause cancer and other health problems, as well as harming wildlife.[12]

A project that involves a structure be covered or sealed airtight followed by the introduction of a penetrating, deadly gas at a killing concentration a long period of time (24-72hrs.). Although expensive, space fumigation targets all life stages of pests.[13]

A long term project involving fogging or misting type applicators. Liquid insecticide is dispersed in the atmosphere within a structure. Treatments do not require the evacuation or airtight sealing of a building, allowing most work within the building to continue but at the cost of the penetrating effects. Contact insecticides are generally used, minimizing the long lasting residual effects. On August 10, 1973, the Federal Register printed the definition of Space treatment as defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):[13]

Laboratory studies conducted with U-5897 (3-chloro-1,2-propanediol) were attempted in the early 1970s although these proved unsuccessful.[14] Research into sterilization bait is ongoing.

In 2013, New York City tested sterilization traps in a $1.1 million study.[15] The result was a 43% reduction in rat populations.[15] The Chicago Transit Authority plans to test sterilization control in spring 2015.[15] The sterilization method doesn't poison the rats or humans.[15] The product ContraPest was approved for the sterilization of rodents by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in August 2016.[16]

Forest services sometimes destroy all the trees in an area where some are infected with insects, if seen as necessary to prevent the insect species from spreading. Farms infested with certain insects, have been burned entirely, to prevent the pest from spreading elsewhere.

Several wildlife rehabilitation organizations encourage natural form of rodent control through exclusion and predator support and preventing secondary poisoning altogether.[17]

The United States Environmental Protection Agency agrees, noting in its Proposed Risk Mitigation Decision for Nine Rodenticides that without habitat modification to make areas less attractive to commensal rodents, even eradication will not prevent new populations from recolonizing the habitat.[18]

Nowadays pest control companies[19] has emerged all over the world with some of them causing more damage to the environment than it is caused by the actual pests.

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Pest control - Wikipedia

PCOs must devise site-specific protocols for bed bug control in commercial accounts.

Tony Tremblay | ISTOCK.COM

Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) have gone from relative obscurity to becoming a leading pest in America and a number of other countries. In a curious mimicry of their individual behavior, the U.S. population of bed bugs once fed upon their human hosts as common pests. Then they went and hid from public view for a long period of time, recently returning to feed on their preferred host again.

The first few years of their return to prominence as a pest in the U.S. were tumultuous, accompanied by a frenzy of media attention. Pest management companies were scrambling to devise controls for a cryptic and unfamiliar insect. Customers were demanding answers and sometimes even threatening to sue for relief. A federal work group was organized to find answers, professional associations assembled guidelines and best practices. University studies of biology, controls, medical impacts and DNA ensued.

Due in large part to these efforts, we should be much more familiar today with the biology and control of bed bugs as an industry. As a whole, we also better understand some of the limitations that we must operate under, such as the lack of new actives on the horizon and the legendary resistance to pesticides that bed bugs demonstrate. Does this improved understanding equate to improved controls for our commercial customers? Does the continued spread of the bed bug population to new areas and commercial industry segments signal a missing link in our control efforts?

If we take a look at the elements of infestation human traffic; a distracted host that stays in proximity long enough for feeding; and a place of harborage nearby a wider range of commercial accounts may come into view. This means that commercial accounts previously considered non typical for bed bug infestation are finding themselves devising protocols to deal with these parasites.

CASE STUDY: COFFEE SHOPS. A good example of an account with site-specific needs is a coffee shop, where free Wi-Fi areas also provide comfortable furniture with plenty of hiding spaces and distracted hosts that sit for long periods of time. They have electronics for warmth, and plenty of cracks and crevices to hide in. While markets vary for individual pest management professionals, other growing commercial segments may include office spaces with large cubicle areas, healthcare facilities, movie theaters and child care facilities.

Because it is not typically feasible (or sometimes even possible) to prevent the introduction of new bed bugs in most commercial accounts, it is important for commercial customers to partner with pest management professionals in establishing a sustainable control program. Unlike most residential accounts, commercial accounts do not typically have a single source of introduction. Customers, vendors, merchandise movement and sometimes even employees can contribute to the problem.

Commercial control efforts should include multiple control methodologies to be consistently successful, such as education, behavioral changes, physical removal, desiccants, excluding harborage access and the implementation of temperature-based controls. When pesticides are applied, wisdom may indicate using existing technology to determine which product that particular strain of bed bug is susceptible to, when current controls dont seem to be working. And we cant assume that every customer location has the same strain of bed bugs, even in the same city. Sometimes, even in the same building.

CUSTOMER CONSIDERATIONS. Thanks in part to the Internet, our customers also have a better understanding of bed bug behavior and control. Due to the risk of litigation and negative publicity that can be associated with the presence of bed bugs, commercial customers may also seek out other credible resources to educate their staff. They even employ the same consultants that the pest management industry uses for information and often attend industry events to learn more about bed bug behavior and control.

Thus, many commercial customers understand that the application of pesticides alone can provide limited benefit, and are looking for the methodologies, education and assistance in building effective bed bug protocols that the experts say they should expect from us. This in turn challenges us to be more informed and professional in order to meet those expectations.

SolStock | iStock.com

While expanding commercial segments and expectations can keep us on our toes, finding the harborage used by bed bugs in any type of account is critical to control. Due to their cryptic nature and small size, that can be easier said than done. Areas where bed bugs are commonly found may include bed components, electrical sockets and switches, crown molding and the void behind baseboards, but are we also investing in our customers by taking the necessary time to expand our search to less typical areas?

After exhaustively searching an area where repetitive bed bug appearances were trying the patience of both the customer and service technician, I once found 50 or so bed bugs in the hollow rod that is used to close the blinds. That hollow rod was as far away from a host as you could get in that room and it was hidden inside the curtain.

Was heat from sunlight on the window a factor? I dont know, but I do know that we must be at least as creative and determined in our search for areas of harborage as the bed bug is, in order to be successful in providing control.

I have also discovered them in such unlikely places as HVAC systems, under refrigerators and in prosthetics. After education, a comprehensive inspection is one of the most important elements of providing effective control for bed bugs in commercial accounts.

CASE STUDY: HOTELS. In another example, an Ohio-based hotel, performing its own pest control, recently asked for assistance with control of bed bugs. Though they had a good bed bug protocol and regular training with housekeeping and maintenance, they continued to find new bed bugs randomly distributed throughout the hotel and received complaints from customers of bed bugs in luggage. They treated room after room, the housekeeping carts and the laundry area, but continued to have new sightings.

By taking the pest service note entries and transferring them to a simple graph of the structure, a pattern emerged and the culprit was identified the luggage cart. Most of these are constructed of hollow tubing and a carpet base on wood or metal. The hollow tubes and the wood under the carpet were full of bed bugs and eggs.

They traveled throughout the hotel stacked with luggage and out to guests vehicles. Though they had a great protocol and treatment program, it took some simple documentation to find out that the luggage cart was the source of infestation for the rooms and the luggage. The carts were taken apart and sanitized, and added to the maintenance list for regular inspection. The property also decided that there was great value to be found in the experience and perspective offered by a professional pest management company.

BETTER DAYS AHEAD. As an industry, I do believe we are doing a better job controlling bed bugs for our commercial customers. And since humans are assisting bed bugs with their entrance to commercial accounts and are providing their meals, it seems only fair that we humans also do all we can to assist with their exit. By investing time, educating customers, and assisting them to develop or improve a meaningful protocol to address the challenges that bed bugs pose in commercial accounts, I believe we will be successful in doing just that.

The author is a board certified entomologist with two decades of experience in the pest control industry. In his role at as the technical lead at Terminix, he works with leaders in the entomological, medical, pest control, legal, and educational fields focused on minimizing the negative impacts of arthropod activity on businesses and homes.

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Commercial Considerations - PCT Magazine

Build more value into your business by offering services that are preventive instead of reactionary.

Integrated pest management (IPM) is a preventive, long-term strategy to control pests of every kind in every setting, with a focus on limiting the use of chemicals. There are several guiding principles to IPM, the most crucial of which is exclusion. Unfortunately, its also one of the most commonly overlooked and under-performed pest control services.

Exclusion services shift the focus of pest control from reactionary to preventative. It allows more time for inspection and observation instead of moving directly to treatment. Its also a green solution, as most of the products used are environmentally safe and cause no harm to people or pets.

Exclusion services allow pest management professionals are demonstrate their knowledge and professionalism. It improves the image of the industry. Were not spray jockeys. Were problem-solving professionals. Were experts. Customers like the option of having a PMP perform exclusion services rather than a general contractor. PMPs understand pests and their behaviors.

The principles of exclusion are essentially the same for residential and commercial structures. Exclusion methods are dependent on the design of the structure from homes and condos, to retail stores and warehouses. They differ only in the types of building materials and extent of exclusion needed; commercial buildings having more access points.

Commercial buildings have unique access points homes dont: dock levelers; trash compactor transition points where it meets the building; astragal seals, especially primary customer entrances; under and around doors; overhead doors; and, loading dock pedestrian doors. There are more opportunities for pests to invade commercial structures.

EXCLUSION SERVICES INCREASE REVENUE. Pest management professionals (PMP) have an opportunity to increase revenue by providing exclusion services and, if priced correctly, theyll also see increased profits. Consider using time and materials to price jobs. PMPs may expect to invoice residential customers $4001,200, depending on the structure and landscape. Exclusion services also reduce the likelihood of call-backs and, since little trapping or treating may be necessary, expenses are reduced. In addition to increased revenue and reduced costs, exclusion services can increase customer satisfaction and retention.

Revenue from commercial pest exclusion services can vary greatly. A PMP may invoice commercial customers anywhere from thousands of dollars up to six figures, depending on the structure. One PMP shared that there really is no limit to the revenue potential working with commercial customers. It depends on the time, effort, planning, and follow-up necessary to perform a flawless exclusion. Consider a multi-story building and the time it takes for planning, access to elevated areas, hidden voids, dismantling equipment, and deconstruction to perform a thorough inspection and exclusion. Time and materials invoicing, again, seems to be the best option.

THERES NO AREA THAT CANT BE PROOFED. Any area that can allow pest entry or harborage can be pest proofed, from cracks in a homes foundation, to roof voids in food processing plants where insects and vertebrates can take up residence. The goal of exclusion is to block every possible access point. Not just most of them, all of them. Denied access to one access point, pests will move on to find another.

LET THEM LEAD THE WAY. Use your detective skills and let the pests show you their access points. Look for signs such as runways, rub marks, and gnawing to identify active paths. Start there. Then scour the structure for every other access point.

THINK SMALL, REALLY SMALL. If a mouse or rat can fit their heads into a hole or crack, the remainder of their body will most certainly fit through. These vertebrates dont have bones that are soft or the ability to disjointand they havent gone through circus contortionist training. Their bodies are simply long, flexible, and cylindrical. Mice can fit into a hole as small as 1/4 thats only slightly smaller than the diameter of a pencil. Rats can fit through holes as small as the diameter of a quarter.

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Communication and collaboration were the key takeaways from a global pest management summit hosted by CEPA and NPMA.

What do pest management professionals and their commercial clients from Bangkok to Boston need to do to ensure that the food consumers eat at home or in restaurants is safe and free of pests and the bacteria they can transfer? Its simple communicate and collaborate.

That was the takeaway message for the nearly 170 attendees of the recent Global Summit for Pest Management Services, jointly sponsored by the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and Brussels-based Confederation of European Pest Management Associations (CEPA).

Attendees from every continent except Antarctica left New York City with a sharper focus on what skills their companies and employees will need to adequately service commercial clients engaged in food processing, distribution and storage.

DOCUMENTATION. Virtually every presenter who took the dais emphasized the need for thorough and accurate documentation. Mandates brought on by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and third-party auditors and inspectors place a premium on documentation.

The documentation needs to be more than just a spreadsheet, it needs to provide clients with information that will help them meet and exceed regulatory requirements, improve operational efficiencies and safeguard food.

We were a reaction company but have shifted our mindset to prevention when it comes to food safety, says Dr. Randal Giroux, vice president of food safety and regulatory affairs for Cargill. There is a need for our pest management partners to be more than box checkers and to be critical thinkers who bring science to process.

Giroux says Cargill has more than 500 facilities worldwide that are impacted by expanded FSMA mandates and that documentation and data provided by their pest management partner is critical to helping them justify their pest management decisions.

John Carter, vice president of quality dairy for global food giant Danone, says commercial clients are looking to PMPs to collaborate for success. We look to the pest management professionals for expert answers, solutions and to not only protect our facilities but our brands as well, says Carter. We need PMPs to make sure we are doing the right things from an environmental and legal standpoint.

Establishing dual partnerships with both the local facility and corporate staffs is another strategy Carter sees working. The local plant manager or QA person understands the holistic approach and a pest professional can give them competence while keeping the corporate staff in the loop, says Carter. FSMA is changing the framework, encouraging steps to avoid problems and closer collaboration will help that.

Cargills Giroux added that they seek out expertise and value-add from their pest control partners and look for recommendations that deliver an impact. Our QA managers have so much on their plates and need pest professionals to be solution providers that make recommendations that will benefit our business, says Giroux. A significant food safety issue could bring us to our knees and we want to make sure we have the correct information to get ahead of it.

FSMA IMPACT. The impact FSMA mandates have had on the food processing industry are, in a word, significant. The manner in which food processors, transporters and warehouse facilities develop protocols to protect the products they make, ship and store have forever been changed.

Hank Hirsch, president of RK Environmental Services, a pest management and food safety consulting firm, aptly summed up FSMAs impact telling attendees that at the corporate level the FUD effect is taking place fear, uncertainty and doubt. The old way of thinking when it comes to food safety and the role pest management plays is being revisited, says Hirsch. The true value of the PMPs service is shifting to inspections, documentation and creating preventive pest management strategies.

Dr. Cornelius Hugo, global manager food safety services innovation for AIB, says FSMA has delivered the most sweeping reforms in food safety in more than 70 years and has shifted the focus from reacting to contamination issues to preventing them. More than 80 percent of food contamination issues are avoidable and FSMA puts the onus on the food industry to answer the question, What are you doing to prevent an unsanitary environment in your facility? he says.

The teeth FSMA has given U.S. Food & Drug Administration inspectors to enforce the mandates is leading to longer, deeper and more narrow inspections. The bar on what conditions will land a facility in hot water also has been lowered in an effort to achieve more strenuous enforcement.

There has been a shift from needing credible, viable information to take action to simply a reason to believe that the facility did not provide a safe environment to issue a recall or take other actions, says Hugo.

The new mandates allow FDA investigators to review any link in the food chain from farm to fork including processing, manufacturing and storage. The agency can retain products suspected of a violation for up to 30 days, deny imported food products, issue a product recall even if the manufacturer chooses not to, issue injunctions and prosecute owners and plant managers.

FSMAs reach not only lands on the 85,000 food processing and storage facilities in the United States but to more than 300,000 facilities around the world.

How prepared is the industry for FSMA? According to AIB research conducted of several thousand facilities globally, nearly 20 percent of food processing plants were unsatisfactory when it came to integrated pest management and nearly 11 percent needed improvement. What were the leading pest-related issues that generated these numbers? According to the AIB research, 35 percent centered on pest habitats and 26 percent on pesticide control.

Pest management professionals are not a static tool in the process of helping protect food, says Hugo. Closer collaboration between clients and PMPs is needed to ensure the programs in place are not just effective after the fact but preventive from the start.

Corporate sponsors of the Global Summit of Pest Management Services included BASF, Bayer, Syngenta, Babolna Bio, Edialux Products Professionals, Liphatech, Lodi Group and ServicePro.

The author is a frequent editorial contributor to PCT magazine and partner with B Communications. He can be reached at http://www.b-communications.com.

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