The television-reality show “Survivor” continues to be a smash ratings success. It seems the more creepy the creatures, the more the rampant the rodents, the more gripping the viewing experience. While it’s often thrilling to watch with disgust as challengers in the Australian Outback bite into plump dates swarming with larvae, the prospect of finding your home, business, or school overcome by pests is less than entertaining.

Regardless if you live “down under” or downtown, there is a constant need for pest control that janitorial supply distributors can satisfy. Birds, rodents, insects, and other would-be pests are not just annoying; they can cause serious health and safety concerns. This strengthens the call for distributors to augment traditional pest-control services.

An Apple a Day…
Recently, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions reported that mouse allergens are second only to cockroaches as a trigger for childhood asthma.

“Before these studies, mice weren’t widely recognized as an allergen in homes,” says Robert Wood, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics at Hopkins and lead investigator [of two related studies].

“Now we know that houses are full of it, and we were surprised that mice turned out to be even more important in inner-city asthma than cats, dogs or dust mites. While cockroaches are the more important inner-city allergen, mice are second in line. Doctors need to take mouse allergen into account when evaluating kids with asthma.”

Throughout history, pests have been linked to other major health problems. In fact, the National Pest Management Association states on its website as a “Fact of the Day”: “Fleas have changed history. More human deaths have been attributed to fleas than all the wars ever fought. As carriers of the bubonic plague, fleas were responsible for killing one-third of the population of Europe in the 14th century.”

It is clear that with such a great need for pest control, an equally great opportunity exists for profitable solutions. However, sanitary supply distributors are often hesitant to include pesticides, rodenticides, traps, glue strips and other pest control products in their menu of goods.

Back to the Books
In a recent small sampling of distributors, most only offer two or three pest control products. Some insiders explained they are not enthusiastic about the pest-control market due to varying state regulations and the expertise required to sell responsibly and effectively. Brenda B. Videtto of AACE Chemical Co. Inc., Martinez, Ga., agrees. “We haven’t marketed our pest control products because we haven’t done enough research yet.”

Videtto is right to be cautious; some pest control products can be dangerous and abiding by the imposed regulations is sometimes tricky. However, this does not mean sanitary supply distributors must miss out on this potentially lucrative market.

“Laws vary by state, for example, who can apply them [pesticides] and where they can be applied,” says Don Hamilton, General Manager for I. Schneid, Atlanta. “In one state you may need an applicator’s license. Salespeople may shy away because they don’t feel they know the laws. Some laws are quite strict, but if you understand the laws in your area, there is opportunity to sell product.”

Robert Corrigan, owner of RMC Pest Management Consulting, Richmond, Ind., agrees and warns, “I would rather see someone understand the product they’re going to sell. They have a responsibility to the people and wildlife that can be harmed.”

Distributors pursuing the pest-control market can turn to pest management professionals (PMPs) as a resource to better learn the market and its related products. Industry insiders advise that distributors should work in conjunction with PMPs to offer the most effective pest management solutions. It is clear, ridding a facility of pests requires a multi-faceted effort that can and should involve distributors.

“The average pest-control operator can eliminate about 92 percent of a pest population (within a facility),” says Bart Baker, president of J.T. Eaton and Co., Inc., Twinsburg, Ohio. “Janitorial supply distributors can offer supplemental tools like glue strips.”

Mona Zemsky, marketing manager for Bird-X Inc., Chicago, agrees: “People need to understand that there is no such thing as a guarantee (with pest control). It’s not an exact science, but that offers opportunity.”

Provide an Alternative
Additional complementary actions that can be taken to reinforce and maintain traditional pest-control methods include educating the marketplace.

“Some companies desperately want a solution to their bird problem, but don’t know where to turn,” admits Zemsky. Working with suppliers and industry experts, distributors are able to provide value-added services in addition to pest-control products.

For example, Bird-X has created a distributor program complete with Internet and print collateral designed to promote pest-control education and enhance the company’s relationships with distributors.

“We feel it is a very profitable partnership, Bird-X supplying the products and the expertise, and the distributor supplying the relationship and personal service to the end user,” she adds.

Safety First
End users looking for a cheap and easy way to rid facilities of unwanted pests may easily turn to the shelves of the local Wal-Mart or hardware store. Although without proper education and expert advice, they risk not only jeopardizing effectiveness, they can expose themselves to dangerous chemicals. Guidance from PMPs and distributors can prevent such exposures.

“These days with trained pest-control professionals there is little risk,” explains RMC’s Corrigan. “These are high-tech methods that are carefully applied.

“Some warehouse managers think the answer is to just bomb the warehouse — that in my opinion is dangerous,” Corrigan continues Home owners, custodians, and warehouse managers can go to the hardware store and buy themselves some pest-control products and that’s where people can be exposed in a toxic fashion.”

Preventing Misuse
Pesticides and rodenticides are without question, strong agents in the battle to manage pests. Since Rachel Carson’s book “Silent Spring,” which in 1962 exposed the environmental and health hazards of the pesticide DDT, the public has been questioning the overall use of pesticides. Almost 40 years have passed since “Silent Spring” was published and now organizations like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have taken drastic measures to protect people, land and wildlife from the misuse of such chemicals.

One such measure that is gaining momentum across the United States is Integrated Pest Management (IPM). According to the EPA: “IPM is a process for achieving long-term, environmentally sound pest suppression through the use of a wide variety of technological and management practices. Control strategies in an IPM program extend beyond the application of pesticides to include structural and procedural modifications that reduce the food, water, harborage, and access used by pests.”

IPM is most commonly used in schools and learning institutions where parents and educators have expressed concerns regarding the exposure of children to pesticides. In October 1999, federal legislation was introduced to require decision-makers in schools to implement IPM, prioritizing the least-toxic strategy available to control pests.

“The proposed legislation, known as the School Environmental Protection Act (SEPA), provides a national standard of protection that will greatly reduce the use of toxic pesticides in schools,” writes Aliki Moncrief of the Florida School IPM Advisory Board, Legal Environmental Assistance Foundation in Tallahassee.

IPM is already being practiced in schools across the country and the movement is gaining attention. Recently, the Virginia Pesticide Control Board announced it has agreed to earmark $20,000 to train local pest-control operators in IPM practices.

It’s not too late for distributors to get involved in the IPM movement. J.T. Eaton’s Baker suggests that distributors should be willing to break out of the box. “Talk to county agents. Belong to associations and get involved,” he advises.

Getting Up to Speed
For distributors wanting to offer IPM tools to customers in schools and other facilities, the EPA recommends pest control operators and distributors take the following steps:

  • Educate yourself about IPM
  • Schedule a meeting with school (facility) administrators
  • Volunteer to set up a school IPM committee
  • Establish a pilot IPM program
  • Set up communication links

More information about offering IPM products and solutions to customers is available at the EPA website located at www.epa.gov.

Reaping the Rewards
You may be asking yourself if offering pest-control supplies is worth the effort. I. Schneid’s Hamilton says it’s well worth it and selling pest-control products is not as daunting as it seems.

“These are items that are not difficult to sell,” he urges. “If you have a bug problem, you want to take care of it. It’s actually quite an easy sale. The customer drives the sale more than the salesperson. It’s just a matter of matching your customers’ requirements.”

Customizing your products and services to your customers’ pest-control needs is currently one of the biggest trends in the pest-control market. No two infestations are the same, and with the abundant opportunities to provide alternative solutions, distributors that meet customer demands will get ahead with specialized pest-management solutions.

“We’ve had 16 different customized products for awhile,” says Bird-X’s Zemsky. “Customization is the trend. They want what they want when they want it. This is a good thing because we can solve these problems.”

Distributors can also solve the problems that ensue when end users turn to retail outlets for their pest-control needs.

“There are a lot of new products on the market and customers need to know if those products work or not,” says Baker. “If something sounds like it’s too good to be true, it probably is. End users need to look to get the best return on their investment.”

Selecting a professional sanitary supply distributor with industry expertise is the best way to protect that investment. It’s up to distributors to spread that message.

All For One, One For All
For end users with pest problems, insiders reiterate that it’s up to pest control professionals, distributors, facility managers, residents, and all people concerned about the ramifications of uncontrolled infestations to work to eliminate the problem. Distributors are a strong factor in that equation and once again are empowered to solve big potential problems for end users — problems that can have serious health and environmental consequences.

“Pest management really involves everyone from custodians to company presidents,” says RMC’s Corrigan, “If people downplay pest management, we all get burned. Everyone needs to take it seriously.”

Cory Lynn Clifford is a former associate editor of Sanitary Maintenance who lives in Baltimore.




POSTED ON: 3/1/2001