Happy Thanksgiving!

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Video Conferencing: Productive?

I’m sure you’ve seen the commercials.

[Digg]First, there was the one which urged you to save the money and hassle associated with traveling by setting up video conferencing. Now, from the other side of the fence, there’s one by an airline which urges you to fly to your meetings in person and bemoans the hassle associated with video conferencing.

So, which side of the debate wins? Is it more of a hassle to travel than it is to set up a video conference?

Is this even a relevant debate for your business? Maybe not, but it gives me an excuse to share this video. Of course, you must watch the whole thing through to get the point (trust me, you’ll enjoy it).

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Got Bed Bugs?

A funny commercial by Suburban Exterminating in New York. Enjoy!

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A Differing View

As I previewed yesterday, this morning’s speaker was John Hadidian from the Humane Society of the United States. Scott Steckel, from Varment Guard, introduced John and his credentials and said that he’s known John for years.

“Just because I don’t agree with his point of view,” Steckel said, “doesn’t mean I shouldn’t listen to what he has to say.

Before John took the stage, however, Gene Harrington with the NPMA told a quick story about something that happened in the news recently.

And with that, John Hadidian took the stage. The crowd of 180 attendees showed the man the proper respect while he spoke — a true show of professionalism in this industry, I must say.

John said the Humane Society’s main objective when dealing with wildlife is relocation. He talked about relocating and reuniting raccoons.

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Friday Link Roundup, 11/20

I’m still in Indianapolis at the NPMA’s Nuisance Bird and Wildlife Conference, but of course that’s not going to stop my from providing some excellent links — after all, it’s Friday!

As usual, I’ve got some good ones for you this week … so many PMPs have blogs, which I think is simply awesome. I hope you all enjoy blogging as much as I do — I know I enjoy reading your blogs (and I hope your customers do too). So, here is it, this week’s links I think are worth checking out. Enjoy!

Why do you need pest control in the winter? The answer to that is presented nicely on Griffin Pest Solution’s Blog in this informative post.

Why does it make sense to add a blog to your site? Find out on the Comanche Marketing Blog in this interesting post.

Looking for a holiday pest travel guide? Then look no further than deBugged: The Rentokil Blog, which provides some great information in this useful post.

Can naked mole rats get cancer? It doesn’t appear so, according to JP McHale’s No Pests Blog in this fascinating post.

Want some Twitter advice for your business? Then be sure to check out the Pest Control SEO Blog, which gives some great tips in this excellent post.

Need a laugh? Look no further than Blogged: By RJ Pooch, which will have you in stitches on this hilarious post.

Have you got a blog for your company? I’d love to hear about it and follow you too. Shoot me an e-mail and I’ll be happy to add you to my blogroll. Until then, happy blogging PMPs!

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Wildly Great Conference

In this afternoon’s educational sessions, Judy Loven with the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture-Wildlife Services in West Lafayette, Ind. discussed what it takes to be safe while performing wildlife work.

Knowing the biology and behavior of the animals you’re called in to handle goes a long way in keeping you and your technicians safe.

Two other interesting sessions included one on challenging wildlife jobs and one on bat management.

In the bat management session, Jim Dreisacker with Batcone, educated attendees on the small brown and big brown bats. In this video, he talks about some of the general facts about bats.

Scott McNeeley, with McNeeley Pest Control, shared some photos from an interesting raccoon job he did that was particularly challenging.

This truly is a good conference — I doubt my sampling of videos is really doing it justice. Stay tuned to tomorrow morning’s post. In the opening session, John Hadidian from the Humane Society of the United States offers his point of view on the wildlife management industry.

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Going Wild in the Circle City

The National Pest Management Association’s (NPMA’s) 2009 Nuisance Bird and Wildlife Management Conference & Marketplace kicked off this morning in Indianapolis.

The NPMA’s Gene Harrington welcomed attendees, praising the wildlife management professionals (WMPs) for their continued interest in education and the growth of their profession.

Last year’s meeting was such a success, he said, the NPMA knew a second conference was a good idea. In addition, he gave special thanks to the conference’s main sponsor, the National Wildlife Control Operators Association (NWCOA).

Harrington called upon Eric Arnold, president of NWCOA, to take the stage to accept a token of NPMA’s appreciation and to say a few words to the crowd of attendees.

Let’s Be Careful Out There!

In the first session of the day, Harrington highlighted some of the recent regulatory issues relating to the wildlife management industry. Many states, he said, have introduced legislation intended to regulate the industry.

Dodd Delph from Western Pest Services in Parsippany, N.J. then took the stage to give his presentation on some of the situations WMPs have faced with regards to opposition from animal rights activists.

WMPs, he warned, are sometimes viewed as practicing animal cruelty by these activists. To avoid some of these cruelty issues, Delph offered several tips for WMPs:

• Know the laws
• Get all mandatory licenses, certifications and permits
• Establish business practices that protect you
• Operate as though you are being video taped
• Be professional — how we look, what we say, what we do
• Stay connected with other WMPs in your area
• Join trade associations

Scott Steckel, chairman of the NPMA Wildlife Committee, urged WMPs to get to know and understand the position of animal rights groups. Tomorrow’s opening session, he said, will feature John Hadidian from the Humane Society of the United States. Hadidian will discuss the same topic as Delph, from the opposing point of view.

Scheduling Nuisance Wildlife Work

In the first breakout session, Joe Felegi from Critter Control and Jeff Johnson from A-Active Termite & Pest Control addressed the difference between managing and scheduling wildlife jobs and pest management jobs.

Building off of Delph’s opening session, Felegi noted the importance of diligence when scheduling wildlife work and the sensitivity of checking traps in a timely fashion.
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