Quick Hits

Jim Rutherford, Action WDI Specialist, Manistee, Mich.
Our season is just about to come to a close. Most of my techs start unemployment in the next two weeks. Over the years, I've tried air duct cleaning for winter work and the problem seems to be most people here do that stuff in the summer so it actually causes more trouble for us. Snow plowing would be an option but the start-up cost is high and we never know how much snow we'll get. With the housing sales being slow I've thought of buying a dump and using my techs to rebuild and then resell. But there is a housing slump so I may sit on it for a while. The population here is under 20,000 so Christmas decorating is no good. Anyone have any ideas? It's been like this since we started but it would sure be nice to keep guys busy and not worry about losing them over winter.

Eric Kroon, PestKil Termite & Pest Management, Spring Hill, Fla.
Move here to Florida and work year round!

Zeb Armstrong, Armstrong Pest Control, Clover, S.C.
In the future, have your wood destroying insects renewal scheduled for the slow season. Wrap pipes. Install moisture barriers.

Dan Kelley, Z-Best Pest Control, Dayton, Ohio
Jim, why do you have to shut down in the winter? All of my customers here in Ohio are on a recurring service.

Daniel Bunting Sr., Paradise Pest Control, Cape Coral, Fla.
Ditto: Move to Florida. Work all year

Roland Reschreiter, All Gone Services, Hurst, Texas
Chimney sweep — that's what I do and it's 50 percent of my revenue.

James Driver, RID Pest Control Services, Ulladulla, New South Wales, Australia
Many in Oz also do carpet cleaning and deodorizing. Not me, I go fishing if things are quiet.

Jerry Martin, Martin Exterminating, Winston Salem, N.C.
Find a foreclosure company and offer to do their trash outs and boarding up of the houses. Also you can winterize their properties.

Jim Rutherford
Thanks for the suggestions. The one I like best is move to Florida and in four years, that's where I'll be come winter.
Sixty percent or more of my clients live here in the summer and go south in the winter. Our service program runs through the "insect" season (warm weather months). The difference, weather-wise, between Ohio and northern Michigan are quite different and what works there won't here. Thanks again.

Ed Van Istendal, Tomlinson Bomberger Pest Control, Lancaster, Pa.
Why not maintain exterior rodent control, including moles and voles, through the winter months?

Jeffrey Gilbert, Gilbert’s Professional Pest Control, Carlisle, Pa.
I will partially lay off my guys in late November. Winter is a bitch for any of us in cold climates. We do a lot of renewal work and have the guys split the route and work 20 hours to keep everyone in the loop ‘til daffodil time...which here is late March.

Harold Clifton, Pest Pro Services, St. Peters, Mo.
You could always offer home cleaning and then if you find bugs (dead or alive), tell the homeowner that you can take care of the pest year round so he/she doesn’t have the problem again.

Bill Weaver, Palmetto Pest Elimination, Columbia, S.C.
What do the big guys do? They aren't shutting down their operation seasonally. What are they doing that you aren't? Make inroads and do things better than they do them.
Better yet: Do the things that they aren't doing and kick their butt!

Robert Russell, BCE, American Pest Solutions, Springfield, Mass.
Slow season? It’s only as slow as you allow it to be.

Tim Blankenship, All Pest Solutions, Franklin, Tenn.
I agree with Robert. If you train your customers to think it’s slow in the winter then they will allow it. What you do for them in the winter months will help with prevention in the spring.

Readout:
If you train your customers to think it’s slow in the winter then they will allow it.
Tim Blankenship, All Pest Solutions, Franklin, Tenn.