While a few customers may shrug at the sight of cockroaches, mice, or other vermin and decide that having pests around is typical for establishments that serve food, you had better believe that a number of customers won’t be pleased at all. And they will tell their family and friends. Not only will they tell people in person, they may also get online and visit a ratings site to let even more people know there. And while camera phone technology is great when customers upload photos of a great meal, it will seem less so should they photograph vermin and indicate that the picture was taken in your establishment. The boom in social media means that everyone is, in a way, a reporter.
In our area, customers have a lot of options and are not bound to stick with any one establishment. They have so many options, in fact, that the smallest bit of unpleasantness (like a cockroach, for instance) can discourage repeat business and encourage customers to warn others.
You can guard your reputation and the future of your business by turning to a NJ pest control firm like Stern Environmental Group to help you get rid of all types of vermin. Visit our website to see all of the pest control services we offer and do not hesitate to contact us.
The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) delegation returned from Haiti. The group wants to support pest management work in Haiti. NPMA will try and raise $250,000 to support pest management initiatives for hospitals located in Port au Prince, Haiti. The money will be used for minimizing entry locations for pests, pest prevention products, training in pest control operations and a campaign to educate Haitians about basic procedures they can use to minimize the threats from pests including the diseases they carry. The focus will be on getting rid of rodents, roaches, mosquitoes and flies from specific service areas of the medical facilities.
Training will be a major part of the program. The medical facilities are providing treatment to people with pre-existing health complications and often people who are the most vulnerable to health threats from pests.
Hopefully, the Haitians won’t have to also deal with bed bugs. They have enough problems. For those living in New Jersey, New York City and other bed bug infested locations, bed bug monitors are a vital part of a comprehensive bed bug prevention plan.
The National Pest Management Association NPMA opposes a bill introduced to congress known as the School Environmental Act (SEPA). The bill pertains to managing pests at schools. The bill is sponsored by Congressman Rush Holt of New Jersey. The bill arbitrarily places limits on using pesticides at schools that have previously been approved for use at schools.
NPMA is against the bill because all schools would have to manage pests under the same guidelines. Schools in New Jersey and New York City with bed bugs would have to use the same standards and criteria as schools situated in Texas. Also 38 states already have implemented or approved state laws or rules related to pest management at schools.
SEPA would undermine the pest control activity utilized in these states. NPMA claims that a lot of the pest related activities in schools in these states are laudable. The NPMA has created alternative school pest management legislation for schools that the organization claims supplements the work done by states. NPMA vs. SEPA; no it’s not an upcoming segment on the hit TV show “Dancing with Acronyms”.
Perhaps NJ and NYC residents should be concerned about pest problems in their NJ and NYC schools. Over 50 studies have been completed since 1994 regarding the problems with pest infestations and the unsafe pesticide use practices in the nation’s schools.
The EPA is recommending Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to reduce the risks associated with pesticides and the exposure of kids to the chemicals. IPM includes simple strategies such as reducing or eliminating food, water and shelter for pests in school facilities and the landscape. Schools participating in an IPM pilot program have been able to reduce by over 70% the amount of complaints and the amount of pesticides used. The program also calls for parents, school administrators, teachers, custodians and others in the school community to be involved in the program. Teaching students the benefits of an IPM program is also recommended by experts.
It’s 2009 and more than 50 critical reports have been issued about the pest and pesticide problem in schools since 1994. Why haven’t the school systems in the country implemented an IPM program to make the schools safer for kids? Hopefully the IPM plan will get a lot of attention by school administrators.
Call a NJ, NYC pest control company to eliminate the critters.
Serving Up News on Bugs that Bug You!
