How to Reduce Your Retreats

Sometimes a problem job is a blessing in disguise. For Brandon Pelfrey, CEO of Team Pest USA in Loganville, Ga., the a-ha moment came years ago after switching termiticides. He’d been using another product that required multiple retreats to rid multiple properties of subterranean termites.

New infestations kept popping up, he recalled. So, the company tried Termidor® HE High-Efficiency Termiticide. It uses breakthrough technology featuring the active ingredient (AI) fipronil to protect the structure.

“After switching to Termidor, we treated the properties once and never had to go back. I nearly thought the account had canceled, but they simply no longer had termites,” said Pelfrey.

Team Pest USA also switched over to using Trelona® ATBS Annual Termite Bait Stations. The stations contain a compressed termite bait matrix featuring the active ingredient novaluron.

FEWER RETREATS, DAMAGE CLAIMS. The results have been stellar. “Both products proved to be superior to what we had been using before,” said Pelfrey.

Termite damage claims at the company have dropped significantly. “The evidence is reflected in the bottom-line numbers I review and analyze each year,” he said.

Switching to Termidor HE and Trelona ATBS had a bigger impact, as well. Namely, it helped operations at Team Pest USA become nimbler and more efficient.

“Termite jobs used to take an entire day to complete. Now, we can handle two to three treatments in a single day. Considering an employee’s daily rate, we can accomplish more with fewer staff members, allowing us to reallocate other team members to different areas to support the business,” explained Pelfrey.

According to BASF research, Termidor HE requires half the water, 50 percent shallower treatment depths, 33 percent fewer drill holes and 77 percent smaller trenches. This means technicians can treat a structure in about half the time required compared to using other liquid termiticides, explained BASF Sales Representative Rod Harouff, who is based in Atlanta.

And the average Trelona ATBS installation takes only 30 minutes to complete. “Stations are serviced just one time per year, so labor and travel costs are very low,” said Harouff.

“There are few, if any accounts where Trelona isn’t a great option,” he adds. Employing Trelona ATBS is a “no brainer,” given its flexible station placement, efficacy in every environment, and termites’ documented preference for Trelona stations compared to other bait products, he said.

“Trelona bait stations are proven very attractive to termites and the contents of the stations are highly palatable to termites,” he said.

Team Pest USA uses both Termidor HE and Trelona ATBS at accounts where active termite infestations are significant. For preventive treatments and lower-level infestations, customers can choose the treatment method that best meets their needs. Many like how both approaches have a low impact on the environment.

“Those who are environmentally conscious like the fact that Termidor HE binds with the soil it is applied to, which keeps it in place. Trelona bait contains the active ingredient novaluron, which has low solubility in water. Encapsulated in a microcellulose bait matrix, this formulation minimizes the likelihood of leaching,” explained Harouff.

And the efficacy they provide can’t be beat. “Termidor HE moves in the soil, making it easier to apply and provides a more uniform treatment zone. Like other Termidor formulations, its non-repellency and genuine transfer from one termite to another make it extremely effective,” said Harouff.

A DROP IN GENERAL PEST RETREATS. One general pest control account with problems spurred Rumble Pest Solutions of Arkansas to seek a better solution. It did this by adding Fendona® CS Controlled Release Insecticide to its quarterly rotation.

Fendona CS contains the active ingredient alpha-cypermethrin, which is encapsulated in a unique micro-mesh for enhanced efficacy. Microcapsules of varying sizes stick to target insects and release slowly, providing fast knockdown and a long-lasting residual. Also, Fendona CS controls more than 60 arthropod pests.

“It has been effective on the houses with ants that we previously couldn’t seem to get rid of, spiders that were penetrating the home all around the foundation,” said Travis Green, who manages three branches for the Springdale, Ark.-based company, which also saw retreats decline for other pests.

Callbacks have dropped “tremendously,” said Green. “Ant retreats have decreased 5 percent, spider retreats decreased 2 percent, and flea and tick retreats decreased 3 percent. As a whole, our retreat percentage has lowered since starting Fendona,” he said.

Providing an effective service that customers trust has helped the company grow its business in new markets.

Plus, Fendona CS aligns with the environmental values of Rumble Pest Solutions of Arkansas. Fendona CS features a 100 percent encapsulated AI, slow-release formulation and uses half the AI concentration of Cy-kick, which can reduce the AI loading on the environment. It also has pyrethroid restrictions to prevent off-target applications and run off. This made Fendona CS “an easy choice for us,” said Green.

With its broad label, Fendona CS fits easily into existing company protocols. “It’s a great exterior perimeter option that has an interior label, as well,” explained BASF Sales Representative Brad Ollar, who is based in Raymore, Mo.

Ollar initially told Green about Fendona CS for mosquito control, which Green tried with success and then began using for quarterly service. “It’s a great fit because it provides a long residual on a number of key pests,” said Ollar.

Rumble Pest Solutions also has used Alpine® WSG Water Soluble Granule Insecticide to successfully control challenging insect infestations.

“Its ability to [control] ants, cockroaches and bed bugs is unmatched in the pest control world. It can be used in residential, commercial and food-handling establishments,” said Green.

Alpine WSG contains the active ingredient dinotefuran. The nonrepellent can be transferred through a colony and it is labeled for indoor and outdoor use. The EPA reduced-risk label makes it ideal for sensitive accounts like schools, day cares and hospitals, explained Ollar.

Great products help retain technicians. When you have fewer retreats, the job is easier, more productive and less stressful. This makes for better workdays and creates buy-in with technicians, especially “when they see the results of a happy customer in real time,” said Ollar.

FAMILY STYLE support. Partnering with BASF has been a gamechanger for Pelfrey and Team Pest USA.

“I consider them a genuine partner to my family’s company. They have transformed the way we operate, providing us with ideas and continually supporting us whenever we encounter issues in the field or on the profit-and-loss side of our business,” said Pelfrey.

BASF provides free, customer-facing sales materials to help pest management companies grow their customer base.

It conducts technical and field training programs to support continuing education for technicians and staff. Topics cover pest biology, identification, treatment methods and product training. Training programs are approved on state-by-state basis, which allows service technicians to earn continuing education credits.

Videos, online training resources, product labels and more are available online at pestcontrol.basf.us.

BASF sales representatives are accessible, knowledgeable and a go-to resource for learning about new products, treatment approaches and industry trends.

Being able to count on someone like Brad Ollar has been key for Travis Green and Rumble Pest Solutions.

“His knowledge of insects and termites has been wonderful. Brad has done classes and studies with our company and is always there to introduce new products for our needs. I personally am extremely thankful to have someone like Brad working side by side with me,” said Green.

BASF is committed to building these kinds of relationships.

“BASF prides itself on its investment in local product and technical resources to support our products and customers,” said BASF’s Harouff.

It also is dedicated to the future of pest management, which means a lot to professionals like Pelfrey.

“The research BASF conducts on their products is unmatched in our industry. They consistently seek feedback and are always looking for ways to improve their current offerings, even developing new ones that outperform many competitors,” he said.