top of page

BLOG
Search


Soapbox Time (AKA: Ranting and raving)
I have a lot of google alerts for words relating to pest control. I typically skim through, look for any scientific articles and quickly delete. Then this one caught my eye. Ugh, here we go again, I think to myself. And yes, here we go again. Now, I get it. Pesticides are scary, especially when you call them “poisons”. Yes, they are intended to knock down the pest. Yes, some are poisonous (ingested). Yes, we want to make sure only the target animal is impacted by the pest

Chelle Hartzer
Nov 112 min read


The Customer is Always Right (AKA: Sure....)
Sometimes pest problems are relatively easy to manage. One or two visits, some targeted treatments, sanitation, and exclusion recommendations, and presto! Problem solved! Then there are the times it isn’t so easy. Particularly when it seems the customer is working against you. The other day, I was at a location, let’s say it was a bookstore. (It wasn’t, I’m trying to protect the innocent here!) Now, as I was browsing through the bookstore, out of the corner of my eye, I saw

Chelle Hartzer
Nov 43 min read


We Don’t Talk About Bruno (AKA: I’m a treehugger)
In my last job, I had to take “media training” and one of the first things I learned was never use the word “pesticide”. They recommended “treatment” or “product” or something else along those lines. Why? Why shouldn’t we say it? Mostly, it’s because people have a bad image of pesticides, and there is a negative reaction. The problem with that…pesticide is not a dirty word. It’s part of a well laid out integrated pest management plan. Anyone who’s had considerable pest issu

Chelle Hartzer
Oct 283 min read


Itsy Bitsy (AKA: Crawling past summer)
It’s October and that means it’s my favorite season of the year: spider season! Living in Georgia (USA), we are still under siege from the invasive Joro spider . It is actually a very pretty spider that builds big orb-shaped webs. While these are beneficial (I am pretty sure we had next to no mosquito issues this summer because of all these webspinners), they are very abundant. People don’t like them near their structures, and there is the “ick” factor of walking through one

Chelle Hartzer
Oct 143 min read


Scrutinizing the Scene (AKA: Searching for food)
I’m inspecting a food facility this week and there’s always something interesting that you find. So this week, let’s talk about...

Chelle Hartzer
Oct 73 min read


Pucker Up (AKA: Sharing the love)
I’ve had kissing bugs hitting my newsfeed like crazy, so now’s a great time for a primer on bugs. To start with, there are just shy of...

Chelle Hartzer
Sep 303 min read


It Costs What? (AKA: Tools of the trade)
Someone posted a link to this article , and I kind of laughed it off and went on with my morning. My brain kept going back to it, though,...

Chelle Hartzer
Aug 123 min read


Au Natural (AKA: Put your clothes back on)
I was recently asked to write an article on “natural” pest control. I almost didn’t. It’s like talking about “safe” pesticides or...

Chelle Hartzer
Aug 53 min read


Running Hot and Cold (AKA: Corn and ice cream)
I heard a new term yesterday, and I figured it was an internet hoax. You know what happens next: I had to investigate and look it up....

Chelle Hartzer
Jul 223 min read


Buckle your seat belts (AKA: No snacks!)
I fly a lot for work and for fun. I’ve been flying since I was about three. Aside from being locked in a metal tube with 100 people you...

Chelle Hartzer
Jun 103 min read


Smell the Love! (AKA: Getting lucky?)
A pheromone is defined as a chemical that an animal produces that changes the behavior of another animal of the same species. Simply...

Chelle Hartzer
May 275 min read


Not My Fault! (AKA: Pointing fingers)
I was giving a webinar on rodents last week and someone asked a brilliant question: what can you do when the pest problem is coming from...

Chelle Hartzer
Apr 293 min read
bottom of page



