[Fly Control] Grease Is The Word

Small flies are often a problem in commercial accounts, but if you overlook this nuisance pest, you could be letting potential profits go down the drain. And speaking of drains, they happen to be an excellent place to start.
Drain cleaning, or bioremediation services in commercial accounts, are becoming, for many PCOs, a valuable business opportunity. However, it appears that most PCOs aren’t currently offering this much- needed service. A PCT survey conducted earlier this year revealed that only about 21 percent of PCOs now offer bioremediation or drain cleaning services.
Furthermore, this line of work appears to offer good growth potential. Of those who offer the service, about 36 percent say the business has grown, while 64 percent say it has remained the same in the past few years.
PCOs who do offer the service say drain cleaning services, and the accompanying work of small fly control, particularly in commercial accounts, are a segment of the business with solid growth potential. For some, it’s a promising add-on business opportunity, while others are using it as a way to round out their fly control or general pest control program for commercial accounts.

A DOOR-OPENER WITH CUSTOMERS. Billy Blasingame, vice president of Arrow Exterminators in Atlanta, notes that small fly control is proving to be an excellent add-on opportunity for his company. “It’s a great door-opener for potential customers,” Blasingame says. He notes that discussing the company’s small fly services with potential customers can be the trigger that causes them to select Arrow.
Blasingame said the small fly service — referred to as drain service at Arrow — also resonates with existing pest control customers. “We are finding it a great add-on service for our existing customer base,” he said. Arrow’s drain service covers all major small fly species: phorid flies, moth flies and fruit flies, said Blasingame.
For Arrow, the service begins with a thorough inspection to determine the condition of drains at the account. “Literally you’ll find drains that are just about closed up,” he said. After the inspection, technicians scrape away as much of the organic matter coating the drains that they can. In some cases, Blasingame said, the company also may need to hire a professional plumber to scope a drain to determine where the clog may be located.
After the build-up inside the drain is removed, drains are typically treated with a microbial drain cleaning product. The account may require weekly service for the first month, then monthly service to maintain the account. During monthly inspections, said Blasingame, technicians are performing what he refers to as sanitation inspections, looking for any type of conditions or rotting material that may contribute to drain fly infestation.
And it’s not just the drains that are being inspected, he said. Technicians are trained to look under and behind equipment, under floor mats, and other hard-to-reach areas. “Sometimes we will go through potato boxes,” Blasingame says. “We’re really just an extra set of eyes that may look a little deeper than the manager may be looking,” he said.
Another important part of Arrow’s ongoing maintenance is having technicians document their findings during these sanitation inspections, and then review those reports with customers. This cooperation, says Blasingame, is critical. PCOs and customers must work together to solve many drain fly problems, he said.
Typically at Arrow the drain service is priced depending on the number of drains at the account. If it’s an existing customer, the company will simply add a fee to its regular service based on the number of drains. If it’s a new customer, there may be a minimum trip charge in addition to that, Blasingame said.
The company has provided drain fly services for some time, but has formalized the program somewhat in recent months, Blasingame said, making a more concerted effort to inform customers about this service. He points out one of the best ways to market the drain service is simply by having the company’s sales representatives and technicians discuss it with customers. Arrow is also putting together a direct mail campaign that will promote its drain service.

CRUCIAL FOR COMMERCIAL ACCOUNTS. Isotech Pest Management, in Covina, Calif., also has found small fly control work to be a crucial part of its commercial services. Mike Masterson, owner of Isotech, says one key to small fly control is having the right technicians who are properly trained to do the work. Isotech is a strictly commercial pest control company serving everything from restaurants to hospitals. And these types of accounts, he notes, almost always need drain fly and phorid fly control services.
Masterson referred to the four key components of an effective small fly program: partnership, education, sanitation and offering solutions. “And, of course, you have to train your employees to make sure they know what to do and they do it effectively,” Masterson said.
Interestingly, Masterson notes that in many cases where there are small fly problems, the flies may not be coming from the drain. So, he notes, his company spends the time to find out where the breeding sites are located. That means searching under and behind equipment, and treating those sites if necessary.
The company also spends time educating customers. “What we try to do is walk them through what they need to do to get their drains clean,” Masterson said. For instance, he notes, clients often neglect to remove and clean the catches from their drains.
Like Arrow, Isotech also puts accounts on a maintenance schedule, and prepares a report discussing where water buildup is occurring. Problem areas are treated and management is encouraged to clean those areas, Masterson said.
He says the drain fly service is received particularly well by restaurateurs and bar owners, especially those experiencing nagging small fly problems. And it’s usually not difficult to tell which accounts need help in this area, Masterson notes. “As you are talking to the person you’re swatting them around,” he says. “If you can give them references and show them you can take care of it, they’re very willing to hear you out.”
Furthermore, says Masterson, his company’s success in drain fly control has earned him many accolades as well as referrals. He recalls how one busy restaurant owner even stopped a meeting to call him into her office. “She said, ‘I’ve been waiting to tell you, I’ve never been so happy with a pest control company in my whole life,’” recalled Masterson.
In another case Masterson received a call from the owner of a popular restaurant that had fought a small fly problem unsuccessfully for eight months with another pest control company. He recalls walking into the establishment and being greeted by a tremendous number of flies. “Literally, I was swishing them away,” he said.
After a thorough inspection, Masterson’s technicians found where the flies were breeding. The infestation was substantially knocked down within one day following the initial treatment, Masterson said. And after two weeks, he added, “there wasn’t a fly left in the place.” As a result of that success, Isotech picked up five other restaurants under that same ownership, and many other referrals as well.
However, Masterson’s greatest reward might well have been the customer’s response to Isotech’s rapid control work. “The client said, ‘If you had told me you were going to do this, I never would have believed it in a million years.’”

SMALL FLY PRODUCTS. The following compilation includes a number of products designed specifically for bioremediation and small fly control. Manufacturers: This is intended to be a comprehensive list of suppliers. If you have a bioremediation product you’d like to appear in PCT, send it to Brad Harbison, PCT Magazine, 4012 Bridge Ave., Cleveland OH 44113 or email it to bharbison@giemedia.com.

MicroFoam Professional from B&G Equipment Company
www.bgequip.com
MicroFoam Professional from B&G Equipment Company is a foaming microbial cleaner containing a proprietary group of micro-organisms designed to attack and digest organic grease, grime and various accumulations of decaying organic matter. According to B&G, the microbes in MicroFoam Professional were selected specifically to eliminate the breeding substrates in clogged drains, and the grease and food residue on walls and machines in food handling locations. The company says the microbes in MicroFoam Professional are resistant to common insecticides as well as bleach and other harsh cleaners. Furthermore, an odor neutralizer incorporated in the product serves to eliminate the odor of decaying organic matter, B&G says. The product contains a built-in foaming agent and can be used with all hand or power foamers. It can be used in controlling the breeding substrates for dark fruit flies, phorid flies, moth or drain flies, and fungus gnats. Application sites include restaurants, office buildings, health care facilities, schools, and households.

InVade Products from Rockwell Labs
www.rockwelllabs.com
InVade Bio products from Rockwell Labs contain a blend of chemical-resistant Bacillus microbe spores designed to eat through scum where flies can breed. InVade Bio Foam is designed to control fruit, drain and phorid flies in commercial accounts. The concentrated product is diluted 4 ounces to 1 gallon of water and applied to drains, cracks, crevices, under equipment, behind bars and other scummy areas where small flies breed. The proprietary combination of foam and natural citrus oils smothers the larvae, shutting down the breeding cycle quickly, according to the manufacturer. Rockwell says the microbes then digest the scum to eliminate the potential for further breeding. The treatment works well as a monthly add-on service. Rockwell’s InVade Bio Drain is a thickened formula designed to coat the sides of drains. The company says this product eliminates the scum where flies breed and prevents further build-up. It also can be applied in soda fountain drip trays to eliminate “sugar snake.” A valuable add-on sales opportunity, InVade Bio Drain can be sold to pest control accounts for their use in treating drains twice each week, Rockwell notes.

Gentrol Products from Wellmark International
www.zoecon.com
Gentrol Products from Wellmark International contain the active ingredient (S)-Hydroprene, an insect growth regulator that disrupts the normal development of drain and fruit flies as well as immature cockroaches, bed bugs and stored product pests. The Gentrol label allows use in food-handling areas. Gentrol Aerosol and Gentrol IGR Concentrate formulations are designed to provide excellent efficacy against drain flies and fruit flies when applied to fly breeding areas such as sink and floor drains, floor mats and trash cans. Gentrol also can be applied as a general surface spray or as a spot or crack and crevice treatment in residential homes, manufacturing facilities, day-care centers, office buildings, schools, nursing homes, warehouses, transportation vehicles and in food-handling establishments such as restaurants and food-processing plants.