Rain, rain go away could be the spring tick control chant. While residual applications can withstand weather, a washout will impact efficacy, and pest management professionals (PMPs) need to be prepared. “You get those rainy seasons and [the product] might not take as you like, so we might use granular and other options,” says Adam Carace, CEO, Pest-End Exterminators, Plaistow, N.H.
If a customer calls back and requests a re-service, “We pivot in our treatment,” Carace says.
Callbacks are uncommon, and to prevent them technicians make internal notes if rain occurs immediately following a tick treatment. “We follow up with those customers, and we cover them for the season, so if they need a fourth or fifth service, that is included,” Carace says.
If rain puts a damper on an application, Quality Pest Control in Omaha, Neb., immediately re-services the next day. “For us, callbacks haven’t been an issue,” says Carl Braun, president.
The typical callback rate for tick service is 1 to 2 percent, and 44 percent of PCT tick control survey respondents said they get none. Braun says, “Usually, we bundle tick with mosquito service, and I can’t recall a callback just for ticks.”
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