Have you noticed an increase in delusory parasitosis cases in your area? So did Jody Green, B.C.E. She has an idea on why we might be seeing the upsurge. In addition, Jerry Schappert, A.C.E. gives us tips and pointers on treating German Roaches in mobile homes.

Whistling Past the Cemetery is a weekly recap of some of the most interesting posts on the Pest Cemetery Facebook Group. It's hosted by Bryan Baird and Jerry Schappert.

For our third installment, Patrick and I address one of the more common question business owners ask. Check out episode three of Webster Wednesday today!

For episode 81, The Bug Doctor (Jerry Schappert, A.C.E.) talks tips for roach control in and around mobile homes. In addition, Bryan and Jerry share some exciting news for Pest Cemetery and Arthropodcast. 

For our second installment of Webster Wednesday, Patrick and I discuss the evolution of selling, the importance of online reviews, and the group of customers most likely to leave online reviews.

For our Halloween episode, we discuss how flies are used in forensic science, black widows eating their siblings, cicadas as food and a story about bot flies. Be sure to check it out! 

Legendary pest professional Paul Bello joins the team to share his tips on how to properly perform WDO inspections, what equipment he uses, when to use a moisture meter, and TONS of other useful information.

For our first episode of Webster Wednesday, Patrick and I give advice on what not to do when developing your online presence. Don't be cheese pizza! You can be "meat lovers", "veggie", or anything between - just don't be the same ole "Plain Jane" everyone else is being.

After a long hiatus, Bryan and Steve returned for the 78th episode. Fighting through audio issues, the guys talked about upcoming shows, a new product called Crossfire and whether IGRs actually work on bed bugs. Be sure to checkout the new mini-series called "Webster Wednesday".

For episode 77, Steve explains his IPM method for treating apartments and multi-family units. Bryan explains why he personally checks every job his company performs and why it is important for the professionals of our industry to "self police" ourselves. Bryan also touches on something called "situational pest control".

This week, Steve discusses the way he gets management's support in taking an IPM approach to apartments and multi-family units.

In addition, Bryan shares a lesson learned from an unsuccessful flea treatment, a new "game changing" bed bug product called CrossFire, and he also tells us about a pest control class he teaches at Valdosta State. 

For episode 75, Bryan and Steve discuss the how to control earwigs, a National Geographic article about using a shocking sex method to control Ash Boring Beetles, and Bryan gives a review of his new Green Gorilla Sprayer.

The guys also play a snippet of the Patrick Baldwin interview with Brad Harbison of PCT Magazine.

The guys and I were thinking about what we could do for another special episode of the Arthropodcast when Patrick Baldwin of PestWorks said, “Hey, why don’t we interview the interviewer. You know the people that bring us the stories we read in the magazines? Why don’t we find out a little bit more about them.”

So, he hooked up with Brad Harbison Managing and Internet Editor of PCT magazine and asked him about industry trends, the future of pest control, and mergers and acquisitions, tips on how to write a better blog post, and Brad also shares a few stories from his years of working with PCT.

This is a change of pace for us, but it’s definitely something you want to check out.

This week, we had the honor of talking with Paul Bello. Being a licensed pest management applicator since 1976, Paul has a unique combination of education and extensive field experience.

In episode 74, Paul shares stories about unique beetle infestations, working for the Miami Dolphins, appearing on Television shows (20/20 and National Geographic), and much more.

This is not an episode you want to miss!

For episode 73, Bryan and Steve have a conversation with Daniel S Gordon of PCO Bookkeepers and TurfBooks. Daniel talks about his book "From Technician to CEO, the common pitfalls made by pest control companies, pricing strategies, "end game" tips, along with much much more.

You'll need a pen and pad for this episode, as Daniel is more than willing to share the knowledge he's acquired in his 20+ years of industry experience.

This week, our pest management podcasters cover commercial tips, how flesh flies hear, and the use of Wolbachia to combat mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and Zika.

They also check in with Patrick Baldwin of PestWorks to find out about the newest and future features of this awesome scheduling software.

This episode, Bryan and Steve cover Daniel S Gordon's book, Mealworms in Korean food, an update on the Zika situation in Miami, and Corn Sweat (a real thing... I promise).

In addition, Bryan discusses an internal struggle he's experienced with his recently found industry fame. This might not be the most polished episode, but it's one you don't want to miss!

You read correctly; but whether it's true or not is a different story.

This week the fellas discuss the Zika situation in Florida, the Green Gorilla, and define the term "baseboard jockey". In addition, Bryan uses TV shows as an example for how your business practices can drift. 

Recorded after a hot, muggy day, Bryan and Steve discuss New Zealand's goal to be rat free by 2050, how springtails become tree food, and Bryan's battle with snails at a particular account. 

• What is the biggest mistake business owners make?
• How much should a pest control business budget for advertising?
• What are the most important things to consider when labeling your truck?
• Why does Hal drive a bright red Ford F150?

Find out the answers to these questions and more as we sit down with Hal Coleman on this first episode in our "Start Up Series".

This week, Bryan shares a great newsletter with tips on how to extend the life of your equipment, the guys chime in on the decline of Zika cases in South America, and Steve plays a clip from Patrick's interview with Andrew Larson. 

Here's another special edition of the Arthropodcast. This time, Patrick sits down with Andrew Larson of PestClicks.com.

Inbound marketing is the word of the day, as these fellas talk about increasing your marketing ROI, managing expectations, how to stand out in your market by being more awesome, what not to do with a signup page on your website, tips on how to increase your web traffic and how to convert more of that traffic into customers.

There is a lot of information on here, so you might want to listen two or three times or have a pad and pen close by.

Andrew and Patrick, thanks for taking the time gentlemen!

For Episode 66 of the Arthropodcast, we talk about Rentokil's acquisition of Residex, the difference between being a policeman and PCO, and how to grow your business through video.

In recognition of Independence Day, Bryan and Steve talk about the reasons they sought self employment, the things they would do differently if they started over again and a few other tips for PCOs thinking about starting their own business.

After some technical difficulty, we finally release episode 63.  Bryan shares a Father's Day Cracker Barrel incident and his time as an extra in a new horror film.  We also talk about the CDC and Rentokil contract to fight the zika virus and the relationship between DIY website suppliers and the NPMA.

Is the Zika threat being blown out of proportion?  Can websites join the NPMA? Find out the answers to these questions and more on this weeks show.

For episode 62, Jim Hearity (Northeast Regional Manager at Residex) talks products, the benefits of using a distributor over websites and huge growth opportunities for pest control companies. Steve and Bryan also discuss mice infestations in grocery and pet stores. 

In this very special edition of the Arthropodcast, Patrick Baldwin of PestWorks talks to Vanessa Van Edwards from Science of People. They cover likability, vocal charisma, three steps in combating customer embarrassment, the importance of a handshake, and much more.

Whether you're in management, customer service or inside/outside sales, you'll benefit from this episode!

Bio: As a behavioral investigator and published author, Vanessa figures out the science of what makes people tick at her human behavior research lab, the Science of People. As a geeky, modern-day Dale Carnegie, her innovative work has been featured on NPR, Business Week and CNN.

Is there anything worse than a basket of unlabeled keys from your apartment account? Bryan seems to think so. We also talk in length about Do It Yourself websites and why they're not good for chemical companies.

When hiring a pest control tech, would you prefer someone with strong people skills or one with technical knowledge? Is Diatomaceous Earth as good as the internet claims? How does Nature-Cide work for repelling snakes and skinks? Find out the answers to these questions and more on episode 60 of the Arthropodcast.

On this special episode of the Arthropodcast, Patrick Baldwin of PestWorks sits down with Brad Bartlett. Quite the expert in the hiring process, Brad is the President of Hire and Retain Good People. In this hour, he'll cover the cost of turnover, the importance of using the proper protocol when hiring people, why you should read (not scan) application forms, and he’ll give us reasons why it’s important for technicians to sell pest and termite control services.

Whether you have multiple employees or you’ve only considered bringing someone on the payroll, this episode is for you. The interview is packed with information, so I recommend you take notes or listen to it multiple times.

Just what bugs Aaron Veal? He'll tell us, plus give us his take on last episode's segment on opinions being swayed. 

After a lot of "potty talk", Bryan shares a story about "paradigm shifts" and talks Robobees. 

A study has proven our opinions change by empathy, not facts. Given the nature of the pest control industry, are our opinions on social issues being altered by the relationships we cultivate with our customers? In episode 58, Bryan, Steve, and Patrick will all chime in on the question.

In addition, Bryan ponders how you can motivate new techs to learn more about their craft.

Why did the City of Boston purchase $225 for Dry Ice? Why does Bryan stress the importance of showing value with termite inspections? Who's the "King of Revenue" for Q1 of 2016? Why would you want a termite inspector to drive you crazy?

Find out this and more on Episode 57 of the Arthropodcast!

Why did Aretha Franklin think Prince had the Zika Virus? Are New Jersey's low-income apartments infested with bed bugs? How did Bryan's Nature-Cide Experiment turn out?

Find the answers to these questions and more in episode 56 of the Arthropodcast.

For episode #54, we learn how to uncover the real objection when someone uses the ole "need to talk it over with the spouse" excuse. In addition, Bryan talks about the possible end of the termite tech era and we cover some of the latest arachnid news.

Welcome to another special addition edition of the Arthropodcast. This time, Patrick Baldwin of PestWorks sits down with Lenny Gray.

Ever meet a door to door millionaire? You're about to.

In addition, you'll hear from David Ticknor. He's an All Star sales professional from 855Bugs in Waco, TX. Nicknamed 40k, David is also a certified applicator in pest, termite, bed bugs, rodent and wildlife control. With just three years experience in the industry, He's already made big splashes.

Welcome to a very special edition of the Arthropodcast, this episode we have Patrick Baldwin of Pest Works speaking with valuation guru, merger and acquisition expert…. the one and only Paul Giannamore of the Potomac Company.

If you own a pest control business, consider starting one or have thought about acquiring a competitor, you do NOT want to miss this hour long interview.

Paul and Patrick talk about things you can do to boost the value of your company, common misconceptions, important things business owners often overlook, along with tons of information you can’t afford to be without. Listen close, cause this one’s a doozy.

A promising rise in listeners found our otherwise loose scheme.... to be in need of change. In this special episode, Bryan unveils the exciting changes to our format. 

After nearly four months and more than 100 hours of work, Bryan tells us what and when to expect the latest changes.  You don't want to miss this one!

Big thanks to Aaron Veal for the ninja like assist!

For Episode 52 we have a treat. If you've ever considered starting or selling your pest control business, you do not want to miss this one. We have Paul Giannamore of the Potomac Company sharing tips on how to make your business more valuable. In addition, we answer a listener question from a concerned PCO and Bryan chimes in on the newest wave of all "Natural" pesticides. 

There's no other way to follow up an instant classic (Episode 50) then to record another classic. James Molluso is our most downloaded guest of all time and delivers another great interview. In the process, he shows off some pretty impressive detective skills.

To celebrate our 50 episode, we spent some time with one of the most recognized and respected pest professionals on the planet. Jerry Schappert talks with us about his early blogging days, books, pest control business, and his super successful online community.

For episode 49 of the Arthropodcast we're privileged to have Patrick Baldwin on the show to discuss PestWorks, his exciting new software for the pest control industry.

We also talk about a reformed drug dealing making it big in the industry and Bryan's unwanted guest.

For episode 48, we visit with Critter McCool about the opening of his pest control museum and training center. We also talk about the Earth’s largest land dwelling Arthropod, the ins and outs of silverfish control, and Bryan’s possible dive into video creation.

For episode 47, we discuss baseboard jockeys, a mishap in a school cafeteria, the emergence of Turkestan roaches, and new plans for Critter McCool.

This episode we discuss a new toy Bryan recently discovered, using Geckos for roach control, and the pest management professionals code of conduct. 

In episode 45, we discuss Groundhog Day (event and movie) along with the "Zen" teachings that can be learned from the cult classic. We also talk about important information missing from the  recent barrage of Neonic/Bed Bug Resistance articles and the difficulties in conducting research in lab settings. But most importantly, Bryan tells us about a new Gin fermented with ants called "Anty Gin".

Thanks to Dustin Mantz for the hilarious opening monologue!!!  In episode 44, we discuss when to use monitoring traps in commercial accounts, why Bill Gates belongs in the Pest Control Hall of Fame, and how to deal with sanitation issues in food handling establishments. Is it ever appropriate to call the Health Department? Check out the podcast and find out.

This week we have a familiar contributor, Scott Ballard joins us on the show to discuss the follow up stat we discussed last week. He also gives sales tips for the single operator businesses and the team recommends "swinging for the fences" with your pest control sales proposals.

In episode 42 of the Arthropodcast, Bryan talks about a newly developed organization called the United States Pest Management Professionals Association, he also discusses an eye opening sales follow up statistic, and Steve dives in on the internet's latest Neonic rumor. Will Imidacloprid be banned by the end of 2016? Download the podcast and find out!

This week, we cover new studies conducted by researchers from Kansas State and North Carolina State, Steve shares his "pest control in the snow" experiences, and Bryan tells us about his New Year's resolutions. 

I hope everyone’s holiday season is going well. For me, things have been a bit hectic, not in a bad way, but I’ve found it extremely difficult to set aside the hours needed to put together a podcast episode worth publishing. Because of this, I’ve decided to re-broadcast the first Arthropodcast episode Bryan and I produced as co-hosts. I hope you enjoy.

Congratulations to Miller Pest and Termite in Des Moines , Iowa for winning this weeks contest. They have an awesome website at www.millerthekiller.com. We'd like to thank JoelM222 for the iTunes review. For episode 40 of the Arthropodcast show, Steve brings up a rather odd study that recently took place on the rove beetle. You actually have to see the article to believe it.

Huge thanks to Aaron Veal of Phoenix Pest Control for the intro and congrats to Bug-Man Pest Services for winning this week's game show. For episode 39, Bryan shares some start up tips, we discuss DowDuPont, and Steve shares some of the advancements in spider silk production.

First off, We'd like to wish Larry Wise a Happy Birthday and congratulate Responsible Pest Control of Mesa, AZ for winning our first game show. This episode, we talk about Chagas Disease, a couple great products from the Nisus Corporation and a toy that is made up mostly of boric acid.

This week, Shawn Payne of Lakewood Plant and Pest asks the team what actions they take when they don't get paid, Steve tells a story of how he profits from crawlspaces with raw sewage leaks, and Bryan gives a shout out to Harry Bryan and Charlene Mertz of the Nisus Corporation. 

For Episode 28, Bryan talks about the rat extermination that took place on South Georgia Island, Steve discusses a "thought experiment" that considers which animal is best positioned to take over the Earth if humans become extinct, Steve also mentions a global warming "hack" that would cool the planet, and Bryan looks at the Termidor HP injector system.

Why does Bryan mention robots and zombies?

What is the best why to avoid a talkative customer? 

Stay tuned and find out.

On Episode 27 of the Arthropodcast, Steve gives his opinion on why he feels the entries of Amazon and Uber into the home services realm will not drive pest control prices down. In addition, Scott Ballard gives us three tips that will help build the confidence of new sales reps.

On Episode 26, Bryan discusses a great book titled Zero to a Million, Built a Better Business by Jeff Annis, our opinions of the DIY pest control segment of the industry, and a growing problem in commercial beekeeping - colony theft.

On episode 25 of the Arthropodcast, Bryan gives us a quick history lesson on CCD, we discuss differences between wild bee colonies from 1977 and 2010, Luke Guy joins us to talk about SEO and his new website/app named called PestProAPP.com

This week we’re going to get the final word on roaches shaking while they ingest maxforce impact. We’ll talk about InVict Xpress Granular Bait, and also name a winner for our latest the Facebook question. We ran into some sound quality issues near the end of our call so we decided to cut the episode short and just cover the remaining topics next week.

Hello and welcome to episode 23 of the Arthropodcast. I’m your co-host Steve Jackson. Along with the hilarious Bryan Baird, we bring you your pest info on the go.

On this episode, Bryan gives you a preview of next week’s Facebook question, we both chime in on some of the challenges we always seem to have in August, and I share my findings on the lifting of the neonicotinoids ban in the UK. Why couldn’t farmers just revert to the way they did things before neonics were invented. Seems easy enough, right?

We’ll explain why that option isn’t quite as easy as it sounds. Come ride with us for about 30 minutes, you might be a little surprised on this one.

This week Bryan gives us a brief review of Nisus Magnetic roach bait. He shares contact information for Paul Bello’s pest relief international. And we also discuss a controversial article titled “Call Off the Bee-Pocalypse” written by Christopher Ingraham. According to the USDA’s honey report, the pollinator situation might not be as grim as most of us thought. Stick around and we’ll share some numbers that I personally found very surprising.

On episode 21 of the Arthropodcast, we discuss the Facebook Question of the Week with Wendi Baird and talk sales with Scott Ballard. Bryan also had an interesting observation while using Maxforce Impact: Have you noticed roaches shaking while they ingest the product? Leave us a voicemail with your findings and if we use your comment on the show, we'll mail you your very own Arthropodcast T-shirt. So if you use Maxforce Impact, tell us what you're seeing. We look forward to hearing from you!

Last week I asked for your feedback on a situation I encountered, and did you ever respond. We’ll share your general consensus on the matter, as well as highlight one listeners comments. We’ll talk about fuse and exciting new product from Control solutions incorporated. For those interested in T-Shirts, We’ve finally got em. But there’s a catch, the only way to recieve one is to send us a voice recorded question or comment. If we feature your message on the show, we’ll send you a complementaly T-shirt.

In episode 19, we’ll talk about Transport Mikron - what it does well, and what it doesn’t do well. We both complain about the current heatwave. Bryan shares a funny story about a re-inspection he recently performed, and I talk about an application NO NO that I encountered. As a professional, is it my duty to report the violation? We'd love your input on the matter, so drop us a line and tell us what YOU would do if you witnessed what I did.

On episode 18 of the Arthropodcast we give shout outs to Juliea Huffaker of Responsible Pest Control and Scott Ballard of S&S Termite and Pest Control, we field a question from Matt Winder from ProGuard Pest Control of Southern Utah, and Wendy Baird makes her debut on the podcast. Great job Wendy! We look forward to many more future episodes. 

In Episode 17 of the Arthropodcast, we talk about Bryan's trip to the Georgia Pest Control Association Summer Conference in Orlando, FL. We also discuss a recent study by Anna Dornhaus (Associate professor from the University of Arizona’s ecology and evolutionary biology dept) and an article that claims American Roaches are the "fartiest animals" in Britain.

During our interview with Larry Wise, we had some sound quality issues that weren’t correctable. Our only option was to cut those parts out entirely.

But a lot of good information was shared after the part that required to be deleted.

Given the flow of the conversation, there was no natural way of reinserting the remainder of the interview without post production dialogue.

So in favor of making these edits on what would have been the last five minutes of the last episode, we decided to give you a mid-week bonus.

This broadcast includes what you didn’t hear from our interview with Larry Wise.

As promised, this week we bring you Larry Wise of Jacksonville, FL. Larry is an urban entomologist, third generation pest management professional, and a partner with Bug-Man Pest Control.

Today Larry will give us some insight on what it takes to be an entomologist, he'll share some stories about what it's like to work in a lab setting, he'll talk about bed bugs, chickens, cockroach smoothies and a few other things as well. You won't want to miss this one.

On Episode 15 of the Arthropodcast, we discuss the growth in podcasting, CimeXa, Steve's traumatic experience with a Pit Bull, future guests, and the one person Bryan does NOT want to appear on the show. It's not the most informative episode, but entertaining nonetheless.

On Episode 14 of the Arthropodcast we discuss Father's Day, the Termidor Supplemental Label, Larry Wise, how we got into the pest control industry, and a few crazy tales we've experienced as PCOs.

In this episode we discuss the Termidor label change, spider mating habits, and what Bryan would do if he were President of the United States.

I'm completely STOKED about this new format. Please help me welcome Bryan Baird to the Arthropodcast! Check out the 12th episode as we discuss the latest fruit fly study, an albino squirrel sighting, and which celebrities would make the best/worst exterminators.

There’s been some question about Wikipedia usage for the Best Exterminator on Earth 30 day SEO challenge.  I’m not saying you can’t use the site for backlinks, visibility, or whatever, I’m saying wikipedia pages will ignored in the Search Engine Results Page.

The reason for this wiki ban stems from last years"World's Coolest Exterminator" competition.

As you probably now Wikipedia is a site with tremendous authority, so it ranks well in Google for just about everything.

So, I wrote an article on the site explaining the origins and rules of the World’s coolest exterminator competition. That article was crawled by web spiders, indexed and given the top position of Google within 20 minutes of the time I hit publish! Within another 20 minutes, the moderators killed the article citing, "Contest was not of significance". The search results, however, continued to give the dead article the top position for several days. When you clicked on the link, it took you to a "Page Removed" notification.

When this happened, I knew the site could be abused to win the contest. Simply submit an article 20-30 minutes before the competition ended and have a top ranking position. Sure the moderators would take the new "Best Exterminator on Earth" article down, but it would probably be alive at the time of the deadline.

And for someone, including myself, to employ that type of strategy would take the skill out of the contest and reduce it to an matter of timing - there’s really no fun in that. So, I hope that clarifies things.

This is a great way to let the customer know you really care about them. Thanks for the tip Northeastern Exterminating!

True story.

Studies in 1948 and 1995 were conducted to determine the effect drugs would have on a spider's ability to spin webs when exposed to these said drugs.  Did I mention one of these studies was conducted by NASA?

I was actually going to take a whole different direction for Episode 9, but decided to change things up the day of release.  Hope you enjoy this one as much as I do.

On episode 8 of the Arthropodcast, I review a movie and talk about a recent mosquito experiment by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.  If you have question, comments, suggestion, or would like to be featured on the Arthropodcast, send me a message on Arthropodalley.com or shoot me a tweet on Twitter - @stevejacksonus.

In Episode 7 of Arthropodcast, Steve Jackson discusses age limitations, urban coyotes, and what smokers and bees have in common.

In this episode. I discuss three freebies that have helped me in my career as a pest control professional.

The pest control industry grew 3.5% in 2014, but it appears bed bug control is not the biggest contributing factor.

Vacuuming is a great cleanout method; but is there a better, less-expensive way?  We'll take a look at an interesting option and the pros and cons that come along with it.

Back in January of 2014, there was a bed bug study conducted by the University of Kentucky.

They took 10 strains of bed bugs from across the nation and exposed them to dry residues of Temprid SC and Transport GHP.

On my first read, I thought this study was a product face-off, which one is better.  I since then, have realized the researchers had something else in mind.

Their goal was to achieve an 80% mortality rate, they wanted some survivors. So they had to limit the time the bed bugs were exposed to the products. Reason being, they wanted to monitor the mortality rate of each strain's offspring.

Interview with Mickey Ferrell of HomePro Pest.

Bed Bug Guru James Molluso talks about bed bug treatments, the use of encasements, the city's rat population and the logistical challenges pest control companies encounter while servicing customers in the "Big Apple".