As the holiday season wraps up, I hope to find you all in great health and spirits. Hopefully you had the ability to spend time with your family and Santa brought you everything your heart desired. Now as you start this new year, the focus shifts to a fresh beginning. Goals and resolutions are a big part of most people’s January. Goals are important because they are roadmaps to guide your path as you aim to improve your circumstance. Resolutions are great because it doesn’t matter what you did or how you did before. You have the opportunity to give it another shot. Sometimes the term resolution brings a negative connotation with it. For those of you that want to be healthier, you will be ridiculed and told that by Valentine’s Day you will no longer be attending that gym you signed that yearly contract with. Is there a chance you go through the drive thru and pick up a greasy cheeseburger, maybe, but you get to decide, not them.
I focus my yearly goal planning from Zig Ziglar’s wheel of life. Zig’s wheel has seven spokes; Financial, Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Family, Social and Career. Since my career is in pest control, I am going to share some of those career goals for 2024 here with you today. My first goal is actually a couple hundred words old, this blog. I have a goal to educate our clients and potential clients, through regular blog posts. I’ve been in the pest control industry for 14 years and have loved every single minute of it. I love to learn new things and to build on what I already have a base of knowledge about. Several years ago, I challenged myself to attain the title of Associate Certified Entomologist. It was not an insurmountable task, as I was able to study, retain as much information as I could and passed my test on the third try. See, I am an example that failure is not fatal. I proudly hang that certificate from the Entomological Society of America on the wall behind my desk. I also understand that getting that piece of paper is only the beginning, there is so much more out there to learn. I am of the belief that the best way to continue to learn is to teach. My ultimate goal is to use this blog to inform the reader about the pests or issues that are important to be aware of or plan for. Throughout this year we will discuss pests that are found in most homes, pests that may be located outside the home, pest that may not be so common, pests with wings, those with tails, pests that you may encounter out in public and even some fun facts. Seasonal topics will be covered and we hope that you use this information to better understand and be prepared.
My bread and butter pest has been bed bugs for the past fourteen years here in Nevada. I have been lucky enough to be around what I can only imagine are thousands of treatments by now. I have attained intimate knowledge of how these critters behave, how they torment people and how to eradicate them. I have tried many types of treatments; chemical, thermal, spores and cryo. I hope to be a valuable resource to those seeking avoid or to be rid of these buggers.
My favorite part about my job are named Scout, Bruce and Rogue. Those three are my canine partners trained in bed bug detection. I have been doing that almost as long as I have been in the industry, 12 years. K9 Scout is a 9 & ½ year old Belgian Malinois and my longest serving partner. Scout is very good at her job and also an amazing ambassador for me, my company and the industry. Scout loves to go to work, and when it’s completed, loves to say hi to people. She is the ultimate politician, I joke that she “Loves to kiss hands and shake babies!”. Several years ago, when I was trying to decide what type of dog I wanted to be my next partner, I decided I wanted more of that. So that is how Bruce and Rogue come in the picture, they are Scout’s babies. Bruce was a natural detection dog from the beginning, he was a quick learner. He was imprinted on bed bugs at 4 months, certified at 9 months and competed at 14 months against some of the industry’s best, coming in second place by a mere 20 seconds. Rogue is the older sister and will not let Bruce take all the spotlight. She was my entry into this year’s competition and took first place. I am very proud of those two pups and when Scout retires to live the life of a queen, her legacy will carry on proudly. K9 Bed Bug detection will be one of my goals to continue getting better, grow and improve my craft.
I have been around many great industry professionals, clients and many advancements. Hopefully I do the readers right by fulfilling my goal and providing some useful information and knowledge to help those looking for help. Another career based goal for me is to go out and hold classes for people and businesses that would like a better understanding of what pests they deal with. I am also working towards getting my Public Health Entomology Certificate to be more qualified as a resource.
My hope is that as you begin the journey that will be 2024, you will plan for the best possible outcomes. Set some big, hairy, audacious goals. If you aim for the moon and you miss, you will still land among the stars. Don’t be afraid to fail, be afraid to be a bystander. I look forward to writing these blog posts and growing. Keep checking in to hear about issues that may need to be addressed and look forward to updates about Scout, Bruce and Rogue. Look for real life stories that may be gross or uplifting, who knows. Let’s all head out together and make 2024 the best year ever. From all of us at Preventive Pest Control in Las Vegas, Nevada and Southern Utah, have a Happy New Year!
