June 2024

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SPMAO Social Event: Burlington

SPMAO cordially invites you to our 1st “After 5pm Social”!

When: Thursday, July 11, 2024 starting at 5pm
Where: Shoeless Joe’s Burlington, 1250 Brant Street, Burlington, ON L7P 1X8

Open to All: While SPMAO membership offers exclusive benefits, these meet and greet events are open to both members and non-members. This inclusivity ensures that a diverse group of professionals can participate, learn, and network.

Purpose of Meet and Greet Events: The meet and greet events hosted by SPMAO serve multiple purposes, Network Opportunities, knowledge sharing, professional growth and most of all Fun!

Join Us: Whether you are a seasoned pest control professional or new to the industry, SPMAO’s meet and greet events provide the perfect platform to connect, learn, and have fun. Don’t miss out on these opportunities to enhance your professional journey and build lasting relationships.

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Hey members, Don’t forget about your CFIB benefits!

CFIB are excited to announce the first video for HRNow! Concierge tool!

HRNow! Concierge

Advocacy Updates

Capital Gains – Nearly three-quarters (72%) of small business owners say the proposed changes to capital gains taxation will harm Canada’s climate for investment and growth. Discover new data in our news release. Small businesses can get more information on capital gains and share their concerns here.

Replacement Workers – Read our statement in response to Tuesday’s vote in the House of Commons in favour of Bill C-58, a ban on replacement workers in federally regulated workplaces during a strike or a lockout.

Carbon tax rebates: Around 600,000 SMEs in 8 provinces (all other than BC & QC) will be eligible for rebates of a portion of the carbon taxes they’ve paid. Incorporated firms with under 500 paid staff will be eligible, based on their number of T4 employees. To unlock up to 5 years of rebates, businesses need to file their 2023 corporate income tax return before the deadline on July 15, 2024. Rebates will be automatic, paid by the CRA, and will likely be paid out this fall at the earliest. Members can call CFIB business advisors for any questions (1-833-568-2342).

CFIB Research

Minimum Wage Report reveals that setting a $20 minimum wage would cost the Canadian economy $44.9 billion and put almost 600,000 small businesses at risk of becoming unprofitable. Read the report.

Business Barometer® – Small business confidence climbed 8.8 pts to 56.4 in May, back to more seasonal levels and on par with one year ago in May 2023. The most notable improvements are in the retail and transportation sectors. More here.

CFIB InsightBiz – We take a deeper dive into small business financial health amidst CEBA and carbon tax hikes in our latest blog.

Member Support

For Mental Health Awareness Month, we hosted a webinar on workplace wellness and stress management for business owners, in partnership with PrimaSure. Watch it here and check out our Workplace Wellness resource centre.

We launched new member savings in partnership with Lenovo – learn more

Coming Up in June

Launch of our Insolvency Dashboard (Enterprise Pulse Dashboard), providing tracking of business insolvency trends.

CFIB is preparing to respond to potential rail, ports, TTC and CBSA strikes, which will severely impact small businesses.

A new report, Harvesting a Solution: Temporary Foreign Workers (TFWs) Key to Mitigating Agricultural Labour Shortages.

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Seniors left helpless after pest control prep program ends

The Hoarding and Extreme Clean Program helped people prepare their home for exterminators

A provincially funded service that helps Londoners living in low-income housing prepare for pest control treatments will start winding down at the end of March, after the city decided not to continue the funding in the multi-year budget.

The Hoarding and Extreme Clean Program supported 124 households last year where hoarding or pest challenges were an issue. A team goes into a home to de-clutter, pack or move furniture so exterminators can spray for bedbugs and cockroaches.

At one London housing unit in Huron Heights, tenants said the service has been particularly useful for seniors and people with disabilities who are unable to carry heavy furniture.

“It’s a very big problem and I feel bad for people because without this help, I don’t know what they’re going to do,” said Kelly Hill, 55, who relies on a mobility scooter and used the program two months ago to get a bedbug treatment in her Huron Heights apartment.

He spent 8 years living in a bedbug nightmare. Now he wants his city to take action

The program was funded by Ontario’s Ministry of Health until 2022 when the city temporarily took it over. It had a contract with Toronto-based VHA Home HealthCare, a non-profit that offers 24/7 health care and support services to people in their homes.

During this year’s budget debate, city staff made a business case to continue funding the $400,000 program annually. The funding request was not approved.

A VHA spokesperson said no one was available for an interview, but wrote in an email that the organization is seeking other revenue streams to be able to continue the service in London.

‘It’s crazy stressful,’ says senior

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SAVE THE DATES!

The Structural Pest Management Association of Ontario (SPMAO) is excited to announce its upcoming Fall Workshops in October 2024. The workshops will be held on two separate dates and locations to accommodate professionals from across the province.

Kingston
Tuesday, October 8th, 2024

Join us in Kingston for a day filled with insightful presentations and networking opportunities with industry leaders that promises to deliver the latest advancements and best practices in pest management.

London
Friday, October 11th, 2024

For those who are unable to attend the Kingston event, the same comprehensive program will be available in London. This second date ensures that all members have the opportunity to benefit from the valuable content and connections offered by the SPMAO Workshops.

What to Expect

Educational Sessions: Gain knowledge from experts on the latest trends and technologies in pest management.
Networking Opportunities: Connect with fellow professionals, suppliers and industry leaders to share experiences and insights.
Exhibitor Showcase: Explore products and services from leading suppliers in the pest control industry.

Who Should Attend?

This conference is ideal for pest management professionals, business owners, technicians and anyone involved in the pest control industry. Whether you are looking to expand your knowledge, improve your services or grow your professional network, this event is designed to meet your needs.

Registration Details

Registration for the SPMAO Workshops will open soon. Stay tuned for further announcements on the SPMAO website and through our newsletters. Be sure to mark your calendar and secure your spot early as spaces are expected to fill quickly.

Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your expertise and connect with peers in the pest management field. Save the date for October 8, 2024, in Kingston, Ontario or October 11, 2024, in London, Ontario, and join us for an enriching and impactful event.

A reminder that SPMAO Events are to be used for educational, learning and networking purposes and not as a recruitment opportunity.

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Customer service is crucial in the pest control industry for several reasons

1. Customer Trust and Confidence

Pest control often involves entering clients’ homes or businesses and handling sensitive situations. Excellent customer service helps build trust and confidence in the service provider, reassuring clients that their privacy and property will be respected.

2. Repeat Business and Referrals

Satisfied customers are more likely to become repeat clients and recommend the service to others. Word-of-mouth referrals are particularly important in the pest control industry, where personal recommendations carry significant weight.

3. Handling Stressful Situations

Dealing with pests can be stressful and unsettling for customers. Professional and empathetic customer service can alleviate anxiety, providing reassurance and a sense of control over the situation.

4. Compliance with Regulations

Ontario has strict regulations regarding pest control, including safety standards and environmental considerations. Clear and effective communication with customers ensures they understand the procedures, potential risks, and safety measures, fostering compliance and trust.

5. Addressing Complaints and Issues

Prompt and efficient handling of complaints and issues is vital. Good customer service ensures that problems are resolved quickly and satisfactorily, preventing negative reviews and maintaining the company’s reputation.

6. Enhancing Professional Image

High-quality customer service reflects the professionalism and reliability of a pest control company. It demonstrates a commitment to client satisfaction and positions the company as a leader in the industry.

7. Education and Prevention

Effective customer service includes educating clients about pest prevention and maintenance. This proactive approach not only helps clients but also reduces the likelihood of recurring infestations, benefiting both the customer and the company.

8. Cultural and Community Sensitivity

Ontario is diverse, with various cultural backgrounds and communities. Tailoring customer service to be culturally sensitive and understanding can enhance client relationships and ensure services are respectful and effective.

9. Competitive Advantage

In a competitive market, exceptional customer service can distinguish a company from its competitors. It can be a key differentiator that attracts and retains customers.

10. Building Long-Term Relationships

Pest control is often an ongoing need rather than a one-time service. Building strong, long-term relationships with customers through excellent service ensures continued business and loyalty.

In summary, customer service is fundamental to the pest control industry in Ontario, Canada, because it builds trust, ensures compliance, handles stress, and enhances the overall client experience, leading to sustained business success

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The world’s most common cockroach is ‘a monster of our own creation,’ study finds

The German cockroach evolved alongside humans, and it’s only natural habitat is inside our buildings. Despite its name, the German cockroach isn’t from Germany. In fact, it’s not really from anywhere. Blattella germanica, the most prevalent species of cockroach on the planet, was named for specimens collected in Germany in the 1700s. But it’s not native to any one country. Its only true home is inside our homes — and our workplaces, and our schools, etc.

In fact, according to a new study, its entire evolution is tied to human history.

“It’s the most widespread, yuckiest pest we can think of inside — but it’s a monster of our own creation,” Edward Vargo, an urban entomologist at Texas A&M University, told As It Happens host Nil Köksal.

“It’s basically everywhere in the world that has buildings, but there are no natural populations of this species that we can find in nature. So it’s been a mystery as to where did these come from.”

Vargo and his colleagues set out to solve that mystery. Their new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, details the surprisingly rapid and successful evolutionary history of the world’s most common roach.

Our constant companion for millennia 

By analyzing the genes of over 280 cockroaches from 17 countries and six continents, the researchers determined the German cockroach branched off from its closest wild relative — the Asian cockroach — about 2,100 years ago.

That makes it “a relatively new species in biological time,” Vargo said.

“It became adapted to human built-environments and then completely lived inside of those buildings and then spread around through military conquests and commercial activity throughout the world.”

It likely spread out from southeast Asia alongside humans, the study notes, hitching rides with travelling armies, merchants and trade ships.

Edward Vargo, an urban entomologist at Texas A&M University, says that by understanding the genetic evolution of the cockroach, we can potentially learn why it’s so resistant to pesticides.  Essentially, everywhere humans have gone, the mighty cockroach has followed. And despite our best efforts, it’s only getting mightier. “They’ve spread very rapidly, and they developed resistance very quickly against almost all insecticides that are used against them,” Vargo said.

Understanding their genes can help us fight them

Michael E. Scharf, a retired urban entomologist from the University of Florida, welcomed the research that sheds light on what he calls “one of the most important, and long-standing, invasive pests that we have.”

“As the urban entomology field seeks to understand how fast insecticide resistance builds in German cockroach populations and spreads to new locations, this new knowledge provides insights into the adaptability of the roach genome that enables such rapid changes at a population level,” he told CBC in an email.

Scharf, who is not involved in the research, says the next step would be “finding hotspots in the genome that give rise to mutations that cause insecticide resistance.”

A specimen of German cockroach — which is, in fact, not German at all — from the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology. (Qian Tang/The Associated Press)

In other words, understanding the roach’s genes could help us keep them at bay.

That’s Vargo’s hope as well. Cockroaches, he says, are a huge public health concern. They contaminate food, they spread disease and they’re a major trigger for asthma and allergies.

“The better we’re able to control the populations and eliminate populations, especially from high-density housing [and] low-income housing areas, you know, the better we will be able to suppress their public health effects,” he said.

Cockroaches have become nearly impossible to kill with chemicals, study finds

Vargo says the findings also show that humans aren’t as separated from the natural world as we like to think. “We’re seeing urbanization occur at a rapid rate all around the world. There’s enough indoor environment to be a major biome or ecological system,” Vargo said. “We don’t know what’s down the road as far as what species will be able to survive, and actually thrive, in these kinds of environments. So that’s something I think we need to think about.”

Courtesy of Lara Hindle

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We invite you to contribute!

Please send your articles to info@spmao.ca.

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