PCO Survey Sample

Attachment 9

Nature and Availability of Commercial Tick Control Services:

A Survey of the Pest Management Industry

The blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, transmits the pathogen that cause Lyme disease, the most commonly reported vector-borne disease in the United States, with over 33,000 confirmed and probable cases reported in 2014 alone. This tick also transmits the disease agents that cause human granulocytic anaplasmosis and human babesiosis. Therefore, reducing the abundance of this tick is a public health priority. We would like your help in determining the types of tick control services offered by the pest management industry and would appreciate your time in completing this survey concerning your firm’s involvement in managing this important tick vector.

Section 1. General Information

1. How many field personnel/technicians does your firm employ?

__ a. less that 5

__ b. 5-10

__ c. 11-20

__ d. more than 20

2. In what counties does your firm provide tick management services? (list all)

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

3. Does your firm offer tick control services?

__ a. yes

__ b. no

4. If you answered “no” to the previous question, what are the reasons? (check all that apply)

__ a. lack of client interest

__ b. too expensive for most clients

__ c. technically too difficult

__ d. liability too great

__ e. lack of reliable control technologies

__ f. other (please describe _________________________________________)

If your firm does offer tick control services, please continue.

If your firm does not offer tick control services, the survey is complete.

Please submit/return. Thank you.

Section 2. Tick Control Strategies

1. If your firm offers tick control services, are they

__ a. specific for tick control alone?

__ b. part of a lawn care/landscaping package?

2. Does your firm survey the client’s property for ticks before attempting control?

__ yes

__ no

3. If you answered “no” to the previous question, why not?

__ a. too expensive

__ b. don’t know how

__ c. decision to treat based on the presence of tick habitat

__ d. client complained of tick bites

__ e. other (please describe _________________________________________)

4. On what basis does your firm decide to treat a client’s property to control ticks?

(check all that apply)

__ a. client request

__ b. routinely included as part of a lawn care/landscaping package

__ c. recommended based on presence of tick habitat

__ d. results of tick surveys

__ e. other (please describe _________________________________________)

5. How often do you treat a client’s property to control ticks?

__ a. once/year

__ b. twice/year

__ c. three times/year

__ d. four or more times/year

6. Against which stage(s) of ticks does your firm direct control efforts? (check all that apply)

__ a. nymph

__ b. larva

__ c. adult

7. If your firm targets nymphs, when do you initiate control? (check all that apply)

__ a. January-March

__ b. April-June

__ c. July-September

__ d. October-December

__ e. not applicable, we do not treat against nymphs

8. If your firm targets larvae, when do you initiate control? (check all that apply)

__ a. January-March

__ b. April-June

__ c. July-September

__ d. October-December

__ e. not applicable, we do not treat against larvae

9. If your firm targets adults, when do you initiate control? (check all that apply)

__ a. January-March

__ b. April-June

__ c. July-September

__ d. October-December

__ e. not applicable, we do not treat against adults

10. When attempting to control ticks, what areas do you treat? (check all that apply)

__ a. lawn

__ b. landscaping

__ c. woodland edge

__ d. woodland

Section 3. Tick Control Technologies

1. What tick control methods does/has your firm used? (check all that apply)

__ a. application of conventional synthetic acaricides

__ b. habitat management (e.g. trimming back vegetation, leaf litter removal)

__ c. application of pathogenic fungus (e.g. Tick-Ex)

__ d. application of plant-derived natural products (e.g. EcoEXEMPT)

__ e. exclusion (e.g. deer fencing)

__ f. deployment of host-targeted devices (e.g. Select Tick Control System [TCS] rodent

bait boxes, 4-Poster deer treatment stations, Damminix)

__ g. distribution of educational materials

__ h. other (please describe ______________________________)

2. If your firm uses conventional synthetic pesticides, plant-derived

natural product, and/or pathogenic fungal pesticides to control ticks, what equipment does

your firm use? (check all that apply)

__ a. backpack/knapsack sprayers

__ b. high pressure hydraulic sprayers

__ c. mist blowers

__ d. drop or cyclone spreaders

__ e. chest-mounted cyclone spreaders

__ f. mist blowers modified to apply granules

__ g. other (please describe _____________________________________________)

3. If your firm uses conventional synthetic pesticides to control ticks, please list.

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

4. If your firm does not use Select TCS rodent bait boxes, why not? (check all that apply)

__ a. didn’t know the technology existed/don’t know much about the technology

__ b. not requested by clients

__ c. too expensive

__ d. concerned about liability

__ e. delay in efficacy

__ f. not sure they work

__ g. other (please describe _____________________________________________)

5. If your firm does not use 4-Poster deer treatment stations, why not? (check all that apply)

__ a. didn’t know the technology existed/don’t know much about the technology

__ b. not requested by clients

__ c. too expensive

__ d. concerned about liability

__ e. delay in efficacy

__ f. not sure they work

__ g. other (please describe _____________________________________________)

6. If your firm does not use Damminix, why not? (check all that apply)

__ a. didn’t know the technology existed/don’t know much about the technology

__ b. not requested by clients

__ c. too expensive

__ d. concerned about liability

__ e. delay in efficacy

__ f. not sure they work

__ g. other (please describe _____________________________________________)

7. If your firm does not use plant-derived natural products, why not? (check all that apply)

__ a. didn’t know the technology existed/don’t know much about the technology

__ b. not requested by clients

__ c. too expensive

__ d. concerned about liability

__ e. not sure they work

__ f. other (please describe _____________________________________________)

8. If your firm does not use pathogenic fungus, why not? (check all that apply)

__ a. didn’t know the technology existed/don’t know much about the technology

__ b. not requested by clients

__ c. too expensive

__ d. concerned about liability

__ e. delay in efficacy

__ f. not sure they work

__ g. other (please describe _____________________________________________)

Section 4. Administration

1. Regarding tick control, to what extent do the following types of clients make up your

business? (list percentage for each)

__% homeowners

__% government agencies

__% private industry

__% other (please describe _____________________________________________)

2. What percentage of your business is tick control?

__ a. less than 10%

__ b. 10%-25%

__ c. 26%-50%

__ d. more than 50%

3. What is the average amount your firm charges to treat a 1 acre property to control ticks with

conventional synthetic pesticides/visit?

__ a. less than $100

__ b. $101-$150

__ c. $151-$200

__ d. more than $200

4. What is the average number of applications of conventional synthetic pesticides does your

firm make to client properties/year?

__ a. 1

__ b. 2

__ c. 3

__ d. 4

__ e. more than 4

5. If your firm was convinced that least toxic or “eco-friendly” alternatives to the use of

conventional synthetic pesticide applications were effective in controlling ticks, would you

consider offering/using these technologies alone or as part of an integrated tick management

program?

__ yes

__ no

6. If your firm offered least toxic or “eco-friendly” alternatives to the use of conventional

synthetic pesticide applications to control ticks, do you think your clients would pay more

for tick control?

__ yes

__ no

7. If you answered “yes” to the previous question, how much more?

__ a. 50%

__ b. 100%

__ c. 200%

__ d. more than 200% more

8. If your firm offers host-targeted alternatives, what does your firm charge/acre deployment?

(check and complete all that apply)

__ Damminix Tick Tubes (charge/acre deployment = $_______________

__ 4-Poster deer treatment stations (charge/acre deployment = $_______________

__ Select TCS rodent bait boxes (charge/acre deployment = $_______________

__ not applicable, our firm does not use host-targeted technologies

May we contact you for clarification or additional questions?

__ yes

name: _____________________________________________________

name of firm: _______________________________________________

telephone number: ___________________________________________

e-mail address: ______________________________________________

__ no