With an annual average of more than 50 inches, Cleveland is one of the snowiest major cities in the United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. For Certified Sentricon Specialist^™ Todd Anderson, owner of A-Best Termite and Pest Control in Akron, Ohio, the Sentricon^® System with Always Active^™ technology makes winter simply another selling season.

“We do installations year-round, because a lot of the homes we install are done in a real estate transfer,” he explains. “An inspection is done, and if our inspectors find evidence of termite activity, or if it’s been five years since the home has been treated and the home is not under warranty by a licensed pest control operator, then a treatment is recommended. In Ohio, the Federal Housing Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs and 99 percent of banks require a wood-destroying insect inspection report to close the sale of a house.”

The logistics of drilling into frozen ground is a nonissue — if you have the right equipment, Anderson says.

“I use a gas-powered ECHO drill, which is easier to use than an auger when the ground is cold,” he says. “The ECHO has a chain saw-like motor, the bit spins faster and there’s a reverse on it. Some winters, the snow cover acts like insulation, so the ground never completely freezes. But with a thick layer of frost, the ground gets really hard. Using a pilot bit, we can drill into frozen ground.”

Anderson uses Sentricon with Always Active technology because the Sentricon stations are “ready to roll” with bait when the weather warms up and the termites become active.

Installing Sentricon stations in the winter helps bring in revenue during the slow months and makes a busy spring season much more manageable.

“Spring is a busy time of year for us. We have a lot of residential pest control customers who rely on our spring perimeter treatments to control ants and wasps for the summer season,” he explains. “Plus, if you install the winter jobs as they come in during the winter months, you have a really nice boost in your receivables. That type of revenue in January or February is pretty nice.”

The ability to install year-round is another benefit of Sentricon, an option that is not possible with liquid chemical treatments in the winter when the ground is frozen.