Interesting article in Pest Management Mag. Pin steam pattern produces better results & less pesticide runoff risk then fan stream. Counterintuitive but the test results are there. http://bit.ly/saPKqW
Monday, December 19, 2011
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Pest / Weed / Landscape pros - what can you do this offseason to ensure your spray equipment is ready for a great 2012? http://bit.ly/t7Wy5t
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
That's One Expensive Bird
This bird cost me a lot of time and money. Here's what happenned and how to prevent it from happening to you. http://bit.ly/uQrkS7
Monday, November 14, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Right of Way Weed Sprayer
Weed Sprayer Right of Way, 200 Gallon. We delivered this sprayer to Arizona Department of Transportation this week. Photo shows Sarah Karasz, ADOT Natural Resources Supervisor in front of the sprayer. 
ADOT will use this sprayer to spray weeds along the side of AZ highways and to de-ice bridges this winter. Some of the features:
- 200 gallon tank, with auto opening lid for easy fill
- Deicing Boom
- Guard Rail Boom
- ROW Weed Boom - 4 different tips, on actuator for spray angle adjustment
- Electric rewind spray reel, with remote control rewind
- Separate clean water system
- Custom Control box: engine start/kill, pressure adjustment, on/off for each tip/boom, ambient temperature, road temperature, tank lid up/down, boom spray head up/down.
We are proud of this sprayer and think it is our best work. Check out photos on our page:
ADOT will use this sprayer to spray weeds along the side of AZ highways and to de-ice bridges this winter. Some of the features:
- 200 gallon tank, with auto opening lid for easy fill
- Deicing Boom
- Guard Rail Boom
- ROW Weed Boom - 4 different tips, on actuator for spray angle adjustment
- Electric rewind spray reel, with remote control rewind
- Separate clean water system
- Custom Control box: engine start/kill, pressure adjustment, on/off for each tip/boom, ambient temperature, road temperature, tank lid up/down, boom spray head up/down.
We are proud of this sprayer and think it is our best work. Check out photos on our page:
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Pest Control Sprayer
Pest control sprayers take up a lot of space in a service vehicle. We cant afford to waste any. Pest Control operator brought us a truck and asked us to install a 100 gallon spray rig. We were surprised at how the toolbox was installed (photo). 
The toolbox was installed by the truck dealer 4" from the front of the bed. Space is at a premium in pest control truck beds, especially in short beds or when trying to install a large tank and a toolbox.
The equipment the client wanted and the rack system (installed by the dealer) required an expensive custom skid that would not have fit any other truck. Since the client was planning on trading in the truck shortly, it would not have been money well spent. We advised, and client agreed, it was better to put the equipment in a small trailer. When a new truck is purchased. the equipment will be moved from the trailer to the new vehicle.
Do you have any photos of inefficient spray vehicles you can share?
The toolbox was installed by the truck dealer 4" from the front of the bed. Space is at a premium in pest control truck beds, especially in short beds or when trying to install a large tank and a toolbox.
The equipment the client wanted and the rack system (installed by the dealer) required an expensive custom skid that would not have fit any other truck. Since the client was planning on trading in the truck shortly, it would not have been money well spent. We advised, and client agreed, it was better to put the equipment in a small trailer. When a new truck is purchased. the equipment will be moved from the trailer to the new vehicle.
Do you have any photos of inefficient spray vehicles you can share?
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Weed Control Rig - Major Damage Is Expensive
Weed control sprayer diaphragm pump was totally destroyed, costing the company money, downtime and missed appointments. 
Pump was run without oil. Photo (click to enlarge) shows 1) metal fragments 2) scored shaft both from unlubricated operation.
Diaphragm pumps are great pumps for weed control spray rigs, deep root feeding rigs and landscape sprayers. The pumps can handle a wide variety of materials while supplying good volume and pressure. These pumps require oil for lubrication. Most have an external oil reservoir that is visible to the spray tech. The first lesson is that techs MUST check the oil reservoir BEFORE starting the pump. If there is no oil, or there is a white milky liquid, do not start the pump. The photo shows what happens if you do.
The second lesson is that sometimes the diaphragms fail while the applicator is working. The pump will continue pumping. There may be a change in pressure or the sound that the pump is making. Train technicians to be aware of these things and to return to the vehicle and check the pump if they think there may be a problem.
The third lesson is don't wait for diaphragms to fail. Perform preventative maintenance regularly. Replace diaphragms (and other key parts) BEFORE they fail.
Finally, the pressure control valve on this pump was stuck in the highest possible position. The technician was spraying weeds at 360 psi! Technicians must be advised that if they have a problem, they are to report it promptly. This expensive issue could have been avoided had the technician been better trained.
Diaphragm pumps are great pumps for weed control spray rigs, deep root feeding rigs and landscape sprayers. The pumps can handle a wide variety of materials while supplying good volume and pressure. These pumps require oil for lubrication. Most have an external oil reservoir that is visible to the spray tech. The first lesson is that techs MUST check the oil reservoir BEFORE starting the pump. If there is no oil, or there is a white milky liquid, do not start the pump. The photo shows what happens if you do.
The second lesson is that sometimes the diaphragms fail while the applicator is working. The pump will continue pumping. There may be a change in pressure or the sound that the pump is making. Train technicians to be aware of these things and to return to the vehicle and check the pump if they think there may be a problem.
The third lesson is don't wait for diaphragms to fail. Perform preventative maintenance regularly. Replace diaphragms (and other key parts) BEFORE they fail.
Finally, the pressure control valve on this pump was stuck in the highest possible position. The technician was spraying weeds at 360 psi! Technicians must be advised that if they have a problem, they are to report it promptly. This expensive issue could have been avoided had the technician been better trained.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Weed Control Spray Cart
Weed control sprayer. Client (a nursery) bought an off the shelf weed spray cart on the internet in order to save some money. Tank was damaged by an employee and brought in to us for repair (photo). 
When we contacted the manufacturer. 6 weeks lead time on this tank. That is a lot of downtime. Make sure you ask about replacement parts/components when buying a power sprayer.
What is the true cost of this weed sprayer?
Comments?
When we contacted the manufacturer. 6 weeks lead time on this tank. That is a lot of downtime. Make sure you ask about replacement parts/components when buying a power sprayer.
What is the true cost of this weed sprayer?
Comments?
Monday, October 10, 2011
BirchmeierBackpacks.com is now up and live. Our new website offers the lowest price on these great Backpack sprayers as well as having ALL the parts you need to repair your backpack to keep it in tip top shape. Birchmeier makes the best backpack sprayer in the market for pest control & landscape professionals. http://bit.ly/rmQHgX
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Weed Control Sprayers
Client brought a weed control sprayer in for repairs. The power sprayer used a fiberglass tank split into 2 tanks. The tank was fine but the problem was the plumbing. The company that built the sprayer ran the plumbing lines for the 2nd tank through the middle of the 1st tank. One of these lines cracked, causing contamination as the chemicals mixed. Here are some photos: 
Notice how the pickup line runs through the wall into the other tank.
The small capped line at the top of this photo is the bypass line. Notice how it runs through the wall into the other tank. This line had cracked inside the other tank, causing contamination in that other tank. We capped it and reran the line on the outside of the tank.
The photo on the right shows the exterior of the tank. The red arrow shows the bypass line that we capped off. We re-ran this line on the outside of the tank the way it should have been done originally.
The blue arrow shows the pickup lines for the two tanks. You can see how both lines run into the close tank and therefore one of the lines runs through the first tank into the second.
This is obviously terrible design that caused downtime. Cross contamination can be an expensive proposition (think post emergent in your preemergent tank).
The only reason we can think of for this design was to put all the hoses and fittings inside the tank to make the sprayer easier to ship. This seems backward to us. A rig should be designed for long term, productive use not for 1 time shipping. Figure out a better way to ship it. When we ship rigs we have specially designed boxes that go over the sprayers to protect them.
Notice how the pickup line runs through the wall into the other tank.
The photo on the right shows the exterior of the tank. The red arrow shows the bypass line that we capped off. We re-ran this line on the outside of the tank the way it should have been done originally.
The blue arrow shows the pickup lines for the two tanks. You can see how both lines run into the close tank and therefore one of the lines runs through the first tank into the second.
This is obviously terrible design that caused downtime. Cross contamination can be an expensive proposition (think post emergent in your preemergent tank).
The only reason we can think of for this design was to put all the hoses and fittings inside the tank to make the sprayer easier to ship. This seems backward to us. A rig should be designed for long term, productive use not for 1 time shipping. Figure out a better way to ship it. When we ship rigs we have specially designed boxes that go over the sprayers to protect them.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
B&G Termite Tools - Parts Now Available
You can now get hard to find repair parts for all your B&G Termite Rods at TermiteTools.com. 
Your termite rods are too expensive to sit in the storage room. Now you can get repair parts for your:
B&G Versagun Termite Rod
B&G Versatool Termite Rod
B&G QCG Termite Rod
B&G Sub Slab Injector Termite Rod.
Parts breakdowns & B&G Maintenance Manual also available. We now have about 90% of the parts available; we will have the number to 100% in a week or two. Please share this link with your colleagues.
Your termite rods are too expensive to sit in the storage room. Now you can get repair parts for your:
B&G Versagun Termite Rod
B&G Versatool Termite Rod
B&G QCG Termite Rod
B&G Sub Slab Injector Termite Rod.
Parts breakdowns & B&G Maintenance Manual also available. We now have about 90% of the parts available; we will have the number to 100% in a week or two. Please share this link with your colleagues.
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