Pest Control services

We are pursuing working with the Pest Control industry to develop units that are easier to use, fast to start a job and fast to finish a job and go on to the next job. We already have both manual and motorized big reels with 300 and 400 foot hoses in the field. Reports from the field have said that the motorized reels are hard to unreel though nice to reel back up. We are working with reel manufactures to solve this problem.

For now, I recommend that the manual reels are ordered on new units. They are much more economical, not near as much to go wrong and they have in all probability a shorter turn around time on the job.

Allen

Rules of thumb for ‘what unit do I need’.

I recently did a time cost production analysis for a customer in helping him decide what unit to buy for his acreage.
This is a difficult problem for those that would max out a 206 but have minimal acreage for a 412. And of course the same is true with the 412 compared to the 620.
Working with several custom operators we have come up with the mounds per acre in a gopher infested field that would constitute a fairly mild infestation. We determined that 20 to 25 mounds per acre will allow an operator using the PERC 412 to treat from 3 to 3 1/2 acres an hour. This would calculate out to about one minuet per mound. Thus, if there were 40 mounds per acre, you could expect to treat about 1-1/2 acres an hour with the 412 and so on. The 620 can cover about about 1.7 times the area covered by the 412 in any given time frame. The real advantage to the 620 is that it has 40,000 ppm of CO in the exhaust gas while the 412 has about 25,000 PPM of CO. The 206 tests at 20,000 ppm of CO. We recommend that both the 206 and the 412 are run with about 1/3 choke to increase the levels of CO.
The determining factor is cost per acre of the machine, labor availability and of course availability of capital. Most farmers have shown that they can justify the capital purchase of their PERC unit when the per acre cost of the machine is between $ 10 and $ 40. Getting the dirt out of the hay, reductions of breakdowns in the field from gopher mounds and a faster, smoother harvest are factors used when justifying the cost of the machine.
Consequently, the recommended acreages for each machine are as follows:

206 and the 206T up to 200 acres

412 200 to 1,000 acres

620 1,000 to 2,000 acres (custom operators and large operations that can have a full time operator can cover up to about 3,000 acres in a 12 month time frame weather permitting.)

Model updates:

We have done a lot of machine improvements in the last year. First we have replaced the SS coil flex tubing with a seamless ribbed flex tubing that delivered the gas to the cooling coils and from the cooling coils to the compressor. (206 and 412 only) To date, this looks like a life of the machine improvement. We have not changed the flex tubing on the 620 because of the additional cost of the ribbed tubing and the reduced vibration of the 620 has prevented the flex tubing from showing any failure.
The old load geni has been replaced by a pilot valve. It is simpler, cheaper, filtered and has not had a failure in several months.
The belting we used for the vibration pads has been replaced with rubber impact material that does not have any cording. it is working great and has reduced vibration.
You will notice that the wand holders are better located, has one wand per tube and gives a lower profile. (412 and the 620)
We are in the process of offering 300′ reels for the 206 and the 412. These are targeted for the pest control industry, an area we are just getting started marketed in. The profits from treating urban yards are astounding. A skid mounted 412 is on the drawing board and looks to be popular to set in a small pickup for pest control businesses. It is not recommended for commercial agriculture, efficiency in the field is reduced in comparison to the trailer ed unit pulled with an ATV.

Optimum soil conditions

I have written several information requests about sandy soils. I will address that here in short form. First, we are injecting pressurized carbon monoxide in the burrow system to kill gophers etc. We need to achieve a minimum lethal level of CO of 1,000 PPM throughout the burrow system. Since our exhaust gas is from 20,000 to 40,000 ppm of CO, (depending on the unit) it is fairly easy to get the desired level.
The key is the porosity of the soil. There is usually a compacted layer on the inside of the burrow that will help seal the burrow from gas escaping but in dry sandy or gravelly soils, the gas can still escape preventing the buildup of the desired lethal level. In these conditions, it is best to delay treatment till soil moisture is at a level desired for plant growth. This can be determined by shoving a round point shovel full depth into the ground and taking a handful of soil from the tip of the shovel. If the soil will hold its shape after it has been formed into a ball, then the moisture level is adequate for treatment.
In Clay or clay loam soils, if the soil is loose enough to probe the burrow, it is optimum for treatment.

Catching up!!

I have not done a blog update for several months and I apologize.
I will address several subjects here but under separate headings.

The “NEW” 206

The first of the 206’s with a Curtis Toledo compressor are headed for the field. There are several improvements over the Champion compressor that we have been using for three years.
First, the compressor delivers 18 cfm (compared to 15 cfm) which means more carbon monoxide at a higher pressure. In shop tests, the Curtis Toledo pump will hold 40 psi with both ball valves open. The 6.5 hp Powerland motor handles the pump very well though we did put an unloader that drops out the gas pressure from the pump when the motor idles back.
We are getting consistent carbon monoxide readings from 15,000 to 16,500 ppm.
Last, but probably most important is that we are measuring a huge decrease in vibration throughout the unit;. This is attributed to a better balance crank and pistons within the compressor. This allows us to run the compressor at 900 rpm rather than the 800 with the Champion pumps; And even at the higher rpm, the vibration levels are much lower than we have had in the past.
Of course there is always a down side and in the case of the 206, the Curtis Toledo pump is more expensive and when we re-evaluate our pricing structure in June and July, the price on the 206 will most likely go up. Makes now a good time to buy a 206!

Carbon Monoxide testing

We have recently purchased a new Carbon monoxide tester. We can test CO in ppm up to 10,000 ppm and above that in percent. We are testing every new unit prior to delivery and to say the least, it is very interesting. First, no two motors have tested alike. The 13 hp motors will test from 14,000 ppm to 21,000 ppm. The 6.5 hp motors have very little test history yet, but it would seem they will test in the 15,000 ppm range. The twin V 20 hp motors are testing from 30,000 to 40,000 ppm. We have tried and will continue to test methods to increase the CO levels. Soaking the foam air filter cover in oil and wringing out the excess oil seems to not effect the motors running and does increase the CO by about 1,000 ppm. Choking the motor by about 1/8″ to 1/4″ has had a dramatic effect on the CO, from 20 to 40 percent increase. This does not seem to effect the power of the motor.
I have advised those that call in with poor kill rates to concentrate their treatment area at any one setting to a local area of 20′ or less. Do not spread out the wands because that will only reduce the toxicity level in all the burrows. Remember, we are building up the toxicity level by probing a single burrow system multiple times. A single probe in a separate burrow system will not kill the gopher but will take CO away from the other probes.
As we ger more information on our testing of the CO levels, I will post it here.
Allen

I’M Back!

So it has been a long time for a new post. Eye surgery, new R&D in the shop and yes, a bit of procrastination. But, I will do an update and address several calls that have come in of late.

The 620 is proving all that was expected and more. It has not been without problems that came in after many hours of use in the field, but we have addressed and solved those problems and for now, the 620 we are putting out today is a much studier machine with a couple of safe guards to protect the compressor as well as preventing the load geni from plugging up and causing operators grief in the field.

First and foremost is the pivot axle support on the walking beam tandem axle for both the 620 and the 412. We had several pivot shaft on the walking beam tandem’s on the 620 fail. We are putting 1.25″ shafts with a bracket that supports the end of the pivot axle. This is standard equipment and available to all 620’s in the field at no charge. We have also developed the same type pivot axle support for the walking beam tandem on all 412’s. New tandem’s will have the support and tandems in the field that are less than 90 days old can get the brackets at no charge. All new tandem’s will have the bracket as standard equipment. It is our conclusion that failures of the tandem axle pivot shaft were due to excessive speed over rough terrain like pivot tracks. With that said, it is also our policy to put units in the field that will exceed in structural strength any normal demands made of it in the field. We know that bouncing over a pivot track should be avoided but will happen.

The 13 hp motors have had a huge and warranted complaint over the oil drain plug. Spencer Lamb, shop foreman, developed a simple but effective solution. He drilled a hole in the existing plug, welded a 1/8″ pipe nipple onto it, threaded the end of the nipple to accept a 5/16 ” cap screw so now oil can be drained through a 3/8″ air hose into a bucket. Simple and inexpensive. The oil has to be warm to drain completely. To date, I can only offer this on new motors. I have tried and failed to buy new oil plugs that we can put the extension pipe nipple on.

I found an inline filter for the pressure side of the load geni. We are in process of developing how to mount the load geni because the inline filter is not strong enough to support the weight of the load geni. Also I need to put it on a local machine for field testing prior to sending it to customers.

The big news is that I recently purchased a hand held meter for carbon monoxide. It reads up to 10,000 ppm and above that reads in percent. Easy to use, and is giving us very important information. We are establishing a data base that will be important in diagnosing problems in individual machines in the field. At this time, we will not offer it (loan) to unit owners because of the risk in sending it back and forth. We are testing every unit we are selling and I proved to a local 412 owner that the reason he was not getting good kills on ground squirrels was not because the 412 was not putting out a very lethal level of carbon monoxide. (when we were in the field, a field mouse came out of the ground squirrel hole and flopped over dead)

I feel that after we have established base readings of CO, it will be of advantage for custom operators to purchase a CO meter to help remove doubt as to whether it is the field conditions, operators, or the actual CO production of the PERC unit that is producing results that are less than expectations.

That’s all for now, folks, I will be more diligent in my postings. Thank you,
Allen

Flex tubing on all PERC’s.

Some of the most valuable information I get comes from the field. Probably the most perplexing has been units several months old that seemed to decrease in their toxicity to kill gophers. The answer had to be air contamination of the exhaust gasses, but everything was tight with no visible air leak. When the unit was new, it worked great. After several months, there seemed to be more and more gopher mounds showing up in the area treated.

I figured it out, but it took some serous head scratching!!

The contamination problem was (and is) coming from the SS flex tubing from the motor to the cooling coils and from the cooling coils to the compressor. Vibration has always been a serous consideration and it reared its ugly head once more.

The flex tubing is really a long strip of light weight stainless steel that is formed to hook together in a spiral. Tolerances are tight and when new, it is close to air tight. But with use, the units vibration causes continue flexing of the tubing and causes the joints to create very small cracks that will leak.

There is positive pressure inside the tube from the motors exhaust and it has been assumed that this positive pressure would overcome any cracks that developed from use. But we missed one very important fact. The positive pressure works great when it is blowing towards the hooked joint. When it is blowing away from the hooked joint, it causes a vortex in the V formed by the joints which in turn creates a venturi effect. This vortex will actually cause a vacuum that will draw outside air into the exhaust stream in the flex tube. This creates a venturi effect and introduces air contamination to the exhaust reducing its ability to kill rodents.

On the 620 and the 412, this is very easy to fix. If the unit is within a year old, the flex tube can be inspected and if the folded portion of the joints point away from the motor or exhaust flow, it will not suck air. If it is pointed towards the motor, it will suck air.

If the fold is pointed towards the motor, take the clamps loose and reverse the direction of the flex tube and re-clamp it. If the unit is over a year old with heavy use, the tubes should be replaced. Either we can furnish the tubes or they can be bought from most auto supply stores.

The flex tubes on the 206 pose a bit of a complication. I have not found exhaust pipe clamps that will fit on the one inch tubing we use. While we can furnish the rings, the tool needed to tighten them up is the band-it junior and is a special tool. Heavy duty screw type clamps can be used in combination with a high temperature gasket sealant. Any exhaust gas that leaks will be minor and in this situation, air will not be sucked into the exhaust stream contaminating it.

I am drawing up an illustration that will have both graphic form and written instruction that we will mail to PERC owners. I appreciate your patience and want you to know that we are dedicated to keeping all our units in the field working.

Allen

Alfalfa Conference a big success.

We are home, a bit road soar, but had a great conference in Kenniwick, WA. No sales, but several that are putting the PERC units in their spring budgets as well as a couple of custom operators that are starting gopher control businesses in Washington.
Very interesting comment by a custom operator in Eastern Oregon. “The custom gopher business is what is paying the bills!” Like many businesses as well as farming, he was severely stretched to pay his bills. The gopher control business he set up last fall has brought in the cash that keep their operation afloat.