Home Builders Association: Green Council

It's Official!  The Home Builders Association of Middle TN is currently developing a Green Council. Mark your calendars! Our first meeting will be held on January 28, 2009. Subsequent gatherings will be held the fourth Wednesday of every month. Our goal is to help our members move the practice of green building into the mainstream. If you or anyone you know would be interested in learning more or joining our council, contact me.

Other links:

National Association of Home Builders Green
US Green Building Council - Nashville Chapter
Lipscomb Launches Institute for Sustainable Practice
Green Power Switch

Fire Ants in Antioch, TN

Today one of our Sentricon Techs found a fire ant mound at a customers home in Antioch, TN just outside of Nashville. He used his phone to video the ants. Fire Ants are moving up from the south and are becoming very common. We have treated for fire ants as far north as Brentwood, TN. Fire Ants are a big concern, but thankfully there are very effective treatments.  We start with an individual mound treatments and then 2-3 days later we come back and treat the entire yard. Most of the time we provide a 1 year re-treatment guarantee. Here's the video.

Help! I have termites!

Termites do cause a lot of damage in Middle Tennessee to what is many times our biggest investment, our home.  But, this damage doesn't happen over night... please know... you have time to do your research, look for a local, reputable company, and feel good about the investment you're making to protect your home.

It's disturbing... I get a phone call at least once a month from a homeowner terrified because they have found or have been told that they have termites by another company.  For instance, just last week, I lady called and you could tell in her voice she was stressed, afraid her house was damaged, and unsure of herself that she would make a good decision.  After asking her a few questions, I learned that another pest/termite company in the area found signs of termites in her crawlspace, over-exaggerated the problem, and told her that if she didn't do something immediately that her home was in trouble. Now, finding termites in Middle Tennessee is not unusual... actually it is very likely as there are an average of 25 termite colonies per acre in this area.  However, what bothers me day after day is how this termite salesperson used fear and manipulation.

Don't fall into this trap, do your research:

1. Ask your friends and family for referrals
2. Ask the inspector/sales person to show you the signs of termite activity
3. If you do feel comfortable with the evidence, have another company take a look
4. Ask if they saw any signs of moisture problems that may have contributed to the termite activity (moisture problems should be addressed for a termite treatment to work effectively)
5. Ask questions about the company and the owners of the company
6. Find out if your home qualifies for a termite damage repair agreement
7. Find out if you will need to retreat your home in the future, when, and an average cost
8. If you don't feel comfortable, get a second or third estimate

Termite are small and can cause a lot of damage... but there is no reason to rush into a decision. It is a good decision to invest in quality termite treatments and on-going protection. It is equally important to know that you have time to make the best decision you can about a termite treatment for your home. 

Green Termite and Pest Control in Nashville

Green has become quite a popular word.  And, many businesses believe that Green (money) will come with Green product offerings. At All-American we have been "green" before green was Green. Confusing, I know. I'm not trying to be... but truly, over 10 years ago we exclusively went to a green termite control program. We didn't make the decision to do so for the sake of being green. We made the change because we felt it was the right thing to do for our customers, our employees and our business.  Sentricon uses grams of bait (the size of a sugar packet) to eliminate a termite colony verse hundreds of gallons of termiticide chemical. This decision has prevented us from using over 1.5 million gallons of chemical termiticide in Middle Tennessee homes.

Another area of our business where we made green strides before it was popular to do so was in general pest control. Traditionally, it took monthly visits and "spraying" inside a customers home on a regular basis to get rid of pesky spiders, ants, crickets,roaches in Middle Tennessee. This was the way pest control had always been done and this is the way we did it as well. A big change was made when we started treating the outside of the home inside of the inside. By moving the treatment zone from inside your home to outside your home, we were able to...

• control pest from the outside before they ever became a problem inside
• limit chemicals inside your home to only what is absolutely necessary
• Save our customers valuable time because they do not have to be there to meet "the bug guy"

Recently, we have added an even greener pest control service. This is our Green Choice Pest Control program. This program is much like the service described above, but it only utilizes the latest technology in botanical based and natural pest control products.  It works very well in keeping pests out before they get inside and many Nashvillians choose this approach to pest control.

Currently, we do not recommend one service over the other. Both services work great! We leave it up to you to decide what is best for you and your family.

A Luncheon For Mom's in Nashville, TN

What is the hardest job in the entire world?
What is the most rewarding job in the entire world?
What is the most important job in the entire world?

Quite simple. It's being a Mom.

Kacky Fell with Hatcher & Fell Photography and I (along with 3 others) started the Nashville Business Collaborative. We came together over 3 years a go in search of how we can help each other as local business owners.  Not really knowing where the questions and the search for the answers would take us at the time... we embarked on a journey to discern, work hard to build our businesses, and give back to the community at the same time.

Some where in the midst of our discussions over the past 3 years and our efforts to build great businesses that are not only serving the community but are well connected... we continued to remember that Moms are vital to our businesses and our communities.  Many times, however, Moms of Nashville and every other city in the world feel like they are not connected, lost in the world of baby talk and dirty diapers, and are deparately in need of support and mentors.

We began to believe that if we could bring Moms together the benefits would multiply exponentially for everyone involved... and the Mom's Luncheon's were born.

Yesterday was our 3rd Mom's Luncheon and I feel like we're all just beginning to see the tip of the iceberg of all that this time together can reveal. Thelma Kidd came to speak and lead a discussion. Thelma along with Karen Davis started the ever-popular Nashville based Davis Kidd Booksellers.  After selling the book store in 1987, Thelma is now serving others as a Life Coach.  Kacky says... Thelma is an amazing woman - devoted mom, super successful business owner, excellent professional coach, loving grandmother, and great friend!

We were blessed with Thelma's insight of what it is like to shuffle motherhood with businesss ownership, major transitions in life, what's most important at different stages, help us to connect, get help, and just speak from our hearts.

If you are a Mom in Nashville and feel like you would benefit from this gathering of exceptional women, please contact me. I can tell you more about it and send you an official invite.

Can You Afford Not to Go Green?

Green, environmentally responsible, sustainability, carbon footprint, conservation, tree hugger, energy efficient, hybrid...

It is quite amazing how Nashville and the rest of the country is becoming more and more aware of the impact each person has on our world and the small things that each of us can do to make a big difference.

Not surprising, I’m sure... there is green technology available to you in pest control and termite protection services as well. I’m giving a presentation on September 22 at the Home Builders Associate on this topic. My presentation outlines 3 main points:

• How have EPA regulations changed the face of the termite control industry due to health concerns, environmental concerns & ineffectiveness?
• What are some real life, real small business results to support green verses traditional approaches?
• Can you afford or afford not to go green?

At All-American we believe in continuously researching new technology to serve our customers better.  We offer green pest control and green termite protection, but we also offer some incredible, effective more traditional approaches.  We do not offer anything that we would not feel comfortable using at our personal homes.

If you would like to learn more about pest control or termite protection for your home, feel free to email or call me.