In Howard County, Maryland, the Howard County Department of Recreation & Parks (HCRP), the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the University of Maryland (UMD) are conducting a study where they’re collaring white-footed mice to improve tick control that spread Lyme disease.
The tracking of these mice is part of a bigger five-year ARS Tick Management Project that evaluates the use of integrated pest management methods or minimal pesticide to decrease the black-legged tick population. Some of these ticks are carrying bacteria caused by Lyme disease and can be found in gardens next to big Howard County parks and around single-family yards.
Although Lyme disease-spreading ticks are commonly associated with deer, these ticks typically pick up the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi that’s responsible for the disease from infected white-footed mice. The white-footed mouse is another host for ticks to get their blood meal that can spread Lyme disease.
Beginning now, an UMD and ARS team led by Grace Hummell, a UMD graduate assistant, will go to 4 sites and live trap 10 mice (5 female and 5 male) using cotton and food as bait. These are attractive material for the mice for nesting. These 4 sites are close to Middle Patuxent Environmental Area, Cedar Lane Park, Rockburn Park and Centennial Park.
Andrew Li, entomologist, who’s with the Beltsville, Maryland ARS Invasive Insect Biocontrol & Behavior Laboratory wants the information so he can get a better understanding of how these mice respond to the bait boxes consisting of topical insecticides and other tick treatments. Li currently coordinates the Tick Management Project.
According to Li, they require scientific basis for where they’ll place the bait boxes to gain a solid expectation that the white-footed mice will obtain enough acaricide that will kill the ticks. By understanding the mice’s’ activity pattern and home range, they’ll be able to improve host-targeted tick control.
After capturing a mouse and using tracking technology, the team fits it with a collar that has a tiny VHF radio on it in order to track the mouse’s movements for the next six weeks. The team will then recapture the white-footed mice and take their collars off.
The next phase of the study will begin after the collaring season. The team will grid-trap and release the mice over several nights to trace their changes in location.
Fencing companies have a lot of irons in the fire at any given time. From installations, repairs, and routine fence maintenance, you generally have crews going in every direction. GPS fleet tracking can help you manage your employees, plan more efficient routes, and cut costs on fuel, labor, and more. Learn a few of the incredible benefits real-time GPS tracking systems stand to offer your commercial and/or residential fencing business.
Keep Employees on Task
As much as you would like to trust your employees, you never know what they are doing when they are out of sight. A solid GPS tracking system can track their location in real time so that you know if they are on the job sites where they are supposed to be, how long they’re spending on job sites, and if they are deviating from their prescribed routes to take care of personal errands on your time.
One unexpected benefit many businesses discover is that GPS tracking also helps to motivate their employees to finish their fence installations or repairs faster so they don’t fall behind their coworkers. The spirit of competition is a huge motivator and when employees know they’re being monitored they are far more likely to raise to the occasion. This means you’ll finish jobs faster and be able to work more jobs into your day and with far fewer overtime hours to pay for.
Improve Record Keeping
Many fleet tracking systems that utilize GPS also offer improved record keeping services, especially for businesses like yours that need to log mileage, driver’s time behind the wheel, and often time worked on various job sites. It is far more efficient (and convenient) to go through GPS records to find this information than to attempt to get drivers to keep up with and turn in the required information.
Time saved by not needing to track down drivers to beg for the information alone makes GPS tracking a worthy investment. Plus, you get the benefit of geographical evidence of your employees’ time on the job if billing disputes arise.
Improved Customer Relations
Appointment windows are notorious bones of contention between consumers and businesses. GPS tracking can help you give your customers more accurate appointment windows, while offering you peace of mind that you’ll be able to meet those obligations despite a hectic schedule. You can also allow customers, if you choose to do so, to monitor the progress of your employees so they can see how near or far away your installers are at any given time.
Aside from all the practical benefits GPS fleet and management tracking has to offer fencing companies, the bottom line is that there are benefits that go well beyond routing and fuel efficiency. These are just a few fine examples.
How can real time GPS tracking help your fencing business grow? Contact us here at LiveViewGPS to learn more. 1-888-544-0494
Colleges and universities are now back in session, so it’s a good time to talk about improvements they can make for the good of their students, staff, and community.
Because colleges and universities are huge organizations with a lot of moving parts, it can be difficult to keep up with all the little details of operating and locating all resources at any given time – including vehicles and equipment that belong to the college.
These are just a few ways GPS tracking can help you keep up with your valuable resources.
Track Bait Bicycles
Bicycle theft is a common problem on college campuses. One that many colleges are using GPS tracking to attempt to control. GPS tracking can be used to send alerts notifying campus police when the tracked bikes leave their designated areas and track them in real time so officers can catch the thieves in action.
Allow Students to Track Shuttles
Students can use their laptops, tablets, and mobile phones to quickly and easily identify which campus shuttles will take them to their destinations and where that shuttle’s location in proximity to them. This will help students avoid missing shuttles and help them arrive right on time to catch their shuttles during inclement weather.
Track Campus Security Vehicles and Personnel
Between vehicle GPS tracking and personal GPS trackers you can always quickly locate campus police and enforcement officers during emergencies. This will aid in faster response times and may be critical in saving lives.
Keep Track of Maintenance Crews
When maintenance emergencies happen on college campuses, time can be critical. Sometimes you need the nearest maintenance crews that can immediately attend the emergency at hand. GPS fleet tracking allows dispatchers to locate the right crew with the fastest potential response time so you can make the necessary arrangements in a matter of seconds.
Locate and Route Busses and Athletic Transportation
Athletics are important for all colleges and university. They improve morale, create team spirit, and bring in important revenue for the university. When these busses and transport vehicles are on the road and things go wrong, like accidents or breakdowns, it is important to be able to quickly locate and respond. GPS fleet tracking allows you to do just that, making the roads a safer place to be for student athletes and more.
GPS fleet tracking offers the potential for many benefits to universities and colleges. These are just a few that keep safety in mind first and foremost. Other benefits include fuel-efficient routing, driver safety and accountability, fewer theft incidents, and the potential for lower insurance costs. All of these make GPS fleet tracking for colleges and universities an A+ idea to implement.
To learn more about GPS fleet tracking and how it may benefit your college or university, visit our website www.liveviewgps.com, or give us a call at 1-888-544-0494. We look forward to hearing from you.
