Coronavirus & Your Pest Control Service

Health & safety are always important to us at Good News. Many of the pests that we eliminate can carry disease or cause other health issues if left unchecked (more on this below), and since we frequently enter the homes of our customers, we have rigid policies and procedures to protect our employees and our customers alike.

With the novel coronavirus that is currently spreading, however, additional precautions have become necessary in order to minimize the risks of COVID-19. We've created this page to keep you informed and updated about our approach.

Update: As of May 19, 2020, We've Resumed Our Regular Treatments

Consistent with the "reopening" plans that have been laid out by Florida Governor Ron Desantis, Good News Pest Solutions has resumed our usual treatment methodologies — with a couple of key exceptions.

Here's Dean Burnside to tell you more about it:

What this means for you

For the last couple of months, we've only been treating indoors in the case of a health or other emergency. We've kept up with exterior service (see below), but indoor treatments have been all but eliminated.

We continue to follow guidelines for the safety of our employees and our customers. For example, if you request indoor service, we'll be wearing a mask and gloves.

We ask that you please inform us if you are sick or exhibiting symptoms of any contagious disease, including COVID-19.

Finally, we continue to make deliveries of our mosquito protection products. Even though mosquitoes do not spread coronavirus, they continue to be a health risk and most certainly a nuisance. If you'd like to stop mosquitoes from biting your family and your pets, check out 9 things mosquitoes hate (that you'll love!) and — if you live in our service area — set up your own "No Bite Zones."

New Health & Safety Practices

Our leadership team has begun holding a new daily huddle to make sure everyone is 100% updated on the latest from the CDC and State & Local officials.

We're keeping our entire staff updated at least daily on developments and changes.

Exterior Service Only

We will continue to perform regularly-scheduled pest control treatments. Effectively immediately, our pest control technicians will be performing exterior service only.

Interior service will resume when restrictions are lifted by government and public health officials. These restrictions are currently in place through the end of March, but this may change.

Emergency Interior Service

There are certain harmful pests which will require emergency interior pest control service for health reasons. Some examples include:

• fire ants — where the risk of anaphylaxis and other harmful allergic reactions exist
• bed bugs — which are considered a public health risk
• fleas & ticks — due to health risks including the spread of lyme disease, etc.

If you have an emergency situation, please call us at (941) 412-9610.

Cleanliness

Our technicians routinely wear gloves while treating for pests. In addition, each of our technicians is equipped with soap and water in a can that allows us to wash our hands. We do this often already, but for the time being we have begun washing our hands more frequently.

Our technicians are also all equipped with respirators. When a situation calls for their use, we will not hesitate to wear them.

At our office, we have also implemented diligent efforts to wash our hands and clean surfaces more frequently than usual.

Pest Control is Essential for Public Health

The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) has requested that the Federal government officially classify the pest control industry as an essential. As a whole, our industry provides a service that is indispensable in the effort to protect public health and our nation's food supply. California has already agreed with this designation and we believe all states will agree as well.

As citizens are instructed to stay home, pest control service is more essential than ever. We feel fortunate to be able to provide our valuable service in these difficult times.

Pests and Your Health

Treating your home and place of business for pests is critical for maintaining the health of your family, colleagues, and even your pets. Here are some quick facts from the NPMA to help illustrate why:

• Pests can spread diseases such as West Nile virus, Lyme disease, salmonellosis, hantavirus and encephalitis. 
• Stinging insects force half a million people to the emergency room every year. 
• Cockroach and rodent allergens trigger asthma attacks in children
• Rodents contaminate or consume about 20% of the world’s food supply
• Bed bugs can cause dangerous allergic reactions

Watch This Space

We continue to monitor developments in this rapidly-changing environment. We will post updates to our website at GoodNewsPest.com/coronavirus as things change.

Questions? Please contact us online or call our office for the fastest response.