Category: Good News Pest Solutions
Take Extra Precautions Against Mosquitoes Right Now!
- Published on Monday, 24 September 2018 07:58
- Written by Good News Pest Solutions Team
- 0 Comments
It’s been a while since we’ve spent any time discussing the dangers of Zika virus that were so prevalent for the past couple of summers. In fact, back in May, the CDC removed the recommended Zika-related restrictions for people traveling to Florida. However, that doesn’t mean we can let our guard down.
Recently, a University of Florida entomologist recommended extra care for residents and visitors of the Sunshine State. Not because of a new Zika outbreak, but because of the higher than normal cases of other mosquito-borne illnesses being diagnosed.
Bugs Carrying Bugs
In particular, West Nile Virus, and Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus (EEEV, or Triple-E) are being spread by infected mosquitoes throughout the state.
There is no vaccine available for West Nile Virus, and most people infected show few to no symptoms, fortunately. However, for the 1 in 150 who does develop a serious reaction, there is no cure and can sometimes be fatal.
As you might expect, Eastern Equine Encephalitis usually affects livestock. It is much rarer in humans, and like West Nile, usually comes with only a few symptoms in the handful of people infected each year. However, some severe cases of EEEV suffer from sudden onset of headache, high fever, chills, and vomiting, that can lead to seizures or even a coma.
Where to Watch Out
While it is by no means an exact science, traces of Triple-E infections have mostly been in the Northern part of the state, and West Nile has popped up more along our own Gulf Coast of Florida, from the panhandle all the way down into Charlotte County.
Regardless of where you live in the state, though, the message is the same – make sure to take all necessary and appropriate precautions, including wearing long sleeved, protective clothing and utilizing effective mosquito repellent. Some of the counties are also increasing their mosquito control sprayings to minimize populations.
Here at Good News Pest Solutions, we’re always looking for a better way. And our exclusive Mosquito Protection Program is great for the area around your home. The all-natural treatment creates No Bite Zones, that transform hungry pregnant female mosquitoes and their babies into vegans.
We’ve helped lots of families from Punta Gorda to Ruskin – giving them mosquitoes that fulfill their duty as pollinators without needing to feast on your family or pets.
If you’d like more information on getting No Bite Zones for your family, or any other of our 100% organic, all natural pest control, just give us a call!
Ways to Go Green in Your Attic
- Published on Monday, 17 September 2018 11:36
- Written by Good News Pest Solutions Team
- 0 Comments
If you’re like most of us, you don’t think about your attic much. Especially here on the Gulf Coast of Florida, where they’re closer to crawl spaces than the canted storage or living areas they enjoy in most of the country.
But if you’ve spent any time in your attic, you’ve come out dripping with reasons why it could be increasing your energy expenses. Or dry and itchy from the pink fiberglass insulation that is the cheapest, but not always the most efficient protection from the sun’s heat.
The More You Know
On top of the allergic reactions and respiratory distress often caused by the synthetic, fiberglass insulation, whether it’s pink or not, manufacturing it takes huge amounts of energy and blasts tons of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere.
Standard insulation is made up of plastic melted in giant gas-fired mills and infused with glass particles. Those furnaces are seldom, if ever turned off. Then to form the rolls you see in the hardware store, it is spun into strips with a binding agent. Sometimes it is also lined with liquid asphalt and the binding agent is sometimes formaldehyde.
The Better Solution
Even after our series of articles on Going Green around your home, it may seem odd that a pest solutions company would be concerned about insulation. But just like all of our other revolutionary products and services, Thermal Acoustical Pest Control, or TAP, is 100% organic and safe for your family.
Not All Insulation is Equal
Unlike most forms of insulation that use at most 20% recycled materials, TAP flips the script, consisting of 80% recycled materials. In fact, TAP consists of fire-retardant treated recyclable newsprint. Insulating just one standard size home with TAP means keeping 40 years worth of a family’s newsprint and paper waste out of the landfills.
Because of how fiberglass insulation is constructed, it actually lets more heat in during the summer. That means more work for your AC unit as the sun beats down. TAP on the other hand, is denser, making it 20-38% more energy efficient. It’s even been awarded the Energy Star Award by the US Environmental Protection Agency!
In addition to its environmental advantages, TAP is also good for your ears! Another benefit of TAP’s density is superior sound reduction.
Unparalleled Insect Prevention
On top of everything else we’ve mentioned, TAP is laced with boric acid. Boric acid is found in many common household products, including saline solution, laundry detergent and certain fertilizers. While safe for your family and pets, even small amounts of boric acid kills most insects, especially ants, cockroaches, silverfish and termites that come into contact with it.
Our clients from Lakewood Ranch to Port Charlotte love the added protection, quiet and especially the lower electric bills. If you’d like to learn more about Thermal Acoustical Pest Control, and get specific details on how you can get it installed in your home from one of our highly trained experts, just give us a call!
Top Pests in Florida
- Published on Tuesday, 11 September 2018 11:11
- Written by Good News Pest Solutions Team
- 0 Comments
In just a short while, the Gulf Coast of Florida will start to experience the biggest invasive species we’ve ever seen. Luckily, it’s only for a few months. We’re talking, of course, of the annual migration of snowbirds to our sandy shores. When the temperatures up North start heading south, so do the people.
Love is in the Air
Along with them will come one of our least popular insects – the Lovebug. Actually, Plecia Nearctica will already be here, serving their God-given purpose in our ecosystem. It’s just that car exhaust is a natural aphrodisiac for the variation on march flies, leading them to hook-up midair over our roads.
Until they splatter across your windshield or grill, that is.
Lovebugs are most active during September and May of each year, and you’ll want to set aside a few extra dollars for the car wash so their acidic residue doesn’t damage your paint.
It’s Not Unusual
Our year-round semi-tropical climate also attracts a close relative to the lovebugs. Everyone’s favorite Florida insect: the Mosquito. While technically mosquitoes are active year-round in Florida, they’re most prevalent during our Summer rainy season. That’s because they lay their eggs in standing water. Once they dry out and are re-wet, the eggs hatch.
There are 80 species of mosquitoes in Florida, but only 33 or so that cause issues. Of those, 13 can transmit diseases like Zika and Dengue. The CDC always reminds us to be sure to cover up and use a natural mosquito repellant.
In fact, while it may seem like there’s always a lot of swarming mosquitoes biting you and your pets, in fact, only the pregnant females need to devour blood. Males just help pollinate. Which is why we’re proud to offer our exclusive No Bite Zones Mosquito Protection Program. It not only turns those momma mosquitoes into vegans, but they pass that on to their babies. And it’s 100% all natural and safe for your family.
This and That
Another of our least favorite Florida insects are the fleas popularly known as Noseeums. And yes, the name means exactly what you think it means. Also known as sand fleas or sandflies, these little biters are almost invisible to the human eye. But you’ll know they’re there!
Contrary to popular belief, they are not isolated to beaches. While that would be bad enough, since most of Florida is sand of some sort, you may encounter them closer to home as well.
Burning Down the House
While our other highlighted Florida pests are mostly annoying, the last one we’ll talk about can cost you – big time. Termites are responsible for some $5-Billion in damaged buildings every year – more than tornadoes, fires, and earthquakes combined.
Thanks to our wonderful weather, Florida has more than its fair share of termite infestations. We’re known for saying there are two kinds of homes in Florida – those with termites and those that will have termites. And the cost of termite damage isn’t covered by homeowner’s insurance.
If you notice some mud-like substances on your windowsills or baseboards, or hear a hollow sound when you tap on your baseboards, you may have termites. Another sign is discarded wings from termites mating, but a different look from winged ants.
If you even suspect you might have termites, call a professional. And even if you don’t, get your house inspected now. Our Term Assure 365 combines our popular Go Green Plus 3 with incredible year-round termite protection that comes with a $1-million damage repair warranty. It’s the best in Florida, and only $47 a month for most homes that qualify!
Our happy clients from Sarasota to Punta Gorda can attest to the value of our services. For more information, just give us a call!
Amazing Animal and Bug Facts
- Published on Tuesday, 11 September 2018 11:05
- Written by Good News Pest Solutions Team
- 0 Comments
On the Netflix TV show Atypical, a boy with high-functioning autism uses his obsessive love for penguins to help him adapt to situations that he would normally find distracting or disturbing. Throughout the first season of the show, he focuses especially on one trait of most penguin species – the fact that they will use a pebble as a symbol to mate for life.
Of course, since it’s a comedy, this gives rise to all sorts of misunderstandings on his and other’s parts. But it turns out, at least for Gentoo penguins, this is absolutely true. While some penguins are serial monogamists, the male Gentoo penguin will drop a pebble at a female’s feet and if she accepts it, they become penguin husband and wife.
We’ve shared in the past some of the more interesting facts about insects and rodents. Here are some more astonishing things about the creatures that share our planet.
I Want to Hold Your Hand
Didn’t like the Penguin Pebble Proposal? How do you feel about Sea Otters? When sleeping, mother sea otters will hold hands with her pup to keep it from drifting away. They also wrap kelp around themselves and use it as an anchor to stay in the same place while sleeping.
The Ears Have it
While it’s not universally true – there are some variations – chickens lay eggs that coincide with the color of their earlobes. The ears and their lobes can be located under feathers towards the back of the head. Chickens with white earlobes lay mostly white eggs. Chickens with red earlobes lay primarily brown eggs. And I don’t want to even see the ones who lay Easter eggs… (In truth, Easter Egger Chickens lay a variety of blue and green colored eggs!)
Who Rules the World?
We’re always finding new species of insects. In fact, scientists estimate that nearly 90 percent of ALL species are insects! They even predict that eventually 9-million species of insects will be discovered, even though right now, we only know about 1.5 million species. Luckily, only about 1% of those are harmful to humans.
Be Still My Beating… Head?
Shrimp who experience headaches have a real problem. They can’t tell whether it’s a head problem or a heart problem. Okay, technically, their heart is right behind their heads, but since we can’t see that part of the body beneath their exoskeleton, it’s close enough.
The Nose Knows
If a canine ever committed a murder, chances are investigators would dust for nose-prints. That’s because dog’s noses are as distinct and unique as a human’s fingerprint. Of course, no dog that we know would be a killer – unless you count loving you to death!
Ant-pocalypse
If a mad scientist or nuclear explosion does suddenly make ants the size of houses, look out! Biologists estimate that more than 10-quadrillion ants live on the earth. To put that into perspective, that’s 1.4 Million ants for each and every human being on the planet.
Tickle Their Fancy
In their quest to understand humans more through studying rats, it isn’t all mazes and needles. Scientists also tested their funny bones… sort of. Turns out rats are as ticklish as human children, giggling and expressing themselves in joy jumps. Chimps, guinea pigs, dogs and foxes also jump for joy when tickled or excited.
Accent-uate the Positive
How do you tell if a goat is an American or a British breed? Just listen to their accent! In one of the weirder studies we’ve read recently, a researcher from London has established that goats from different regions have different accents. He believes it’s connected to forming connected communities. No word on whether some female goats are more attracted to certain accents.
Survivor: Insect Island
Talk about survivors. Cockroaches can actually live for a couple of weeks after being decapitated. And not only can they survive a nuclear attack, they’re also probably the oldest creatures on our planet. The earliest fossil record of a roach dates back to 350-million years BC – 150 million years before the dinosaurs walked the earth!
Of course, those cockroach facts are far less interesting when they’re hanging out in your home. That’s why we created our Go Green Plus 3. Three in-depth, organic and safe for the family treatments keep the creepy crawlies out of your home year round. And we’ll always make a return visit if one of them slips through the cracks. Happy customers from Bradenton to Port Charlotte rely on us to take care of their pest problems. For more information, give us a call!
10 Ways Your College Student Can Live Greener!
- Published on Wednesday, 29 August 2018 23:34
- Written by Good News Pest Solutions Team
- 0 Comments
The leaves aren’t quite turning color and falling off the trees yet (except the ones dying from the higher than average heat), but another clear indicator for the fall season has arrived – the beginning of the school year.
Whether your favorite students are packing up for their annual university road trip or still riding the bus, there are several ways that they can contribute to a greener world. Today we’ll focus on 10 ways your college student can go green!
Watch What You Eat & Drink
Granted, many college students are limited in their dining options, especially their freshman year of college. But even if you are stuck with the dining hall all year, there are some choices you can make.
- Grab Reusable Water Bottles
Save money and the environment. Let’s face it, even if you aren’t in Michigan, nobody wants to drink tap water anymore. But there are more options now than when your parents went to school. Instead of buying case after case of bottled water, invest in a reusable BPA-Free bottle (or two). Most schools now boast filtered water stations specifically designed for filling water bottles. And if your school doesn’t, for a few dollars more, you can screw a filter onto your faucet or use a Brita pitcher to get rid of the impurities and extra fluoride.
- Eat Less Meat
You want to stay healthy by eating more green leafy vegetables anyway, right? Nobody likes to admit they’ve fallen prey to the dreaded ‘freshmen fifteen.’ Along with cutting back on fried foods, starches and visits to the ever present dessert station, ease up on your meat consumption. You still need some for protein, unless you’re going full vegan, but not as much as you may think. And even skipping meat for just one meal a day can significantly reduce greenhouse gasses from filling the environment. The people in Wisconsin and California will thank you.
- Look for Sustainable Options
This may be harder to accomplish in the school cafeteria, but you can always make an effort. Look for locally-grown vegetables and fruits, sustainable seafood and brands that are known for being free-range friendly. Plus, supporting local farmers and fishermen will mean less transportation costs and fuel expended.
Save More Energy
- Set your thermostat higher.
Let’s be honest, can you really tell the temperature difference between 70 and 72? 80 and 78? But by adjusting even that tiny bit, you help save the environment, and reduce the school’s expense for electricity by 1-3% a day. Maybe they won’t lower your tuition, but those extra dollars can add up to better adjunct professors or added services in the Student Union.
- Use energy efficient light bulbs.
Yes, we know the school pays for the electric and they were already nice enough to supply light bulbs. And if they’re CFL’s or LED’s, just thank them and move on. But if they’re not, swap them out for your own energy saving bulbs and remember, you went to college to try and make a difference in the world. At the end of the year, you can put them back – or save the next student in your room the trouble.
- Power down.
Turn off the lights when you leave the room – including the ones in the laundry and other common rooms. If you flipped the switch on, flip it off when you leave, unless someone else is in the room. Most of our computers and phones are programmed to stop sucking juice when they’re fully charged, but double check your devices to make sure.
- Follow the usual Green Practices.
Most of us are used to recycling now. Don’t stop just because you’re not living with your parents. Take advantage of dual-purpose trash cans, Big Belly solar recycling units, or the Reverse Vending Machines many schools have installed on campus. Also bring your reusable bags when you do venture into local shopping centers. And embrace the college lifestyle – buy less and borrow from your neighbors. Most textbooks aren’t in e-form yet, but your music, movies and most other books are.
Spend More Energy (the Right Way)
- Try healthier, alternative travel methods.
Who needs a car, right? Okay, sometimes you do, but most college cities have a decent public transit system. The school itself might even have one. But for shorter trips, walk or bicycle. Your body needs the exercise, you’ll feel healthier and you’ll be doing your part for the environment.
- Take electronic notes.
They’re called notebook computers for a reason! You can type or hand scribe notes on most tablets these days – or even record the whole lecture if it’s going too fast or too dense. Plus, with ease of sharing via email, Bluetooth, and the Cloud, you can quickly exchange notes, build collaborative flash cards and more. And you won’t get that nasty spiral groove in your forearm.
- Be aware of your chemical footprint.
Avoid aerosol sprays. Even though they’ve improved the process since your parents were spritzing their big 80’s hair with Aquanet, pump sprays are still better for the environment. Also, look for environmentally responsible brand labels. Body care, beauty and cleaning items sporting those seals typically aren’t tested on animals and have fewer harsh chemicals for you and the world to be exposed to.
The more green practices you put into place, the more you can enjoy a guilt-free college experience!
For your parents back home, they can reduce the chemicals they’re exposed to by signing up for our Go Green Plus 3! At Good News Pest Solutions, we only use reduced risk and pesticide- exempt pest control solutions for our customers from Bradenton Beach to Port Charlotte. Live healthier while keeping the creepy crawlies out of your house. For more information, give us a call!
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