Longboat Key
Rescuing Ringling’s Folly
Located North of St. Armand’s Key, Longboat Key was largely uninhabited until the late 1880’s, although stories say that both Hernando DeSoto and French pirate Jean Lafitte both spent short stints on the island.
Following the initial settlement, the island, then referred to as Longbeach, became a largely agricultural community, providing fruits and tomatoes to the larger towns of Sarasota and Bradentown. Unfortunately in 1921, a hurricane swept through the area, destroying the crops as well as most of the existing buildings on the key.
Within a few years, developer and circus family magnate John Ringling laid the groundwork for the long island’s future as a tourist destination. First he secured an agreement with the Ritz-Carlton Investment Company to lease their name for $5,000 a year. Building on the ‘most luxurious hotel in Florida’ and its adjoining golf course began in 1926.
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Sadly, both Ringling and his adopted hometown experienced a severe economic downturn and the stock market crash of 1929 sealed the deal for the half-built hotel. The seed once planted – the island as a tourist destination – would not so easily die. However, it would wait several decades.
In 1929, a bridge to sister island St. Armand’s Key, was built, and during World War II, the long empty beaches were utilized as a bombing range and weapons testing site for airplanes.
In 1955, the 200 or so people living on Longbeach voted to incorporate and officially changed the island’s name to Longboat Key. A few years later, the Arvida Corporation bought the south end of the island and began considering various development options.
Eventually, the old Ritz site was demolished and the rubble used to fill in the area behind the Sarasota Civic Center.
Today, a little more than 7000 people live on Longboat Key now, although about 1/3rd of them are only part-time residents.
And the land that once held the promise of the finest hotel in Florida is now the home of the Longboat Key Club Resort – with award winning tennis gardens, a holistic spa and is one of the largest resorts to be classified by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection as an environmentally-friendly “Green Lodging.”
Environmentally friendly green is something we definitely understand at Good News Pest Solutions.
The Industry Leader in Green Pest Solutions
Good News leads the industry in providing 100% all natural, safer and more effective botanically-based eco-superior products for pest control. Products that are guaranteed safe for you, your children and your pets. That, coupled with other products that utilize naturally occurring elements found in nature, allows Good News to provide the same pest-free living guarantee, with no risk to your health.
A recent EPA study suggests that 80% of pesticide exposure occurs indoors and that measurable levels of up to a dozen pesticides have been found in the air inside homes!
Perimeter Plus - Green Pest Control
Our Perimeter Plus green pest control is designed to eliminate and prevent most of the creepy-crawly insect varieties we see in Florida, including ants, roaches, silverfish and, of course, spiders. We schedule 3 visits per year to provide exterior service after the initial set-up.
Your Good News technician will inspect the entire exterior of your property while sweeping cobwebs from the eaves and windows.
Once the source of insects is determined, a proper treatment of the perimeter foundation, entry points, eaves, plant beds and trees will be applied where needed using reduced–risk, green products.
If you are having any pest issues inside, your trained tech will also treat any entry points, kitchen, baths, laundry room, or problem areas using reduced–risk or even pesticide exempt products.
We guarantee your satisfaction and will return (at no charge) in between scheduled visits if you encounter any pests. Please call as soon as you see a problem. The sooner we inspect and treat, the better.
Keeping the Rodents in the Fields
One issue we see with rapidly growing and developing areas, is that rats, mice and other rodents find themselves ‘homeless,’ and decide to move in to your home—even in the most exclusive homes and neighborhoods.
The Good News Premier Rodent Program is the most comprehensive service available. We start by excluding all known entry points and sealing roof vents with proprietary covers. Then, we set several traps in the attic(s) to kill any rodents sealed in.
Next, we install 4-6 of the best bait stations available in hidden locations around the exterior perimeter. These help to keep the outside population of rodents to a minimum. We check the traps twice per week until we are sure there are no more live rodents inside.
Finally, we vacuum droppings and apply a deodorizer, sanitizer, viruscide to the entire attic space.
Many of our customers are finalizing the process by capping their insulation with T·A·P: Thermal Acoustical Pest Control. Once T·A·P™ is installed, the attic looks brand new and acts as a deterrent to re-infestation.
Term-Assure 365 - Termite Protection
Our tropical Florida environment means that the state also has the highest risk for termite problems. Termites do more damage than floods, fires and storms combined, and like those natural disasters, the more you prepare the less you feel the impact.
Termite damage isn’t covered by most homeowners policies, which means the repair costs come out of your pocket.
Good News is the leader in using natural and essential oil alternatives to control both drywood and subterranean termite pests.
Term Assure 365 is the most comprehensive and affordable termite protection in the state. First, we perform a thorough inspection of your home to be sure there is no existing evidence of termite infestation.
Next, we perform our initial Perimeter Plus interior and exterior pest control service and install 6-8 termite monitoring stations around the exterior perimeter of your home.
Then every time one of our skilled technicians visits your house (at least once every 4 months), they check the monitoring stations along with the normal treatment. And we offer a $1 million dollar damage repair warranty for homes that qualify.
If you’re building or buying, we offer Bora-Care®, an organic pre-construction treatment, and Florida-mandated real estate WDO inspections, to insure your new home is free of wood destroying organisms.
Don’t wait, schedule your termite inspection now.
T·A·P: Thermal Acoustical Pest Control
With T·A·P, you not only keep out the bugs, but you can save money on your cooling (and heating) bills! Like all our products, TAP is all natural and safe for your family and pets, but is 32% more energy efficient than fiberglass insulation, while adding a sound barrier and even reducing fire hazard.
Quick Facts About Longboat Key:
- In addition to the city’s government, the residents of Longboat Key are part of the “Federation of Longboat Key Condominiums,” a very complex form of a Condominium Association.
- Dream On! Our most famous Longboat Key resident is Aerosmith lead guitarist Joe Perry!
- Tennis coach Nick Bollettieri, who trained Andre Agassi & Monica Seles lives on Longboat Key.
- We were voted the No. 2 North American island travel destination in the Condé Nast Traveler 2010 Readers’ Choice Survey.
- On September 10, 2001, President George W. Bush visited a local elementary school to read to students, just as he would do the following morning.
- The first resident of Longboat Key was Civil War veteran Thomas Mann.
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Sun City Center, Ruskin, Palmetto, Parrish, Ellenton, Bradenton, Anna Maria, Holmes Beach, Bradenton Beach, Longboat Key, Lakewood Ranch, University Park, Myakka City, Sarasota, Siesta Key, Osprey, Nokomis, Casey Key, Venice, Englewood, North Port, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Arcadia
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Corporate Address
1080 Enterprise Court, Ste A
North Venice, FL 34275
Call Now: (941) 412-9610
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