As ghosts and goblins roam around your neighborhood this Halloween, brown and black widow spiders may be roaming around your yard.

Other than the difference in color, the two widows have several distinguishing features. The brown widow is slightly smaller than the black widow, and the black widow’s egg case is round and smooth while the brown widow’s egg case has a spiny appearance.

Both widows create their webs in protected areas where prey will wander in and be trapped. You are likely to find widow spiders around the outside of your home and yard. Common habitats include foundations, vents, shrubs and wood piles at ground level.

If you have additional questions about widow spiders or any other pests, you can call us at: 1-888-2MASSEY (262-7739).

Have a Happy, Safe, and Spider-Free Halloween!

We are pleased to announce our Technical and Training Director for Pest Prevention, Phil (or as we all call him, “Doc”) Nichols, was awarded the 2011 Crown Leadership Award by Pest Control Technology & Syngenta Professional Products!!

This award recognizes individuals who have contributed to the development of the pest control industry and have established strong relationships with fellow business leaders, civic groups and customers in their local communities.

Doc is an expert in the pest prevention industry with over 35 years of experience. He helped introduce Termidor® to the US market in 2000 and is well-respected by professionals in the industry for his advancements in termite treatment and his extensive research and development of new pest prevention equipment.

Doc was presented with this prestigious award last Thursday, October 20th, at the National Pest Management conference in New Orleans.

Congratulations Doc!

Every year Pest Control Technology (PCT) Magazine publishes the Top 100 Pest Management companies in the industry throughout the country. Last year, Massey Services was ranked #12 and Middleton Lawn and Pest Control was ranked #13. Now that the integration has been completed, we are excited to announce that Massey Services is now ranked the 5th largest pest management company in the industry!
Not only that, we are also the largest family owned organization in the industry! Now that’s something to talk about! Click here to read more.

About five years ago, as bed bugs continued to make a resurgence in the United States, we recognized there was a need for a different type of bed bug treatment that would eliminate bed bugs at all stages of life. We began testing several treatment types and found that heat was very successful at doing this. So we partnered with a company that specialized in heat and the bed bug heat remediation process was born.
This process is not only effective but also very efficient. It requires that hotel rooms be off market for only 48 hours, compared to what can be weeks when using a liquid treatment. Not only that, you don’t have to destroy the contents of the room because the heat will eliminate all bed bugs – no matter where they are hiding.
Earlier this year, it was announced that we were receiving a patent for our heat remediation treatment and we couldn’t be more proud! This is just another example of our commitment to innovation, which allows us to provide outstanding results for our customers!

Last month I was speaking with several of our Massey team members and found out that they had formed a team to participate in the Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the Cure.  I had heard of this walk before but didn’t know much about it so I started asking a lot of questions.  I found out that this walk actually covers 60 miles over the course of 3 days.  I also found out that the 3 Day for the Cure is the largest source of non-profit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world.

Each walker is required to raise a specific amount of money in order to participate so we began fundraising activities here at Massey right away to help our support our team of walkers.  To date, we have helped raise close to $3,000, with more fundraising activities to come in the upcoming weeks.

It is truly an inspiration to see this team pull together and prepare for this walk, which is scheduled in Tampa in October.  If you’d like donate to the team, please click here and make a donation.

Now that the warm weather is back, unfortunately so are fleas and ticks.  Even worse, they’re seeking out your pets as a host.

Here are a few tips you can follow to prevent fleas from becoming a problem for your furry companion:

• Always check your pet’s bedding daily for evidence of fleas.  The eggs are slightly smaller than a pin head, oval and cream colored and are usually found in cracks, crevices and bound with strands of carpet.
• If pets are to be outside at all, be sure you have a veterinary-prescribed flea treatment that is applied regularly according to the label.  Adult fleas usually stay clinging within the fur of the pet but will die if a flea protection has been regularly applied to the pet.

If fleas are discovered, here are a few additional tips to follow:

• If fleas are found on the pet, comb out or remove and kill the fleas.  Vacuum all areas of the floor, especially under sofas and chairs and under sofa and chair pads.  Throw the vacuum bag out and replace with a new bag.
• If fleas are found, inspect your yard for fleas by dragging an old towel or rag across areas where pets usually walk.  If fleas are present they will jump onto the towel.  If this occurs, the yard will need immediate treatment.
• If live fleas are found indoors, a flea treatment should be performed immediately.

Fleas can get out of hand fast so it’s important to stay vigilant and constantly inspect for the above signs of infestation.

As temperatures and humidity are on the rise in the Southeastern United States, Formosan termite colonies are actively growing in and around homes throughout our region. Formosan termite swarms occur seasonally, usually during the hot, humid summer months, and have plagued the Southeast for decades.

What makes Formosan termites dangerous is the fact that they are extremely aggressive and typically cause more damage than any other type of termite.

A Formosan termite swarm occurs when a mature colony sends out winged reproductives to mate and begin the establishment of a new colony.

According to Adam Jones, our Vice President and Director of Quality Assurance, “During a swarm, large numbers of winged termites take flight to start new colonies. This can happen outdoors where they may emerge from stumps, wood piles, mulch beds or even from parts of the house, such as wood siding, eave overhangs or wooden trim. Inside homes, they will emerge from small holes in the wall called ‘exit holes’ or natural openings, such as gaps in caulking around windows.”

A swarm usually lasts between 30-45 minutes as the winged termites try to escape to go on their mating flights. It is very chaotic, and the air is filled with fluttering termites, wings and the bodies of termites that have shed their wings trying to get to a safe area in the soil.

However, because of the brief time frame associated with swarms, most homeowners will actually discover the aftermath of a swarm. Termites swarm toward light sources so most likely are found on window sills or around sliding glass doors.

If you’re concerned you may have a termite infestation, call us or schedule a free inspection today!

Last week a story was published in the Orlando Sentinel about German Cockroaches infesting Orange County Public Schools.

As soon as we heard the news, we connected with the District to offer our help and expertise to eliminate this problem as quickly as possible.  Several of our team members volunteered their time this past weekend to complete thorough inspections on 12 of the 22 schools with a reported infestation to find the source and determine a treatment plan to rid these schools of roaches.  Additionally, other team members are working evenings this week to inspect the final 10 schools.  Overall, in working with the District employees, we hope to have these schools completely reopened by early next week, if not sooner.

All of these services were offered free of charge and are truly a reflection of why at Massey, our team members truly do make a difference in our company and in our community!

This past Sunday at 7:21 p.m., Spring officially arrived! I love the spring and can’t wait to spend more time outdoors. Unfortunately, along with spring comes the high pollen counts, which can sometimes send me back indoors so I can get my sneezing back under control. If you have the same problem, here are a few tips provided by Web MD of how to better control allergies:

Ahhh…St. Patrick’s Day! To me this day was always a sign that spring was right around the corner. But as I did a little research on this celebratory day, I learned a lot of interesting facts that I did not know so I wanted to share!

• St. Patrick was actual of Scottish descent, not Irish. And his name actually isn’t even Patrick! His real name is Maewyn Succat. However, he was kidnapped and sold into Irish slavery at the age of 16. When he became a priest later in life, he took the name Patricius, better known as Patrick.
• The original color that was related back to St. Patrick was actually blue, not green!
• The Chicago River is dyed green every year on this day, using 40 pounds of green vegetable dye.
• This holiday is a big sales day for Hallmark. They’ve been selling St. Patrick’s Day cards since the 1920′s and today sell anywhere from 8-15 million cards on this special day.
• Hallmark isn’t the only company that makes out big on this day – so does McDonalds with their infamous Shamrock Shake, which they typically begin offering in late February or early March – and have been since 1970!
• The shamrock is the official flower of Ireland and the four leaves of the clover represent faith, love, hope and of course, luck!