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!

Today is Earth Day…a day we should all sit back and think for just a few minutes about what we’re doing to protect our environment.

I know it may be difficult to grasp that a Pest, Termite and Lawn company can actually be green but we pride ourselves on the fact that we are! In fact, we’ve actually been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Orange County as an environmental steward and an industry environmental leader for decades!

You may be wondering…what have we done to get there? Well, here are just a few examples:

- We eliminated the indiscriminate spraying of pesticides in your home by creating PEST PREVENTION, an environmentally responsible alternative to traditional pest control.

- We pioneered termite pre-construction and post-construction treatment programs that save up to 400 gallons of water per treatment.

- Our landscape services include soil aeration – one of the most environmentally beneficial practices for a green, healthy landscape.

An article appeared on the front page of the Orlando Sentinel today entitled “Weather’s warming and termites are swarming.”  This is a great reminder to all of the homeowners who live in the Southeast that termites are a constant threat to our homes.

Termites swarm when they are trying to expand their colonies.  They typically swarm from February through June, depending on where you live and the climate.  Unfortunately – this is probably the only time a homeowner will ever see termites and know they have a problem.   That’s why it’s so important to have an annual termite inspection every year.

But an annual inspection is only part of the solution.  Having a preventive termite protection plan is the best way to ensure your home and belongings are protected.  Now granted, I’ve worked in the Pest Control Industry for almost 10 years so I know I’m a bit biased.  But I have seen the damage that termites can cause first hand  (bathrooms having to be remodeled, houses having to be tented for days to eliminate termites, windows having to be repaired from damage) and don’t want to see this happen to anyone I know.

Just remember, even if you don’t see termites swarming – the best way to protect your home is with a preventive treatment plan.

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!

Recently an article was written in The Orlando Sentinel about killer bees invading the Southeast. As if we didn’t have enough pests that we have to worry about here, now we have to be fearful of coming in contact with a hive of killer bees!

The reason why the Africanized honey bee is known as a “killer bee” is because these hives are much more aggressive than the well known European honey bee that has been around for as long as I can remember. When an Africanized honey bee hive is disturbed, these bees come out and attack in numbers. So it’s not the sting that is necessarily dangerous (unless you’re allergic of course – then any sting is dangerous) but it’s the fact that there are hundreds of these angry bees that want to sting at the same time!

Here are a few tips of what you can do if you are under attack or see someone else in trouble:

1. Run away in a straight line, protecting your
   face as bees will target the head.
2. Avoid other people and animals or they will
   be attacked as well.
3. Do not try to hide underwater; the swarm
   will wait for you to come up for air.
4. Remove the stinger by scraping with a credit
   card or a blunt knife and wash with soap and
   water & apply ice.
5. Seek medical attention immediately even if
   you have never had an allergic reaction.

And, if someone else is being attacked, take refuge
and call 911. Inform the operator of the
situation and advise them that sirens and flashing
lights will threaten the colony further.

We’ve gotten quite a wave recently through our office of the sniffles and sneezies which prompted me to share some tips on how to keep you and your family healthy this season- while keeping those nasty “bugs” at bay:

• Wash those hands often! It’s the number one strategy to fight germs above all else. Hands should be washed with soap for 20 – 25 seconds and the three keys to success are soap, friction and water.
• Take your vitamins. Take a daily multivitamin and get plenty of colorful fruits and veggies each day like oranges, broccoli, berries and tomatoes. These foods are packed with vitamins A, C and E as well as antioxidants. Green tea is another way to get some antioxidants in your system.
• Don’t touch – your eyes nose and mouth, that is. They are gateways for pesky germs to start trouble.
• Catch your Z-Z-Z’s. Keep sleep a priority because it will help everyone avoid becoming run-down.
• Get a move on. Everyone in your family should squeeze in a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise per day to help boost the immune system. Take a walk with your family after dinner, kick a soccer ball or play a game of hide-and-seek to integrate physical activity into your schedule.
• Lower your stress. Studies show that high levels of both physical and mental stress can suppress the immune system. Try to avoid chronic stress when possible, or learn relaxation techniques to better cope with unavoidable, difficult situations. Your mental well-being is a huge part of staying healthy overall.

Evidently, some of us do!

Just saw this video today and had to share…These friendly young protesters, members of “BLOOD: Bed Bug Lovers Opposing Oppression and Death,” are carrying signs and chanting, “Bite! Bite! Let them bite! Killing bed bugs is not right!” The video was posted to YouTube in November.

Although this video is humorous, bed bugs are a serious problem. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

There’s no other holiday like Christmas! Below are some fun facts that we found very interesting, while reminding us all that there is quite a bit of history behind our zany family customs!

• Electric lights for trees were first used in 1895.
• The first Christmas cards were invented in 1843, the Victorian Era.
• “It’s a Wonderful Life” appears on TV more often than any other holiday movie.
• “Jingle Bells” was actually written for Thanksgiving, but is now one of the most popular Christmas songs.
• The word Christmas is Old English, a contraction of Christ’s Mass.
• If you received all of the gifts in the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” you would receive 364 gifts.
• The poinsettia plant was brought into the United States from Mexico by Joel Poinsett in the early 1800′s. Contrary to popular belief, poinsettia plants are non-toxic.
• But holly berries are poisonous!
• Mistletoe was chosen as Oklahoma’s state flower in 1893.
• In 1843, “A Christmas Carol” was written by Charles Dickens in just six weeks.
• The first state to officially recognize the Christmas holiday was Alabama and it became a national holiday in America on June 26, 1870.
• Clearing up a common misconception, in Greek, X means Christ. That is where the abbreviation “Xmas” originated.
• More diamonds are sold around Christmas than any other time of the year.
• The first president of the United States to decorate the White House Christmas tree was Franklin Pierce.
• Germany made the first artificial Christmas trees. They were made of goose feathers and then dyed green.

Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for a Happy New Year!

I’m sure by now everyone has heard that the weather is calling for some very cold temperatures tonight throughout the Southeast. If you need tips on what to do for plants and your landscape during a freeze, click here. But what should you do if your plants or lawn become damaged?  NOTHING- right now, anyway.

The potential for freezing temperatures will be present for the next few months so replacing damaged or dead grass and shrubs at this time is not a good idea. However when Spring’s warm temperatures return, you’ll be able to see what plants and portions of the lawn definitely aren’t going to come back so you can begin to make decisions on renovation. You should also wait until Spring to prune dead branches. We’ve posted several tips from our lawn experts on what to do during and after a freeze, but feel free to give us a call with any questions!

For now, just keep your plants covered at night when freezing temperatures are imminent and make sure to monitor your irrigation so as to not ice over the landscape and cause freeze damage. And BUNDLE UP!!