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The Latest Buzz About Mosquitoes And Spiders By Dave Halliday
Photos By Rod Denis
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hen warmer weather arrives, it seems that our world becomes more active. The neighbours emerge from their homes and there is generally a distinct buzz in the air! Unfortunately, the increased activity can be the variety that encases your home and surroundings in webbing and the buzz can be attributed to an emerging mosquito population. What can you do though? Spiders, ticks, mosquitoes, and every other variety of crawling or flying tiny bugs, are just an uncontrollable aspect of living on this planet . . . or is it? Obviously, these aggravating, and at times threatening pests, also play a role in our ecosystem, but what if you could provide a barrier against them to make your living areas more enjoyable? We at Biz X were very fortunate to discuss the merits of pest control with not one, but two, of the local leaders in pest control, operating their businesses for over three years. Cody Howard, Owner and Structural Exterminator of The Spider Guys (1501 Howard Avenue, Unit 106R; TheSpiderGuys.com) and Colin Kwiatkowski, Co-Owner of The Mosquito Guard (923 Front Road North, Amherstburg; MosquitoGuard.ca) were kind enough to share their combined expertise on this pesky matter at hand.
The team at The Spider Guys, from left, are: Yvonne Khadra, Office Assistant; Dominika Szewczyk, Helper; Colin McMahon, Owner/Landscape Specialist; David “Spiderman” Zelko, Exterminator; Walter Senko, Owner/Mosquito and Biting Fly Specialist; and Cody Howard, Owner and Structural Exterminator. The company offers year-round protection and affordable subscription plans for customers.
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Let’s now creep into this topic and hopefully unravel any web of uncertainties that our more uneasy readers might possess. First up . . . The Spider Guys! Give us an idea of what The Spider Guys does. “We are a general pest control company that offers a wide range of services, from spider control to wildlife,” Howard indicates. “We focus on a customer service centred approach to business that provides an unbeatable customer experience.” Would your service include inspection of a potential issue? “Yes, we offer inspection services from a background in entomology,” informs Howard adding, “Integrated pest management programs are catered carefully and with consideration to insect habits. We endeavour to leave each client feeling educated and confident they made the right pest control choice.” What are the risks associated with spider infestations? “We generally consider this field to be cosmetic,” he replies. “The most common risks are associated with phobias and reactive accidents after walking into webs — or fear. However, in some rare cases treatment is necessary for safety. For example, when dealing with venomous regional spiders such as the brown recluse.” Does your service eliminate all spiders? “Our service endeavours to deal with spiders on a localized level,” Howard states. “Where treatments are applied, clients will see a near 99% removal of spider activity for several months. Respecting the environment, this does not mean a total removal of spiders from the property as a whole. However, greater mitigation can be achieved with our Complete Plan when a full-range removal of insects on the property is requested.” Is the product you apply safe? “The products used by us, and by most in this industry, are a class of chemicals known as Pyrethroids (Permethrin) which is considered to be fairly safe, since mammals are less sensitive to the effects and recover quickly from exposure,” he answers. How and where is the product typically applied? “Depending on the service requested by the client, the application is done a few different ways,” says Howard. “For home treatments, we apply perimeter treatments areas all over the areas of the home known to harbour insect activity. This treatment is typically very direct. For the yard, we use a fogging applicator on trees, shrubs, grass and other common hiding spots for mosquitoes. Interior applications vary based on the layout of the home.” What would you say are the benefits to using this service? “Pest management programs for spiders can be very beneficial for the general enjoyment of your home,” Howard says. “They prevent spiders from
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