Monthly Archives: March 2014

Here at Mosquito Joe, we are very partial to all things Joe. When people ask “So, who is Joe?” we just smile. Possibly derived from the Scottish word jo or joe, meaning sweetheart, “joe” refers to the regular guy or the common man. I tend to disagree a little there. Our Mosquito Joe team consists of a lot of “Joe’s” who wear a lot of hats. Head Joe (our CEO) is our fearless leader, GI Joe (our Director of Operations) is our franchisee’s go-to-person for questions when it comes to well, operating their business. Cup of Joe (our Director of Marketing) makes sure you all recognize our logo and the name Mosquito Joe. Numbers Joe makes sure our bills get paid, Mama Joe runs our local operations (and generally takes care of all of us), and Joe Dee and Joe Cool are the ones you talk to if you’re interested in a franchise. And me? I love being Social Joe, keeping you all updated on all things, you guessed it, Joe.

Well, today is National Joe Day which means we’re celebrating the Joe’s around here who make this company awesome and are far from a regular Joe; that includes all of our wonderful Joe’s across the country. We love making outside fun again and bringing Joe to all of your neighborhoods. How can you celebrate National Joe Day? Here are a few perfect ideas:

• Call your local Mosquito Joe today and sign up for service (some are even running some National Joe Day specials today if you act fast!)
• Like Mosquito Joe on Facebook
• Follow Mosquito Joe on Twitter
• Go put that Mosquito Joe yard sign back out, it is officially Spring, you know!
• High five someone named Joe!

We are looking forward to warm weather, sunshine, and getting those MoJo vans back out in your neighborhood, if they aren’t already there. Happy National Joe Day from Mosquito Joe!

All of you avid followers of our blog The Buzz on Mosquito Control can probably guess why this is one of our favorite days of the year. And if this is your first time visiting the blog, you may be wondering what the heck I’m talking about, and why a random Thursday is important. But friends, it’s the first day of Spring!! We can’t believe we finally made it. It has been a tough winter here in Virginia Beach, and we know a lot of you have had the same kind of winter: cold and long.

The first day of spring doesn’t mean we magically wake up to sunny and warm temperatures, but it does mean it is right around the corner and we couldn’t be more excited about that. Why? Warmer weather and longer days mean more outside time! Unfortunately, in many parts of the country that usually comes with a side of buzzing and swatting so we wanted give you a reminder of how to make sure your yard is free of places a mosquito can lay eggs that do hatch when the temperature creeps up.

• Mosquitos breed in standing water so regularly empty ponds, bird baths, fountains, plant pots, buckets, barrels, tarps, kid toys, pet water dishes or anywhere else that water may gather.
• Clean out gutters and examine them for damage that would cause water to collect.
• Drill holes in tire swings, trash cans or recycle bins so water drains out.
• Keep swimming pools clean, properly circulated and filtered. Keep children’s wading pools empty and on their sides when they aren’t being used.
• Cut grass and shrubs short, as adult mosquitoes gather to rest in shady, cool areas. Keep your yard weed-free and avoid overgrown vegetation.

And of course, spring means our mosquito control service season is either here or coming soon (depending on where you live).  Mosquito Joe takes our job of keeping your yard safe and itch-free seriously so give us a call to make sure you are on the schedule. To our new friends who are checking out our blog today to see what we do, give us a call for a free quote – 855-275-2563. We have a lot of new locations opening up this year, so check and see if MoJo is in your neighborhood yet. Happy Spring!

photo credit: Marcos Vasconcelos Photography via photopin cc

We know how much Mosquito Joe customers love their lawns and every spring we look forward to getting back out there and seeing your beautiful landscapes. (Not to mention, we love making them mosquito free so you can enjoy them, too!) Spotting clover on your pristine lawn would probably send you running for the weed killer, but four leaf clovers are a different story, right? According to Irish and Celtic tradition, those infamous leaves bring good luck to their finders. Each leaf is believed to represent something: the first is for faith, the second is for hope, the third is for love, and the fourth is for, of course, luck.

Whatever your heritage is, and whether you find a four leaf clover or not, we hope you have a wonderful day celebrating the feast of St. Patrick. We hope it includes hope, love, some luck, and maybe even a little bit of MoJo.

We loves feasts, so in honor of this one we have a recipe for Guinness cupcakes we think you’ll love too. Happy St. Patrick’s Day from Mosquito Joe!

Whether we like it or not, we have a few more weeks to wait for the warmer seasons. The official start of spring is 3 weeks away and some parts of the country are still dealing with winter weather and freezing temperatures. Does that mean mosquito control is something that shouldn’t be on our minds yet? Well, not exactly.

Even during winter months and cold temperatures, female mosquitoes are around. They go into a state called diapause.  David Denlinger is an entomologist at Ohio State University in Columbus and he describes diapause as a state where mosquitoes “essentially shut down their development and hunker it out until spring comes.” The mosquito eggs are even more resilient. Mosquito eggs have been known to stand up to many harsh situations and survive through them. While it is very common for female mosquitoes to lay their eggs on or near standing water, they can survive desert situations, freezing temperatures, and other forces of nature such as storms. Keep in mind once a mosquito egg hatches it becomes an adult (adult = biting) in 4-7 days, so this process is a quick one.

How can you avoid a spring hatching of mosquitoes in your yard? Remember, snow melts into water. Make sure your yards are clear of anything that can catch rain water or melting snow. These can include something as simple as a child’s toy, a shovel laying on the ground, flower pots or a swing. Keep these empty and you can avoid an overabundance of mosquito eggs. And of course, go ahead and get on the schedule for the first spray of the season with your local Mosquito Joe. We’ll make sure you spend your time doing the things you love instead of swatting this spring and summer.

photo credit: NPR