All posts by Mosquito Joe

With the ability to spend more time with our families, it can be hard to think of new and creative ideas to keep your kids occupied. As a mosquito control company that makes outside fun again, we’ve taken the lead on putting together some unique ideas (see below) the family can do together!

Backyard Events

1. Pitch a tent and camp under the stars.  This is an oldie but a goodie. Going on a full camping trip is time-consuming, takes a lot of preparation, and can be exhausting with kids. So why not cut out most of the work and skip straight to the fun? Pitch a tent, have a bonfire, maybe even tell some ghost stories, all in the comfort of your own backyard! Take a look at this article from Parenting.com for ideas on how to make your adventure even better!
2. Organize a scavenger hunt for the kids.  There are plenty of ways to set up a scavenger hunt for the kids. It’s a great option that works both indoors and outdoors, gets your kids moving, and engages the mind. Check out some of these scavenger hunt ideas for inspiration. A little bit of preparation work is worth the fun they’ll have!
3. Have a luau or other themed family party.  Do you have extra decorations laying around? Spice up your dinner or outdoor party with some of these family-themed party ideas.
4. Create giant board games in the backyard.  You could stay inside all day playing Checkers or Bananagrams, but doesn’t a game of giant backyard Jenga sound so much better? There are do-it-yourself solutions for dozens of games that take them from traditional board games to life-size interactions. Most of these are easy and inexpensive, perfect for a lazy day.
5. Hold your own Olympics. If you are needing to get the kids outside and exercising, why not hold your own backyard Olympics?  You can even stretch this out over a longer period of time to make it a real competition!  Aside from having the kids participate in events, you can get them to make country flags, hold opening ceremonies, and even make their own medals.

Food Related

1. Have an indoor picnic in your newly built fort.  This is two fun activities built into one! Build a fort with sheets and old boxes and then have an indoor picnic in your newly built fort. You can even support a local business in your area by ordering to-go food for your picnic.
2. Plant a garden.  If you have the space in your backyard, planting a garden is a great long-term activity to do with your kids. You can pick out which seeds you’d like to plant, spend time planning the layout of the garden, and then watching from the beginning as the garden grows! If it’s a success, use your haul to make delicious meals or share with neighbors.
3. Have a bonfire and backyard feast.  This is another oldie but a goodie. Many of you probably have memories of bonfires, hot dogs, s’mores, and firecrackers.  This is a great opportunity to pass the memory onto your kids!
4. Take an online cooking class for kids.  Thought cooking classes were only for adults?  There are a variety of YouTube channels and websites that offer cooking classes to kids, too!  Aside from learning new recipes, these videos offer kids a creative outlet that they normally wouldn’t get.  Check out The Step Stool Chef for great videos that you and your family will love!
5. Once a week, let the kids choose and help cook a meal.  If those cooking classes pay off, the kids can even help you in your own kitchen!  Instead of making dinner alone or ordering out, let the kids help you make dinner once in a while to turn cooking into quality family time.

Around the Home

1. Art & Play Activities ArtBar is releasing a weekly art and play activity with supplies and tools you can find around your home. With a little prep, you are able to create an engaging and balanced day for your kids.
2. Complete the 30-day LEGO challenge. If you live with LEGO fans, this 30-day challenge is a great way to get the creative juices flowing, as well as keep the kids occupied for a few hours.
3. “Visit” a local museum or educational attraction online. You are now able to see some of the greatest museums around the world thanks to Google Street View. For some added culture, show your kids the top 10 museums in the world by clicking the link here.
4. Stream a live concert in your own home. Some artists and bands are hosting Facebook Live concerts, so turn on the television, crank up the volume, and jam out to some of your favorite music! Most artists are announcing their concerts on Facebook, so give your favorite singers a “Like” on Facebook so you can stay updated on when they are going live. DJ Mel is also hosting a Facebook live kid-friendly dance party called, “Living Room Dance Party.”
5. Do an at-home workout.  Boosterthon has created a schedule for each day that packs educational, character and fitness-based content all into one day. You can learn more about how to access this content here.

There are thousands of ideas to keep your kids occupied around your home and in the backyard.  A simple Google search will keep you busy for hours! Before you head into the backyard for a bonfire or camping adventure, call your local Mosquito Joe for service to protect your yard from mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks. Backed by our MoJo Satisfaction guarantee, we get rid of the mosquitoes, so you can enjoy being outside again.

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 rainwater 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

**Occasionally we like to provide a blog post that will help you get to know Joe. From our technicians to our corporate staff to our hardworking franchisees – we think our company is full of people you ought to know!**

Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert Rummells, a retired Army Ranger who hails from Iowa.

Meet Robert Rummells of Mosquito Joe of West Richmond, VA

Robert has admitted he’s not a “cubicle kind of guy,” so when he was researching the perfect franchise opportunity, he knew it couldn’t be just any business opportunity.

Army Ranger Zoned in on Mosquitoes

Originally from a small town in Iowa called West Branch, Robert was living in Los Angeles playing semi-professional football for the San Fernando Valley Freelancers, where he met and married his wife Christine. After playing football for one year, on January 14, 1988, Robert enlisted in the United States Army where he became an Army Ranger and was assigned to the 1^st Ranger Battalion at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, GA.  Robert retired from the US Army in March 2009 after a 22 year career.

After he retired from the Army, Robert still felt a strong urge to serve the community he lived in. This brought him to serving as Chief of Staff for Delegate John Welch in the General Assembly of Virginia in Richmond, specifically in the House of Delegates (e.g. Representatives in other states). So after two decades in the military and almost ten years in politics, what would be next for this non-desk guy who really enjoyed being an integral part of the community in which he lived? There was a job fair for military veterans in February 2013 and that is where the bug was put in his ear about Mosquito Joe! It was the perfect fit, working for himself, being outside, and bringing relief to the residents of Richmond from pesky bugs.

“For three years, I had been searching the internet for a franchise opportunity. It came down to six or seven companies, but there always seemed to be one or two areas lacking that just didn’t fit the bill….Mosquito Joe is very turn-key. Though my list of to-do’s has been lengthy, there’s been help every single step of the way. It’s been wonderful having such a good support system for the business.”

Don’t worry, he didn’t forget Christine. Together they launched Mosquito Joe of West Richmond in May and once they hit the ground running, they never looked back. Rummells was even featured in Bloomberg Businessweek on his post-military career of making the mosquito his new enemy. He has goals to expand in the Richmond area and maybe even bring Mosquito Joe to his hometown in Iowa.

We couldn’t be happier to have Robert and Murph as part of the Mosquito Joe family and wish them the best of luck. If you’re interested in mosquito control services in the Richmond, VA area to rid your yard of pesky mosquitoes, ticks and fleas, visit the Mosquito Joe of West Richmond website or call their office at 804-767-5220 ext. 859 for more information or a free quote.

It’s pretty common knowledge that mosquitoes like warm weather and water, so it is easy to think of their habitats being restricted to the southern and coastal regions. However, those living in other mosquito-prone areas know that this is not the case. Mosquitoes don’t limit themselves to recognized havens for skeeters, like Texas or Florida. They also show up every year in places like snowy Michigan, the fields of Oklahoma, and even the deserts of Arizona. No matter where you live, mosquito control is important.

The best solution for keeping mosquitoes out of your yard is to call in an expert, like Mosquito Joe, who specializes in mosquito elimination services. But if you’re not ready to make that move just yet, we want to arm you with some key tips to make sure you aren’t hosting places mosquitoes love to hang out in your yard. Whether you’re looking to get the most out of a mosquito treatment program you’re already on or you’re just starting your mosquito combat education, these tips will help you battle the blood-thirsty pests flying around your yard:

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

Be sure to check our website often as new Mosquito Joe locations are popping up all over the country! And if we haven’t made it to your area yet, why not be the MoJo (and hero) of your neighborhood? Franchises are available nationwide.

Photo credit: MTSOfan via photopin cc

I am one of those incredibly fortunate people (insert sarcasm here) who gets eaten alive by mosquitoes any time I go outside in the spring or summer. My legs start to look like I have chicken pox and the welts get so big that they end up joining forces to create even bigger welts. It’s disgusting, really, but it’s been like that as long as I can remember and the only solace I ever got from being the one the mosquitoes picked on was my mom telling me it was because I was sweet.  And she’s pretty much a scientist (Dr. Zerda), so she must know, right? Did your mom ever tell you that?  I may have believed her back then but I’m older and wiser now so it’s time to get to the bottom of this myth and determine if my mom was lying to me…

First you should know, it’s only the female mosquitoes that bite.  They are the vampires of the mosquito world – they want your blood. They need a meal of blood in order to get the protein and  nutrients to produce eggs. But how do they select their prey? It turns out there is some element of truth to your “sweetness” being attractive, but it’s not your sweet personality that’s drawing them to you. It’s the sweet aromas they’re detecting: your sweet perfume, cologne, deodorant or shampoo.

But beyond the sweet, mosquitoes are attracted to other scents and substances, many less appealing to the human nose than the aforementioned examples.  Carbon dioxide is the primary driver to finding their prey, but mosquitoes also like sweat, lactic acid, uric acid and a chemical called octenol. They often find bigger people more attractive because they are larger targets and they produce more mosquito attractants, namely carbon dioxide and lactic acid. Active or fidgety people also produce more carbon dioxide and lactic acid so they’re also on the hit list. Beyond that, women are a more likely target than men because of the difference in hormones we produce. And apparently blondes tend to be more attractive to mosquitoes than brunettes. I thought blondes were supposed to be the ones who had more fun but I guess not in mosquito-infested areas. Despite preferring lighter hair, mosquitoes like dark clothing. And finally, smelly feet and Limburger cheese will also bring the mosquitoes around.

For me, I’m going to stick to the idea that it’s my sweet personality (or maybe my deodorant) that attracts the mosquitoes and I’m going to be thankful that there are great mosquito control solutions out there to keep my skin in tact.  If you’re finding yourself or someone in your household to be a prime target this spring or summer make sure you call Mosquito Joe to learn about the options you have to get rid of mosquitoes around your home so you can enjoy being outside again (without needing Mom’s sweet words to make up for your discomfort). Think it sounds too good to be true? Call us and give it a shot. We are so confident in our services that we offer a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, so what are you waiting for?

Sources: https://www.wisegeek.org/; American Mosquito Control Association; photo