Category Archives: What We Do

The first day of August is here! I can’t believe this summer is flying by as quickly as it is. Last week I took my dog in for her annual checkup at the vet, and I noticed a big poster on the wall about the dangers of leaving your pet in the car during the months that are hot. As we make our way into one of the hottest months of the year, it got me thinking about other things in the summer that can be harmful (and irritating) to our pets.

When the temperature goes up, the insects come out. That’s not new news, but the amount of fleas and ticks that summer brings could be. The ideal temperature for these pet problems are between 70-90 degrees. That’s generally a typical summer day for most parts of the country. Fleas and ticks also require high humidity level around 70% which increases the chance for large amounts of the insects in areas like the Southeast of the US.

Ticks find their hosts by detecting animals´ breath and body odors, or by sensing body heat and moisture, all of which are upped during the summer months and fleas, well…they’ll jump to find you. You get the picture. Hot = fleas and ticks. To make sure your pet is safe this summer here are some tips to keep them cool, hydrated, and and itch free this summer.

• If dogs or cats must be outside, make sure they have an adequate supply of water.
• If they are tied to a unmovable object, make sure shade is in their reach.
• Never leave your dog alone in the car (even with the windows down) during the summer months. 
• Make sure you have your cats and dogs on a flea and tick prevention program year round.
• Mosquito Joe barrier treatments help protect against fleas and ticks and set up a perimeter around your yard, keeping them out.

We love seeing pictures of our customers (two legged or four legged) so if you have plans that involve getting out in your yard with your pet this weekend, we’d love to see pictures. Send them to marketing@mosquitojoe.com and you may be featured on our Facebook page or in a future blog post! We hope you enjoy your weekend!

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 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.

When you are trying out a new product or service, the natural response is to have questions about how it works, what it does, and different factors that can affect it. That is true for mosquito treatment services and our customers. There are many questions not only new customers ask, but customers who have been sprayed for multiple seasons. We have a Frequently Asked Questions section on our website, but every once in a while it doesn’t hurt to expand on one of those answers and give you more information about our sprays.

A big question we always get, especially after a big storm, is how rain affects the product we use when we treat your yard. Most people reason that rain washes the product away, requiring a re-spray, but actually the opposite is true. As long as your yard has had adequate time to dry and the product has had time to bond to the foliage (usually about 30 minutes) rain should not impact the effectiveness of your service. It is actually the sun that breaks down the product over time, not rain.

Lots of areas in the country are experiencing higher than average rainfall this season, and since rain creates areas of standing water, allowing mosquitoes to hatch, it is completely normal to worry that your service is being interrupted by the drops. The good news is that we are always watching the weather and we make sure if rain is in the forecast we push your scheduled service up a day or back a day. We want to make sure your yard has the allotted dry time to make sure the barrier around your home is set properly. It’s also important to remember that our MoJo guarantee still stands, rain or shine. If the quality of your barrier has been affected by rain, we will return to your yard to ensure you are mosquito free and enjoying your yard.

photo credit: N1CT4YL0R via photopin cc