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With October being National Pet Wellness Month, let’s take the opportunity to absorb some helpful tips on keeping our beloved pets healthy and happy this season (and year-round, too!). The simple preventatives below can help you know what to look for as a pet-owner and make sure your pets are around for years to come.

Wellness exams and vaccines

Are you taking your pet for a wellness exam at least once a year? Regular checkups are essential to a healthy, happy pet. Pets are genetically wired to hide illness and disease, so let your veterinarian detect and prevent things such as ear infections, dental disease, diabetes, and kidney disease. Making sure your pet’s vaccinations are up-to-date is not only good for their overall health, but also yours. Ask your veterinarian about the vaccines your pet needs to prevent contagious diseases and illnesses. A vet visit can be scary, so be sure to hold their paw during the shots!

School and home project supplies

School is in session and it’s easy to avoid putting the supplies into the appropriate storage after use. School glues, permanent markers, and pencils can all cause upset stomachs for curious pets. Heavy-duty glues can cause serious blockage in the digestive tract and may even lead to pricey surgeries. Dogs in particular like the flavor of glue. To avoid a mess on the carpet and unwanted vet bills, make sure your family is cleaning up after those fun projects.

Look out for mushrooms

Although appetizing in warm fall meals, mushrooms can be toxic to our pets. Fall is the prime season for mushrooms, and pets cannot determine the difference between a toxic and non-toxic mushroom. If a dog consumes a mushroom and you are unsure of its toxicity, take them to the vet right away. They can experience some pretty awful side effects and will need to be treated immediately to avoid potential liver and kidney failure.

Check for fleas and ticks

Deer ticks are responsible for spreading Lyme disease, and the number of adult deer ticks is higher in the fall than it is during any other season. Fleas also transmit diseases and cause a painful itch for you and your pets. During the wellness exam, check with your veterinarian for flea and tick preventatives, and be sure to contact your local Mosquito Joe for an extra layer of protection for you and your pets from those pesky insects.

Nutrition and exercise

I’m sure your pet would LOVE to share that last slice of pizza with you, but you should reconsider. Providing your pet with a healthy diet and plenty of exercise is important for their quality of life. Consider adding pumpkin, apples, and carrots to your pet’s diet – these are tasty treats that are abundant during autumn months and they come packed with lots of nutrients! This time of year provides the perfect weather for a long walk or a game of fetch, but don’t forget to provide them with calories to account for the energy they’re expending. Your pet will love spending time with you and enjoy activities in the crisp, fresh air!

Although it’s officially fall, outdoor pests will remain active until temperatures consistently stay below 50 degrees.  Getting a Mosquito Joe spray now will allow you to enjoy your outdoor space longer while adding another layer of defense against ticks and fleas for your pets. Contact your local Mosquito Joe for more information, and let us help you make outside fun again!

Feeling creative this fall? Check out these adorable DIY Pet Costume Ideas for Halloween!

**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 Steve Clark. Steve has been an entrepreneur since the age of twelve when he starting mowing lawns in his neighborhood with his brother. He eventually turned that concept into a successful lawn and landscaping business, while teaching high school agriculture and biology on the side.  After deciding to stop teaching and put full energy into his business, he became aware of mosquito control treatments and saw the opportunity to add a complementary service to his business portfolio.  After reading an article about Mosquito Joe in Kiplinger magazine the wheels started turning, and he hasn’t looked back since.

Meet Steve Clark of Mosquito Joe of East Memphis, TN

Steve graduated from the University of Tennessee with Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, where he continued to mow lawns and keep yards looking pristine. After graduation he started his lawn company Southern Lawn and Pest Inc. where his interest turned to weed control and fertilization and other practices that help maintain the overall health of a lawn.

Flash forward a few years…after attending a concert with his daughter that had been treated for mosquitoes, he realized how wonderful it was to enjoy being outdoors without swatting and just how much Memphis could benefit. With his clients established on the lawn care side, he could not only keep their lawns healthy, but he could keep his customers healthy (and itch free!) too.

“We decided to add a Mosquito Joe division to our Southern Lawn & Pest business because we knew it would be a perfect fit for our clients,” says Steve, “We also see it as a great opportunity to reach out to more potential lawn care customers through Mosquito Joe. Each business is really going to help grow the other.”

Mosquito Joe of East Memphis launched in the spring of 2014 and Steve maintains his southern charm with his business. He prides himself in putting the customer first and giving great service at a good value.

We couldn’t be happier to have Steve and his team as part of the Mosquito Joe family and wish them the best of luck. If you’re interested in mosquito control services in the Memphis, TN area to rid your yard of pesky mosquitoes, ticks and fleas, visit the Mosquito Joe of East Memphis website or call their office at 901-881-5406 for more information or a free quote.

The cooler weather is settling in, the leaves have begun to show the first signs of changing colors, and pumpkins and sweaters are making appearances in many cities. That also means that in many areas, we’re wrapping up our season.

If you want to know when to expect mosquitoes to go on hiatus in your area, consult your local weather station.  Until you’ve had your first frost and temperatures stay below 45, you may still see them buzzing around.

Those who are still enjoying some warmth and sunshine should still rely on Mosquito Joe services to keep your yard itch free. (For any folks in South Texas, our new location in the Rio Grande Valley is happily taking on new service calls!)

If you’re already bundling up before leaving the house, you may feel safe from pesky mosquitoes for the season, but that doesn’t mean you should let your guard down when it comes to buzzing in the backyard. There’s still some precautions to take in the fall and winter months to maintain a mosquito-free yard, even after your last spray. Here’s what you should know:

In the autumn months after mating, male mosquitoes die. But did you know female mosquitoes actually hibernate? That’s right, they can actually survive the winter months. In the spring when the weather warms up, they seek blood to feed on so they can lay their eggs. All mosquito larvae (eggs) require water, even in winter, and mosquito larvae can last years. As the water temperature drops, it basically creates a dormant stage in the mosquito larvae called diapause, which stops further development. Development resumes when the water warms again. To make sure you don’t have this problem, remove all standing water from your yard and remove objects like toys or flower pots that can collect rainwater.

Just because some seasons are wrapping up doesn’t mean we’re kicking our feet up. Mosquito Joe is still working hard to bring our mosquito control services to new areas. We’re growing and so excited about new locations for the 2014 season. If Mosquito Joe isn’t in your area, maybe you should consider being the local Joe in your neighborhood. Everyone loves a hero.

And for all those customers who have seen the yellow MoJo van for the last time this season, we say THANK YOU. We love making outside fun again and you give us the opportunity to do that.

photo credit: simonnjulia via photopin cc

**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.