Congratulations to Wanda!
We wanted to say congratulations to Wanda Howell for reaching 10 years of service with Mick's Exterminating. Wanda has been the voice of Mick's since 2002 and this month we are celebrating her 10 year anniversary with us.
As the Assistant Manager, her general duties include answering the phone, scheduling appointments, and setting up residential and commercial accounts. Additionally, she routes the work for technicians and prints daily work orders. "I am proud to be part of the Mick's Exterminating team; my co-workers are great people and it's a fun environment. I love the fact that we have customers who have been with us for a long time. That, in itself, truly represents the great company that is Mick's Exterminating."
Wanda has two wonderful children and one granddaughter; her son is attending law school in Florida and her daughter works at a payroll company. She also has 3 dogs (Chance, Daisey & Scooter) and 1 cat (Maggie). In her spare time, she enjoys spending time outdoors fishing and gardening.
Our humble beginnings…
Mick’s Exterminating started in 1973 by Mick and Jan Ostrander. Having a family of six and bills to pay, times were tough. It seemed $50.00 more per month was always needed so Mick and Jan needed to come up with an idea to make extra money. As luck would have it, that all changed for the Ostrander family the day Mick was asked to take care of a spider problem at a family friend’s residence. Mick agreed, and essentially Mick's Exterminating was created.
The business plan was simple; Mick handled the pests while Jan managed the business. The “muscles and brains” forged from this relationship are what the company is still founded upon today.
The business stayed as a small part-time enterprise for over 18 years, with occasional part-time summer employees. The business continued to make a few extra dollars until Mick and Jan’s son, Matt, became a partner in the company.
With this new team in place, Mick’s Exterminating has grown from a few part-time employees to having over 12 manned trucks on the road. The business grew out of a necessity to make more money for a growing family and now provides services to families throughout St. Charles, St. Louis, Warren and Lincoln Counties.
Don’t let your home be overrun with… Ladybugs?
That’s right, those friendly bugs we played with, as children, are actually prone to mass home invasions in the winter. Ladybugs are attracted to homes with lots of sun exposure and as it gets colder they look for a place to hibernate. Below are a few tips to keep your home from being invaded by the Ladybug menace:
· Close gaps in siding
· Seal cracks in the foundation
· Caulk any openings around doors and windows
· Cover vents with screening
· Replace torn or damaged screens
Unfortunately, despite proactive efforts, ladybugs and other over wintering insects and rodents sometimes gain entry. If at any point you need professional help, don’t hesitate to call us. In a speedy manner, one of our trained technicians will be out to treat the issue to get you back to a pest free house.
NPMA Pest World Conference Aids in Pest Control Techniques for Future
After attending the NPMA Pest World Conference October 19th through the 21st, Matt Ostrander returned to Mick’s Exterminating with invaluable information for the company’s future success.
With bed bugs becoming a nationwide epidemic, the conference focused its effort on ways to tackle this huge problem. Over 75% of the vendors displayed new products and treatments which included a new heat method. By bringing gas or electric heaters inside the home to heat up to 140 degrees, it kills the adult bed bugs and their eggs. According to Matt Ostrander, “We have been toying with the idea of making the investment for quite some time. Now after attending the conference and talking with other business owners, we plan to purchase the equipment to offer this treatment option to our clients.”
In addition to information on bed bugs, Matt Ostrander also spent a lot of time meeting other business owners from not only the United States but around the world to discuss new business strategies.
Mick’s Exterminating is dedicated to finding new and improved pest solutions. Conferences, such as Pest World, provide that cutting-edge opportunity for Mick’s.
Mick's Exterminating has specialized in pest control for both residential and commercial for over 35 years serving St. Louis, St. Charles, Lincoln and Warren Counties.
Winter Pest Prevention And Pest Control Services Protect Your Home From Unwanted Pests
It's that time of year again - colder temps, football season and... indoor PESTS!
Ever wonder where pests go when the temperatures drop? The odds of you finding these pests in your home are significantly high. Just like us humans, pests also seek food, water, and shelter during the colder winter months... but can you blame them?
The most common pests that you will find are the larger varieties of cockroaches and mice or rats. They enter your home through any means including vents, holes in the foundation, attic, etc. These pests are not only disgusting but can cause a major health concern. Some insects have been linked to asthma and your average house mouse alone can carry close to 77 diseases communicable to humans.
So how do you avoid these pesky pests from invading? Prevent the problem from ever starting by having some form of routine pest control maintenance or keeping your home in good repair. If pests do get into your home, there are several affordable ways to take care of the problem through the assistance of a professional, like us!
Mick's Exterminating has specialized in pest control for both residential and commercial for over 35 years serving St. Louis, St. Charles, Lincoln and Warren Counties.
Another Reason to be Spooked This October-Spiders!
This Halloween, forget the typical haunted house! For most homeowners, just the thought of a spider building a web in the kitchen, a bat flying around in the attic, or bed bugs nesting between the sheets is all they need to deem their home a “haunted” one.
Halloween is a celebration of all things spooky and scary, but the holiday also serves as an important reminder for homeowners to take preventative measures to keep pests from taking up residence in their homes.
The wolf spider is the most common Missouri spider and one of the most common household pests in the fall. Fall is a prime season for spiders as they seek shelter in homes from cooler weather. They are commonly found around doors, windows, houseplants, basements, garages, and in almost all terrestrial habitats. They do not spin a web but roam at night to hunt for food. Wolf spiders are often confused with the brown recluse, but they lack the unmistakable violin-shaped marking behind the head. The wolf spider is shy and seeks to run away when disturbed.
It is best to think proactively about spider and other pest infestations before it turns into a bigger problem. Check out this video on all the services that Mick’s Exterminating can help you with! http://www.youtube.com/user/MicksExterminatingMO#p/a/f/0/glI56Q4uxQs
Is There a Mouse, In Your House?
By this time each year in Missouri, domestic rodents will have already found places they plan to spend the winter; and this may very well be in your home with you! The house mouse is the most common pest in and around human dwellings and businesses. They damage and destroy materials by gnawing wires, eating your food, and attacking decorations like holiday wreaths. Mice are known to carry over 20 different pathogens of human disease, not to mention their association with ticks and fleas!
If you see mice or other rodents, or signs of rodents such as droppings in your home or business, we can help! We are able to determine what rodents you may have, where they are entering the structure, and the extent of the problem. Even if you don’t think you have a rodent problem, we can offer rodent exclusion programs that seal rodents and nuisance wildlife out of your house to make sure they never get in your house to begin with.
Keep Fall Pest Invaders Out!
Household pests want the same things you do—food, water, shelter—and will seize any opportunity to satisfy their needs. You can’t stop every pest from ever flying, crawling, or burrowing into your home, but you can make sure the occasional intrusion doesn’t become an all-out invasion.
The National Pest Management Association shares tips to pest-proof your home for the change in season.
- Install door sweeps on exterior doors and repair damaged screens.
- Screen vents and openings to chimneys.
- Seal cracks and crevices on the outside of the home.
- Store food in air tight containers and dispose of garbage regularly in sealed receptacles.
- Replace loose mortar and weather stripping around the basement foundation and windows.
- Eliminate all moisture sites, including leaking pipes and clogged drains.
- Store firewood at least 20 feet away from the house; keep shrubbery well-trimmed.
Don’t let a pest become an invasive houseguest!
Know Your Mole!
With fall rapidly approaching, it is important that we are all aware of the potential threat to our homes and yards posed by the common ground mole. These generally docile animals can be found in most parts in North America and Europe, and can cause damage not only to the aesthetics of your yard, they can also contaminate the soil, making it dangerous for dogs, cats, and other pets to be in a mole-infested yard. If you have a mole issue, give Mick’s Exterminating a call and we will solve your problem.
Check out this video on Moles and how Mick’s Exterminating can help you! http://www.youtube.com/user/MicksExterminatingMO#p/u/2/vXXW12W1Fqs
The Itsy Bitsy Spider
Mick’s Exterminating wants to warn you about the little eight-legged monsters that could be crawling around your home.
Brown Recluse Spiders are normally found from the southern Midwest and traveling south to the Gulf of Mexico. They range in size from about ¼ to ¾ of an inch, and sometimes larger. The violin-shaped markings on the dorsal side of the cephalothorax, or main body region, the 3 pairs of eyes, and brown or gray coloring of the Brown Recluse Spider make it easily recognizable.
Brown Recluse Spiders usually build irregular webs that frequently include a shelter consisting of disorderly threads. The most common places to find brown recluse webs are in woodpiles and sheds, closets, beds, garages, cellars, and other dry, undisturbed places.
Being a “recluse” spider, this breed is rarely aggressive. The spider usually only bites when it is trapped against the skin, such as when tangled in clothes, bath towels, or bedding. A bite usually results in malaise, fever, nausea, and lesions in the skin. The initial bite, most frequently, is not felt and has no pain, but over time the wound may grow and become irritated and painful. Medical attention is necessary to determine the severity of the bite and treatment to help in the recovery process.
Have a case of Arachnophobia? Mick’s Exterminating teams are specially trained in ridding homes of common pests, like the Brown Recluse Spider. If you ever spot these eight-legged monsters, do not panic. Just call Mick’s Exterminating right away and they will send someone out to take care of the problem.