For Immediate Release:

Whitworth Pest Solutions Earns Coveted Angie’s List Super Service Award

Award reflects businesses’ consistently high level of customer service

Whitworth Pest Solutions, Inc. has been awarded the prestigious 2011  Angie’s List Super Service Award, an honor bestowed annually on approximately 5 percent of all the businesses rated on the nation’s leading provider of consumer reviews on local service and health providers.

“Only a fraction of the businesses rated on Angie’s List can claim the sterling service record of being a Super Service Award winner because we set a high bar,” said Angie’s List Founder Angie Hicks. “The fact that Whitworth Pest Solutions can claim Super Service Award status speaks volumes about its dedication to consumers.”

Angie’s List Super Service Award winners have met strict eligibility requirements including earning a minimum number of reports, an exemplary rating from their clients and abiding by Angie’s List operational guidelines.

Christmas Decor, a holiday lighting service operated by Whitworth Pest Solutions, Inc. in Puyallup, WA. was happy to help create a cheery atmosphere for the many volunteers who packed thousands of packages for this incredible organization. Each year, hundreds of volunteers come together to work countless hours collecting and assembling these care packages that are shipped overseas for delivery on Christmas Day to troops serving on the front lines. Operation Iraq-Afghanistan is supported entirely through the donations of time, merchandise and dollars from companies, organizations and individuals across the United States. Ruthann Young, Executive Director noted: “A BIG thank you to Whitworth Pest Solutions, Inc. for ‘decking the halls’ of our Operation Iraq-Afghanistan headquarters.  We truly enjoyed the day with Tony and Phillip as they hung garland, wreaths and lights throughout the warehouse.  Definitely looks like Christmas!” Please go to http://operationiraq.org/ for more information on this fantastic non-profit organization.

Garland Lining Railing

Ruthann Young, Exec. Dir. of Operation Iraq-Afghanistan and Phillip of Whitworth Pest Solutions

Ruthann of Operation Iraq-Afghanistand with Phillip and Tony of Whitworth Pest Solutions on her left and right

This is the time of year when you may see the “fall invaders.” These are insect invaders that enter buildings in the fall as the weather cools—usually with the intent of finding a nice warm place to spend the winter. Most of these insects are just considered nuisances—but they should not be totally ignored. Here are a couple of examples of these fall invaders:

 
One of the most common invaders in the Pacific Northwest that can really be problematic is the Asian lady beetle (or ladybug). These are considered to be beneficial in the biological control of plant pests outside. Inside a building, however, they can end up in the attic, behind baseboards, in wall voids, or any other void in which they find suitable to spend the winter. In the spring, as the days get warmer (or even sometimes on warm days during the winter) they will become active again. They’ll leave their hiding places in great numbers and try to find ways to get back outside. A “ladybug infestation” sounds harmless on the surface, but if they are ignored they can reach tremendous numbers—sometimes reaching into the hundreds or thousands inside.

Ladybug--Friend or Foe?

Another common fall invader here is the cluster fly. These flies behave in the same manner as the lady beetle. They attempt to “move in” to the voids of your house and spend the winter. Then when spring arrives, or in some cases on warm days in the winter, they make their move to emerge and become major annoyances of the occupants of a home, apartment, or office building.

Cluster Fly--Truly Annoying

One of Whitworth Pest Solutions, Inc.’s most extreme case studies of a fall invader involved a large, custom built house in a rural area. The occupants saw ladybugs inside for several years, but one particular year they were so prevalent inside that they were having to vacuum the bugs up non-stop just to keep them at bay. These homeowners reached their breaking point when the ladybugs began waking them up in the middle of the night by crawling across their faces. Whitworth Pest Solutions was called, and we were able to get a handle on the problem with extensive effort. Frankly, we’ve never seen so many ladybugs in one place. Obviously, this particular case study ranks among the extreme, but the lesson learned here is to remain aware of potential problems from these overwintering insects.

 
Here are some ways to keep these invaders as well as many other pests at bay:

1) Perform an outside perimeter and eaves/overhangs insecticide treatment of the building. If you are on a “Premium Value Program” from Whitworth Pest Solutions, you’re covered in this regard. If not, contact us for details.

2) “Pest proof” the building. Sealing openings is an integral part of pest control, and when combined with our perimeter treatments, goes a long way toward keeping fall invaders out. Perform these measures as part of a fall routine:

• A) Caulk cracks around doors and basement or ground floor windows.

• B) Make sure window and door screens fit securely and screen outside vents.

• C) Install thresholds, sweeps and weather stripping on ground level doors, including garage doors.

3) Perimeter cleanup. When there are conditions around a home that are conducive to pests finding shelter, this will act as a magnet for pests in the area to congregate around your home. Perform these steps to minimize  your house becoming a magnet for pests:

• A) Move wood piles away from the house.

• B) Cut all branches, weeds and shrubbery away from the house.

• C) Make sure that rainwater drains away from the house, rather than pool up against it.

• D) Reduce white incandescent lighting outside, especially around doorways. “Bug lights” sold in hardware stores really do help to decrease the attraction of insects to your house at night.

• E) Make sure your attic and crawl space are well ventilated to reduce moisture levels.



Prune Shrubs & Other Vegetation Away From the House

Pesticides alone will not always succeed in reaching the objective of keeping fall invaders out.  The most effective pest management strategy is one in which the pest control company and the client partner up and work together. This integrated pest management approach has been proven to be very successful and it is this approach that Whitworth Pest Solutions works to achieve.

"SMILE!"

As much as some people are frighened of bats, we love them. They are truly a unique animal. Contrary to the belief that these insect eaters are “flying rats” (they would take offense!) bats belong to their own, unique order of mammals. They actually play key roles in ecosystems around the world (including here in Washington State) where they are beneficial to agriculture, insect control (including mosquitoes), and medical research. They do, however, pose a risk to health due to their potential to carry and transmit rabies. Statistically rabies is 100% fatal in all warm-blooded mammals. Therefore, encounters with bats should not be taken lightly. The Washington State Department of Health reports that between 5-10% of bats submitted for testing are found to be rabid.  The bats tested for rabies are a skewed population of sick and injured bats; less than 1% of healthy bats are infected with rabies.

Nevertheless, bats are not to be ignored if they’ve decided to share your residence with you. Besides the small risk of rabies, bats will trash an attic with droppings, urine and other damage, or pile up their droppings on your porch as they hang outside.

Bat droppings collecting on a porch outside

What do you do about a bat that’s decided to take up residence in your attic? Or worse yet, actually somewhere in the living space of the house? First off, don’t panic–bats normally aren’t aggressive unless you come into very close contact. If a bat is trapped somewhere in your living space, try to seal off that particular room while giving it a chance to escape out a window. Often, they will take that opportunity. If they are not leaving or there is no window nearby, call Whitworth Pest Solutions and we can come out to assess the situation and determine the best course of action. Often, we can catch the bat and release it without harming it. Then we can determine how it got into your house in the first place and recommend a fix. Never pick up a bat with your bare hands, dead or alive.

Don't pick up or hold a bat with your bare hands

 If a bat is acting strange or sick, do not come into contact with it. Call a professional. NOTE: If you have woken up and discovered a bat in your bedroom or the bedroom of a family member, contact a physician or the health department to determine if that family member should see a doctor to be checked out.

The best way to “control” bats is to keep them entering your home. Seal all gaps around your home (or business), especially the roofline (as you would for rodents).  A bat is much like a house mouse, in that it can squeeze through a gap as narrow as 3/8 inch, making any inpsection very tricky. These gaps may be under siding, flashing, roofing, openings under eaves, around windows or doors, chimneys, or where electrical and plumbing lines go through walls.

Whitworth Pest technician performing exclusion work

Complicated fixes may require the services of a roofer or other contractor. Often, Whitworth Pest Solutions can locate and fix points of entry at a reaonable price–and save you the headache of having to deal with a “bat in the belfry.” The best time to perform this exclusion work is in the fall and winter, when many of our Northern bats migrate to warmer areas as it gets cold–thus lowering the chance that a stray bat will get sealed in after the exclusion work is performed. Hope this helped–and good luck with all of your bat encounters.

By the way–this method of controlling bats–won’t work! 

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Whitworth Green Pest Solutions

What is “green” pest control service? Is it the products being used? Is it the techniques? Is it just a catchphrase that many pest control companies use to mislead potential customers into buying a service that isn’t any “greener” than a traditional one?

If you are truly looking for honest green services— those that actually have lower impacts on the environment than conventional extermination services—then Whitworth Pest Solutions is your clear choice.

Here are two big reasons why:

1. Certified GreenPro. Whitworth is certified by the National Pest Management Association as “GreenPro—Certified Eco-Effective.” The GreenPro certification means that we must comply with a multitude of qualifications to ensure that you receive a safe and effective service each time we arrive at your door.

GreenPro is the most widely recognized certification possible for companies in the pest management industry to achieve:

• It has the most comprehensive standards of any available program.
• It requires companies that participate to submit to independent audits.
• Service technicians, salespersons and managers must be trained, tested and recertified.

In addition to green pest management service standards, participating companies are also evaluated on business operations, such as criminal background checks, reference checks, drug screening and more, prior to being able to participate in GreenPro.

2. EPA Certified PESP Gold Level Member. Whitworth was selected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a “Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program” (PESP) Gold Member. This recognition is reserved for PESP members who have attained the highest level of participation in the PESP. Each Gold member has pledged that environmental stewardship is an integral part of their pest management program and passed an EPA compliance screening.

Established in 1994, PESP is EPA’s premier partnership program dedicated to reducing pesticide risk in both agricultural and non-agricultural settings. The program works with the nation’s pesticide-user community to reduce human health and environmental risks of pesticide use and prevent pollution. Additionally, it promotes the adoption of innovative, alternative pest control practices, including IPM and the use of biological pesticides.

Learn More About Our “Premium Green Program”

Recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it warned more than 2,800 customers across the United States about risks associated with a pesticide purchased online through fastpestcontrol.com. Incredibly, this product was first banned from the U.S. in 1978! The ant control product contained mirex, a pesticide that was banned because it can cause liver, skin, reproductive and nerve damage. The EPA became aware of the product after our own Washington State Department of Health reported that a woman became ill after using it in her home.

Although this was a case regarding ant control, we’re seeing similar issues with online or over the counter pesticides as it relates to other pests—especially bed bugs. These products do not necessarily contain banned substances, but they are being misused, often due to the frustration that bed bug problems create. Sometimes people use powerful over the counter household products that should not be used in beds or furniture where people can inhale or absorb the chemicals through their skin. Worse yet, they try outdoor pesticides that should never be used indoors. Additionally, some are simply doubling, tripling or otherwise multiplying the amount of pesticide that is legal to use at a particular location, greatly increasing the risk to them or their family member’s health.

There has been such a concern over misapplication of pesticides that the EPA took notice and put out an alert that said in part: “”Using the wrong pesticide or using it incorrectly to treat for bedbugs can make you, your family, and your pets sick. It can also make your home unsafe to live in – and may not solve the bedbug problem.” For the full text of the alert and other helpful information visit: http://www.epa.gov/bedbugs/.

At Whitworth Pest Solutions, we take a multi-pronged approach to the control of bed bugs. We combine consumer education, thorough inspections, monitoring, exclusion, physical removal, and the judicious use of professional EPA registered insecticides labeled for interior use. This is the essence of integrated pest management, and it’s very successful in solving the problem.