There once was a girl named Venus

Who couldn’t believe she had seen us.

She cleared her eyes and shook her head,

But sure enough, the shirt still read…

Venus!

Much to our own surprise as well,

Was she serious, we could not tell?

Winking her eye, her smile was rye,

Her name could no longer be denied…

Venus!

Ok, so I’m not the best poet, but it’s hard to rhyme with Venus without entering some dangerous territory! 

This poem is based on a true story however, and worth mentioning.  We recently attended an open house ribbon cutting ceremony for Red Mango Frozen Yogurt here in College Station.  Their specialty is non-fat, all natural varieties of frozen yogurt.  With our own focus on healthy, green living we like to support other companies that feel the same.  If you haven’t heard of Red Mango, or tried one yet, they have locations everywhere and are definitely worth checking out! 

They day of the ribbon cutting, they had their founder, CFO, and other managers from different locations in to help out and join the celebration.  One of the managers in from Dallas was none other than the very lovely Venus Basaran, pictured above.  When Dr. Scott and I introduced ourselves, she really did have a look of surprise on her face and finally asked if the name of our company really was Venus Pest Company.  So, of course I had to confirm whether or not her name was really Venus because I’ve never met anybody named Venus before, and I thought Venus was obviously a very unique name.  How many times can you say Venus in one sentence?

All I know is I’ve never met anybody named after millions of other companies, but Venus Pest Company has one…or are we named after her?  Either way, pretty cool!

Household pests bring with them a wide variety of health and aesthetic concerns for homes and businesses.  Cockroaches can trigger asthma attacks and are responsible for a slew of other gross bacteria and health risks.  Bed bugs cause itchy welts when they bite you to get a blood meal, and can also transmit bacteria and disease.  Rats, please, if we have to tell you how gross rats are, you’re in trouble!

Did you know April is National Pest Management Month?  For more than 30 years the pest management industry has observed April as National Pest Management Month. In honor of National Pest Management Month this year, the NPMA is raising public awareness about the risks posed by household pests and encouraging homeowners to take proactive steps to prevent pest infestations in their homes and properties.

The Professional Pest Management Alliance (PPMA), in conjunction with the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) has released a new PSA campaign to heighten awareness.  Check out this funny commercial where they’re interrogating a roach, a rat, and a bed bug. 

There are serious implications when it comes to pests in and around your homes and businesses.  Don’t let yourself be overrun and create additional problems that could have been easy to prevent by calling a pest management professional.

Even though it’s still cool in the mornings, Spring is in full swing!  That means a lot of different things; the birds are chirping more and more, half of us can hardly breathe due to allergies, and all the insects and other critters are all moving about working on mating rituals and the like.  We’ve talked about this before with carpenter ants specifically, but one of the mating rituals that can really become a nuisance to us and our property is swarming termites.  Seeing a swarm near your home could indicate that there are termites present at your property.

In early Spring, colonies of subterranean termites that are healthy enough to produce reproductive members do so in preparation of their mating season.  These “winged” members of the colony all take to the sky (or your living room) looking for suitable mates from other colonies that have also taken to the sky.  They meet in the air, break off their wings, mate, then find a new home to start a colony.  Certain conditions will trigger this annual event, and we’ve already received a bunch of calls to prove that it’s already happening this year.

Subterranean termites can be found throughout most of the country, but are heavily concentrated in the Southeast.  It can be quite intimidating to witness one of their swarms as they could number in the thousands.  Different species of termites, like Formosan termites, swarm later in the year and will swarm at night.  Subterranean termites swarm during the day and the swarmers are essentially harmless, unless they find a mate and start a new colony…then you’re obviously talking about some potential damage.  It’s estimated by the National Pest Management Association that termites cause over $5 billion in damages per year in the United States alone.

If you believe you’ve seen swarming termites around your house, the best thing to do is call a proper professional for an inspection.  There are ways to identify termites and differentiate them from flying ants, but unless you’re experienced enough and confident in your identification skills, it’s best to leave it to a professional pest management company.  If an infestation is found, typically the cost of an inspection will be backed out of any treatment costs that you may incur. The picture to the right shows an ant on the left and two termites on the right.  You can see differences in their body shape, the color and shape of their wings, antenna, and more.

You can always call Venus Pest Company with any questions about swarming termites and termite control.