Posts Categorized: Uncategorized

They say that advertisers should stick to the business of making money. They say that advertisers should never talk about their personal feelings. Well, I’m an advertiser, but I’m still human. And I have to get this off my chest.  Every January for the past twenty years I’ve flown to India for my annual vacation…. Read more »

>>Do you know what a (chimney) spark arrestor is? Did you know that animals can dislodge them and put a home at risk for fire? Do you know that tree branches should be cut at least fifteen feet away from chimneys? >> Do you know the importance of going outside every few months and checking… Read more »

>> Are you in touch with what’s happening around you? Can you ride a motorcycle without getting run over? Do you know who owns that vacation house two doors down? Are you aware of the strengths and weaknesses of your co-workers? >> Can you laugh at yourself? Can you ignore insults? Do you see revenge… Read more »

The Big Stink It started out as a normal day in mountain pest control: The sky was blue, the sun was shining, and critters were invading homes. But, before the workday ended, I had an image in my head that would make some people lose their lunch. So, yeah, it was just a normal day… Read more »

If your house could talk, what would it say? “Hey, homeowner,” it might say, “please don’t ignore the number one threat to my existence.” But what is that threat? It could be fire—we’ve all seen what that does to homes. But fire is a show-off and when it strikes, muscle-bound men and women riding big… Read more »

Today I’m going to write about something that adds great spice to life. It lives in many articles I’ve written, but I’ve never written about it, because I’ve never thought about it. I don’t generally think about what I don’t know.  What am I talking about? I’m talking about that sense of mystery—the fact that… Read more »

Help Wanted: Job duties include typing pest reports, scheduling service calls, answering the phone… and telling the boss he’s wrong. Apply at your own risk. Writing these weekly articles is fun, but it’s hard work too. I learned to write them the same way I learned to be a professional exterminator: being told I hadn’t gotten… Read more »

Those of us who put out sunflower seeds for squirrels have noticed that the critters rip through a pile of black oil sunflower seeds like a kindergarten class through a bowl of M&M’s. Have you ever wondered how squirrels eat so fast. Think about it. They pick up a seed, chew off the hull, let… Read more »

It was one of my first pest management lessons and it had nothing to do with pest management. It had to do with people management, and that’s more important. I was a rookie and my manager Bill and I were inspecting the exterior of a vacation cabin that had hundreds of bats in the attic…. Read more »

Hello again, readers, this is Home Defenders secretary Alejandra presenting another interview with my boss Mike. Enjoy! Question: What pest do you most fear invading your own home? Answer: Well, I would say powderpost beetles—they’re tiny wood-eating beetles that can only be eliminated by a very expensive fumigation—but they rarely infest mountain homes. So my… Read more »