Adam Helfman from Hire it Done

Adam Helfman from Hire it Done came to visit us to have a conversation about Mosquito Control and the services we provide. Eric Kirschke our Operations Manager did a fine job representing us.  Thanks Eric! #mosquitocontrol

Cleo The Mosquito

After a few years of looking we finally came up Cleo.  She sits 10ft L x 10ft W and 6.5ft H.  We are going to use her for trade shows, parades, various types of outings and the like.

She was a big hit at the Macomb Home & Garden Show and we will display her that the Novi Home & Garden show in April and the Oakland Home & Garden Show in May.

Mosquito season is ramping up, so if you have not signed up yet for service this would be the best time to do so.  New customers get $25.00 off and we always have some sort of deals at this time of the year.  As time grows nearer, the deals become less.

Thanks,
Frank

Mosquitoes Remember Who Swats and Who Smells Good

Researchers say dopamine levels in mosquitoes’ brains teaches them what to avoid and where to return.

 

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Mosquitoes don’t get a lot of love. No one ever talks about how cute they are.

But in the lab, the little buggers can be the star of the show.

A study published last month in the journal Current Biology shows that mosquitoes have the ability to learn and remember what their hosts smell like.1

Remember thinking they were out to get you? You weren’t wrong.

Scientists at Virginia Tech concluded that even if the neighborhood mosquitoes believe you’re a walking honey hole of deliciousness, something negative — swatting, perhaps, or an electric charge — can persuade the little creatures to go elsewhere.

 

Mosquito memory

In Mosquito Land, all this means the insects can be taught through aversive learning.
The scientists taught Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to associate odors — including human ones — with unpleasant vibrations and shocks.
Twenty-four hours after the shock was applied, the same mosquitoes were assessed in a Y-maze olfactometer, in which they had to fly upwind and choose between the once-preferred human body odor and a control odor.
The mosquitoes avoided the human body odor, suggesting they had been successfully trained.
According to Vinauger, mosquitoes are the deadliest member of the animal kingdom, causing more deaths per year than any other creature.

10 Mosquito Bite Remedies

Mosquito bites are something everyone has dealt with at some point or another and hopes to never have to deal with again. No one likes those itchy, painful, annoying red bumps that seem to take forever to go away, but the good news is there are several things you can do to speed the healing process and take some of the itch away. So, the next time you find yourself plagued by irritating mosquito bites try one of these 10 home remedies.

Calamine Lotion

One of the best remedies for itchy skin whether it be a rash or bug bite is good old pink calamine lotion, according to WebMD. They recommend washing the area thoroughly, applying the lotion and then using an ice pack to reduce the itching and swelling.

Honey

Of course, not everyone has calamine lotion at their house, so another remedy that you most likely have on hand is honey. Healthline reports that honey is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory which means it can help the bite heal and reduce the swelling. Just be wary of using it outside as the sweet smell could actually attract more biting insects.

Vinegar

The Global Healing Center recommends apple cider vinegar as another solution to the itch and pain of a mosquito bite. You can either apply it directly to the bite or pour 2 1/2 cups of the vinegar into a bath and soak in it if you have multiple areas that have become bitten and irritated.

Witch Hazel or Alcohol

Another couple antiseptics are witch hazel and rubbing alcohol. These do sting a little bit but according to Everyday Health that is actually good as the new sensation will distract you from the itch. And it is good to know it is helping to heal the bite while distracting you.

Essential Oils

These have become all the rage lately, but some essential oils can actually help cure mosquito bites. Mother Nature Network says that an antiseptic oil like tea tree oil can help with the itching while lavender can minimize swelling and ease the discomfort that comes with the bites.

Aloe Vera

Another solution from the Global Healing Center is aloe vera because it gives short term relief from the itching and swelling as well as aids in long term healing. Using either a fresh cutting from a plant or store-bought aloe juice will work.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is another recommendation from Healthline because it is a known anti-irritant. All you need to do is make a paste with equal amounts water and oatmeal and apply that to the mosquito bite for about 10 minutes before wiping off. An additional solution is to add oatmeal to a warm bath and soak in it for about 20 minutes.

Baking Soda

Mother Nature Network reports that baking soda is a proven way to calm the itching and irritation. As with oatmeal all you need to do is make a paste of baking soda and water and leave it on the bite for a little while before washing it off. The alkaline properties of the baking soda actually neutralize the skin’s PH balance which will relieve some of the itchiness.

Tea

Another remedy you might have in your pantry is tea. Both green tea according to Everyday Health and chamomile tea according to Healthline are helpful to reduce inflammation and irritation. After steeping the tea bag in cold water for 30 minutes apply it directly to the bite. The cold will help soothe the area and the tea will help heal it.

Onion

Perhaps an odd therapy, but one that works according to the Global Healing Center is to apply a raw onion directly to the mosquito bite. Leaving it on the affected area for a few minutes is supposed to help with the stinging and itching.

Of course, the ultimate solution to mosquito bites is to not get them in the first place! Call Mosquito One today to schedule a time for us to come spray your home or business and take care of the problem before it begins.

What Makes Mosquito One Stand Out in The Mosquito Control Business?

No one likes mosquitoes, so if you have a problem with them at your home or office, we know you want to get rid of them as quickly and simply as possible. But we also know that no one likes wasting their money or time either, so we want to make sure you get the best results possible. That is why at Mosquito One we strive to be the top company in the business. Don’t waste your time or cash on other companies that promise to get rid of your mosquitoes but don’t deliver, instead hire the best in mosquito control and rest assured that we will take care of you and your home or place of work. Check out these five reasons we stand out in the mosquito control business.

Our Guarantee

We have a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all our services. If you are not completely happy with the treatment we will come back and do it again for free. And if you are still not satisfied, we will refund all of your money, so you never have to worry about getting less than you paid for. We will do whatever it takes to make sure you are confident in our mosquito control service.

Our Proprietary Product

We have something else that sets us apart from the competition, our proprietary Enblock, which is a product that the owner developed himself. It is a premium additive that effectively increases product performance by protecting the product from the rain, wind and sun. Once dry, Enblock can withstand one inch of rain for seven days straight, and also protects from the sun and wind breaking the product down. It is completely safe for people, pets and plants and only takes about an hour to dry.

99.9% Effective Results

Because of our proprietary products and the great care we take in applying them, we have 99.9% effective results. Our customers come back to us year after year for all their mosquito control needs and continually give us positive reviews about our service and products.

Subdivision Pricing

Another reason Mosquito One is the best in the business is because of the deals and discounts we offer our customers such as our subdivision pricing. This is a program that allows for reduced pricing for applications if a client gets a few of their neighbors to have their yards sprayed as well. For instance, if you get 5-10 homes, each up to an acre in size, to sign up for 6 applications every 21 days from Memorial Day through Labor Day the cost would be $285. However, if you get 11-20 homes in your neighborhood to sign up the price is only $260 and keeps going lower the more homes you get. It is another great reason to spread the word about Mosquito One to all your neighbors.

Can Handle Any Size Job

We are also confident that we can handle any size job you hire us for. We take care of our residential customers, ensuring that you are able to spend as much time outside as you like without worrying about mosquitoes ruining your fun. We concentrate on decks, pools and the perimeter of your home to ensure that the places you hang out the most are pest free. We also service commercial properties so that you and your employees can enjoy the fresh air without the fear of getting bitten. Give your workers the gift of a mosquito-free work environment and they will thank you. Our municipal services are for parks, pools, golf courses, fairgrounds, sports fields, campgrounds and more. If your town or city has an area with mosquito problems, chances are it is not being used to its full potential. Mosquito One can make sure these public areas as well as any special outdoor events remain free of these annoying pests and fun for the whole community.

What Makes You More Susceptible to Mosquito Bites

Mosquitoes are without a doubt one of the most annoying creatures on the earth. They can take a fun summer day and turn it into a disaster in no time at all. And they don’t just ruin the day, but can continue annoying you for much longer as their bites can remain itchy and painful for days or even weeks after. However, it seems that some people have all the luck when it comes to avoiding these pests and some people seem to attract them. So, what makes certain individuals more susceptible to mosquito bites than others?

Why they bite?

In order to understand why some people have more problems with mosquito bites than others, let’s first look at why mosquitoes bite anyone. According to Dr. Mercola it is actually only the female mosquitoes that bite humans, males feed off of flower nectar and leave people alone. The female mosquito needs the protein in blood in order to produce eggs and will therefore get it from you or another warm-blooded source. They do have a preference of where their meal comes from though, which is why some are more susceptible than others to their annoying pokes.

Why they bite some people and not others?

Mosquitos can smell a person from 50 meters away according to WebMD and what they smell on you could signal them to come in for a bite. The research tells us that they are most attracted to high concentrations of cholesterol and uric acid on the skin, so those who produce more of these substances are more likely to get bitten. They are also attracted to carbon dioxide so those who give off more, namely larger people like adults as opposed to children and also pregnant women, are more susceptible.

Dr. Mercola says they are drawn to lactic acid as well, which is produced when you sweat, so those who sweat a lot or are moving around excessively, such as someone playing sports, will have a greater chance of attracting mosquitoes. However, those who produce 1-methylpiperazine, a naturally occurring chemical compound, were rendered nearly invisible to the mosquitoes because this compound blocks their sense of smell. So basically, a great deal of it is a matter of genetics and which substances you produce and whether these substances are attractive to the mosquitoes or not.

What you can do about it?

While a large portion of whether you are susceptible to mosquito bites or not is a genetic lottery, there are some things you can do to lessen your chance of being bitten. As we have seen, they are especially drawn to movement and heat as well as carbon dioxide from your breath and lactic acid from your sweat so one of the best ways to prevent a mosquito attract is to remain stationary and not exert yourself. While you are lounging around, however, Dr. Mercola recommends abstaining from a beer or wine cooler as drinking alcohol also attracts mosquitoes although researchers are not sure why.

You can also use chemical mosquito repellents to ward off these pests. WebMD recommends using a spray with at least 23.8% DEET as this will protect you for up to five hours. Some people have concerns about applying DEET to their skin, but they say it is relatively safe and there have only been a few hospitalizations related to its use and most of those were due to improper or over use. 

You can also hire a reputable company such as Mosquito One to spray your outdoor space and get it mosquito-free for summer. We offer our services for both residential and commercial properties and have a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

On a budget

"I already spend money on fertilizer, flowers, shrubs, lawn service, etc.... it all adds up, why should I add mosquito treatment to my spending?" You might ask yourself...

That is a great question and we totally get it. It all adds up... In my day to day activities, I always weigh out what is more important where I should spend the money when I am on a budget. For me, it is more important to know that we're not being eaten up by mosquitoes than for example having flower pots in the backyard. We also cut back on fertilizing the lawn for two years, that right there is a mosquito treatment for a year. 

The other advantage in using Mosquito One is that you can sign up in the fall for the upcoming season and receive a discount (keep that in mind for the 2018 season). That way your mosquito treatment spendings won't come in the spring when all the other garden costs occur.  

If you decide to get your mosquito treatment with us, we will take care of you and you will enjoy your backyard like never before. The family dinner outdoors will be mosquito free and the kids will have a blast splashing in the pool without coming inside covered in red bumps and complaining about how itchy their skin feels. And most importantly, you will have the peace of mind that your family and friends won't catch any of the diseases that mosquitoes can carry.

With this note, we hope we have helped you look at some options to make room in your budget for mosquito treatment.

Growing Business

It has been quiet for a while on this blog but we are about to change that going forward. We would like to keep you informed about our day to day activities and will add some informative articles as well as some testimonials and/or case studies. If you would like to hear certain topics from us or have questions about certain topics please feel free to comment or send us an email via the 'contact form' on the right hand side and we will be happy to answer those.

This time of the year is actually always very special for us here at Mosquito One. The winter has finally come to an end (or so we think) and we're welcoming a new season at Mosquito One. We've worked on some really exciting news over the winter that we will share with you at a later time but we've also outgrown our office space (thanks to all of you) that we have occupied since the start of our business and are currently renovating our new office space which will be move in ready before the 'active' season starts.

We've been working non-stop over the winter to setup our schedules for this upcoming season. It's been a joy to see so many returning costumers and also to see so many customers returning who have been with us since Day One. We really appreciate your business and would like you to know that you have a special place in our hearts. With a happy start into the 2017 season we hope you are as excited as we are for our Michigan summer without Mosquitoes of course.

If you haven't secured your seasonal treatment yet, give us a call or send us an email and get that taken care of. The winter has been long enough, we want to enjoy our outdoors as much as we can this summer.

2015 Season is about to start

We've started a new year and leaving behind a successful 2014 at Mosquito One. With our amazing team on the start and the great amount of customers we've added last year we're already starting 2015 successful and cannot wait for the treatment season to get started. 
If you haven't gotten your treatment package already for the 2015 season, make sure to sign up soon at: www.MosquitoOne.com and get the ball rolling. With these very cold temperatures currently hovering over Michigan I'm sure everybody is really looking forward for the summer and the time you'll be spending outside in your yard without Mosquitoes.
Over the winter we have added to our team and are excited about the expansion of our business.

Behind the Scenes: Routing

Let me get back a couple of years... or I guess it's already a decade ago...

 

I started my apprenticeship with a freight forwarding company in Germany for a job title called: Management Assistance. I found it odd to begin with why a freight forwarder would hire a Management Assistance since they're moving freight, right? After a couple of years with the company and paying attention to not only my job but the ones around me it blew my mind away how many different jobs there were to make this one company run well. Little did I know that this company also had its own IT department. Of course, somebody needs to help out when things go wrong with the system and I'm very glad that the IT found me or I found the IT.

 

Most of the time all we see is the execution but not how it came to this execution. How much managing and planning and also manpower has been behind this one execution of the company.

 

Let me give you a little understanding about how our company works in regards of our schedule of services. I think it is very helpful for our customers to know when they call us and have a question about a service date.

 

We plan our routes ahead of time and make sure that one truck has the least amount of miles to drive from one customer to the next once he is in the targeted area. Once assigned, we route them the quickest way possible and schedule them in our IT system (exactly, we also have an IT system). Once we add the customer and schedule the first application the following applications will be scheduled automatically after generating the new cycle each month.

 

When it comes to single applications as well as potential re-sprays it is very helpful to give us a heads up rather than an immediate single application request. Our trucks are on a route in different corners of South East Michigan each day and we try to mix it up very good so we have the flexibility to add a single application anywhere on a short notice. We also have our so called 'emergency truck' that is available around the clock for short notice requests in case the trucks are everywhere but in the area for an urgent single application request.

 

We want to keep our customers happy and satisfied and I hope this was a helpful inside view for you to understand our process of ordering an application and the execution of it.

Home and Garden Show in Novi

We'd like to shout out a big thank you to everybody who took the time last weekend and stopped by at our booth. Many consumers listened to what we have to offer and asked us great questions. We got lots of new orders in which we loved of course. We also were overwhelmed by the response we've received and are looking forward to attend more shows to make our service known to our neighbors. 

This is a great way for potential customers to ask questions you may have or just make you aware that there is a service out there for Mosquitoes. On top of that we had a great time during the three day show with great booth neighbors around us. 

It's very funny to see the two totally opposite sides: The consumer on the one side who is going through an information overload stopping by at each booth while the vendor on the other side feel like a broken disk repeating the same thing over and over again but you have to remember the person in front of you have never heard your version before and there are always new questions coming up you haven't heard yet.

It is also very interesting to see with each show what works best and how you can improve your presents the next time around. 

Thank you very much, 

Your Team at 'Mosquito One'

15% OFF until the End of the Month

Do you remember last Summer? 

Were you able to enjoy a family dinner, party with friends or just a nice chat with your neighbors outside in your yard without being bothered by Mosquitoes? 

If you answer this question with 'No, you were not able to enjoy it without Mosquitoes leaving bite marks on your skin' you should check out our great deal that is going to expire in a week: 

Get 15% off our Residential Treatment Package by signing up now with an option of 4 easy payments or get an additional 10% off if you pay in full. 

Let us help you enjoy your Summer of 2014 without these Mosquitoes in your backyard.

Corporate Truck - Face Lift

Since we are living and servicing the South East Area of MICHIGAN it is very important to us to use Michigan Products and Services for our Company 'Mosquito One'. So far we've succeeded with that goal in most areas and we're working with great Michigan based Companies and service our area in FORD Pickup Trucks.

 

Today I just had to stop by at the shop to see the progress and how great it turned out. This beauty is going to have its first photo shoot soon to show off the new design. 

Wave 'Hello' when you see me driving around in it. 

Mailings and Advertising

The weekend has arrived... we're getting ready to distribute flyers, sending out postcards and starting advertising for the upcoming season of 2014.

The weather is cooperating very well with us. Yesterday it started to get warmer and the snow starts melting little by little. People are 'thinking' spring can't be that away... we're almost there and our trucks are ready to get rolling.

We're having an amazing team working together at Mosquito One and it is a joy hearing feedback from potential customers how great our advertising turned out. That's what you like to hear.

We've put a lot of effort into every single detail and we still have lots of additional ideas that will be presenting in the upcoming weeks. Stay tuned...

Check out our website at www.mosquitoone.com for our first amazing deal of the season, it's not getting any better than this so make sure if you're considering a season spray with us that you order it very soon. You won't regret it and you'll be able to enjoy a great summer without nasty mosquito bites who can resist that offer?

Who knew that Mosquitoes like stinky feet?

This made me giggle, who would've thought... Smelly feet are attractive to some Mosquitoes.

• Mosquitoes are known from as far back as the Triassic Period – 400 million years ago. They are known from North America from the Cretaceous – 100 million years ago.
• There are about 2,700 species of mosquito. There are 176 species in the United States.
• The average mosquito weighs about 2.5 milligrams.
• The average mosquito takes in about 5-millionths of a liter of blood during feeding.
• Mosquitoes find hosts by sight (they observe movement); by detecting infra-red radiation emitted by warm bodies; and by chemical signals (mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide and lactic acid, among other chemicals) at distances of 25 to 35 meters.
• Mosquitoes fly an estimated 1 to 1.5 miles per hour.
• Salt marsh mosquitoes can migrate up to 40 miles for a meal.
• Bigger people are often more attractive to mosquitoes because they are larger targets and they produce more mosquito attractants, namely CO2 and lactic acid.
• Active or fidgety people also produce more CO2 and lactic acid.
• Smelly feet are attractive to certain species of mosquitoes – as is Limburger Cheese.
• Dark clothing has been shown to attract some species of mosquitoes more than lighter colored clothing.
• Movement increased mosquito biting up to 50% in some research tests.
• A full moon increased mosquito activity 500% in one study

source: http://www.mosquito.org/fun-facts

BBQ - I can smell it!!!

It's been a really rough winter up here in Michigan but that doesn't mean that Mosquitoes will be gone this year. Predictions are with all the snow melting and the water standing we might get a crazier Mosquito season this year.

Today I could actually see our grass again... the snow is slowly going away however there is more snow in the forecast. It's not over yet.

I'm not complaining about this wonderful winter wonderland at all but I have to admit that when somebody mentioned "BBQ" the other day I could literally smell the delicious BBQ and the sun. I really look forward to spending A LOT of time outside with the kids this year again and since the Mosquitoes love me to death I can't wait for our yard to be Mosquito free!!!

How do mosquitoes survive collisions with raindrops?

While here in Michigan the Snow just comes down inch by inch I was wondering about all melting snow that we'll have very soon and how big of an impact this will have on our 2014 season. I stumbled over this very interesting article about how mosquitoes survive collisions with raindrops. Who ever thought about this very topic? 

I'm glad I found this and would like to share it with you. Very great information:

"Just as da Vinci looked at birds as inspiration for his sketches of airplanes about 500 years ago, engineer David Hu of the Georgia Institute of Technology is taking a close look at mosquitoes to understand how they can withstand the pounding of heavy rainfall.

This isn't just idle curiosity: Hu's research could help improve the design of insect-sized flying robots, which he says are being designed for use in military surveillance and search-and-rescue operations.

Hu is an assistant professor of mechanical engineering and biology at Georgia Tech in Atlanta. His research findings appeared in Monday's online edition of theProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

His research looked at how mosquitoes, which often thrive in rainy, windy regions — and have done so for at least 170 million years — manage to survive impacts with raindrops during flight.

"These raindrops are moving at a very high speed of about 22 mph, which is too fast for mosquitoes to dodge while in flight," he says.

Though similar in size to mosquitoes, a single raindrop can weigh more than 50 times what a mosquito does. (In fact, a mosquito has the same ratio to a raindrop as a person would while trapped under the wheel of a car.)

Hu's team at Georgia Tech used high-speed cameras to film mosquitoes flying in a cage exposed to a water jet, which simulated rainfall. The study authors found that a mosquito's strong exoskeleton and low mass render it impervious to falling drops and help them survive collisions.

"The mosquito's low mass causes raindrops to lose little momentum upon impact and so impart correspondingly low forces to the mosquitoes," the authors write in the study. How low mass? A typical mosquito weighs about one-ten-thousandth of an ounce.

"If you were to scale up the impact to human size, we would not survive," says study co-author Andrew Dickerson, a doctoral student at Georgia Tech. "It would be like standing in the road and getting hit by a car."

Likening it to the principle of Tai Chi, where the idea is to allow an opponents' force to go through or around you, Hu says the mosquito and the raindrop fall together for about 20 body lengths, then release each other.

"They ride the drop, then reduce the force," Hu says.

All the mosquitoes in the study survived the collisions.

Though there had been many studies of insect flight, he says, this is the first study that looked at how mosquitoes interact with water using high-speed video cameras.

The study was funded by the National Science Foundation.

Mosquitoes are carriers of deadly diseases such as malaria, which kills hundreds of thousands of people each year around the world, according to the World Health Organization.

Hu's lab at Georgia Tech focuses partly on how animals and insects interact with water. A previous study looked at how fire ants survive flooding by grouping together as a raft, which can float effortlessly for days. Another looked at how dogs shake off water."

Source: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/weather/research/story/2012-06-04/mosquitoes-raindrops/55382230/1