Terminix®,
the world’s largest pest control provider, today announced the
nationwide rollout of a new environmentally friendly mosquito service
for both residential and commercial customers. The service will include
the use of a new, patented mosquito control technology.
Unlike other mosquito control products that simply repel, the active
ingredient in the Terminix solution kills more than 90 percent of
mosquitoes within the three weeks following application in areas
surrounding a customer’s home or business. Field trials for this new
control technology were conducted in 2012 and 2013 by researchers in
Israel, and by government agencies in the United States.
A phased rollout of the service began in April in select southern
markets, with nationwide availability at more than 300 Terminix branches
by early June. The mosquito service is available as an annual contract
with monthly service applications made by a Terminix professional during
the designated mosquito season based on the customer’s locale. Pricing
is based on a customer’s geographic location and size of the treated
area.
“As the world’s largest pest control provider, we’re in a leadership
position to bring innovative, industry-leading products to the
marketplace,” said Bill Derwin, Terminix president. “This new mosquito
service will offer our customers yet another line of defense against
these dangerous and annoying pests.”
The centerpiece of the new Terminix mosquito service is an Attractive
Targeted Sugar Bait, or ATSB®, a patented technology distributed
exclusively to Terminix by Universal Pest Solutions, LP. This
environmentally friendly solution contains sugar from fruit extracts and
microencapsulated garlic oil that is safe around people, pets and food.
While only female mosquitoes bite, both male and females require regular
feeding on plant sugars for survival. The sugar in the solution acts as
a bait and the microencapsulated garlic acts as a gut toxin. Following
the sprayed application of the solution to a customer’s non-flowering
vegetation and non-porous surfaces by a Terminix professional, the
mosquitoes are attracted to the bait, eat it, and then die – more than
90 percent in the three weeks following an application.
While the science behind the solution seems simple, Terminix experts say
it has taken more than five years to formulate a commercial product that
effectively baits and kills one of the world’s most dangerous and
annoying pests. According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, more than 1 million people worldwide die from mosquito-borne
diseases every year. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently
reported that, worldwide, mosquitoes kill more humans than any other
animal on Earth—including sharks, crocodiles, snakes, and even humans,
combined. In the United States, West Nile virus has been reported in
every mainland state since first being detected in 1999. Mosquitoes also
transmit other devastating viruses to humans such as encephalitis,
dengue, Chikungunya and yellow fever.
“Our customers are concerned not only about protecting their families
against the annoyance of mosquitoes, but also keeping their families
safe from the diseases these pests may carry,” said Dr. Stan Cope,
entomologist for Terminix. “This new Terminix mosquito service is the
first-ever, environmentally friendly, proactive solution to controlling
mosquitoes.”
Cope has worked closely on the research and development of ATSB and came
to Terminix with an impressive background in pest management,
specifically, mosquito control. He served as a medical entomologist with
the U.S. Navy, retiring with the rank of captain. In his time with the
military, Cope had oversight of all aspects of pest management for the
Department of Defense, directed federal research programs and led global
licensing agreements for pest control related products. He’s also
currently vice president of the American Mosquito Control Association.
For more information about the new Terminix mosquito service, including
how to schedule service, visit www.terminix.com.
About Terminix®
Terminix® is the world’s largest pest control provider. Headquartered in
Memphis, Tenn., Terminix services approximately 3 million residential
and commercial customers in 47 states and 14 countries. Terminix
provides pest control services and protection against termites, rodents
and other pests threatening human health and/or safety. Terminix is a
business unit of The
ServiceMaster Company, one of the world's largest residential and
commercial service networks. The company’s brands include Terminix®,
American Home Shield®, ServiceMaster Clean®, Merry Maids®, Furniture
Medic® and AmeriSpec®. To learn more about Terminix, visit www.Terminix.com.
About ServiceMaster
®
The ServiceMaster Company, LLC is a leading provider of essential
residential and commercial services, operating through an extensive
service network of more than 7,000 company-owned, franchised and
licensed locations. The company’s portfolio of well-recognized brands
includes Terminix® (termite and pest control), American Home Shield®
(home warranties), ServiceMaster Restore® (disaster restoration),
ServiceMaster Clean® (janitorial), Merry Maids® (residential cleaning),
Furniture Medic® (furniture repair) and AmeriSpec® (home inspections).
The company serves approximately 5 million residential and commercial
customers through an employee base of approximately 13,000 company
associates and a franchise network that independently employs an
estimated 33,000 additional people. The company is headquartered in
Memphis, Tenn. Go to www.servicemaster.com for
more information about ServiceMaster or follow the company at www.twitter.com/ServiceMaster or www.facebook.com/TheServiceMasterCo.
About Universal Pest Solutions, LP
Universal Pest Solutions, LP is headquartered in Dallas, Texas with
field offices in Boston, Mass. Founded in 2007, the company identifies
and develops distinct insect control technologies and equips its
customers with tools and products to effectively control mosquitoes and
other nuisance insects.
Valerie Middleton
vmiddleton@terminix.com
901-597-1383
or
Brad Carmony
bcarmony@archermalmo.com
901-260-4277
or
Members of the media only, contact:
U.S. Media Relations
James Robinson
+1-901-597-7521
or
International Media Inquiries
Antonio Hernandez
+1-901-597-8381
or
ServiceMaster
Media Hotline:
+1-866-397-7921