Robert Robinson knows a lot about bugs!  More than most people would want to.

He is really looking forward to getting his business up and running.  So far desks and empty shelving, sit on the ready to be loaded with all kind of bug and varmint killing ingredients.   Robinson will have a full line of natural and chemical products at his business on Jefferson near Church Street. 
He started chasing bugs down in 2003.  In 2010 he started his own in Medway.   “I have the mid line supplies.” Robinson says, “If you go to K-mart or somewhere like that to buy your pest supplies, they will be in the low range of potency.  The high range supply is only available to people like me, licensed to use it, record usage, and trained in the safety of the high end chemicals.  
Homeowners that are looking for something DIY that works well or of a natural product, but still effective in doing the job, would find those products at my store.  My wife, Andrea does the books and she will be here working the desk and phone for me.  She is excited to get all the paperwork out of the house.  We have three kids, Rachael (12), Abigail (7) and Anthony (4), they keep us hopping.” 
“We will be carrying items for bedbugs, roaches, and mice.  Head lice products and animal flea and tick care will also be available.  These are a green product.  They use a cedar oil treatment, and it’s at a comparable price but has no production chemicals.  Rid, a common treatment for head lice contains pyrethrums, which is actually an ingredient from chrysanthemums.  “There are man made and natural flower sources for pyrethrum.  So far, there has been no proof it causes damage to children. Why would you choose to put a chemical on your child’s head when there is another product just as effective and similarly priced?”  According to Wikipedia, even though it is a natural product, pyrethrum can still be harmful to humans.  Used carefully it may cause no harm, but many parents are choosing to use products designed to be green.”
Pets will also have a green line.  For them its Dr. Ben’s Paws and Claws, effective in repelling both fleas and ticks.  It will kill fleas and ticks on contact but is mostly used as a repellent.  Whether you choose natural or synthetic ingredients usually depends on the pest you are trying to control.
There have been a few bedbug cases in New Carlisle but it’s heaviest in Park Layne.  Dirtiness does not play a role in getting them.  But clutter does play a role in getting them treated.  “The bedbug is a hitchhiker.  It will ride home on you or your things or come by way of someone visiting your home.  If you have a piece of furniture delivered to your home, check to see if they haul out the old furniture in the same truck.  There have been cases where brand new furniture has gotten bedbugs in the truck, on the ride to its new home.”
Robinson will still be using his exterminator services for any of those big jobs that need done.  He covers about a 50 mile radius in his treatment area.  The majority of his calls are for bedbugs.  There is an EPA form that must be filled out with the pertinent information and filed in company records.  Every 3-5 years there will be an inspection from the EPA to make sure their records are accurate and up to date. 
Typically, stoves and refrigerators are the easiest place to find roaches.  These vile insects had been reduced, but now seem to be building a resistance to the pyrethrum.  “Baiting is now the method of choice for these nasty little bugs.  They are actually carnivorous; they eat each other when they die.  So the dead poisoned roach will be eaten, then it will die, then another and so on.”
Termite control is the other highly requested service.  They, too, are baited.  IPM, Integrated Pest Management is what things are changing to.  Instead of a large soaking spray to kill everything it comes in contact with, they are looking at producing specific kills of just the pest. 
Animal control will be coming in about 6 months.  Skunks, possum, raccoons, and snakes - those sorts of things will be done mostly by another man.  Robinson wasn’t very interested in the animal control job or the moving of honey bees.  He says with a laugh, “I’ll just stick to the mice and rats and bugs.  That will be fine.  We have a lot of work as it is.”
“It doesn’t hurt to have an inspection and possibly get a treatment done before you move into a new home or apartment.  People who had bedbugs probably won’t take them all with them when they leave.  It’s very doubtful they would tell you if they had them.  If the house is empty it is easy for an exterminator to check along the rug edge for signs of them and other pests at the same time.  If something is there then it’s simple to treat before everything gets moved into the home.”  Robinson recommends you don’t treat your house with a bug bomb for bedbugs.  It’s not very effective to their demise.  It may be less expensive in the long run to have a professional do it.
Call 4 Corners Pest Exterminator at 308-9963 for all your worrisome creepy crawlies.