Terminix Provides Mosquito Relief to Louisiana Flood Victims

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — As the Baton Rouge, La., continues to recover from the devastating flooding that occurred in late August, one of the issues on the minds of citizens and state’s governor, Jon Bel Edwards, is the possibility of widespread mosquito problems throughout the region.

In response to these concerns, on Aug. 30, Terminix donated 7,800 cans of Terminix ALLCLEAR Mosquito Bait & Kill Bug Spray to the American Red Cross and an additional 2,600 cans to residents. This effort was Terminx’s way of helping its employees and customers in the Baton Rouge area stay safe as they begin to put their lives back together.

“Many employees from our local branch were affected by this tragedy, and we wanted to do whatever we could to help them and their community,” said Mary Kay Wegner, senior vice president - service & operations at Terminix. “This was a branch-wide effort to support our team members and their neighbors through the product donation. Our Baton Rouge technicians dedicated their entire first day back to work after our branch re-opened to going door-to-door to deliver the product.”

 

Concerns over widespread mosquito problems in flood-damaged Baton Rouge are certainly warranted. Mosquitoes thrive in warm, wet areas. When the standing water recedes, homeowners in Baton Rouge may be left with damp yards and water pooled in items like tires, bird baths and children’s toys – prime breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

Terminix ALLCLEAR uses a patented mosquito control approach to kill adult mosquitoes and stop their breeding cycle. The spray is an outdoor property-protection product and protects areas up to 2,500 square feet.

“Terminix’s area of expertise is managing just these sorts of pest situations, so for those that don’t already use Terminix mosquito services, we knew that ALLCLEAR Mosquito Bait & Kill Spray could help,” said Wegner. “The product is a nontoxic, effective, and environmentally sound solution to this challenge that will help Red Cross volunteers and Louisiana residents feel safer and more comfortable as they rebuild.”

Terminix’s post-flood efforts extend beyone the Aug. 30, donation, as local Terminix technicians will continue to work with existing and new customers to provide pest control services to those impacted by the flood, Wegner said. “Our technical team is also exploring partnerships with local municipalities to support recovery efforts, including collecting mosquito larva samples that will aid in mosquito-borne illness research.”

In addition to Terminix’s involvement, ServiceMaster, Terminix’s parent company, also worked with more than 30 franchisees of ServiceMaster Restore, a leading provider of disaster restoration services, to mobilize manpower and resources from across the country to conduct flood recovery, mold removal and fire mitigation in Baton Rouge’s homes, schools, and businesses.