What’s new with the Critter Gitter?
Recession won’t stop changes at Peninsular
You wouldn’t think a company with a commanding market share would choose to re-brand itself, particularly in the midst of a prolonged recession. But that’s exactly what Peninsular Pest Control Service Inc. did.
You wouldn’t think a company with a commanding market share would choose to re-brand itself, particularly in the midst of a prolonged recession. But that’s exactly what Peninsular Pest Control Service Inc. did.
Carolyn Richardson, the company’s president, said the time was right.
“We wanted to keep it fresh,” she said. “We didn’t want to lose our position as market leader.”
A female owner in an industry dominated by men, Richardson is a rarity. Her parents founded the company out of their Arlington garage. Richardson’s father, R. Earl Dixon, was a University of Florida graduate, professor and former member of the Legislature. While he served in the Legislature, Richardson said her mother, the first woman to hold a pest control license in the state, ran the business.
Now, 55 years after the company’s founding, Richardson has stepped it up a notch, launching a new marketing approach that incorporates social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, while continuing some of the historical marketing efforts that tie the company to its customer base.
Richardson said the new retro-style logo and outreach gels nicely with her desire to get the company more engaged with the community. She’s added a Paper Retriever recycling bin at her location that will allow people to drop off recyclable paper products to benefit HabiJax.
The goal of creating a fresh brand while maintaining an allegiance to a company’s roots is always a difficult fence to straddle. In the end, all parties seem to be quite thrilled with the result.
Richardson says for all of the efforts, referrals from her loyal customer base remain the biggest source of clients.
And, lest anyone worry, the company’s sign over its offices on I-10 that has become a signature Jacksonville landmark will stay put.
The Critter Gitter was just too much for this itsy bitsy spider. Rain or shine they get us every time.
Reticulitermes hageni
Due to their wood-eating habits, termites can do great damage to homes and other wooden structures. Their habit of remaining concealed often results in their presence being undetected until severe damaged is done. Once termites have entered a building, they do not limit themselves to wood; they also damage paper, cloth, carpets and more.
Musca domestica
The house fly is the most common of all domestic flies, accounting for about 90% of all flies in human habitations, and indeed one of the most widely distributed insects, found all over the world; it is considered a pest that can carry serious diseases. Each female fly can lay approximately 500 eggs in several batches of about 75 to 150.
Hymenoptera
The term wasp is typically defined as any insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is neither a bee nor ant. Almost every pest insect species has at least one wasp species that preys upon it or parasitizes it, making wasps critically important in natural control of their numbers, or natural biocontrol.
Siphonaptera/Ixodoidea
Fleas are small (1/16”), dark, reddish-brown, wingless, blood-sucking insects. Their bodies are laterally compressed, (i.e., flattened side to side) permitting easy movement through the hairs on the host’s body. Their legs are long and well adapted for jumping. Ticks are blood-feeding parasites that are often found in tall grass and shrubs where they will wait to attach to a passing host. A tick will attach itself to its host by inserting its chelicerae (cutting mandibles) and hypostome (feeding tube) into the skin. The hypostome is covered with recurved teeth and serves as an anchor. Young ticks have six legs, and mature ticks have eight legs. They vary in size and appearance depending on the species.
Formicidae
Ants are pests around the home because they feed on and contaminate human foods, infest structures, and build unsightly mounds in lawns. In some cases, ants are able to inflict painful bites or stings. Ants do not attack or eat fabrics, leather or wood in houses; however, some species can establish nests in decaying wood in structures.
Mus musculus
The mouse usually lives in proximity to humans, in or around houses or fields. Originally native to Asia they have since been spread throughout the world. House mice can transmit diseases, and can damage food and food packaging. It is thought that house mice were the primary reason for the taming of the domestic cat.
Achaearanea tepidariorum
Arachnophobia is a fear of spiders or anything reminiscent of spiders, such as webs or spider-like shapes. It is one of the most common specific phobias, and some statistics show that 50 percent of women and 10 percent of men show symptoms. It may be an exaggerated form of an instinctive response that helped early humans to survive.
Jacksonville, Florida 32204
