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Pottstown, PAPermit No. 95

P.O. Box 334Pottstown, PA19464-0334

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Serving the Route 422,100, 202, and Route 30 Corridors in Montgomery, Chester and Berks Counties.

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MAY 2020

PATRIOTPESTSOLUTIONS

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PROVIDING THE PERSONAL AND CARING CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT PEOPLE EXPECT FROM A LOCAL, FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESS

hile the world will beforever changed by the

the COVID-19 crisis, somethings have remained the same. Withthe arrival of Spring and Summer,pests intensify their efforts to invadeand infest our homes and businesses.Thankfully, as an “essential” business,Patriot Pest Solutions, LLC has beenable to continue to actively service theirexisting clients and take on new clientsduring these difficult times. “As an essential service industry, we will continue to service the food productionfacilities, grocery stores, medical insti-tutions, multi-family housing units,warehouses, homes and businesses,”said co-owner Denice Harrison. “Wecannot afford to have our medical facilities, grocery stores or homes uninhabitable due to pests and pest related diseases, particularly as we tellcitizens to stay home,” she said.

Patriot Pest Solutions is a family-owned,veteran-owned, pet-friendly, community-driven, local small business with a sus-tained record of excellence in innovationand customer service. Denice and JamesHarrison started their business out of theirRoyersford home nine years ago. Today,PPS is a thriving full-service pest solutioncompany serving commercial and residen-tial customers in Montgomery, Berks,Chester, and Delaware counties and thePhiladelphia Area. In 2013, the Harrisonsmoved their business out of their home andinto a larger facility in Trappe, and hired additional technicians. Today, Patriot PestSolutions (PPS) employs five techniciansand two customer service representatives.They recently hired Phoenixville resident

Ryan Ritchey as their Busi-ness Development Execu-tive. This is a newly-createdposition to help take PPS tothe next level as they con-

tinue to gain recognition in the community. Even as the business continues to grow,

the Harrisons are committed to providingpersonal and caring customer service thatpeople expect from a local, family-ownedbusiness. They are equally committed toeducating their employees and customers,and to providing effective pest eliminationand control solutions.

PATRIOTPESTSOLUTIONS

WJAMES HARRISON

DENICE HARRISON

“The name Patriot

isn’t just a marketing tool,

it’s a belief system.”

PHOTOS BY STYLISH IMAGES

PERSONAL AND CARING CUSTOMER SERVICE

As an active member of several regionalchambers of commerce and other businessorganizations, as well as the local RotaryClub, the Harrisons are very community-fo-cused. They donate services to several non-profit community-based organizations, andwhenever possible, they patronize local smallbusiness vendors. They have received “Bestof Montco” awards and have been recog-nized as “Small Business of the Year” by thePerkiomen Valley Chamber of Commerce.

“When someone chooses a family-owned business, they chose personal serv-ice — people who care and want to solve theproblem,” Denice Harrison said. It is impor-tant to the Harrisons that every customer iscompletely satisfied with the results of theirservice. Utilizing proven, state-of-the-artmaterials and techniques, they treat yourhome as if it were their own.

“When somebody comes to your home,you’re opening your door to a stranger —somebody that you don’t know — and thatcan be unnerving,” Denice explains. “Beinga mother, I want to make sure — and domake sure — that I would feel comfortableletting any of our technicians into my home.”

One way they do that is by requiring allprospective employees to undergo drugtesting, background checks, and a driver’slicense review. Patriot Pest Solutions alsosends each customer an email with theirappointment date and time, a picture of the technician who will be coming intotheir home (including a link to customer reviews of that technician), and the nameof the customer service representative whohandled their call. Following the service,customers receive another email asking forfeedback, so Patriot Pest Solutions canquickly react if there is a need.

EDUCATING CUSTOMERS -KNOWLEDGE IS POWER! “Home invaders” come in many shapes

and sizes. The accompanying sidebar article outlines some of the most recent insect infestations. Patriot Pest Solutions’website (www.PatriotPestSolutions.net)offers a wealth of information about various pests and available methods oftreatment. Once you contact Patriot PestSolutions, one of their state-licensed technicians will come out to your hometo inspect your property and determine potential problem areas, point out otherareas conducive to future infestations,and share steps you can take to avoid future problems. Then, they create a customized treatment plan for year-round protection.

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atriot Pest Solutions’ service focus has evolved over theyears. It has always been their goal to keep up to date with the industry’s most recent innovations and new pest

invaders. Below are some recent shifts they have seen in theindustry. With the light winter and lack of snow accumulation,mosquitoes and ticks in particular are expected to be especiallyprevalent this year. Please visit www.PatriotPestSolutions.net for acomprehensive list.

SPOTTED LANTERN FLYBack in 2011 no one heard of the Spotted Lantern Fly and pest

control companies were not treating trees. However, these destruc-tive pests began killing trees in Berks county and have made theirway across the state. Addressing this problem requires twotreatments per year, in the Spring and in the Fall. The Springtreatment involves a systemic application treatment lasting threemonths. The treatment absorbs into plant, will not wash off, and ishighly effective against Lanternflies on first application. Fall is arepellant treatment.

MOSQUITO The demand for Mosquito treatments has grown over the years

as concerns over West Nile Virus, Zika Virus and Dengue Fevercontinue to grow. Patriot Pest Solutions urgesPennsylvania residents to take precautions toprevent mosquito bites. Mosquitoes only needabout half an inch of water to breed.Eliminating standing water around your proper-ty will remove mosquito harborages. PatriotPest Solutions also recommends making sure allscreens on windows and doors are in goodcondition to block mosquito access.Effective mosquito treatment starts with

targeting populations where they originate.Patriot Pest Solutions’ mosquito treatments arefocused to shady areas in shrubbery and underdecks where mosquitoes live and breed. All ofthe materials they use are registered by the EPAand are completely safe when applied accord-ing to the label by a licensed pest professional.Patriot Pest Solutions offers a six-month 100

percent organic mosquito control plan thatensures the safety of you, your pets and yourchildren. Organic mosquito control service plansbegin in May and keeps your yard mosquito-free

through October. Mosquitoservices will eliminate thenumber of mosquitoes thatswarm your yard in those warmsummer months. Patriot PestSolutions treats foliage, vegeta-tion, shrubbery areas, patios,eaves, covered porches, andother resting areas.

TICKSTicks are second only to

mosquitoes as vectors ofdisease. Ticks can transmit Lymedisease, Meningoencephalitis,Rocky Mountain spotted fever,tularemia, babesiosis, Coloradotick fever, Q fever, tick paralysis,and several forms of ehrlichiosis.Tick-borne diseases correspondto a specific tick-host combina-tion and are limited in theirgeographical extent. Nearly 95percent of all Lyme diseasecases have been reported in theNortheastern part of the UnitedStates.It is just as important to treat

your lawn to prevent ticks as it is to mow and maintain agreen and healthy lawn. Petscan easily bring ticks into your home. After feeding,

ticks will drop off and lay eggs in protected cracks and crevices. (Continued on page 10)

Our newest hire Tristan Di Paolo has no fear of heights while assisting a homeowner with a squirrel exclusion.

PPS Technician Chris Gentile appliesa Spotted Lantern

Fly treatment.

P

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COVER STORY(Continued from page 7)

CUSTOMIZED APPROACH -EVERY JOB IS UNIQUE! Patriot Pest Solutions has the expertise

to solve any pest problems, and they aremore than happy to provide professionaladvice and a customized approach toany pest control problem. As a memberof the National Pest Management Asso-ciation (NPMA), all of their techniciansare up to date with the latest training andcertifications.

Patriot Pest Solutions is also a CertifiedWildlife Professional (through the National Wildlife Control Operators Association), which keeps their techniciansup to date with the latest training and certifications to provide you with the safestand most humane wildlife managementservice possible. And, PPS is a part of the Pennsylvania Trapper’s Association,which promotes the humane trapping ofwildlife. This wildlife service is just onemore thing that sets Patriot Pest Solutionsapart from other pest control services.

Patriot Pest Solutions technicians alsoparticipate in weekly in-house trainingand attend various conventions, meet-ings (Pennsylvania Pest Management Association), and expos (NationalWildlife Expo) throughout the year tokeep up with all the latest advances inpest control. James is an Associate Certi-

fied Entomologists (less than one percentof all applicators in the state are certified).The misidentification of a pest can costthousands of dollars. That doesn’t happen with PPS’s knowledgeable team.Patriot Pest Solutions’ technicians knowhow to get rid of pests and how to keepthem from coming back!

“We hire technicians who can interacton a very personal level with people,”Denice Harrison explains. “They are notjust the bug guy coming in and hosingthe place down. We really do hire peoplebased on their personality first, becausethe training and the technical knowledgecan come from James.There are trainingsessions every week. We can train butwe can’t train personality and pleas-antries. We hire nice people,” she said.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONIn addition to running a very success-

ful business and raising a daughter,Carley, a Spring Ford HS graduate nowin her first year at MCCC, the Harrisonsare also very involved with the commu-nity. They are active members of theSpring-Ford Chamber of Commerceand the Perkiomen Valley Chamber of Commerce, and they offer special discounts to fellow chamber members.

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COVER STORY(Continued from page 8)

Denice is an active member of theSpring-Ford Rotary Club. They donateongoing pest control services to TheHouse, an organization that provideshousing and support services to home-less and vulnerable single women ingreater Phoenixville, and they have volunteered at many local organizations.

The Harrisons also love their seniorBoxer and two, one-year old Boxer-mixpups acquired from Mosttly Muttz Rescue. “We love to take our pack forwalks on the trails and woods behind ourhouse,” Denice said, adding, “Folks whohave pets are oftentimes very concernedabout having pest control come into theirhomes. When they go on our website andsee that we are dog people, there’s a trustthat comes with that.”

And, what about theirname — Patriot Pest Solu-tions — and their tagline —“Eliminating pests is our patrioticduty”? They are both fitting, sinceJames, his father, and his brother allserved in the military. Their military connection is very important to the Harrisons. Denice says, “The name Patriot isn’t just a marketing tool, it’s a belief system.” Patriot Pest Solutions alsooffers discounts to military families.

It seems the Harrisons have discoveredthe magic formula that combines the ben-efits of a small family-owned businesswith the expertise and knowledge of alarger company. As Denice says, “It’s beenquite an adventure.”

Patriot Pest Solutions, located at 414 W. Main Street in Trappe, focuses onsolving your pest or wildlife problemsquickly and helping you ensure theproblem doesn’t return. Call Patriot PestSolutions at 610.489.5136 for a FREEno-pressure inspection, and please visitwww.PatriotPestSolutions.net for addi-tional information.

(Continued from page 7)Getting rid of an indoor tick infestation takestime because eggs can hatch months later,long after you think you have the situationunder control.Service begins with a licensed technician

providing a full inspection of your property.During the inspection, your tick control techni-cian will identify potential problem areasaround your home or office. After the sourceof your problem areas have been identified,your technician will create a customized ticktreatment plan for year-round protection,using the most effective and environmentallyconscious tick control solutions.

BED BUGSBed bugs have made a comeback over

the last ten years. Bed bugs have developedresistance to traditional pesticide applica-tions. This resistance has made establishingcontrol more difficult.Bed bugs are apple seed-sized, reddish-

brown bugs that feed on human blood atnight. Bed bugs are frequently brought homefrom airports, clothing stores, hotels, movietheaters and used furniture. Once inside, bedbugs are typically found close to where yousleep. These blood-sucking pests can hide in

cracks the thickness of a credit card.PPS technicians frequently findbed bugs in baseboards,bed frames, box springs,

cabinets, furniture, headboards,mattresses, nightstands, picture frames —

even behind electrical plate covers! Bed bugsdo not spread diseases, but they do causediscomfort and many sleepless nights.Bed bug heat remediation treatments are

an efficient and cost-effective way toeradicate bed bug infestations without theuse of pesticides. Heat treatments take onlyone day and leave no odor or toxic residuesbehind, making heat the ideal choice for theextermination of bed bugs in both residentialand commercial settings. Bed bug heattreatments penetrate walls and permeateevery square inch of an infested room,ensuring that it is clean and clear of bed bugs.The newest bed bug treatment is a bio-

pesticide. Bed bugs build up a resistance tochemicals, and certain chemicals won’twork. A couple of years ago scientists fromPenn State developed a bio-pesticide thatbed bugs have no resistance to. “We areseeing excellent results with it,” JamesHarrison explains. All of Patriot Pest Solutions’ Quality Pro

certified state-licensed technicians have beentrained by James, an Associate CertifiedEntomologists, in bed bug detection. Don’twonder if you have bed bugs, find out forsure by contacting Patriot Pest Solutions fora FREE inspection and estimate on provensolutions to exterminate your bed buginfestation.