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In 2007, the animation studio Pixar released its film Ratatouille, a kind-hearted comedic tale about imagination and French cooking. Much of the movie’s humor, though, owed to an odd fact about the character behind the title’s delectable cuisine: It was a rat. Having vermin who nosh on trash also cook gourmet grub proved delightfully horrible — at least in fiction. In real life, though, there’s nothing delectable about it, and pest control within restaurants is a big part of a restaurant’s operational responsibilities. Read More »

In her short story “Mr. Gilfil’s Love Story,” nineteenth century novelist and poet George Eliot wrote, “Animals are such agreeable friends―they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.” Pet lovers the world over have testified to this truth. When chums and family fall short, a faithful dog or affectionate cat often stands in the gap. That mutual affection has also caused many owners to wonder if pest control services are safe for pets. Read More »

Whether dealing with a global pandemic (such as the one that’s occurring during the writing of this post) or simply the ordinary economic pressures that affect everyone, times are tight. None of us really feel as though we have all of the time or all of the money that we would like. So we start to trim expenses — and often one of the first ones to go is pest control service. Read More »

Bug sprays, weed killers, and basically any kind of eradicating chemical frighten people. Just consider the case of glyphosate, a 40-year-old weed killer that many consider extremely safe. In recent years, though, concern about its effects on people and the environment has grown, leading to legal cases and increased calls for its regulation.

When it comes to bug sprays, things can quickly become much more frightening, especially when there are children in the house. After all, anything designed to kill living creatures can’t be that good for humans, right? Well, things aren’t quite that simple, which is why we’ve put to together this short guide about indoor bug spray and child safety. Read More »

Readers, allow us to share a true pest-control story in order to introduce the topic of what you should look for when hiring a pest-control management service. There was once a young couple who purchased a fixer-upper home they believed was pest free. Unfortunately, it was not, and they quickly discovered the fact when cockroaches started showing up around the property. In the kitchen. In the dining room. Even in the cupboards. Read More »

Do you have hard-to-kill pests that just keep coming back? Do creepy crawlies tend to crop up in every corner of a room? Do you want to treat several areas all at once? If so, you might have considered purchasing a bug bomb (which is also known as a home insect fogger). These consumer-grade pest-control products purport to eliminate a wide variety of pests within a broad area.

Do bug bombs really work, though? The evidence just might surprise you. Not only do bug bombs fail to adequately eliminate insects, they also can have significant downsides for humans. Read More »

Smithereen Pest Management Services is supporting hospital workers and local restaurants by delivering meals to frontline workers.

As part of Smithereen SELECT, a company-wide volunteer program that began in 2011, Smitheereen is partnering with local businesses McWethy’s Tavern in Romeoville and Bartolini’s Restaurant in Midlothian to deliver box meals to their hospital customers treating COVID-19 patients.

Hospitals included in the first phase were:

• Amita Health Adventist Medical Center Bolingbrook
• Amita Health Adventist Medical Center Hinsdale
• Amita Health St. Joseph Medical Center
• OSF Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Evergreen Park.

Smithereen donated over 100 meals in the first weeks of April 2020, and plans on a second stage of meal delivery. “The restaurant and healthcare industries are very important to our business and we are grateful to be able to support these two industries during a time of need,” explained Scott Seifert, Director of Sales and Marketing at Smithereen. “These warriors are dealing with unprecedented stressful times and we wanted to show a small token of our appreciation.

Smithereen is planning on expanding the meal program with other customers in Illinois, as well as in Kansas and Missouri. “We look forward to expanding the program and support until our restaurant and hospital clients can return to more normal operations,” said Seifert.

See our press release here:  Smithereen Pest Management Provides Assistance to Restaurant and Hospital Customers During Coronavirus Outbreak

Pest control is included under essential services, Smithereen continues to serve during this time of need. The safety of our employees and customers remain our first priority, all our services have been modified to CDC guidelines.

We will continue to be your partner for a healthy environment. If you have specific questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us or visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/ for more information.

Modern life is busy, and financial and family pressures tend to chip away at whatever little free time we have. It’s tough enough to steal a moment for yourself when dealing with life’s ordinary obligations. But throw in a sudden infestation of ants or cockroaches or some such pest, and your stress levels can spike. Just how long will it take to deal with those unwanted creepy crawlies? Will you need to leave your property during a treatment? And how quickly can an application eliminate your pest problem once and for all? Read More »

Cockroaches and bedbugs. Mosquitoes and mice. Raccoons and rats. Dealing with pests is stressful enough on its own, but preparing for a visit from a pest-control technician? That can add yet another layer of strain. Don’t get too apprehensive about that upcoming visit from a Smithereen technician though. It shouldn’t cause the least bit of concern. Read on to learn how you can best prepare. Read More »