In the Field: Light Makes Right
1 Jul, 2006 By: Heather Gooch Pest Management ProfessionalThe Squirrel Evictor helps Massey Services rid structures of pests — squirrels, feral cats and roof rats — quickly, cost effectively and safely
Tom Jarzynka, training and technical director for Maitland, Fla.-based Massey Services, notes that Massey does not jump on new-treatment bandwagons. Rather, the firm tests new products, analyzes the results and then tests some more. In the case of The Squirrel Evictor, Massey and its commercial division, PrevenTech, found the innovation helped the company rid pests — squirrels, feral cats and roof rats — quickly, cost effectively and safely.
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"This tool fits in with Massey's commitment to environmental responsibility," Jarzynka says. "There's no toxicant involved, no harming of the animals, and yet we accomplish the goal of pest removal."
HOW IT WORKS
The Squirrel Evictor is a strobe light available in two sizes. The 175,000-candlepower unit, M±0K, covers about 900 square feet, while the 1 million-candlepower model, M±00K, covers 1,600 square feet.
 The Squirrel Evictor strobe light is easy to deploy in attics, crawlspaces and wall voids. |
Jarzynka says it's simply a matter of placing an appropriate number of The Squirrel Evictor units in darkened areas such as attics, crawlspaces or wall voids, and letting the lights go full bore. Flashing 90 times a minute, the units won't blind target pests, but they do provide a major annoyance — driving pests out of unwanted areas in a matter of days.
"Bill Earl, the gentleman who designed the strobe light system, is a handyman who was running into squirrel problems — but this applied technology also works well on roof rats and feral cats," Jarzynka adds.
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Jarzynka recommends that for long-term installations, an electrician hard-wire the units so they can be turned on and off with a switch before technicians enter the areas.
"Believe me, the lights are just as nasty for you and me as they are for pests," he says. "In training, we'll keep one on for about four cycles before people say: 'OK, we get it. You can turn it off now.'"
 Tom Jarzynka |
Usually, Massey technicians install the lights, check back in a couple days to ensure the pests left, do minor exclusion work to ensure the problem doesn't reoccur, remove the lights and charge a fee.
For accounts where complete exclusion is not really an option, Massey sells the customers the units and then performs monthly service calls. The service includes checking the lights, moving them around where warranted, doing exclusion work and replacing the bulbs once a year. The strobe tubes within the units can run for up to 10,000 hours.
"Placement of the strobe lights is key," Jarzynka stresses. "If there's a wall in the area that can throw a shadow, the units are not able to give off the full effect. That's why the customers trust us, as professionals, to check on the strobe light systems' progress and to know when and where to move the units."
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