What we can learn from Glenn Reich II

A-1 Exterminators owner Glenn Reich II and his daughter, Stacey, answer questions about termite and pest control services. The business is located on South Cluff Avenue. (Jennifer M. Howell/News-Sentinel)

What we can learn from Glenn Reich II

Exterminator keeps homes free of creepy crawlers

By Amanda Dyer
News-Sentinel Staff Writer

Monday, March 24, 2008 6:33 AM PDT

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Glenn Reich's father started A-1 Exterminators in 1969. He and his brother Ryan later joined their fathers' business, which does termite inspections, pest control and structural repair.

Reich said the most common, local pest problem is ants. If the problem is severe, it could require monthly or bimonthly service, but homeowners can help prevent a severe situation by keeping a clean house and only putting pet food out at certain times during the day.

Other infestations can require service either monthly or every other month. A-1 Exterminators offers both without a contract.

Reich and his daughter, Stacey, answered other questions about pests and pest control through e-mail.

How has pest control changed during the past 45 years?

Pest control has gone from corrective to preventative. Most people these days want to have pest control service to keep the pests away before they have an actual pest problem. Many new homes these days have a pre-treat to the soil before construction begins to ensure that the building gets a good, termite free start.

What's the hardest thing to kill?

Cockroaches are hard to kill, just because of their natural behavior. They can reproduce quickly and are nocturnal. Because of this, oftentimes people don't see them until they have multiplied out of control and run out of hiding places. By then, it's difficult to get rid of them. An aggressive and thorough spraying by a pest control company is the best way to get rid of cockroaches.

What kind of chemicals are used? How do you keep yourself and your customers safe from exposure?

We use a variety of chemicals to control different pests.

Most chemicals are just applied with a sprayer hose to cover large surface areas. The spray tech must wear gloves, a respirator and goggles while spraying the chemical.

As soon as it dries, though, there is a low chance that it can do any harm. The chemicals are low residual and low toxicity once they dry.

Can you describe the worst case of pest infestation you've ever come across?

The worst situation was at a home that had cockroaches. They were so bad, when you opened a closet door they would fall out. Also, if you moved a picture hanging on the wall, they would fall out from behind them, too. That's about as bad as it gets.

Glenn Reich II at a glance

Age: 51.
Family: Glenn and Denise Reich, Nicole, 27, Stacey, 24, Jenae, 15, and Stuart, 12.
Job title: Business owner and termite Inspector.
Plans for the future: To keep the business growing and providing the community with quality pest control and termite services.

What's the strangest pest you've come across or the strangest problem you've been called to take care of?

We get a lot of calls for bats, gophers, moles, snakes and other small animals. Unfortunately our company does not specialize in this type of removal, and we would refer you to someone who does. We do have a service for rats and mice, but not any other type of small animal.

Are there any pests that you're afraid of? If not, what's your least favorite pest?

There are not really any pests that I am afraid of, but I don't like fleas.

During sub-area crawls to inspect for termites, if a house has fleas really bad, the fleas will get into the coveralls and start biting. That's not fun.

What type of spiders do we have around here? How many of them are poisonous? Is it true that it's harder to kill a spider because they don't clean themselves?

We have a variety of spiders that are native to our area, including daddy long legs, jumping spiders, black widows and wolf spiders.

There are very few spiders in California that are capable of causing injuries by biting. But around here we have black widows and wolf spiders. Black widow bites can be fatal, but wolf spider bites are not fatal.

Spiders are difficult to get rid of, but not because they don't clean themselves. They actually clean themselves all the time with a very powerful saliva which keeps them clean.

Is there any pest that you either really enjoy or really hate killing/getting rid of?

People like their homes to be pest free, which is the aim of the pest control business. However, spiders are very beneficial to humans since they eat many insects like flies, mosquitoes and earwigs. Unfortunately, humans have a low tolerance for spiders in their homes usually because of the fear that they can bite and may be poisonous. Although the chemicals used to control pests by our company are safe, spiders are generally safer.

What advice would you give someone who's looking into a career in pest control?

Pest control is a very technical field. You have to be good with math in order to figure out concentrations and volumes of chemicals to use during each application. Also, it is necessary to know, understand, and be able to identify common pests in the area that you plan to work in. Different chemicals are used for different pests, and you need to be able to determine which will work best for the pest you are trying to control.

Contact reporter Amanda Dyer at amandad@lodinews.com.

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