Trying Something New: Ike’s Total Pest Control

Here’s the thing … when I promise myself I’m gonna write something every day, sometimes you’re just gonna get a journal entry. But, you’re also seeing what energizes me …figuring things out. Before I was an “advertising sales guy”, I was fast-tracking to be an Engineer. No. Don’t laugh. It’s true. I liked math and science and was good at it. “Engineers”, as I understood it, solved problems. Any problem. Like, hey, there’s a river and you need a way across. Who do you call? You call an Engineer and he’ll scratch his head, put his index finger over his (or her) lip, frown and think, then do some math, draw some pictures and … voila. Engineers will design a bridge.

Skilled craftsman will build that bridge.

And a “ad sales guy” like me? I’ll sell the naming rights of that bridge.

Maybe that’s why I’m a perfectly mediocre “ad sales guy” … because my motivation is solving problems through creativity and systems. Maybe if I was motivated my the money and recognition, I’d be better.

What does all this have to do with the title of the Blog and Ike’s Total Pest Control?

Because I have an ant problem. I have a house that, for some reason, bees love. I like to sit outside and have a mosquito problem. I have mice from time to time. I know, I know … every homeowner has these problems.

But my smart, farmery, brother-in-law, Dan, sent a picture of a product he uses and swears by and said, “this really works and I swear by it.”

So I bought some. Ike’s Total Pest Control says it “prevents and kills spiders, ants, roaches, mosquitos, fleas, ticks and more.”

“Hey,” I said, “I’d like to get rid of all those things.”

Ike’s says this product can be mixed and sprayed on outisde walls, into cracks and crevices, and up to 7 feet away from the house on the ground. It can be used on the ground around your garden and, actually, go right on the leaves. It can be sprayed on the lawn … and woodpiles.

I mixed it (1 oz. to 1 gallon … a little strong, I know) and I sprayed the entire perimeter of my house. Sprayed it 2 and 3 feet up every outside wall and all around windows. Every gap in the bricks or odd gap in my siding … spray, spray, spray and soak, soak, soak. Then I sprayed the ground in a 3-foot perimter around my entire hosue. I was really on a roll, so I sprayed the brick pavers of my fire pit and 2 feet of grass around the fire pit.

And I couldn’t stop myself. I sprayed the perimeter of my wood deck and all the underneath surfaces I could reach

I sprayed my entire backyard fenceline.

And now I wait. This application is supposed to work up to 6-months.

This Blog entry is really me announcing, to the world, “I’m an Ike’s man!”

Time will tell if I’m really an Ike’s man.

I never see lots of ants. Just one off ants here and there. They’re carpenter ants, so I probably have a small infestation somewhere … so we’ll see.

Figuring things out. Maybe I figured out how to stop seeing ants and carpenter bees and spiders and mosquitos.

Either I’ll eliminate my bugs … or I’ll grow a horn because I sprayed too much at the wrong mix level and I’m doomed.

But honestly … I didn’t spray anything where I hang out, sit, or eat.

As an engineer-at-heart, I’m making notes. I’ll count ants. I’ll let you know if Ike’s is as good as my brother-in-law says.

Stay tuned and tune in tomorrow where I’ll laud the importance of changing your lawnmower’s air filter.