Did you hear the one about the woman who lived in a glass box for 32 days with more than 6,000 REAL, LIVE scorpions as her companions?

No joke. (No, I mean this is seriously NO. FLIPPIN. JOKE!) Nur Malena Hassan lives in Malaysia and did this in the middle of a mall in order to set a world record. And — believe it or not — she she had actually done this in 2001 with 2,700 live scorpions for 30 days to set the first world record but then a year later someone in Thailand broke this record by spending 31 days in a box with approximately 3,400 live scorpions.

Although she trained for 5 years to build up resistance to the scorpion’s stings, if stung more than 3 times in rapid succession she could pass out. This happened once on her leg & she lost the ability to walk but has now recovered. She was only (ummm…ONLY???) stung a total of 7 times since she entered the box.

As scorpions crawled all over her body, Hassan spent her days reading, watching tv and waving to shoppers at the mall. She’d only leave the box once a day for 15 minutes for a potty break. The only exception? She took a bonus 2 minute break the day of her birthday to cut her birthday cake.

Hassan has earned the nickname (and rightly so!) of Scorpion Queen…but for how long? Anyone up for challenging her this time to 33 days? #notme #nope #neverinamillionyears

We want to send a huge shoutout to these six people on Team Blue Chip who are celebrating their Blue Chip anniversary this month! Thank you for all you have done to help keep our customers pest-free every single one of these years!

Nobody…and I mean N-O-B-O-D-Y…wants bugs in their food. (Unless, of course, you’re already into the new trend of eating bugs but that’s another story for another day!) Here are 5 simple things you can do to make sure pests stay out of your pantry, your kitchen and, most importantly, your food.

1. When you’re done cooking, clean! Take time to wipe off counters and sweep the floor of any crumbs.
2. When you shop for baking supplies, inspect the packaging for signs of tearing, ripping or damage. Clearly, those are not the items you want to bring home and into your pantry.
3. Make airtight containers your besties when it comes to food storage. Yes, it might be a big expense upfront but stockpile all those coupons you get in your mailbox from Bed, Bath & Beyond then head over there and stock up on these containers. And, this part, should go without saying, but after you bring the containers home and transfer the food into them, make sure they are properly shut.
4. If a product is expired, don’t use it.
5. Check your produce on the daily for signs of decay or over-ripening.

Rodents invade an estimated 21 million homes during the coldest part of the year. In case you haven’t been outside lately, the coldest part of the year is NOW! Other than providing you a great opportunity to test out your reflexes as well as your screaming capacity if you see one run across the floor of your house, they also spread disease, contaminate food and act as triggers for asthma and allergies. Here are a few signs that might signify you have rodents living in your house.

Fingers crossed you don’t encounter rodents this winter but if you do, we have an excellent rodent control program that is backed by our 365 day 100% guarantee. Here’s how we tackle these pests: https://www.bluechipexterminating.com/wildlife-control-st-louis/mice-rodent-control/

Happy, happy birthday to all our fabulous team members who are celebrating another trip around the sun this month!

Winter brings hopes of snow days for the kids (and quite possibly spiked hot chocolate by a cozy fireplace for those kids’ parents #JustSaying #NoJudgement), snowball fights, sledding races and picture-perfect gorgeous scenery right outside our windows. However, it also brings actual snow, snow shoveling, slipping, more snow shoveling, cold toes, even more snow shoveling, hazardous driving conditions and, quite possibly, still more snow shoveling. (Can you tell I still haven’t gotten over Snowmageddon 2019 that hit St. Louis a couple of weeks ago, leaving us with over 12 inches of snow?!?!) 
Though chances are high that you’re not experiencing any type of infestation at your home or business right now (thanks to your friendly pest control company!), that doesn’t mean that the risk has gone away. Most people tend to think of pest control as more of a spring and summertime thing; however, warm places with yummy food are just as inviting to rodents and pests as they are to us. Seeing a mouse in your kitchen could totally create that “EEKK!” moment simply from the ick-factor that comes with these guys but, honestly, the damage that rodents, along with insects, could do to your home should have a more significant impact on you than any rodent-sighting freakout you might experience. 
Nests built in warm, moist places can lead to rotten wood and mold growth. Gnawing is a constant for many pests and can create significant (not to mention expensive) damage to wires, drywall and wood. Damage from winter storms (freezing rain, whipping winds, freezing temps and heavy snowfall, for example) can quickly make way for blown off shingles or foundation cracks that allow for a much easier entry for these pests. Here are some tips that will help alleviate damage and keep away pests. (And, as an added bonus, will help lower your monthly utility bills! Score!)

• Seal cracks on your home’s exterior with a silicone-based caulk. 
• Check out the fascia board along the roofline and replace any wood that is rotting. 
• Replace worn weatherstripping along windows & doors. 
• Declutter! By cleaning up areas like the basement and attic, you can eliminate any potential nesting areas. 
• Trim back trees so rodents don’t have access to the underside of your roof overhang. 
• Store food in sealed containers. 

One of our very favorite rodents, Punxsutawney Phil, is getting ready ready for his big day tomorrow! Let’s make our prediction…

Will Phil see his shadow & allow winter to stick around?

OR

Will Phil’s shadow be MIA & we’ll be getting ready for an early spring?

Not sure about you but I’m kind of over the snow at this point. (Or at least that hazardous driving conditions it brings!) Give me daffodils! Give me tulips! Give me warm sunshiny days! Bring on spring, Phil! PLEAASSEE!