Danns: Fighting pests for 20 years
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“Ants are the number one pest we treat. They’re good to us,” said Danns owner Dan Stout. “For a number of years, how to eliminate ants was never studied and they were able to multiply. But now that it’s been studied we can, and do, kill them much more effectively.”
With almost 20 years experience in the termite and pest control business, Stout began Danns Termite and Pest Control in 1997. After working for an outfit in Cookeville, it was his intention, he said, to operate his own business in which he could make about the same amount of money but only work about half the time.
“But that’s not the way it worked out,” he said with a laugh. “We got more business and it turned into a full-time job. I started out with me and one part-time man and now we’re up to me, four full-time guys and two part-time guys. It didn’t turn out the way I planned, but it’s been real good and it’s worth working for.”
Stout said his company’s bread and butter is the pest control end of the business. Danns fights every sort of pest around, from insects such as ants, spiders, cockroaches, flies and wasps to rodents such as mice, rats and gophers.
The company works primarily in Warren and surrounding counties and services a mix of buildings from single-family dwellings to apartment complexes to commercial property to restaurants. Stout said Danns also performs a number of pre-treats on new homes and real estate termite inspections.
“We say in the industry that there’re two kinds of houses: one that has termites and one that’s going to get them,” he said.
For homeowners looking to protect against termites, Stout offers the following advice:
• Have your house inspected for termites at least once a year or once every other year.
• Replace mulch around your house with gravel or rock as mulch, being composed of wood, attracts termites.
• Keep firewood and other debris at least two feet away from your house.
• Try to keep moisture from collecting under your house.
While keeping his focus on termite and pest control, Stout said he is looking to expand his business to also include moisture, mold, mildew and fungus control.
“These are things that can really affect your breathing. It’s really easy for it to get underneath your house. And from there it will eventually get inside your house if it’s not stopped,” he said.
If interested in receiving a free estimate for any type of termite or pest problem, give Danns Termite and Pest Control a call at 473-1625 or 668-3613.