What youâre looking at: A fine group of business pros⌠moments before I ruined their appetites with a giant scorpion. Breakfast networking at its finest!
Hey folks, Howie Ryder here from All Ways Exterminating â your friendly neighborhood bug buster. I recently had the honor of being the Spotlight Speaker at the PPNY SWC networking meeting, and letâs just say⌠it wasnât your average breakfast talk. I brought a few âfriendsâ along. Donât worry, most of them were dead⌠probably.
My Traveling Pest Show
I donât believe in boring PowerPoints. I believe in props. Creepy, crawly, freak-âem-out props. The kind that make you lean in with curiosity, then jump back in horror.
My talk wasnât just a lecture â it was a full-on show-and-tell. I brought an incredible collection of props that had attendees leaning in for a closer look (and sometimes jumping back with a laugh):
- đŚ Preserved scorpion in display
- đˇ Realistic spider surprise prop
- đ Insects under glass
- đ Mouse and live-trap demo
- đ Animal skull display
What youâre looking at: Me explaining squirrel control â while holding a stuffed squirrel midânut heist. Itâs educational and adorable⌠until theyâre in your attic.
If youâve ever heard scratching, scampering, or what sounds like a tiny bowling league in your attic, chances are youâve got squirrels. Cute? Sure. Entertaining? Maybe in your backyard. But once they move into your home, they stop being Disney characters and start being demolition experts. Squirrels can chew through wood, insulation, and electrical wires â which not only causes costly damage but also creates a fire hazard. My job isnât just to trap them; itâs to figure out how they got in and make sure they canât get back. Because trust me, if one squirrel finds a way into your warm, cozy attic, itâll send an invitation to the whole family.
Now, I donât just throw up a ladder and wish for the best. I take a strategic approach â sealing entry points, installing barriers, and making your home as unappealing to squirrels as a salad bar at a steakhouse. I also focus on humane removal, because these critters are just doing what squirrels do: looking for food and shelter. The key is making sure that food and shelter arenât in your home. Call me before a cute little tail in your gutter turns into an expensive repair bill. And remember â prevention now is a lot cheaper than replacing wiring, insulation, and shingles later.
What youâre looking at: A mouse demo. Cute, right? Until itâs chewing through your cereal boxes at 3 a.m. Thatâs when you call me.
What youâre looking at: A rhinoceros beetle, wings out. Natureâs version of a Transformer â minus the cool catchphrases.
What youâre looking at: A genuine animal skull â proof that pest control is serious business. Also proof that Iâll bring *anything* to a meeting if it makes a point.
Now, about that coon skin hat I wore during the presentation â no, Iâm not auditioning for a remake of Davy Crockett. The hat is my way of getting a laugh while making a serious point about raccoons and squirrels. These animals may look like harmless woodland creatures, but once they move into your attic, crawl space, or garage, they turn into masked bandits with a taste for chaos. Theyâll rip up insulation, chew through wires, and leave behind a mess that smells worse than the hat if it got caught in a rainstorm. Wearing the hat grabs attention, gets people chuckling, and makes them remember that pests arenât just âoutsideâ problems â they can be right over your head.
The hat also sparks conversation. Folks always ask, âIs that real?â and I get to explain that the real raccoon problem is much more than a fashion statement. Itâs about property damage, health hazards, and the constant noise of nocturnal roommates you never invited. That goofy-looking hat becomes the perfect segue into a talk about prevention â sealing entry points, trimming tree branches, and making your home less accessible to these critters. So while the hat may be for laughs, the lesson behind it is dead serious: donât let a raccoon turn your attic into its luxury condo.
What youâre looking at: No, I havenât joined a frontier reenactment group. This is my âCousin Davy Crockettâ look â a visual aid for how NOT to let raccoons or squirrels become part of your wardrobe.
What youâre looking at: An Emperor Scorpion â preserved for teaching. They donât live in New York, but they do make for one heck of a breakfast conversation starter.
What youâre looking at: A âfriendlyâ spider in a surprise box. Itâs fake, but the screams it produces are 100% real.
My Motto
âItâs not about pests. Itâs about peace of mind.â
With over 40 years in the field, Iâve seen it all â from hornet nests the size of basketballs to rats that think they own the place. My job isnât just to get rid of them, itâs to make sure you can sleep at night knowing theyâre gone for good.
 The point? Pest control isnât just about bugs. Itâs about protecting your home or business from the many different animals and insects that can damage property, carry disease, or just make your life miserable. And I wanted to make sure this group left knowing exactly what they were up against â and how to stop it before it starts.
The Lessons That Matter
Pests behave the way they do for a reason â theyâre looking for food, water, and shelter. If your home or business gives them any of those, theyâll find a way in. Thatâs why I focus on prevention: sealing entry points, keeping food areas clean, and addressing moisture problems before they attract unwanted visitors.
Seasonal changes matter. As temperatures drop or rise, pests migrate indoors, looking for comfort. Thatâs when infestations can explode seemingly overnight.
Why Call All Ways Exterminating?
When you work with me and my team, you get more than just someone who shows up with a spray and a bill. You get:
- â Over 40 years of pest control experience.
- â Safe, effective treatments tailored to your situation.
- â Preventive strategies that save money and headaches.
- â Honest, friendly service â and maybe a few bad bug jokes along the way.
Whether youâre a brand-new homeowner or youâve been in your place for decades, donât wait until you see a pest to call. Prevention is always cheaper than repair.
A Personal Milestone
To top it all off, this presentation came right as my wife and I celebrated our 47th wedding anniversary with my lovely bride, Patty. Four and a half decades together, and she still puts up with me bringing bugs to breakfast meetings. That, my friends, is true commitment.
If youâd like me to bring this same mix of expertise, humor, and hands-on visuals to your business, organization, or community group â just give me a call. I promise youâll learn a lot, laugh a little, and maybe think twice before leaving that attic vent open.
đ Call me at 516-599-7674
đ Visit: AllwaysExterminating.com
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