Terminix defends against mosquitoes at TPC Southwind

It's difficult for golfers at the FedEx St. Jude Classic in Memphis to focus on the seersucker jacket when there's a bloodsucker whining in their ears. That's why Terminix treated TPC Southwind's clubhouse, as well as high-traffic areas throughout the 7,239-yard course, with its exclusive mosquito control solution -- the company's largest event project to date.

"Our typical territory is backyards and businesses, but our technicians were eager to tee up this project -- especially when it's happening in our own city," said Brian Baldwin, service manager for the Terminix commercial branch in Memphis. "The FedEx St. Jude Classic is a great opportunity for golfers to interact with their fans and St. Jude patients and their families. We refuse to let malicious mosquitoes interfere."

Terminix professionals sprayed the course with their Attractive Targeted Sugar Bait, or ATSB, solution, a patented technology distributed exclusively to Terminix by Universal Pest Solutions, LP. This environmentally friendly solution contains sugar from fruit extracts and encapsulated garlic oil that are safe to use around people, pets and food. The sugar in the solution acts as a bait and the encapsulated garlic acts as a gut toxin. The mosquitoes are attracted to the bait, eat it, and then die -- more than 90 percent in the three weeks following an application. Technicians also employed Terminix's knockdown solution and larvicide to immediately destroy any adult mosquitoes and halt the hatching of their replacements.

"Like water features and bunkers, mosquitoes pose a big hazard to golfers at TPC Southwind," said Phil Cannon, tournament director of the FedEx St. Jude Classic. "We appreciate Terminix lending a hand and making this year's FedEx St. Jude Classic a more enjoyable experience for our players and fans. We are eager to see the impact their mosquito service has on our leaderboard."

Golf courses tend to offer warm weather, standing water and slow-moving human targets, making them ideal environments for bloodthirsty buzzers. Most professional golfers are used to their pesky presence, but it doesn't mean mosquitoes are a welcome addition to their daily round.