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  • Gonalez Pest Control is celebrating a decade of service this month. MIKE FRIEND / EXPRESS-STAR

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December 4, 2012

Local pest control expands after decade of business

BY MIKE FRIEND The Express-Star

CHICKASHA — Gonzales Pest Control is celebrating a decade in business with an expansion to a new location. The former Best Yet Pawn building off Choctaw Ave. is now the new home of the family owned and operated exterminators.

"We out grew our old building and location. We are excited to have this new building for our plans to expand into some other areas in the state," said business owner and founder Dean Gonzales.

Gonzales's son Joseph, his daughter-in-law Kelly, and niece Brenna all help around the business to make thing run smoothly.

Gonzales said, "Joseph and I handle the training of new hires, while Kelly and Brenna hold down the fort. They really help out a lot."

The pest control business has been good to the Gonzales family prompting them to look into a possible new location in Mustang, Shawnee, and Edmond.

"We will see were we end up, but I think we could do well in those areas," said Gonzales.

Currently employing ten people, Gonzales hopes to double that in the future in an industry he says is only getting worse.

He said, "With equipment and soldiers returning from foreign countries as well as free trade with China and third world countries, we are seeing the return of the bed bug, and many other pests we really stopped having issues with herein the states. Bed bugs are definitely one of the most challenging infestations to get rid of. I have seen entire hotels and homes covered with them. By the time we are done it looks like a war zone."

The bug expert said that many hotels will have one guest with bed bugs staying at their hotel, and then housekeeping cleans the room transferring them to all the other rooms in the hotel.

"Before you know it, they are everywhere, latterly in every nook and crack they can find," said Gonzales.

Aside from the traditional, termites, cock roaches, spiders, ants, fleas, ticks, and other creepy crawlers they also spray for other nuisances like weeds and tree eating beetles.

"I have been doing this type of work for over 25 years now and I have seen every kind of pest there is in the area. Luckily I have never been bit, knock on wood, but I am glad I get to do this with my family and I get to have my many grandchildren around, even at the office," said Gonzales.

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