ABOUT US
A FEW WORDS ABOUT US
Ditch The Itch – Poison Ivy & Mosquito Control Services was originally created to be the one-stop shop for getting rid of pests that make us itch and ruin our summers. We have quickly evolved to be a Plant Health Care provider based on the needs of a science-based approach to maintaining our landscapes and green assets on our clients’ properties. Our team has 10 years of experience in Poison Ivy Removal Services, Mosquito Control Services, as well as Plant Health Care Services. We use cutting edge techniques and products to ensure that you Ditch Your Itch all summer long.
We are not your average lawn, landscape, or pest control company. We are specialized in our field to ensure you receive the best service possible with even better results! That’s why every technician in our company is encouraged to continue their education and pursue additional credentials such as the International Society of Arboriculture’s Certified Arborist. This is an international credential that our technicians can take anywhere in the world and instantly be a professional. Not only will this verify to you that we know what we are talking about, it gives our technicians a sense of pride and accomplishment.
We care about wildlife just as much as you. We do our very best to only target Poison Ivy and Mosquitoes during our treatments. We do not just go around spraying every piece of vegetation to kill the poison ivy. We provide Spot treatments that only kill the poison ivy or other targeted plants. For Mosquitoes we only spray in the locations that mosquitoes will be resting. Our Integrated Pest Management strategy is to only target the desired insects and at the proper timing to reduce off target damage. This allows us to protect pollinators and other beneficial insects that are on your property.
We apply the same approach to our Plant Health Care Services. We are not trying to kill every insect, only the desired targeted insects. In our experience, majority of insect problems that we find on trees and shrubs are Stress related. We do our best to alleviate the stress, which, ideally will take care of the insect infestation without applying a single chemical on your property.
Our Objective is to take care of our clients like family. Treat your properties as if they were our property. Take care of your issues as if they were our issue.
ABOUT THE OWNER
Austin Douglas was born and raised in Goodrich, Michigan. His background and experience consist of over 15 years in the Commercial Nursery industry where he obtained experience potting, pruning, and dealing with disease and insect management. He was in charge of potting and pruning over 50,000 shrubs and 10,000 trees every year. He began his poison ivy remediation career working for the only poison ivy remediation company in the state (at that time) for six years. With his additional tree and shrub knowledge, he wanted to provide more value to clients than he could at that company. So, he created Ditch The Itch, LLC in the fall of 2019. The goal was to provide as much value, knowledge, and information to clients as possible.
Austin’s credentials he has obtained over his long career include being an ISA Certified Arborist – 4665A, TCIA Qualified Plant Health Care Technician, TCIA Tree Care Specialist, as well as his MDARD Commercial Pesticide Applicators License.
Austin, and Ditch The Itch, LLC are members of the Michigan Green Industry Association (MGIA). The MGIA is the leading organization in Michigan for Green Industry Professionals and are a true asset to the industry. The MGIA is responsible for offering numerous Pesticide Applicator continuing education classes which allow pesticide applicators in the state to renew their license without taking a test. Not only is this vital, but this also allows pesticide applicators to stay on top of relevant information within the industry.
In the fall of 2022, Austin was asked to become an Instructor for Pesticide Applicator classes for the MGIA. This was a true honor to even be asked to do so, but an even bigger honor to be able to give back to an industry that has given so much to him.