Pest control donated to after-school centers

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It's back to school season, and while some people are donating school supplies, other organizations are donating a unique service to some students in Jacksonville.

The Boselli Foundation teamed up with Bayer to treat two Jacksonville after-school centers with free pest control.

Bayer donated the products to kill the bugs, and McCall Pest Control and BugOut Service brought the expertise and donated their time, spraying and laying down insect bait inside and out.

"To get the opportunity to come and participate, even in a small way, to help make sure that when the kids are here they're safe from any insects or rodents or the allergens that the roaches bring in," said David Cooksy, of McCall.

A recent study by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America shows that 37 percent of children are allergic to cockroaches, and those that were exposed to the bugs were hospitalized for asthma 3.3 times more often than other children.

"I don't think people realize how important it is to protect the environment so that the kids do stay well without diseases from insects," said Linda Prentice, of BugOut.

The Boselli Foundation was able to get the team to treat the nonprofit after-school centers for Simonds-Johnson Park on the Northside and Russell Bill Cook Jr. Park on the Eastside.

The products not only kill the bugs but are environmentally friendly and safe for kids. Bayer says the products used for the treatments have low impact in environments where kids typically spend most of their days, like schools and day cares.

"It's really great to bring those two pieces -- from a science perspective and product, their service
and their expertise -- bring these two together and donate that to a foundation like this and this location," said Ray Daniels, of Bayer. "That's a very unique donation."