The Votes Are In, Spiders Win

/PRNewswire/ -- Results from Orkin's first-ever "Scariest Pest Halloween Poll" reveal spiders, one of Halloween's quintessential icons, are the scariest pests of 2009. According to Orkin experts, the pests people consider (and voted) the scariest are not necessarily the most dangerous.

From October 1 - 23, the Atlanta-based pest control leader invited people to vote online at Halloween.Orkin.com for one of six spine-chilling pests. Following are the scariest pest rankings and percentages from the online poll:

1. Spooky spiders (30 percent)
2. Hair-raising rodents (27 percent)
3. Creepy cockroaches (23 percent)
4. Terrifying ticks (10 percent)
5. Freaky flying/stinging insects (6 percent)
6. Menacing mosquitoes (4 percent)

Similar to plastic spider rings and cotton web decorations that run rampant this holiday season, most of the 3,500 spider species found in the United States - even if they bite - cause little harm to humans. However, the following few spider species rank among the most dangerous pests in North America because of their potentially harmful and even deadly bites:

-- Black widows
-- Brown widows
-- Brown recluses
-- Hobo spiders

According to Ron Harrison, Ph.D., technical director for Orkin, Inc., the few dangerous spider species like the black widow and brown recluse are so well known that people overlook the great benefit spiders provide. "Their food sources - moths, flies, cockroaches, bees and other bugs - are the same insects that pester us. Because of that, their presence in or around our homes is a good indicator that we have a larger pest issue that needs attention."

Harrison does not ignore the fact that most people consider spiders scary, or that they should protect themselves against spider bites. He offers these tips to make homes less attractive to spiders:

-- Target their food source. Contact a licensed pest management
professional to first control the insects that are attracting spiders
to your home.
-- Sweep, dust, clean and remove clutter to make areas uncomfortable for
spiders, which often like to hide.
-- Seal off potential entries like cracks and crevices, spaces under
doors, holes in screens, etc.

Harrison also warns that homeowners should understand the risks posed by rodents, cockroaches, mosquitoes, ticks and flying/stinging insects. Although not voted the scariest, these pests are some of the world's most dangerous because of the diseases they can carry and health threats they pose.

Following are Harrison's rankings for the most dangerous pests:

1. Blood-Suckers: Mosquitoes top Harrison's list as they pose a
significant danger to public health throughout the world - transmitting
West Nile virus, malaria and yellow fever. Harrison warns that ticks -
associated with Colorado Tick Fever, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and
Lyme disease - are actually the number one transmitter of disease in
the U.S. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), over 28,000 confirmed cases of Lyme disease were reported in the
U.S. in 2008.
2. Creepy Crawlers (including poll-topping spiders): In addition to
eliciting a scream, rodents can transmit numerous diseases - including
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and LCMV - through their urine, feces and
bites. Cockroaches can cause more than the chills, transferring
pathogens from the decaying matter they live and breed in to food and
food-preparation areas. With their cast skins producing allergens,
cockroaches have been proven to cause allergic reactions and even
asthma.
3. Stingers: Some species of flying and stinging insects are known to
protect their nests aggressively and inflict painful stings on
intruders. Stings from yellow jackets, hornets and wasps can cause
swelling, become infected easily and also aggravate skin conditions and
allergies.

According to Orkin, Halloween's cold weather often sparks an increase in activity from the creepy crawlers, but whatever the season, people should protect themselves and their homes from these scary and potentially dangerous pests. For more facts about frightful pests, visit orkin.com.

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Wear Someone Else's Face for Halloween

/24-7/ -- Innovative ThatsMyFace.com will make a custom lifelike mask of any person from photographs. This may be the ideal way to scare friends at Halloween.

ThatsMyFace.com simply requires one or two photographs of the person and they will create a fully wearable photorealistic facemask in resin. The possibilities are endless: a friend's mother-in-law or their boss, a serial killer, a favorite horror actor or a least favorite politician.

Previously such technology has only been within the budgets of Hollywood productions. Now ThatsMyFace.com has leveraged their state-of-the-art 3D imaging and manufacturing techniques to bring custom masks within reach of the consumer.

The website, ThatsMyFace.com, allows one to upload photographs of the frightening person and preview a mask before purchasing. Eager customers may also buy the product straight away and send in their photographs for expert processing. There is also the option to tweak the person's appearance, such as changing their age, ethnicity, gender or even ordering a caricature.

About ThatsMyFace

ThatsMyFace.com specializes in making photorealistic color sculpted faces, busts and custom action figures. The customer simply needs to provide one or two portrait photographs of the subject. Worldwide shipping is available. The site also offers free gender changing, race changing, beautification and analysis to anyone who uploads a photograph. For more information, please contact John Keaton by phoning: (+1) 503 608 4616 or by emailing pr@ThatsMyFace.com.

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