The pest control industry has been raking in billions while American families suffer from dangerous tick-borne diseases.
Now a grassroots movement is turning the tables on corporate greed.
And one Maine couple just gave Big Pest Control companies a nasty surprise they never saw coming.
Husband and wife team launches DIY revolution against tick menace
Barb and Bob Maurais from Windham, Maine, have had enough of watching families get gouged by expensive pest control services while tick-borne diseases continue to spread across the country.
The husband and wife team launched Tick BYTES (Back Yard Tick Eco-friendly Solutions) to empower homeowners to take back control of their properties without breaking the bank.
The Maurais family has been fighting ticks since 2004 when they founded Mainely Ticks, but now they’re taking their battle to the next level with this revolutionary DIY approach.
Their timing couldn’t be better.
The University of Maine Tick Lab found that 68% of ticks in 2024 were discovered right in people’s backyards during everyday activities like gardening and letting kids play outside.
"We created this program to empower people to reduce ticks and mosquitoes in their own backyards," Barb Maurais explained.
The Maurais family knows the tick threat isn’t some distant problem.
Barb has been a longtime Lyme disease advocate after seeing firsthand how these parasites can destroy lives and drain bank accounts.
Bob brings decades of hands-on experience as a Licensed Pest Management Professional who recently retired from his successful tick control business, Mainely Ticks.
But instead of riding off into the sunset, Bob decided to use his expertise to help regular Americans protect their families.
Big Pest Control companies hate this one simple approach
The corporate pest control industry operates on a model designed to keep customers dependent and paying monthly fees.
They spray isolated properties and leave neighbors vulnerable, ensuring the tick problem never really goes away.
Tick BYTES flips this broken system on its head.
Their revolutionary approach focuses on treating entire neighborhoods together, creating a protective barrier that actually works.
"Rather than rely on professional services alone, we’re giving people the tools and know-how to make a real difference on their own properties and to unite with their neighbors in the process," Bob Maurais said.
The Tick BYTES method includes eco-friendly botanical chemistry, affordable battery-powered backpack sprayers, and detailed step-by-step instructions that anyone can follow.
Best of all, it’s designed to be safe for families, pets, and pollinators while still being brutally effective against disease-carrying pests.
"Knowledge empowers, but it’s action that protects," Bob added.
The threat that’s hiding in plain sight
Tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease and Anaplasmosis are exploding across the Northeast and beyond.
Children and seniors are especially vulnerable to these life-altering conditions.
The medical establishment often fails to properly diagnose tick-borne illnesses, leaving patients to suffer for months or years while racking up massive medical bills.
Prevention is the only real solution, but traditional pest control services price out many working families.
That’s where Tick BYTES comes in with their game-changing DIY approach.
The system uses Integrated Pest Management best practices that focus on long-term solutions rather than quick chemical fixes.
Homeowners get access to behavioral and cultural control strategies that target ticks where they live and breed.
A movement that’s spreading faster than ticks
Tick BYTES isn’t just selling a product – they’re building a movement.
The company offers free educational downloads including "Protection Strategies – Home & Away" and a preview of their comprehensive guide "Time to Treat for Ticks."
Their approach recognizes that tick control works best when entire communities work together rather than leaving individual homeowners to fight alone.
Bob’s decades of experience include holding a Commercial Master Applicator license and active membership in the Tick IPM Working Group.
He could have kept running his profitable pest control business, but chose to help ordinary Americans take control of their own properties.
The Maurais team represents everything that’s right about American entrepreneurship and community spirit.
Instead of keeping their expertise locked away behind expensive service calls, they’re empowering families to protect themselves.
Bob was even honored as "Maine Teacher of the Year" in 1996 after 31 years of teaching, bringing an educator’s heart to the fight against ticks.
As tick-borne diseases continue to spread and traditional pest control prices keep climbing, the Tick BYTES approach offers hope for millions of American families.
Big Pest Control companies won’t like losing their stranglehold on the market.
But for families who just want to enjoy their backyards without fear, Tick BYTES provides the tools and knowledge to fight back.
