The word “entrepreneur” is used these days to describe a small business owner. But originally, it meant someone who had several businesses at one time. Either of those definitions would describe Jim Africano.
The Pulse featured Africano last year when he first opened Prohibition Home Brewing.
Jim, however, has been in pest control and animal trapping for over 20 years with his company Affi Enterprises. During that time, he has been helping the residents of Rutherford County protect their properties. Don’t undervalue the need for a termite inspection this time of the year, as we are in the middle of the termite swarm season.
“When the ground gets to be about 55 degrees or more, you will start seeing the flying insects, which are egg-laying,” Africano says. “Those big swarms can all be individual colonies.”
Your home is most likely your biggest investment, so an annual termite inspection is a wise, inexpensive defense of that asset.
“I’ve seen a lot of severe cases as far as wood-destroying insects go,” Africano continued. “I was doing an inspection and the gentleman looking to buy the property was upstairs when the joists were so eaten up from termites they began to break. He was right above me and I started to panic.”
Fortunately, no one was hurt, but it was a very memorable business call for Affi.
Especially nasty are black widows and brown recluse spiders. The pest expert recommends us to seal our doors and caulk our windows. Not all spiders make webs and there may be no sign of their presence.
“Before you put on your gardening gloves, give them a twist because spiders will get in there as a great place to hide. If you leave shoes outside, step on them before you put them on,” Africano says.
“Brown recluses are hard to deal with. As much as I don’t like glue boards, if you can strategically hide them, that is one of the best ways to deal with spiders if you have an infestation.”
Of course, if all else fails, give Jim a call.
The business owner says he doesn’t really like the term “exterminator” because there are so many small animals that can be humanely trapped and returned to the wild. Known as the “Skunk Whisperer,” Africano has removed almost a thousand skunks without being sprayed once! That’s quite a record. His love and admiration for them is far more than that of most people. In his words, skunks “eat trash, bugs, snakes and small mice. They’re good for the environment. They are typically docile and playful and do not smell on their own.”
I guess you can say the skunk is Jim’s spirit animal.
I asked him what in the world one has to do to “whisper” and not be sprayed when handling one.
“I’m just always calm and have always loved animals,” he says. He has removed the little stinkers from fences, grates and even air conditioners. At one point, he had to cut the fur and apply Vaseline to get one out.
This entrepreneur is also a philanthropist and serves on the board of Walden’s Puddle.
“Walden’s Puddle is a professionally staffed rehabilitation center that services the greater Nashville area. We have had at times over 500 animals that are rehabbing because they were orphaned,” Africano says. By state law, many animals are not allowed to be domesticated.
But should you see an injured or truly orphaned animal, the facility can help. Contact Walden’s Puddle if you encounter birds, foxes, squirrels, raccoons, rabbits or deer that may need help.
Walden’s Puddle has a certain number of “ambassador animals” that serve to educate children at local schools. Here is a video of Jim nursing a little guy back to health:
Jim knows what it takes to keep animals off your property and out of your house. If you need to remove some sort of critter, big or small, or just want to know more about Walden’s Puddle and how you can help, give Jim a call. You can reach him at affienterprises@yahoo.com or 615-300-2395. Don’t take chances with wood-damaging insects this spring.
