Grand Prize Winners Announced in 'Get My Pest Out' Photo Contest

Three Grand Prize Winners, each receiving a $1,000 gift card to a national home & garden retailer, were named in the Get My Pest Out Photo Contest, sponsored by Gulfstream Home & Garden, makers of lawn and garden care products including Maxide, Over 'n Out, Sevin, and Daconil.

Atlanta, GA, August 11, 2010 --(PR.com)-- What do ants, larvae, and bunnies have in common? They are the yard pests that won grand prizes in the "Get My Pest Out" photo contest. Each of the winning photos, submitted by homeowners in Maine, Illinois, and Alabama, garnered a $1,000 gift card to a national home and garden retailer.

The contest, sponsored by Gulfstream Home & Garden, makers of lawn and garden care products including Maxide, Over 'n Out, Sevin, and Daconil, began May 24 and ended July 30, 2010.

Michelle Carter of Maine, Rachel Benecke of Illinois, and Marie Culver of Alabama are the three winning homeowners.

About the Contest

Contestants’ photos of their worst yard pest problems were displayed at www.getmypestout.com for 10 weeks. Homeowners visiting the site were able to vote for and rate the photos. Contestants were encouraged to use Facebook, Twitter, email, and other means of communication to drive voters and raters to their photo entry.

Grand prizes were issued for the most votes, the highest rated, and a Judges’ Choice award selected by the sponsor. Weekly prizes, composed of select product from Gulfstream Home & Garden, were issued to 10 contestants who received the most weekly votes, among them the three grand prize winners.

About the Winners

Carter garnered more than 1,600 votes for her winning photo. By the end of the contest Carter’s ant problem was resolved with the package of Sevin she received as the contest’s first weekly winner.

"I would love to use this (prize) to help out a very close friend of mine who has worked hard all his life and just made a home," says Carter. "I will also use it to buy some stuff to fix up my yard, now that the ants are gone."

Benecke’s photo of a hungry bunny that destroyed her flower garden received the highest rating – 4.97 out of 5 – to earn her $1,000 prize. Benecke said she will use the winnings to replace her flower bed and purchase better fencing to keep the rabbits away from her new plants.

Benecke also was a weekly winner. On the Get My Pest Out Facebook page she wrote, "I received a package from Get My Pest Out yesterday with two Sevin products. Even though they can't take care of my bunny issue, they will handle insects. Thank you! With all the rain we had in the Chicagoland area, these products will be quite helpful. My husband and I owned a landscaping company for 10 years and have purchased and used Sevin. Great products!"

The Gulfstream Home & Garden team of judges named Culver the third grand prize winner for her photo of ants and ant larvae on her windowsill.

"We like our house, but we have too many ant neighbors and they're bad guests," says Culver.

As a weekly winner Culver received product from the contest sponsor to help rid her home of these pests. With the problem solved, Culver can focus on other home needs with her grand prize.

How did they do it?

"We have consumers sending us photos all the time asking ‘What can I do?’ or ‘What is this?’" says Daphne Huey, marketing manager, Gulfstream Home & Garden. "So we decided to give them a chance to showcase their yard pest problems and have a chance to win."

The contest also allowed the sponsor to connect with consumers and engage them in conversation via social media. More than 2,100 Twitter and Facebook users followed Get My Pest Out for tips on yard care and ridding yards of pests. The contestants also used social media, contributing to the online following.

"I used Twitter and Facebook and 'bugged' people like crazy," Carter said, when asked how she managed to generate so many votes for her photo.

Benecke said she sent emails and daily posts on Facebook, reminding everyone to vote, rate, and share the link, along with updates on the rabbits and their destruction of her plants.

Although the contest is over, the Get My Pest Out site and its Twitter and Facebook pages will remain sources for tips and stories about lawn and garden pest control. Visit the site at www.getmypestout.com.

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Contact
Gulfstream Home & Garden
Starr McCaffery
312 787 7249
getmypestout.com
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