FLEAS!

Check out the new blog post on fleas!
http://www.midgapestcontrol.com/fleas/

Are you a mosquito Magnet?

Check it out!
http://www.midgapestcontrol.com/mosquito-magnet/

Many Millipedes!

Millipedes have been the big pest the last few weeks, with some homeowners being invaded by hundreds.  Check out more here: http://www.midgapestcontrol.com/many-millipedes/.

Summer Insect Safey!

This time of year, we all fall victim to various insect bites or stings.  Check out our summer insect safety tips: http://www.midgapestcontrol.com/summer-insect-safety/

 

Tick Prevention!

Summer is here!  Whether you are planning a camping trip or just an evening outdoors, check out these tips to help prevent tick bites: http://www.midgapestcontrol.com/tick-prevention-info/

Mosquito Control!

Are the pesky mosquitoes keeping you indoors?  Check out this blog on mosquitoes and then call us at (770)962-4240 to find out about our summer mosquito control services.  http://www.midgapestcontrol.com/mosquito-control/

Termite Mud Tubes!

Have you ever noticed mud on the side of your home in or in a crawl space?  It could be termite mud tubes and a sign that you have a termite infestation.  Check out this blog on termite mud tubes to learn more: http://www.midgapestcontrol.com/termite-mud-tubes-2/.

Grain Beetles

It's an unpleasant surprise to open your pantry and find bugs all in your stored food.  There are several species of pantry pests that can infest your food.  Visit our website to see information about grain beetles, one of these pests! http://www.midgapestcontrol.com/grainbeetles/

 

Going to Battle with Yellow Jackets!

This week we treated a nest of angry yellow jackets.  Check it out on our website: http://www.midgapestcontrol.com/battle-yellow-jackets-2/

 

What's on Your Christmas Tree?

Are there more than decorations on your Christmas tree?  If you get a live tree, the answer might be "yes!"  Check out our website for Christmas tree tips to keep from bringing unwanted holiday guests into your home: http://www.midgapestcontrol.com/living-christmas-tree/

 

Controlling Cold Weather Invasions!

Brr!  It's getting cold outside which means more pests will want to be indoors with you!  Check out our website for tips to keep your home pest free this winter:  http://www.midgapestcontrol.com/controlling-cold-weather-invasions/

Mice Have Strong Mouths!

Mice and rats can chew through a number of materials to gain entry into buildings and homes.  Check out our blog on our website to see some pictures of areas we found in some schools: http://www.midgapestcontrol.com/mice-strong-mouths/

Keeping Rats Out of Your Compost!

During a recent rat service at a restaurant, we discovered a pile of food waste out back.  For some insight into composting and rats, check out our blog on our website at http://www.midgapestcontrol.com/rats-compost/. 

Pest Prevention!

Last week, we shared why doing your own pest control may not be the safest or most cost effective method.  The best and least expensive means of pest control is prevention.  Starting a year round professional prevention program is key.  This will help to prevent any kind of infestation in the first place, reducing your cost both in treatment and property damage that can result from some kinds of infestations.  However, there are important prevention strategies that you can help with to make our prevention efforts successful.  So, what can you do to reduce your risks of pests?

Cleanliness, cleanliness, cleanliness!!!  Clutter in your home gives pests more places to hide and breed.  Removing hiding places cuts down on pests.   

Simple cleaning such as wiping off counter tops and sweeping up crumbs can go a long way.  Pests, both insects and rodents, need food.  Crumbs left on the floor become a buffet to your unwanted guests.  Removing their food supply makes your house less desirable to pests.  Store food in sealed containers, and empty trash frequently.  Do not leave pet food and water out.  This can be very inviting to pests.

In addition to food, pests need water sources.  Many insects use standing water sources for a breeding ground.  Fix any leaky plumbing, and do not allow water to accumulate anywhere.
  
Prevent pests from coming indoors by sealing up any areas that could be an entryway.  Caulk cracks and crevices and install screens and weatherstripping.  Check boxes or packages before bringing them inside.

Outside, remove piles of wood and diseased plants.  Wood mulch and shrubs should be kept at least 18 inches from the house.  Trim back branches that touch the house to prevent creating a bridge for pests.

Indoors and out, make sure trashcans are cleaned regularly and have tight fitting lids.

Following these tips will help prevent pests from making your home their own.  These steps along with a perimeter prevention program from Mid-Georgia Pest Control will help your home be pest free!      

Why You Shouldn't Do You Own Pest Control!

We live in a DIY world.  Multiple television channels are available for constant viewing of do it yourself projects and ideas.  We also live in a tough economy, and people look to save money any way they can.  As spring approaches and the pests begin to make their appearances, we'd like to give you some reasons that taking a DIY approach to pest control is not always the best choice.

When it comes to a single bug, you see a fly or ant for example, a flyswatter works just fine.  However, that is about as far as the do it yourself pest control should go.  There are several reasons for this.

1. Knowledge:  Successful control will only occur with successful identification of your pest.  There are different control methods and chemicals needed for different pests.  Treating with the wrong control measure will result in failure.  Even an ant isn't just an ant.  Different species require different treatment.  A pest control professional can help to properly identify and treat your pest.  Not only is it important to know what pest you are dealing with, it is also important to understand the pest's life cycle and habits.  A professional can use their knowledge and experience to best determine how, when, and where to treat the problem.

2.  Expense:  We often think doing things ourselves will save us money.  Even though it may seem that the initial investment is more costly with a professional, it is often less expensive in the end.  If the in-store pesticides are not effective, your pest problem could grow.  That means buying more pesticides, which can get expensive.  Some pests can cause costly damage to your home, adding on even more expense if not controlled properly.  Often times, people who try their own pest control end up hiring a professional anyway.  Don't waste your time and money in the beginning.  Call us first to see how affordable using a professional can actually be.

3. Risk:  Pest Control companies require licenses and up-to-date training.  There is a reason for this.  Pesticides are chemicals and carry risks.  By applying a chemical that you are not knowledgeable about, you are putting humans, pets, and plants in the path of potential harm.  Every year, thousands of children are exposed to or poisoned by a household pesticide product because of incorrect usage or storage.  Just because something can be bought over-the-counter doesn't make it safe.  According to the National Pesticide Information Center, "the majority of misapplications reported are performed by homeowners or renters, not pest control operators."  In addition, using pesticides improperly can also kill many beneficial organisms.

4.  Proper Equipment:  Some pest control methods may require special equipment.  By not having the proper tools, your pest control efforts will not be successful.

5.  Some infestations require professional treatment:  You're not just seeing one bug, but many.  You have an infestation, which is almost impossible to control on your own.  This is especially important if you see termites or other insects that can cause damage to your home or family.  Termite baits, for example, require proper installation, monitoring, and bait replenishment.  A supplemental treatment with a liquid termiticide may also be required.

The best DIY pest control that you can do is prevention.  Check back for more information on ways to help prevent pest problems in the first place.  Whether you have found yourself with a pest problem or want to get started with a preventative program, call us today at (770)962-4240.  Don't delay! 

Termite Season is Here! Are You Protected?

            It was a great sound to hear birds chirping outside of my house this morning.  The signs of spring are beginning all around us.  Not only does spring bring birds, blooms, and baseball, it also bring bothersome pests!  Many insects spend the winter in a state of hibernation and emerge as the temperatures warm up.  Once out of hibernation, it’s time to mate and produce new offspring for the season.  In the case of ants and termites, this can often be seen as a mating swarm, or reproductive flight.  We've already had calls about termite swarms.  Are you ready?

Social insects, such as ants and termites, are organized into various castes, with each group having a particular function.  Workers make up the largest group, and consist of only females.  The workers are the ants you see at your picnic or the termites you find when you break open a piece of old wood.  Another caste is the reproductives.  These are both male and female winged insects and include the “kings” and “queens” of future colonies.  At certain times of the year, one being the spring, these “reproductives” leave their nests all at the same time looking for a mate.  This emergence of large numbers at a time is called a “swarm”.  When a homeowner sees this occurrence inside the home, it can be very frightening. 

   

Should you be concerned if you see a swarm of insects?  Most swarms will occur outside.  However, if you see a swarm occurring inside, this means the insects’ nest is either in your home, underneath your home, or very close to the structure.  In the case of ants, if worker ants have not been a problem, then you may not have reason for high concern.  Most swarms only last about one day.  Using a vacuum to control the large numbers of insects will probably be sufficient.  In the case of termites, however, seeing an indoor swarm is almost always an indicator of an infestation.  If you suspect you have termites, it is best to let a professional termite or pest control company handle the treatment.  Try to collect some of the insects to allow the pest control expert to identify your pest.  

Swarming termites; photo courtesy of www.inspectamerica.com

 Prevention is always the best treatment.  Starting a year round pest control and termite prevention program will help make sure your home is protected.  Don’t wait for the swarm in your home.  Mid-Georgia Pest Control looks forward to serving you.  Call us today to learn about our pest control and termite prevention and treatment plans to serve your needs! 

Grayson office: (770)962-4240

Griffin office: (770)227-5161       

Travel Tips for Bed Bug Protection!

Last week, we shared some photos and information about bed bugs in a hotel.  It's hard to believe, but many spring break trips are right around the corner.  Do you know how to make sure your travel accommodations are bug free?  Whether you are staying at the cheapest dive you could find or a 5-star luxury hotel, you need to know what to look for.  Here's some tips to help you have a peace of mind while traveling:

• Check the room for bugs, fecal spots, skins, and eggs near where people sleep and sit.
• Pull back all bedding.  Inspect the mattress seams and along mattress piping.
• Look between the mattress and box springs.
• Check behind the headboards and pictures above the bed.
• Look along the baseboards.
• Inspect night stands or other furniture near the beds.
• Check in the seams and folds of curtains.
• Inspect the closet before hanging up any clothes.  
• Keep items in your suitcase, not in the drawers.
• Place your luggage on a rack, rather than the floor or bed.
• Examine luggage before leaving and again when you return home.
• Place all laundry in dryer for at least 15 minutes on highest setting possible and then wash as normal.
• Notify Guest Services if you find any evidence of bed bugs during your inspection!   

With a little inspection and wisdom, you can enjoy your trip without the worries of sharing your room with unwanted travel partners or bringing home some hitchhikers in your luggage!

Bed Bug Breakdown!

Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite!  Unfortunately, that's not a cute rhyme if you are really dealing with bed bugs.  We recently treated a hotel near the airport for bed bugs, and it was intense!

Treatment for bed bugs must be very thorough.  The entire room has to basically be turned upside down to perform a complete inspection and treatment.  All bedding was taken apart and furniture moved.  Every nook and cranny was treated including the bed frame, box spring, tufts of mattresses, behind the headboard, baseboard cracks and crevices, under the carpet tack board, switch covers, lamps, chairs, desks, light fixtures, and wallpaper crevices.  We used a variety of products including aerosols, dusts, insect growth regulators, and residual liquid treatments.  We treated a total of three rooms, and each room took around 1 1/2 hours to treat.

Bed bugs are parasitic insects that feed exclusively on blood.  As their name suggests, they are commonly found in beds and bedding.  However, they can be found in any place that people occupy like chairs, sofas, movie theaters, etc.  Adult bed bugs are light to reddish brown in color and have a flattened, oval shape.  They are most active at night and generally feed on their host without being noticed.  Itchy welts may appear on exposed skin areas.  Other health effects from bed bugs include skin rashes and allergies as well as psychological effects.

In addition to bites, some signs of bed bugs are fecal spots, blood smears on the sheets or mattress, and empty molted exoskeletons. 

Roach Pizza, Anyone?

Our technicians have been servicing a pizza joint in the Griffin area that had a few roaches.  Well, a few is an understatement!  Our technicians realized the little critters were hiding under the refrigerator.  This was the scene once the fridge was moved:

Thousands of little roaches covered the floor.  Although it's hard to tell from this picture, a bag of onions was covered with them, and our techs were shaking them out like a salt shaker!

This was an infestation of German cockroaches.  This is a small species of cockroaches, averaging 1/2 inch in length.  Their small size makes it easy for them to hide.  German cockroaches are common in restaurants, food processing facilities, hotels, and homes.  They are tan to brown with 2 dark parallel streaks running from their head to the base of the wings.   Here's an up close picture of a German cockroach:



German Cockroach; photo courtesy of www.perdue.edu

What Ate My Sweater?

As the cold weather approaches, we all start to get out our warm sweaters and coats.  To the dismay of some, they will find their winter wear has been the buffet for carpet beetles while they were packed away.  Actually, the beetles are not the problem.  It's the larvae that can cause irreparable damage to your belongings.  In the past, this pest was a problem in woolen carpeting, giving them their name "carpet beetles."  However, they do not feed on the synthetic fibers of most of today's carpets.  They do, however, feed on other items of animal origin, such as stuffed animals, woolen or cashmere fabrics, food products, and feathers.



Black Carpet Beetle and larva; photo courtesy of www.plantdiagnostics.umd.edu

The two most common types of carpet beetles are the black carpet beetle (shown above) and the varied carpet beetle (shown below).  Black beetles are oval shaped, while varied beetles are more rounded.  Black beetles are solid black or dark brown.  The larvae are covered in golden brown hairs and have a "tail" of long hairs.  The varied beetle has splotches of white, yellow, and gray creating a calico pattern.  The larvae are covered with rows of light brown hairs and are more teardrop shaped than the black beetle larvae.



Varied Carpet Beetle; photo courtesy of www.whatsthatbug.com



Varied Carpet Beetle larvae; photo credit: Jim Kalisch; www.entomology.unl.edu

To help prevent carpet beetles, thoroughly clean clothing before storing it for the off season.  If storing clothing in a box, seal all corners and openings or use airtight containers.  For clothing in closets, cover each individual item with a plastic cover.  You can also control carpet beetles by cleaning up spilled food and accumulated lint and hair or fur.  Common sites for eggs to be laid include areas where dead insects occur, accumulations of lint in air ducts, along edges of carpeting, and underneath baseboards.   

Although these pests do not bite, sting, or carry disease, they can cause a great amount of damage.  Also, some people are allergic to the hairs on the larvae.  Contact with them may cause a reaction that looks like bed bug bites.