Ants
The ant is a top nuisance pest in the North Georgia area. Although there are many species of ants, generally the smaller black ants are most common to setup shop in your home. The only local species that really present an immediate danger are to those who are allergic or on the rare occasion where fire ants make their way in.
Spring and fall are the primary seasons people start seeing an issue. Their normal preparations this time of year also happens to coincide with a lot of landscaping as well. Blooming flower beds and laying down heavy pine straw or mulch provides food sources and places to live that’s typically right against your home. Due to the heat and moisture in the mulch beds or those that have made their way into your walls, ants stay active year-round.
Ant problems happen FAST! This pest can go from a few random sightings to bumper to bumper traffic virtually overnight. The reason why is pheromones. Ants leave little scent trails, for their friends to come find them. So that one little ant that went out in search of food left a trail of pheromone breadcrumbs for everyone else to follow. Now your tiny problem has become a big one.
When you first see a problem, it is important to act fast. Unfortunately, home remedies or the ant treatment at your local store, generally only make the issue worse. You spray them down and things seem to die down, until the next morning when the problem has multiplied. While you were sleeping those handy little pheromones that are still present led all their little friends right back. There are some species of ants that will recognize when their trail is compromised and they will simply change course or worst of all, create more sub colonies, many more colonies. So that once easy to follow ant trail now has several new highways that you may not even see yet.
When it comes to ants, the best way to keep them under control is with a regular pest management program.
Roaches
Roaches are a very common and unsettling pest. The two primary species of roach that you’ll deal with in North Georgia are German roaches and Woods roaches. While roaches won’t hurt you, they can infest your home quickly and cause problems with asthma and cause food borne illnesses. German roaches are the worst for this. One female German roach with an egg sack can produce into the millions of offspring in a single calendar year.
People tend to think that roaches will only become a problem if a space is unclean or cluttered and while they do prefer it, it is not necessary for you to have a problem. German roaches are hitchhikers, meaning they came in on something else like boxes you had delivered or groceries brought home from the store. Once inside, they will setup shop quickly in the kitchen or places where food is kept. From there they tend to migrate to bathrooms and then all throughout your house. With German roaches, the issue you see is generally just the tip of the iceburg.
Another common roach for our area is the Woods roach. They can be found in the woods or free-standing trees and shrubs as well as clogged gutters, or mulch beds. Females can fly so they do not have to simply crawl into your home. The woods roach will initially setup shop in attics, crawl spaces, basements and walls where you are unlikely to see the issue until it is a big one. An early warning sign that you have a problem will be spotting one or two here and there during a seasonal shift, such as Fall to Winter or Winter to Spring. Seeing a couple is generally an indicator of a much larger problem currently happening somewhere in/around your property.
Stinging Insects
Every spring and summer it starts… bees! And by bees, we really mean wasps, hornets, yellow jackets, and all other stinging insects. They seemingly appear quickly on your property but were most likely already there or at least familiar with it. Almost all the pests that fall in this category will sting except for the carpenter bee where only the females can but rarely do. These are their own kind of nuisance, though as the damage they can do to the wood on your home is a problem in itself! Honeybees are roped into this category as well and when possible, they will be removed unharmed but certain situations will not allow that.
There are a lot of over-the-counter products to contend with stinging insects. Unfortunately, most don’t work unless you are a great shot and fairly brave! More than likely, all you’ll manage to do is tick off an insect that is now on a mission to sting you! Worst of all, you haven’t taken out the bigger problem, the nest where all their buddies are. When you see one stinging insect it is rare that there is only one. They have a whole crew somewhere and most likely somewhere close by, whether you can see it or not.
When dealing with stinging insects it is important to have a professional get rid of them. They can identify the type of stinging insect and use the best methods to get rid of them all. Trying to tackle this yourself can be dangerous. For some they are allergic, but even for those who aren’t, getting multiple stings at once can cause a reaction. Hiring a professional will ensure that the whole problem is taken of safely and make sure they don’t have somewhere else on your property to escape to!
Spiders
Spiders are another pest with a bad reputation. Many people have a fear of these critters mainly due to their fear of being bitten. It is good to remember that although all spiders have venom, in North Georgia there are only a couple that are dangerous to humans. Those are the black widow and brown recluse. Thankfully both these spiders tend to stay in undisturbed areas. Your primary chance of a dealing with them is when you are digging around in places you rarely go. Places like your garage, storage, unused basements, or woodpiles are all possible locations for a run-in.
Other common spiders in our area include the cellar spider, house spider, little brown, aggressive brown, and the wolf spider.
Spiders usually get in via windows, doors, foundations, or attics. With all spiders, it is important to remember they have come to your home in search of food. If spiders are prevalent inside or outside your home, it is because there is enough food to keep them there. This means if you are having a spider problem, there’s another problem that needs to be addressed as spiders won’t hang out where there is no food. We can treat your house to get rid of the spiders but managing the other pest issues is the only way to ensure others won’t come back to your house.
