Bald-faced Hornets in Georgia

We have hornets in Atlanta, but the insect known as the bald-faced hornet isn’t actually a hornet at all. It is actually a yellow jacket. There is only one hornet in North America; it is the European hornet (Vespa crabo). But we’re not going to be focusing on that one today.

Bald-faced hornets are in the genus Dolichovespula and build their nests in bushes and trees, or sometimes on the outside of buildings. These nests are grey, papery, and football shaped. You can identify a bald-faced hornet by the ivory-white markings on its face. If you see one of these insects or a picture of one, you may think the white markings resemble the image of a white skull. Its thorax, legs, and abdomen also have white markings on a black background. These insects typically range in size from 13 to 20 mm, with the queen being the largest.

If you happen to find a bald-faced hornet nest, or see the insects themselves around your property, be aware that these are not an insect to be taken lightly. While hornets are bad news, bald-faced hornets are extremely aggressive. If you accidentally disturb a nest, which will contain 200 to 400 insects, or even walk within three feet of one, these hornets will attack. If this happens, do not panic. To minimize the chances of being stung, remain calm and move with gentle motions. Do not swing at or swat the insects. Calmly walk away. If you make a commotion, you are more likely to get stung. This is easier said than done when you are surrounded by hornets, but it could save you from getting multiple stings, since bald-faced hornets are able to sting multiple times, injecting more venom each time.

The symptoms of a sting are pain (sometimes extreme), swelling, and redness. And if there is an allergic reaction, emergency medical attention may be required.

To reduce your chances of attracting hornets of any kind, don’t leave food outside uncovered. Hornets are attracted to food, especially sugary foods, and drinks. Don’t burn scented candles, as they are attracted to scents. Avoiding bright colored, flowery clothing and scented perfumes can help keep hornets away as well.

What can you do if you discover bald-faced hornets on your property?

Since these insects are aggressive and dangerous and can cause extreme allergic reactions, it is not advisable to try to remove nests without professional help. Here at Active Pest Control, our pest professionals are specifically trained and have specialized protective gear and equipment to remove all hornet’s nests safely and effectively. Don’t take chances with bald-faced hornets. Protect your home, family, and pets today with Active Pest Control.

Termite Inspections In Knoxville

In the southeast part of the United States, termites are ranked very high in the probability of insect infestation. More than one out of five homes in our area will or has already had a termite infestation. Termites mean business. They search day and night for food and find ways to expand and grow their colonies relentlessly. The queen termite is the most difficult to eradicate since she is well fed and protected, and eliminating the queen kills off the colony. If you’ve been wondering if termites are an issue for you, and you live in the area, then read on and take a look at a few of the reasons that you should give us a call. The possibility of a termite attack is very common as well as costly, and no one should take a chance.

First off, spring and early summer is the most common time to house hunt and buy a home, and with June being National Homeownership Month, the real estate market is bustling. There is so much to think about when purchasing a home down to the location, local schools, floor plan, and amenities. Scheduling a termite inspection may be the last thing on your mind, but this article will surely change your mind. When you do an initial look around the home that you are interesting in purchasing, what’s in front of you is the most appealing and the most tangible for decision making. The décor is great, the floors glimmer, and there is a huge walk-in closet. But, what is behind those walls? What areas of the home cannot be visible during an open house? Termites. Missing a termite infestation will turn your once dream home into a disaster and lead to large repair bills.

In turn, when selling a home, a termite inspection needs to be on the list as well. Your potential buyers need to know that their future home is being taken care of. Having a termite inspection before the sale of your home will mean that you are in the clear to take an offer, without hesitation. It is an added bonus to your potential buyers if they know you have taken care of this inspection and that you take care and pride yourself in your home.

If you are not in the market for buying or selling a home, termite infestation could be occurring in your current home without you even knowing. Scheduling an inspection by one of our termite specialists is free, so there’s nothing to lose. Most of the time, when a termite infestation gets to the point where you can see it happening in your home, it’s too late for recovery of the damage and when the damages can can be repaired it can be very costly.

At any time, our technicians can install the Sentricon® Termite Colony Elimination System to eliminate all termites in and around your home and prevent future infestations. This system uses Always Active Pest Control technology and new Recruit® HD termite bait that eliminates all the termites in a colony, even the indestructible queen.

With the Sentricon® Termite Colony Elimination System, you can set your mind at ease knowing that termites will never be the reason for any disruptions to your home. At Active Pest Control, we strive to provide the best experience to our customers. At your convenience, we can inspect your home and put the Sentricon® System into place to ensure termites are never the reason you don’t buy, sell, or enjoy your home.

Termites: The Silent Destroyers

It is safe to say that no one likes or appreciates household pests of any type. Insects are never welcomed into the home. Capturing the top honors of the most dreaded and disliked of all household pests is the eastern subterranean termite. The termite, known as a silent destroyer, will feed on the cellulose material of many things from the wooden structure of your home to paper, books, and wooden fixtures. Termites never rest and will work around the clock, 365 days a year.

At Active Pest Control, we realize that every home throughout the entire Southeast area is a target to the destructive eastern subterranean termite. In these high infestation regions, it is estimated that 1 in every 5 homes will be attacked by termites. Our goal is to provide your family, your home, and your property with the appropriate protection they need.

When you contact Active Pest Control about your concerns of possible termite infestation, the first order of business is a free inspection. Our highly trained and experienced termite control experts will provide a thorough examination of your home and property, determine the extent of infestation and damage, and will then recommend the most efficient and safe plan to solve your termite problems.

Our technicians use an integrated system of protection from subterranean termites called the Sentricon Termite Colony Elimination System. The Sentricon system is designed to be an on-going program of protection. Your Active Pest Control technician will strategically place Sentricon stations around the home with Always Active Pest Control technology, new Recruit HD termite bait. Termites will begin feeding on it the moment they find a station. This not only starts the elimination process sooner; it also provides continual protection from any future infestation of termites. The beauty of this process is that the interior of the home is never disrupted. Our professionals can install and service Sentricon stations without ever entering your home. We understand that the entire termite colony must be eradicated to fully eliminate your termite issues. This new advanced technology and bait is actually more desirable to termites than the cellulose found in the wood. The moment a termite ingests the bait, the growth process and reproduction abilities are disrupted.

Our Sentricon Termite Colony Elimination System is environmentally friendly and is now trusted by more than one million homeowners and commercial entities. Sentricon is the only termite treatment system to earn the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award, and the first to become registered under the Environmental Protection Agency’s Reduced Risk Initiative. Remember, it all starts with a free inspection.

The Importance Of Termite Inspections In Knoxville Tn

By now, most everyone has heard about termites and the dangers they pose to homes and businesses. It is fairly common knowledge that these wood eating pests cause over $5 billion annually in repair and restoration costs to U.S. property; most of which is not covered by homeowner’s insurance. But some people do not realize why it is important to get a termite inspection. After all, you would know if you had termites! Right?

Wrong! Termites are called ‘silent destroyers’ after all. These elusive little pests can crawl into your home unnoticed and cause thousands upon thousands of dollars worth of damages before you even realize they are there. How can this be? Well, it’s really quite simple. Let’s take a closer look at these little beasts.

First of all, termites cannot survive for long out in the elements. They must remain moist and hidden from the sunlight, wind, and cold. Because of this, they spend most of their lives beneath the surface of the earth or deep inside buildings. They create mud tunnels, small tubes about the width of a pencil, which they use to traverse between the ground under and around your home into its walls to eat. Occasionally, you may see the reproductive cast of this species swarming around your home – especially on warm days in spring and fall after a rain. However, this only happens when a colony has matured and grown to the point where they need to send members off to form new colonies in order to expand and survive. The queen instinctively knows when the time is right and begins to birth this special cast of termite whose sole responsibility is to go out and find a mate, drop its wings, and begin a new colony. The trouble with relying on seeing swarms to determine whether or not you have been infested with termites is that they don’t start new colonies often and when they do they don’t last very long. Your chances of missing a swarm of reproductives is very high.

Secondly, these little creatures don’t exactly advertise that your home has become their favorite eatery. The signs they leave behind are subtle and easily missed, which is why damage done by them is usually quite severe before anyone even knows it has happened. After all, they are inside your walls chewing away at the structural beams. It’s not like you can look inside those wall voids yourself to check for these critters. Surely you should be on the lookout for shed wings on window sills, in spider webs, and around sinks. You should also periodically check around your foundation for signs of the mud tubes they use. You should also be on the lookout for wood, especially in your basement that looks blistered, appears crushed, or sounds hollow when tapped upon. These are all important signs that you may have been invaded and that your home is in danger. Again, these signs are very subtle and you would have to be extremely diligent and observant to notice them – especially in the early stages of an infestation.

Lastly, there is really on one sure way for you to know if termites are silently eating away at the beams in your home, and that is to have a trusted pest control specialist take a look. Here at Active Pest Control we have some of the best in the termite business – Experts that can spot an infestation practically in the blink of any eye. Through extensive training and experience they have become the ‘Sherlock Holmes’ to your termite colony. Those very subtle signs that are easily missed by most are quickly noticed by our termite specialists; and, the sooner an infestation is found, the less damage will be done.

So why is it important to get a termite inspection? The peace of mind of knowing that termites are not silently eating away the equity in your home is priceless. Give us a call today to schedule your inspection and see how Active Pest Control can help you rest easy from the worry and stress that termites can cause.

There’s A Mouse In My House

Have you ever wondered what happens when you have mice or rats living in your home? I mean, they are just furry little creatures with cute little twitchy noses and long whiskers. How bad can they really be? Surely it’s not that big of a deal to have rodents overwinter in your warm wall voids, attic, or basement. Perhaps, in some weird sort of way, you are just doing your part by protecting those mice from the weather that the winter months bring. Besides, those cute little itty bitty babies are just so darn adorable. Seriously, you’re not going to tell me that there is really any big deal, are you?

Well, in a word, yes. It is a huge deal to have mice and rats cohabiting with you in your home. Rodents are meant to be wild. They are supposed to live in the wild, eat in the wild, sleep in the wild, procreate in the wild, and do all of their business in the wild. When rodents step out of their rightful place and decide to live in your home, even if it is just for the winter, they become a danger to you, your family, your pets, and your home. I know, I know, it is hard to believe that those tiny little rodents could possibly be a threat to anyone. Well, except maybe to elephants! After all, those huge beasts are scared to death of mice! Maybe, just maybe, they are on to something! Read on, and you may end up agreeing with those petrified pachyderms!

Wild! Rodents are wild! They do not have regular veterinarian visits and they do not use their flea and tick protection. And, yes, they do carry parasites wherever they go. In fact, they are typically quite infested with them. If these parasites would just stay put on their little rodent hosts that may not be such a big deal. But they don’t! They hop, skip, and jump right off those hosts and move on to bigger and better venues like your dog or your cat or your children! Now that wouldn’t be such a big deal except for the fact that those parasites carry diseases that they then spread to their new host! Diseases such as: Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Tularemia, Babesiosis, Anaplasmosis, and many more. Parasites are reason enough to avoid rodents, but there is more to consider.

Rodents, such as rats and mice carry pathogens of their own that they can spread to pets and humans. Plague is a prime example, and, yes, plague still exists today even here in America. Other pathogens that rats and mice can spread include: viral hemorrhagic fever, Q fever, Weil’s disease, Hantavirus, Salmonellosis and many, many more. And, that is not even considering all the bacteria and other pathogens that these creatures pick up on their feet and fur from all those unseemly places that they frequent, and then spread them everywhere they walk throughout your home and your kitchen in particular.

If the health risks alone are not enough to convince you to join the heffalumps in their hysteria, consider their teeth! Rodents have 2 front incisors that never ever stop growing, and because of that fact these creatures need to chew and chew and chew. In fact, they don’t even really care what they chew on as long as they continue to keep those teeth at a usable size. They will chew on books, magazines, priceless heirlooms, clothing, insulation, pipes, and wood; and, oh yeah, they will also chew on wires. That’s right, even the wiring inside your walls is a chew toy for mice and rats. Now, at first glance, that may not seem like such a big deal. Until, you stop and consider that mice and rats do not know the difference between live and dead wires. Those sharp teeth will gnaw on those wires and puncture the covering on those wires until they expose the actual copper conduits beneath. Once that copper wiring is exposed, with electricity running through it, it becomes a risk to your home and your family. That bare wire can quickly spark a fire, and that would be disastrous.

I am quite certain that when all the facts are in, you will choose to side with those terrified elephants and want those tiny little mice and not so tiny rats to stay far, far away! I am not really sure how elephants manage that task, but in Tennessee we have the experts at Active Pest Control. Active Pest Control has several options available to deal with rodents in your home, either on a one-time basis or through our year-round pest control plans. Remember, year-round control means year-round protection! Give us a call today and let us help you decide which pest control plan is right for you. Join those highly intelligent elephants and keep mice and rats far away from you, your family, and your home with Active Pest Control.

ZIKA VIRUS INFORMATION AND RESOURCES

With increasing media attention regarding confirmed cases of the Zika virus in the United States, we are providing a list of resources with more information about your health and safety concerns.

Important Things to Remember:

  • The Active Pest Control Mosquito Control plan includes a property inspection and treatments tailored to your family’s needs.
  • Active Pest Control’s current treatments DO reduce the population of mosquitoes known to carry the Zika virus.
  • The best way to prevent bites from mosquito and other insects is to wear a bug spray with DEET or a natural repellant, along with long sleeves and pants, while outside.
  • The U.S. already has strong mosquito control protocols in place; air conditioners, window screens, and vigilant chemical treatments by local governments help reduce the population of disease-spreading mosquitoes throughout the country.

Additional Health and Safety Resources:

Wildlife Services In Georgia

There are a lot of animals that can seek harborage in and under your Georgia home. Perhaps you’ve met a few of them. Have you had a fall where your entire home stunk of skunk from the basement to the attic? Have you had your garden attacked by gophers and woodchucks? Have you had your attic infiltrated by noisy, pestilence-carrying raccoons? For two families in Cherokee County, their troubles came in the form of snakes.

In an August 12th news story from WSB-TV2, reporter Richard Elliot visited the Cherokee area to turn over some rocks and see what slithered out. Families in the area were becoming concerned after an 8-year-old boy was bitten in the leg by a non-venomous snake. The problem seems to stem from the kudzu-covered field that animal control officers say is the snakes’ domain.

Kudzu plants, a group of plants in the genus Pueraria, can turn a landscape into a work of art. But they can also entangle a home, engulf a truck and give the perfect habitat for reptiles and other pests to thrive. When conditions become right, the wildlife living under all that wonderful shade can seek a home as harborage. In the case of snakes, this can present a danger.

The son of one resident saw a snake slithering through a hole in the foundation of their house. So reporter Richard Elliot carefully opened the door to the crawl space and took a peek under. Fortunately, nothing jumped out at him, but he did spot snake skins hanging from joists and lying on the ground.

Cherokee County animal control explains that they will “happily” come remove a snake that is found in the house or in the yard, but they can’t go into the fields and search out nests. They also can’t properly seal your home and protect it from continued infestation. While animal control offers an essential service to our communities, protection from wild animals requires more than reactive measures.

Active Pest Control removes all harboring pests quickly and completely, and our experienced wildlife control specialists will work closely with you to seal entry points and remove the conditions that draw pests inside your home and onto your property. You can expect the most advanced trapping methods, modern pest control information, and effective exclusion installations available.

Don’t wait for snakes to slither into your home. Protect your family with proactive snake control from your friends here at Active Pest Control. We are a QualityPro-certified wildlife management company, and we offer guaranteed results.

Bed Bugs By Beaches Bite

I dare you to try to say that heading ten times fast. But there is an important reason for this fanciful alliteration. According to the 2015 biennial report, Bugs Without Borders, which surveys U.S. pest professionals on the prevalence of bed bugs in America, ⅔ of respondents reported that bed bugs are worse in the summer, and that 75% of bed bugs found were found in hotels/motels. This makes visiting beaches during the summer months a notable danger zone for picking up bed bugs.

Not only do these reports show that bed bugs are particularly troublesome for families taking summer vacations to the beaches, they also indicate that bed bug cases are on the rise. In this recent report 99.6% of pest professionals surveyed cited that they had treated for bed bugs in the past year. That is up dramatically from 15 years ago, when only 25% indicated that they had treated for bed bugs within the year.

Why the increase in bed bugs? Many pest controllers believe it is a mixture of an increase in travel and a lack of public awareness. They also point out that these are hard bugs to get rid of. Seriously. Pest professionals have reported treating for bed bugs in a prosthetic leg, a casket with a deceased body, a vent above a bathtub, a dance club, a 911 call center, a tow boat on the Ohio River, and more. These are challenging bugs to get rid of.

Are beaches any worse than other areas with hotels and motels? Bed bugs don’t swim in the ocean. They live predominantly inside where they have access to people. You’re not going to have too much trouble with these bugs on the beach, unless you brought them from your room.

Do bed bugs only bite people while they sleep? Though bed bugs are mostly found where people sleep, like hotels, motels, nursing homes, hospitals and such, they can also be found in office buildings, movie theaters, retail stores, day care centers, schools, trains, buses, taxis and even airplanes.

How do bed bugs live in places where people don’t sleep? These bugs can feed on a fully awake human without detection. Their mouthparts slip in through the skin and deposit an anticoagulant that thins blood for painless extraction. While you’re munching on a tall bag of popcorn, those bed bugs can easily be munching on you.

How do I keep the bed bugs at the beach? Here is the most important question of all. Any time you travel you want to be sure to do an inspection of your room. Search for dried, brown blood stains on pillowcases and sheets and for black areas on the seams and corners of mattresses, or in the stitching of upholstered furniture. Use a flashlight to do an inspection for tiny, rust-colored bugs in the bed or on the backboard. Keep a wary eye out for anyone who has a line of mosquito-type bites on their body. These bites can be a warning sign for you and your family.

Enjoy the summer and enjoy the beach, but don’t let those bed bugs ruin your fun or hitch a ride home with you. Awareness is the key to prevention. If you suspect that you may have been unfortunate enough to bring them to your home or business here in Georgia, contact the professionals here Active Pest Control and we will help you get rid of bed bugs for good, beach or no beach!

Your Pets & Pests

Pet owners know that when the weather warms up it’s time to think about pest control for their pets. We have a black lab who loves to be outside as much as possible. With our landscaping being a work in progress it is extremely important for us to treat him for things like fleas and ticks. We also need to watch out for heartworms that are transmitted through mosquito bites. We pet owners love our pets as part of our family. It is important to keep them healthy and safe all year long. Keeping them safe from summer pests is just one of the many things we do to keep our furry friends healthy and safe.

Let us start with flea prevention. This is a very common problem to have with household pests. Fleas can easily jump onto your pet and make their way into your home. They can become an incredible nuisance to your pet and your home. They leave itchy red bite marks on their body. Sometimes your pet can be allergic to fleas and have a more serve reaction causing them to lose hair or develop rashes. The best way to prevent fleas from using your pet as a host this summer is to treat them regularly with a flea repellent treatment. There are many different options to choose from. They have ointments to apply on their backs or a pill to take once a month. It is best to consult your veterinarian as to what type of flea control is best for your pet.

Ticks are also a common problem to deal with during the warmer months. Ticks will hide out in tall grassy areas waiting for their next host. Once they find one they latch on. They can transmit diseases to your pet like Lyme disease. This can be a very serious threat to your pet. The threat of ticks has become so common that tick repellent is now usually included in flea repellent products. Most flea repellents will work to repel fleas and ticks. Ask your veterinarian about what options would work best for your pet.

Mosquitoes are not just a nuisance to your pets during the summer months, they can also transmit heartworms to your dog or cat. Heartworms are a serious threat specifically to dogs. Once a dog has been bitten by an infected mosquito it takes about 7 months for the larva to develop into adult worms. They spread out in the heart and lungs. These worms can be 12” long and live 5-7 years. A dog can have up to 250 of these worms in its system. It is very important to treat your dog with heartworm medication throughout the mosquito season. Ask your vet about heartworms and how to keep your pet’s heartworm free.

If you would like to pest proof your property, than you need to contact the professionals here at Active Pest Control. We offer pest prevention plans that are safe for your pets. This can really make a difference on how you and your pets enjoy the outdoors this summer. We can greatly lessen the chance of exposure that you and your four-legged family member have to tics, mosquitoes, fleas and many other common pests! Show your pets some real love with a home pest prevention plan custom tailored for you.

What Is Termite Baiting?

When you hear the word bait, what do you think of? Does it conjure up an image of a man with fat fingers squeezing a worm onto a hook? Do you see him sitting in his boat or on shore waiting for the pole to bend so he can yank a giant fish from the water? If you do, it may seem impractical to use bait to catch something as small as a termite.

Now maybe you’re imagining a cup of worms being laid next to your home and all the termites squeezing out of the nooks and crannies to feast on it. After getting a belly full of poison they die in a big pile right there next to your basement wall–where they can be easily shoveled up and disposed of. You’re getting closer.

Some of you already know that termite bait doesn’t work anything like fish bait. You wisely relate it more to cockroach bait, and you are mostly right. Termite and roach bait are similar in many ways. Both are picked up by the insect and brought to where the “group” lives. And, both act as a toxin that continues to spread. But how it spreads differs.

Cockroaches and termites both have nasty habits. I know what you’re thinking, “Cockroaches and termites are nasty? I don’t believe it!” It’s true. And, it is these nasty habits that are exploited by the baits that are used to eradicate them.

Cockroaches are not picky eaters. They’ll eat toothpaste, hair, glue and even other dead cockroaches. When they eat a dead friend who was killed by toxic bait, they are poisoned by the bait, and soon die to become a meal for another roach.

Cockroaches also have a wonderful habit of leaving their excrement everywhere, and walking through the excrement of other roaches. Real nice, roaches. Real nice.

Termites go one step further with the whole “excrement” idea. They actually eat each other’s poo. This makes it even easier for a toxin to work its way through a colony. After the worker termites are eliminated, the colony is starved for food and goes into a suppression phase. As the colony starves, the queen starves. Without a queen, the colony dies.

If you’re looking to protect your home from termites, termite bait is the best way to go. It works to kill termites “before” they can damage your home. It isn’t perfect though. Sometimes the number of termites that take the bait from a bait station isn’t enough to fully eradicate the colony. But it is enough to warn a pest technician that there is a problem and zero in on where new bait should be placed. Call Active Pest Control and find out how a termite baiting system like the Sentricon© Termite Colony Elimination System can safely and effectively protect your home from termites.