The most common ants are Argentine Ants, Carpenter Ants, Crazy Ants, Fire Ants, Ghost Ants, Leafcutter Ants, Odorous House Ants, Pavement Ants and Pharoah Ants. Understanding any patterns will help you achieve the best ant control .

How to determine if you are dealing with Ants or Termites ?

It is hard to distinguish, identify even for trained people in the pest control industry. The 2 biggest differentiating factors are: 1) When comparing bodies – ants have segmented waists and termites’ bodies are about the same width, without pinched waists. 2) Ant antennas are bent whereas Termite antennae are straight.

Inspection
To get your ant problem rectified it is important that our first step is to conduct a thorough inspection. In order for us to locate the nest, we must follow their trails. Ants leave a chemical pheromone trail along their established routes from and to a food location so other ants can easily locate the food. Outside the house, we inspect the perimeter like the foundation , areas of vegetation, and mulch. Any vegetation found near porches and walls may help hide some Ant nests or their trails.

Ant Control Strategies and Tips

There are 2 main types of issues that are commonly encountered with ants.  Ants that live outdoors and forage inside.  Ants that already have a nest built inside.  Our pest control measures combine habitat modification & barriers with the proper baits or pesticides to control the problem. Our strategy always depends on the type of infestation and the type of ant that we are targeting.

1. Ants that live outdoors but come inside the home. Ants that live outdoors will come inside your house to search for food. Some species ultimately reside and nest inside our homes . Follow these measures to help prevent either type of infestation:

• •  Caulk and seal cracks and crevices to eliminate access into the home. Since Ants are extremely resourceful in finding entry points , you may not be able to block them all.
  •  Clean around entrances with a detergent to remove their chemical trail left behind , then spray a non-repellent residual insecticide.

2. Ants that live (nest) inside your house . Some ants don’t just enter your house looking for food. Some ants will establish a colony inside. Indoor colonization occurs year-round, especially in warmer climates. Ant species that live in homes include Argentine Ants, Crazy Ants, Odorous House Ants, Pavement Ants, Pharaoh Ants, Thief Ants, and Carpenter Ants. All of these ants may infest food products.  We can strategically place ant bait to lure the ants to the poison.

3. Carpenter Ants
Carpenter Ants are   most active in the evening when scouring for food, both inside the home and outside. Carpenter ants do not eat the wood for food, but they will excavate into the wood to make nests.

Many beetles are beneficial insects such as the lady beetle (a.k.a; ladybug) feeds on destructive pests. But the ones that feed on plants, animal fibers, woods or food products are considered pests because they end up doing harm to the food source they choose .

Sometimes beetles, their mere presence , can become nuisances. In the late summer and fall, homeowners can find very many (especially Lady Bugs) clustered all around the home. The beetles are trying to seek somewhere to invade homes for shelter to escape inclement weather conditions. When beetles become a problem, your pest control technician will provide a thorough inspection to accurately identify the specific beetle and based on the inspection findings they will customize an effective treatment strategy to resolve the problem .

Proper identification of the target species is critical since there are so many varied species of beetles and the specific details required for treatment for different beetles.

OUR BEETLE CONTROL APPROACH:

We inspect your home in Big Canoe — inside and outside. There are several steps that the technician does during the inspection which include locating areas of beetle activity, identify the cause of the beetle problem, locate potential entry points that beetles are using to gain access into your house .

Our   goal is to devise and implement a custom solution. Our licensed Pest Control Tech will customize the treatment specific to your unique situation. We can select from a variety of tools and techniques to help keep any beetles out of your home: beetle exclusion, habitat modifications, Insect Growth Regulators, residual insecticides.

Beetle Control Measures

We practice an “Integrated Pest Management (IPM)” principle & philosophy which simply means we use a common-sense practices to pesticide applications. We take advantage of existing mechanical & environmental controls: Examples are such as habitat modifications, removing attractants, using barriers, traps, etc. Combine those with the conscientious application of pesticides to eliminate the problem pest . The end game is to remove the nuisance pest while protecting human health, non-target beneficial species, and the environment.

Some of the types of Beetles: American Spider Beetles , Asian Long-horned Beetles , Carpet Beetles , Cigarette Beetles , Dried Fruit Beetles , Drugstore Beetles , Emerald Ash Borer , Flour Beetles , Ground Beetles , Larder Beetles , Plaster Beetles , Sawtooth Grain Beetles , Stink Beetles .

Most people encounter carpenter bees during late Spring when they’ve just emerged to mate. During this time , male carpenter bees tend to hover around nest openings, looking for receptive females . It can be rather unnerving being around them, as the males will also hover aggressively around people who approach the nests. They may even fly right into you. Despite the smoke & mirrors , male carpenter bees cannot sting. Female carpenter bees can sting, but never do.

Unpainted or exposed wood is a favorite of carpenter bees. A deterrent to carpenter bee activities is a painted (oil-base or polyurethane) surface. Wood stains & paint provide little repelling action. Nail holes should be filled in with dowels or putty and painted. If a possible consideration , remove rotten wood and replace with chemical pressure-treated wood to deter drilling . To further dissuade carpenter bees looking for potential nesting sites, a homeowner should secure all doors, windows, and other building openings during the spring. Non-wood surfaces such as vinyl siding are not damaged by carpenter bees.

We have a Carpenter Bee Prevention Program that we can carry through which traps the carpenter bees .  While we are setting up the traps we take measures to attract the bees to our traps. Once captured in the traps, they die. That combined with ( our residual pesticide application it is the most effective means of controlling the carpenter bee population . Reach out to us , let’s discuss your specific situation and we will come up with a plan that is best suited for your situation. Let us bring peace to this situation. 

The house centipede is the only species capable of reproducing indoors and is often seen in and around homes where dampness occurs. The house centipede is active at nighttime , moving around in search of food .  Although Centipedes are beneficial since they eliminate other insects (like Mother Nature’s pest control) most homeowners have an aversion to their presence inside their homes.

Did you know … Millipedes are scavengers while centipedes feed on other insects ?

Centipede & Millipede Pest Control

Centipedes often enter homes in the fall or winter months or during times of cooler temperatures. They are typically found in basements and garages, both of which exhibit desirable environments for this creature. An increased population within the home may be attributed to one of two things: a readily available insect food source or, more commonly, increasingly humid conditions.

To eliminate centipedes , the first step is to reduce humidity. Running dehumidifiers will pull the water out of the air, eliminating dampness and mold within the home. This will also help alleviate structural damage which may encourage other pests.

You may more commonly find centipedes in barns and outside structures. Insecticides may be used where significant numbers are found and usually provide sufficient pest control. They are available in both chemical and organic solutions. We follow an Integrated Pest Management methodology when applying pesticides in or around your home. We use pesticides responsibly and use necessary amounts to eliminate the target pest .

• • Find the location: Look behind plant posts or other gardening equipment regularly to ensure there are no signs of life.
  • Sanitize the area and remove the pests: These should be removed and the area thoroughly cleaned.
  • Prevent further infestations: Consider using a pesticide and monitoring the area regularly for signs of recurrence.
  • Some of these measures are to make sure doors and windows fit tightly and caulk cracks and crevices that permit their entry to the inside. Additional measures could be removing or eliminating trash piles, rocks, stacks of wood, leaf piles, compost piles around the outside of the home.

Call us we can help!

There three most common types of crickets that invade our homes in Georgia are the: Camel, House & Field , Crickets. Crickets can be extremely ( aggravating | annoying | bothersome | nerve-racking | unsettling }, but unless there are large numbers, they do ( very little | little | hardly any } damage. They love to chew on anything , especially clothing.

House Crickets live outdoors but may come inside in considerable numbers. House crickets are nocturnal, they stay hidden during the daytime . They have a distinctive chirping sound. They can drive you insane trying to locate them.  As soon as you hone in on their location they stop chirping.

Field crickets are another common nuisance. This cricket is slightly longer & darker than the House Cricket.  Field crickets prefer to live outside in overgrown grass, lawns & flower beds . However, they do come inside often. Since Field crickets are attracted to lights at night, sometimes turning off these lights helps.

Camel crickets (humpback crickets) are not true crickets since they do not have wings. Camel Crickets are most often are found in crawl spaces, basements & closets , but also like any ( damp & cool | damp and cool | cool & damp | cool and damp } areas like under inhabit most outdoor areas, and while some people enjoy their songs of the evening, these tunes can drive others to complete distraction. These choirs of crickets can be avoided by making the outdoor yard or landscaping less desirable for the insects. They are naturally attracted to bright lights, so reducing any outdoor lighting will make the area less desirable to these serenading creatures. As an alternative, low-level “bug lights” can be purchased at home and garden stores. Keeping any grasses around residences trimmed and tended will also reduce the environmental appeal.

Crickets in the home are easily controlled . We can seal any of the entryways into the home that allows crickets to invade.

Fly control is always a popular request since a house fly can transfer more than 100 different diseases , including salmonella, typhoid, and tuberculosis . House flies contaminate foods & surfaces by spreading disease organisms picked up on their legs and mouth-parts when feeding on trash, feces and other decaying substances .

However , an occasional house fly is not necessarily a problem requiring our intervention.  Every home, every human , will have to deal with an occasional fly or two . When we get called out for flies, it is a large population that cannot be eliminated .

Like many other bugs , the house fly experiences a four-phase life cycle. With the right circumstances , the developmental time of a house fly from egg to adult could take place in as little as ( 6 | six } days.  The female will reproduce approx. 5-6 times, laying batches of about 100 eggs during each round . Female house flies usually only mate one time but is capable of producing close to 350-900 eggs in their lifespan . Adult house flies typically live between two weeks to a month .

House flies feed on liquids since they do not have any teeth . However, they use their sponging mouth-parts to liquefy many solids through ( regurgitation and spitting | spitting or regurgitation }. Their tongues are shaped like straws to suck the food. House flies feed on a wide variety of substances such as human food, animal carcasses, feces and garbage . They are attracted to human waste because of its strong odor.

HOUSE FLY PEST  CONTROL

With our Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices, we combine multiple control measures to eliminate the problem. Each situation is different ; however, it may call for pesticide application, habitat modification, and mechanical controls .  Since our company in the wildlife industry , instinctively we would suspect an animal has died in a wall, crawl space or attic if there is a large problem with flies . Regardless, we will discuss options with you and come up with a strategy that exceeds your goals & expectations .

People who’ve never had to deal with massive amounts of ladybugs view ( them | ladybugs } in a favorable way. Who doesn’t get a warm feeling after watching the movie “A Bugs Life”. Ladybugs sometimes referred to as lady beetles, are actually considered a beneficial insect. They feed heartily on many plant-eating insects such as aphids.

Be aware In our area, there are the friendly & beneficial ladybugs and then there are an invasive species called the Asian Ladybug beetle. The Asian Ladybugs tend to gather together in large groups inside our homes and this is typically when homeowners hire us to resolve the problem . Oftentimes, it can be difficult to remedy without professional help. Get this the invasive species that is now taking over our native species was introduced by the USDA.

LADYBUG INFESTATIONS in Big Canoe

Ladybugs in the house. Several things can attract ladybugs to your inside your home . If your landscaping includes flowering bushes , they will likely attract aphids, one of the favorite food sources of ladybugs. Certain species of ladybugs also feed on pollen. The pollen  helps them store energy to help them through their winter hibernation . Ladybugs must find a warm, comfortable place to hide out during the colder months of the year . If they decide your home is the place to be , they can easily find their way inside through openings around windows, cracks, doors, plumbing, utility lines, etc .

LADYBUG CONTROL MEASURES

If you’ve seen a few and they are not really bothering you, simply leave them to do their own thing . They evacuate as soon as the warmer weather arrives . However, you can easily vacuum them up and discard the bag. If you have a ladybug infestation inside your home, other measures will need to be taken. Here are a several things we can implement . First off , we can winterize your home. We can go around the perimeter of your home and make some suggestions of habitat modifications . These are things that could be attracting ladybugs to your yard and seeking refuge in your walls . We can also responsibly spray pesticides that target them specifically on the outside of your home to prevent them from establishing a gathering .

There are some all-natural alternatives that you can try at home. Possibly consider spraying around the cracks and crevices with a natural repellent such as citronella, bay leaves, cloves or citrus oil . Also, Mums are known to repel ladybugs. The more mums you have by doors and windows the fewer ladybugs you will have to deal with.

If you want to leave it to professionals, simply call us and we will take measures to get rid of them and prevent them from coming back .

Are annoying mosquitoes ruining your outdoor activities ? Are you concerned about your family’s safety ? We provide professional mosquito services that will help you feel safe in your own yard . Our friendly & knowledgeable staff can discuss the benefits of our Mosquito Control services during the entire mosquito season.

Not all Mosquito Control Services are created equal.

Our practice is taken right out of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) & the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) collaborative playbook on how to control mosquitoes . The protocol that encourages taking advantage of every life stage of a mosquito to successfully impact is referred to as integrated pest management (IPM).
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Our Mosquito Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program

IPM is a science-based, common-sense approach for managing pests . Our Mosquito Control service uses a combination of measures that focus on pest prevention. It is our job to identify the conditions that lead to infestations. The most effective means of controlling adult mosquitoes is through the use of pesticides. A successful integrated mosquito control strategy includes several tactics to exterminate mosquitoes. Four necessary   tactics include:

1. Remove mosquito habitats
2. Advise on the use of structural barriers
3. Impede Mosquitoes at the Larval Stage
4. Destroy Adult Mosquitoes

Mosquito Habitats

There are manageable measures homeowners can have done to disrupt  the cycle with mosquitoes in their breeding grounds. By removing standing water sources you can devastate the mosquito population, due to the fact that two out of the three life stages of a mosquito requires water.

• Get rid of standing water in old tires, buckets, plastic covers, toys, rain gutters or any other container where mosquitoes would use to breed .
• Weekly water changes in birdbaths, fountains, wading pools, rain barrels, and potted plant trays . 
• Drain unused vessels of water,  turn them over or fill them with dirt.
• Keep pool water treated and circulating.

Control Mosquito Larva

By using a pesticide which targets larva in their concentrated breeding habitats , will will decimate their population .  Larva & egg interventions are the least costly & most effective way to control mosquitoes .  Our company will devise a program that uses all of the measures combined to provide the best results.

Control Adult Mosquitoes
Spraying pesticides for mosquito control is one of the most common measures to prevent an outbreak of mosquito-borne disease. Mosquito adulticides (pesticide labelled for the adult stage) are applied as ultra-low volume (ULV) sprays which dispense extremely small droplets. These smaller size droplets stay suspended longer making the pesticide more effective. The more effective the pesticide, the less we have to apply. We want the healthiest & safest environment for humans, non-targeted species and pets.

Everything about your specific situation, your specific yard needs to be a consideration to determine the best way to tackle the mosquito problem. Some considerations might include the type of mosquito, resistance, targeted stage of life, upcoming weather, etc. This is our approach!

An established moth infestation usually requires professional intervention to completely eliminate the problem. Although many people attempt the “do it yourself” measures for moth control – the results are often not what they expected .

The single most common moth that causes a problem are Pantry Moths.  Have you ever noticed weird clumps in an old bag of flour, webbing along the corners or edges of grains , or grains that appears to have cobwebs? If the answer is yes, then you’ve seen pantry moths. The term ‘pantry moth’ usually refers to the Indianmeal moth.

While there are many different species of moths, the Indianmeal moth is the most often seen household pantry pest in our area . It is different from other species   moths because it is attracted to stored food , unlike the clothes moth which is attracted to clothing.

Moths can enter your house through open ( doors & windows | windows & doors | windows and doors | doors and windows }. They may also enter through cracks & crevices around dryer vents, utility chases, or cables that pass-through exterior walls . It is unnerving when you open a sealed box of grains only to find evidence of pantry moths on the inside . You may not even notice the moths until they are in the adult phase and you see an adult moth flying around your house .

The Pantry Moth Life Cycle
There are 4 stages in the life cycle of a pantry moth:
1. Egg: Moth eggs are very tiny and a light grey in color. An adult can lay just about 400 eggs each , and they can hatch in only one week .
2. Larva: This is the stage that causes damage .  Moth larvae are tiny maggot-like eating machines. The casings they leave behind will contaminate food, causing us to throw it away . The larval stage typically lasts 2-3 months depending on conditions.
3. Pupa: Moths in the pupal stage are in cocoons, usually hidden in cracks, corners, or crevices. Often identified by the cocoons buried underneath food, causing the matted webs. Moths usually take 15-20 days to develop from pupae into adults.
4. Adult: The adults appear fully winged; they are attracted to light and fly around looking to reproduce.  Shockingly they do not have working mouthparts and they cannot eat. This means their sole objective is to reproduce.

All factors need to be considered when trying to devise a strategy to control the moths. These factors can include; species, stored products, type of structure, etc.

Control measures for stored products moths (Indian Meal Moths, Mediterranean flour moth, etc.) include going through all of the pantry items and throwing away all open grain-type products, better storage containers, freezing existing packages to kill eggs, and spraying the closet to eliminate the problem. However, for the fabric moth pests; vacuuming the entire closet including the walls, throwing away any paper items that could be harbouring eggs, proper storage, and application of pesticides. Monitoring using various traps including pheromone traps where applicable is done thereafter to ensure moth problems do not continue.

All our State certified technicians are highly-skilled and are required to participate in regular continuing education programs to keep them up-to-date with industry standards.

A scorpion is best noted , unfortunately, for its sting. In some Countries , there are dangerous scorpions that do result in human fatalities from their stings. These creatures frequently get a lot of media attention and thus most people believe that all or most scorpions are deadly creatures. Not true! Most species which enter houses are not very poisonous, their stings being comparable to those of bees or wasps. The little uniformly colored Southern devil is so abundant all over Northern Georgia . The Striped Bark Scorpion is found in the coastal plains and other areas of Southern Georgia.

CONTROLLING SCORPIONS

Finding a scorpion in sink or bathtub is common because once they fall in they have difficulty in getting out. Our native scorpions are small up to 1 inch in length.
To successfully control indoor scorpions, it’s essential to manage the scorpions outside the home. As a part of our inspection, we point out the habitat modifications that need your attention, reducing the number of outdoor hiding places for scorpions is important. This might include the removal of debris such as loose rocks, wood, trash and other unnecessary things from the backyard and around the home. It’s also beneficial to keep the grass mowed short and all shrubbery nicely pruned. In addition to those measures, we inspect the outside of your home to determine what needs to be sealed on the outside of your home to help prevent pests from entering. All of our pest control solutions involve the integrated pest management approach where we combine the ethical application of pesticide with a common sense stance on prevention and habitat controls.

Our approach with Silverfish Control is identical to every bug that we handle .
• We perform a thorough inspection.
• Determine what is the target pest.
• Devise a strategy .

With our Pest Control Division, We adhere to an “Integrated Pest Management (IPM)” principle & philosophy which simply means we use a common-sense approach.

SILVERFISH CONTROL MEASURES

To prevent a silverfish infestation, eliminate sources of excessive moisture in places that have potentially leaky pipes or faulty plumbing, restrooms and other areas of high moisture or condensation . Silverfish love the humidity. Silverfish cannot survive inside buildings in low relative humidity, so take measures to reduce it by using a dehumidifier. Maintain a relative humidity below 50% year-round.

Reduce clutter and food sources .   Regularly vacuum the cracks and crevices . Remove easily accessible food sources such as cereals, pet foods and flour by storing pantry food in sealed containers.

It is common to find Silverfish in the attic, basement areas, and inside storage boxes . They eat the glue on the boxes and book bindings. They may feed on surface molds found on cardboard boxes found in damp basements or attics. Silverfish naturally live outside under leaf debris, stones, rock and wood piles . Silverfish prefer warm temperatures. Remove any possible harborage areas such as leaves, grass or woodpiles near your home . Keep gutters debris-free .

We can also take steps to provide a quote for standard exclusion techniques such as caulking cracks and crevices. But there are also steps the homeowner can take to prevent entry… such as making sure screens are tight fitting and the use of weather stripping around windows and doors.

With our Big Canoe Pest Control Division, We adhere to an “Integrated Pest Management (IPM)” principle & philosophy which simply means we use a common-sense approach to pest control. We take advantage of existing mechanical & environmental controls (habitat modifications, removing attractants, using barriers, traps, etc.) combined with the responsible application of pesticides to eliminate the target pest. Our goal is to remove the nuisance pest while taking into consideration human health, non-target beneficial species and the environment.

Most of our Quarterly or Bi-Monthly visits for our standard pest control applications include measures (dusting) to keep spiders off & out of your home.  Many species of spiders are common household pests in the United States. Another distinction between spiders and other pests is that spiders do not have wings or antennae. Spiders are arachnids.

Spider Habitat

Some spiders prefer humid and moist locations like basements and crawl spaces, while others prefer dry and warm places. Spiders prefer to hide in dark hiding places and in cracks as a retreat in order to construct material for their webs. Keep this in mind … every “cobweb” was created by a spider.

Rather than sharing a picture of every spider we have in our area, we decided to let you google the images. Please check out a website of spiders seen in Georgia: Spider ID

Brown Recluse Spider
• Size: Less than the size of a quarter.
• Color: This poisonous spider varies in color from a beige color to a brownish – dark brown.
• IDENTIFICATION: You can identify a Brown Recluse spider by the violin-shaped pattern on its neck. It looks like many other species of non-threatening spiders, so the indicative sign of a Brown Recluse spider is that only has 6 eyes. Their eyes are set apart in three pairs along the face.
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Black Widow Spider
• Size: Around 1 ½ inches
• Color: Glossy jet-black.
• IDENTIFICATION: Black Widow spiders have a distinct bright-red, hourglass shape on the underside of its abdomen. Black widows create the largest webs of all the web-spinning spiders. However, we have seen some impressive webs from Golden Orbs.