Apr 27, 2011 | Fire Ant
Field ants, or the One Node Ant, are large ants that are often confused with carpenter ants. Field ants are found in a variety of colors including black, brown, tan, red or red and black. The key to telling the field ant apart from other ants are the ocelli, or “simple eyes” that are found on the front of the head in between the compound eyes. (See picture above from University of Nebraska-Lincoln).
Field ants are most often found outside. You may find their nests in open fields, grass, and under objects such as rocks, timbers and piles of firewood. When treating for field ants, it is necessary to overturn these items and treat underneath. Treating should take place around the structure including under and on top of the pine straw. In addition to spraying outside, any vegetation should be cut back from walls and roof at least 18” and reduce any mulch where you can around the structure.
Sources:
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Jerry Hatch – [email protected]
Board Certified Entomologist
Certified Environmental Health Professional
Certified Professional-Food Safety
LEED Green Associate
Apr 25, 2011 | Fire Ant
As been discussing lately, spring and summer bring many pests. One pest in particular that affects everyone, regardless of region, is ants. There are so many different varieties of ants. Argentine ants are mainly found in southern states across the US, fire ants are notorious in the south and carpenter ants don’t discriminate by living in both the south and the north. Ants are one of the few living organisms that live in all ecosystems.
Ants are often found in the kitchen looking for food sources. Although ants are typically harmless…it is not sanitary to have them around your food. To prevent ants coming into your kitchen follow the tips below:
- Keep your sink clean. Wash and dry any residue that may be left from cleaning dishes.
- Check for holes or cracks that ants are using as entryways into your home and seal them off.
- Pour vinegar down the drain to remove the smell of food (this can also be helpful if you have fruit flies).
- Wipe the counters down regularly. Remove any food or spills that may attract ants.
- Sweep and mop your floors often.
- Take the trash out regularly.
- Keep food in containers instead of out in the open.
- Keep trash cans rinsed and cleaned. You can also deodorize the cans with baking soda.
- Pour chili powder on hives and nests outside you home to prevent ants from entering.
- Spray peppermint oil in the corners of each room. Don’t forget the kitchen and the kitchen cabinets.
- Use products with Borax, a mineral that is refined and dissolved and used in many ant baits. Borax is non toxic to humans but poisonous to ants. Ants take borax back to their colony and dispense it to the other ants.
- Use white vinegar or bleach. Both are known to get rid of ants.
- Ants do not like the taste of cucumbers. Cut up a small amount of cucumber and place in infected areas.
- Place mint leaves or mint tea bags in infected areas.
- Add salt to boiling water and spray in the corners of the house.
If the above suggestions do not work…call the experts at Northwest Exterminating
Apr 22, 2011 | Pest Control
Did you know that mice are essential to the life cycle of a tick? Check out this interesting article that was posted in June 2010 on Macon.com
Experts seeing rise in tick population, threat of disease
By LIZ FABIAN – [email protected]
Perched atop blades of grass or taller vegetation, ticks wait for a feast to walk by.
Standing on their back legs with their front legs outstretched, the blood-thirsty critters are ready to latch on at the first hint of carbon dioxide or heat alert from their infrared sensors.
Mercer associate professor of biology Alan Smith actively seeks out ticks for research.
In recent weeks, he has been teaching seventh-grade students at the Amerson Water Works Park on the Ocmulgee River about all forms of wildlife.
“I picked up a lot of ticks there without even trying,” Smith said. “I think the populations are pretty abundant.”
Last year, Smith struggled to pick up samples for his research but recently collected 100 of them from around Lake Tobesofkee.
He blames the wet spring and an abundance of deer and mice, he said.
“Data shows when the deer and especially the mouse populations are up, then the tick populations goes up,” Smith said.
Mice are crucial to the tick’s two-year life cycle. After hatching from eggs, the tiny arachnids must feast on a blood meal to carry them through each stage of development from larva to nymph and adult. Most ticks cut their baby teeth on mice, which are close to the ground.
The bloated little bulb you might discover dining away on your DNA is likely an adult enjoying her last meal. Left alone to gorge, she will eventually fall off in about a week. As the female tick nears the end of her life, she may lay 3,000 eggs that hatch on the ground.
Click HERE to view the rest of the article!
Apr 22, 2011 | Pest Control
Did you know that mice are essential to the life cycle of a tick? Check out this interesting article that was posted in June 2010 on Macon.com
Experts seeing rise in tick population, threat of disease
By LIZ FABIAN – [email protected]
Perched atop blades of grass or taller vegetation, ticks wait for a feast to walk by.
Standing on their back legs with their front legs outstretched, the blood-thirsty critters are ready to latch on at the first hint of carbon dioxide or heat alert from their infrared sensors.
Mercer associate professor of biology Alan Smith actively seeks out ticks for research.
In recent weeks, he has been teaching seventh-grade students at the Amerson Water Works Park on the Ocmulgee River about all forms of wildlife.
“I picked up a lot of ticks there without even trying,” Smith said. “I think the populations are pretty abundant.”
Last year, Smith struggled to pick up samples for his research but recently collected 100 of them from around Lake Tobesofkee.
He blames the wet spring and an abundance of deer and mice, he said.
“Data shows when the deer and especially the mouse populations are up, then the tick populations goes up,” Smith said.
Mice are crucial to the tick’s two-year life cycle. After hatching from eggs, the tiny arachnids must feast on a blood meal to carry them through each stage of development from larva to nymph and adult. Most ticks cut their baby teeth on mice, which are close to the ground.
The bloated little bulb you might discover dining away on your DNA is likely an adult enjoying her last meal. Left alone to gorge, she will eventually fall off in about a week. As the female tick nears the end of her life, she may lay 3,000 eggs that hatch on the ground.
Click HERE to view the rest of the article!
Apr 19, 2011 | Community News, Company News
The Atlanta Journal Constitution has ranked the 100 Top Workplaces in Atlanta! Northwest Exterminating is proud to be #4 in the Midsize Workplaces division. In October of 2010, The AJC put out the call for emloyees to nominate their companies. 495 nominations were received. In January, Workplace Dynamics, a consulting group that partners with The AJC, narrowed the results down to 166 finalists. After the finalists were selected, 40,000 of the nominee’s employees were surveyed based on the direction of the company, execution, work conditions, career paths, management, pay and benefits.
Northwest Exterminating is so proud to accept this award and thankful to our work family for making this such a great place to be a part of! Thank you to the entire Northwest Exterminating Family!!
Check out Northwest Exterminating in the Top Workplaces in Metro Atlanta
Check out other companies selected in the Top Workplaces in Metro Atlanta
