It’s a great feeling when you get a new car. The new smell, the way it drives, the features, the ants….wait, THE ANTS?!?! Luckily, ants don’t usually come standard with a car purchase. But for Josh Wise, that MAY have just been the case.
Josh’s truck, that he uses for his landscaping business, has been taken over by ghost ants. Ghost ants are extremely small ants (1.3-1.5mm long) that reproduce in high numbers. This species of ant is found in Florida and is the first documented case in Georgia. Although Josh purchased his truck here in Georgia, the Georgia dealership had originally purchased the truck from a dealership in Florida…hmmm.
Were the ants already in the truck when it came from Florida? Did the ants invade in Georgia? Did they come from plants that were put in his truck?
The colder months are a time when pests, rodents, and other creatures make their way into homes and businesses for food and shelter. These pests can be a nuisance and sometimes even a health concern to your home.
If you’re wondering about a specific insect or rodent that you’re seeing you can find out more information at Northwest Exterminating’s Learning Center at callnorthwest.com.
Our Learning Center serves as a helpful tool to our customers that helps them to identify pests, learn about their habitats, and learn what the best solution is to get rid of them and prevent them from returning. You can also find out how at risk your home may be for termites. And our frequently asked questions page offers answers on some of the questions that we see and hear often from other customers just like you.
If there is anything that you would like to see on our Learning Center page, please feel free to tell us by filling out our “Ask the Mouse” section located on our site.
Conditions will soon be right for overwintering pests to seek comfort and shelter in homes and buildings. Overwintering pests are those pests that seek a warm place to live in the colder months. You want to avoid your home being that place!
As we’ve said many times before on this blog…prevention is key. It is much easier to prevent bugs from entering than to get rid of them once they are present.
Prevention Tips:
Seal or caulk all cracks and crevices around foundation, siding, doors, windows, electrical, and plumbing.
Use tight fitting insect screens on foundations and attic vents.
Keep gutters cleaned out. Pests feed and make homes out of the built up debris.
Keep a clean home. Vacuum, sweep, mop, and clean up spills that will attract pests to your home.
Clean up yard by raking, keeping grass cut, and picking up debris in the yard.
Get regularly scheduled pest control. Regular scheduled pest control will prevent bugs from coming in and will make it easier to control any pest problems that arise.
Common household pests that overwinter:
Ladybugs
Box elders
Stink bugs
Caterpillars
Crickets
Moths
Flies
Mosquitoes
Rodents
Along with winterizing your home from pests, call Northwest Exterminating to help provide treatments that will reduce the number of pests this fall, winter, and even into spring.
The stink bug gets its name from its ability to release an odor when they are disturbed or crushed. Stink bugs have a triangular or shield shape.
Habits:
Enter homes and other structures in the winter for shelter and emerge from their hiding spaces in early spring.
Mostly feed on plants and crops.
Some species feed off of other pests such as caterpillars and other crop damaging pests. This species of stink bug is used as a natural pest control for crops.
When disturbed, they release a foul smelling fluid from their pores to protect themselves from predators.
Seal cracks and crevices around the structure of your home so they cannot enter.
Do not shine outside lights directly onto your home…this will attract stink bugs to your home.
Use a vacuum to get rid of stink bugs. Empty contents of vacuum into a tightly sealed trash bag and dispose of immediately. Do NOT crush! Crushing will cause them to emit their infamous odor.
Because of their ability to invade en masse, contact Northwest Exterminating if a stink bug infestation happens in your home or business.
