Organic Pest Control – Companion Planting

Ever wonder how gardens stayed plush and green without modern pest control techniques? Before exterminating companies existed, many planters relied on a method of organic pest control known as companion planting. Companion planting involves placing plants in your garden that have qualities that deter pests that surround and protect your other plants. For instance, planting certain herbs in your vegetable garden can attract beneficial insects while simultaneously repelling harmful ones.

One pest that likes to frequent gardens is the aphid, otherwise known as plant lice. These tiny insects suck the sap from the plant, taking all the nutrients to keep the plant healthy and living. Sometimes as they are feeding, aphids transmit plant viruses to plants such as potatoes and citrus plants, which can kill the plants. Planting chives, coriander or nasturtium around your plants will discourage infestations by these plants.

Nasturtium

Nasturtium

Certain plants can keep larger pests out of your garden. For instance, planting lavender not only deter ticks, but also moths and mice. Mice also do not like the smell of daffodils, which can be used as a colorful boarder for an herb garden. Additionally, rabbits do not like the smell of onions, which can be planted alongside peas, beans, lettuce and cabbage. Lastly, sprinkling cayenne pepper on your plants can act as a deterrent for raccoons.

If companion planting still does not do the job of minimizing pest invasions, Northwest Exterminating offers pest control services that not only takes care of pest, but also does it in a green, environmentally friendly way! Northwest offers many services that will protect your plants, home and office environment. We offer more than pest elimination, but also healthier living and working environments. Check out our website for more info at www.callnorthwest.com

Melissa Brown
mbrown@callnorthwest.com

Sources:

http://gardening.about.com/od/naturalorganiccontrol/a/Companion_2.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphid

http://www.naturalnews.com/035853_companion_planting_garden_vegetables.html

Northwest Exterminating
830 Kennesaw Ave MariettaGA30060 USA 
 • 888-466-7849
 

Northwest Exterminating is BC Rewards’ January Featured Supplier

We’ve been chosen to be BC Rewards’ January Featured Supplier of the month on AtlantaRealEstateForum.com

Northwest Exterminating founder L.A. Phillips in front of the old pump truck

Northwest Exterminating founder L.A. Phillips in front of the old pump truck

Northwest Exterminating is BC Rewards’ January Featured Supplier

Northwest Exterminating is a family owned and operated exterminating company that was founded on the values of honesty, integrity and excellence. At present, these values still remain the core of Northwest Exterminating as they have grown from a family of two to a family of more than 300 team members and 18 service centers throughout Georgia and Tennessee that also service Alabama and South Carolina.

Green is more than just a word to them, it’s their mission. Creating healthier living and working environments for their customers is their first priority.

Check out the rest of the article HERE.

 

How to Save Money on Your Energy Bills

We’re all looking for ways to save money.  We’re cutting back on unnecessary items, thinking twice before we spend our money, and looking for ways to save on necessities.  One way to save is to install TAP Insulation in your attic.

Attic Before TAP

Tap Insulation saves in two ways: saving on your energy bills and energy savings (along with many other benefits).  When your attic has the right r-value, resistance to heat, then your HVAC system runs more efficiently.  Less work for your HVAC means less money each month on the bill.  Our highly trained professional will evaluate your current r-value and bring your insulation to the Department of Energy recommended r-value of 49, with a minimum of 30.

Attic After TAP

It’s typical to see a 20-38% savings on your energy bills after you’ve had TAP Insulation installed.  This will benefit your home in both the cold winter months and the warm summer months because it keeps your home at a consistent temperature throughout the season which gives your HVAC system a break.  Lastly, TAP Insulation is a GREEN solution for your home.  It’s another great way to save green while going green!

Other benefits of TAP Insulation:

  • Insulation made of recycled newsprint.
  • Permanent Pest Protection in your attic.
  • Fire Safety
 

What Our Customers Are Saying

Each week we send out a survey to customers who have received a new service from Northwest Exterminating.  Our goal is always “Customers for Life”!  We want to make sure that each customer is completely satisfied with the service that they have received from Northwest.  Our surveys allow us to really see how we’re doing from our customer’s stand point!  We are able to use the responses to constantly make Northwest a better company.  So what are our customers saying?  See for yourself:

  • They arrived when promised, they were very clean, were very polite, treated our termite problem, and finished quickly. – Newnan service center
  • Fire ant service was just great.  We added it recently during our quarterly and termite renewal service. – Stockbridge service center
  • Northwest representative, John Davis, was very helpful and knowledgeable in assessing my needs for termite protection.  The termite technician who actually performed the job, Bobby McMichen, was on time and did a fantastic job.  I would recommend Northwest to all my friends and family members. – Dallas service center
  • I like the green option.  Reps have always been friendly and knowledgeable.  They have always been receptive to our needs.  They will return with a smile if having an insect problem.  They will return as much as neccessary to get the problem solved. – Dallas service center
  • When I started to have issues with bugs in my house, I called Northwest.  The representative was polite and attended to my needs quickly.  We had our initial visit within 2 days and our service was completed by the end of the week.  This was very helpful as I am 39 weeks pregnant and needed to have it completed before the new baby arrived. – Newnan service center
  • We had a yellow jacket infestation in the wall of my home. My husband and I were on a trip and my son was home to handle the situation. He called a different company and wasn’t treated very well. Once he called your company he got the help he needed right away. The other company told him it would cost upwards of $1000 to fix the problem and with you guys it was less then $250. I want to thank you for not taking advantage of a young man that didn’t know what to do with the problem before him. May God bless you for your kindness. – Wildlife Team
  • The representative was courteous and knowledgeable. He also came on short notice regarding an emergency situation. – Columbus service center
  • I had a complete understanding of the work that was to be performed and how it would work. The service rep called in advance and was on time. He completed the work in a timely manner. – Monroe service center
  • Friendly, professional service technician. Reviewed everything with me and treated whole house – even did basement and attic and we did not go over that. Thorough treatment. Confident that if I have aproblem I can call my representative and he will handle it quickly. – East Cobb service center
  • Northwest has always provided excellent service in both Pest management and Termite service and most recently the lawn care service. – Stockbridge service center
  • We had really bad ants and with one treatment, they are GONE! – Buford service center
  • We are a farm to table restaurant that would never consider using products with unnatural pesticides.  We are so glad you have green shield products.  Our representative was extremely knowledgeable about the pests that have previously inhabited this 70 year old building and setup traps to monitor any pest traffic we have.  He even told us to call him at the first sign of pest activity. – Canton service center

For more information on the services offered at Northwest Exterminating visit our website at callnorthwest.com or call 888.466.7849

NorPest Green Pest Control
Green Mosquito Control
Bed Bug Control
Fire Ant Control
Termite Control
Wildlife Control
Lawn Care
TAP Insulation
Green Property Solutions
Complete CrawlSpace
Commercial Services
Builder Services
Realtor Services
Community Management Services

 

 

Introducing Green Elite by Northwest Exterminating

Introducing Green Elite by Northwest Exterminating

We’ve been working on something really big for our customers and we’re proud to announce that it’s finally here…GREEN ELITE!

At Northwest Exterminating, we have made a name for ourselves as the GREEN leaders in pest and termite control!  So it is only fitting that our newest program allows customers to continue to GO GREEN with us!  We wanted to develop a program that would benefit our customers and be an environmentally friendly solution for our environment.  Many of our customers have more than one service with us.  Since these services were typically on different schedules, our representatives were oftentimes making more than one trip out to a property to complete different services.  Customers were also getting billed individually for each service.  We knew there was a Greener way!  Keeping with our “Go Green” mentality, we thought that by grouping green services like pest, termite, and mosquito, we could reduce our carbon footprint by making fewer trips to complete services, reducing fuel costs, and reducing the amount of paper that we use in our billing process…all while saving the customer money!  It’s truly a WIN-WIN!

Green Elite customers get our Sentricon Termite Elimination System and NorPest Green Pest Control.  Green Elite Plus customers get our Sentricon Termite Elimination System, NorPest Green Pest Control and our Green Mosquito Control services.  When you are a Green Elite or Green Elite Plus customer you get the benefits of convenience billing, low monthly payments, and discounts on additional services:

We like to have fun around Northwest Exterminating!  So to get our team members excited about Green Elite, we had a party!!  And to spice things up a bit, we’re having a competition on which service center had the most Green Elite spirit!  You can help us decide the winner by visiting our Facebook page, going to the “Green Elite Spirit” photo album and voting for the branch with the most Green Elite spirit!  You are NOT going to want to miss these pictures!

Want to join the Green Elite?  Click here or call us at 888.466.7849 to Group Green & Save Green!

 

Sand Gnats in Savannah

We’re all aware of the annoyance and health concerns that come along with mosquitoes. But there is a similar bug that can be just as annoying to those residents living in areas where sand is found, the sand gnat. The sand gnat (also known as sand fly or no see um) flies, bites, and sucks blood just like the mosquito. Sand gnats leave behind red, itchy bumps on the skin after they have fed off of your blood. It is not unusual for the effects of a sand gnat bite to be more intense and last for a longer period of time than a mosquito bite. Like mosquito bites, these bumps can become infected or cause a rash.

Sand Gnat

Sand gnats are a major concern to our customers living in Savannah and the surrounding areas. By being proactive, you can ensure that mosquitoes and sand gnats don’t invade your yard. Our Savannah service center offers a Green Mosquito & Sand Gnat Program to reduce the annoyance of these pests while still using the lowest environmental impact possible. To ensure that our mosquito control program is effective and environmentally friendly, we use products that are derived from flowers and bacteria.

For pest, mosquitoes, and sand gnat control in Savannah, call Northwest Exterminating. Visit us online for more information at www.callnorthwest.com.

Did you know: Sand gnats are so notorious in Savannah that the city has a minor league baseball team named after them, the Savannah Sand Gnats.

 

Mosquito Eggs are Hatching Early…So What Does That Mean For You?

Mosquito eggs are hatching early…so what does that mean for you?

Reports have talked about the early mosquito season due to the warmer temperatures that we’ve experienced early in the season.  But will this impact your summer plans of being outdoors anymore than usual?  The Atlanta Journal Constitution ran a story featuring Northwest Exterminating that gives a glimpse of what we have to look forward to this summer with not just mosquitoes, but ants, kudzu bugs, and other pests as well.  The article includes reasons why we are seeing so many mosquitoes and tips on preventing them from invading your yard.

Read The AJC article here.

Although there are many DIY products and other mosquito control systems, Northwest recommends a monthly mosquito control program performed by licensed, experienced professionals.  Our Green Mosquito control uses products that are derived from flowers and bacteria to ensure that our program is effective and environmentally friendly.  For more information on our Green Mosquito Control or for a FREE inspection, visit us at callnorthwest.com.

 

Celebrate Earth Day, April 22!

This Sunday, April 22, is Earth Day!  As our customers and readers know, taking care of our environment is our mission and way of life at Northwest Exterminating.  We are the leader in Green pest control and take pride in our services and ways that we GO GREEN as a company.  We are constantly working to improve our green footprint over time.  Some of our efforts include reducing our power consumption, minimizing our use of paper, applying technology to reduce fuel costs, and many other techniques that will make our environment a healthier environment for generations to come.  We always keep in mind our 5 C’s: conserving, condensing, converting, controlling, and cutting.

Earth Day is a day to increase awareness and appreciation of our Earth and all it has to offer.  Earth Day is celebrated in over 175 countries.  We encourage you to participate in Earth Day this Sunday.  Ways to participate:

  • Join in an Earth Day event (For events in Atlanta, or other parts of Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and South Carolina visit the EPA’s Earth Day page)
  • Plant a tree
  • Recycle
  • Help clean up public roads or parks from litter and other debris
  • Buy local, organic produce
  • Commit to making your home or business more Earth friendly
  • Ride your bike, carpool, or take mass transit instead of driving your car

Northwest Green Services:

If you are interested in helping Northwest in our mission to GO GREEN sign up for online bill pay.

What kinds of things do you do on a daily basis for the Earth?

Send us pictures of your Earth Day!

 

Best Pest Control in Georgia – NorPest Green by Northwest Exterminating

Northwest Exterminating has been servicing the Atlanta area for over 60 years.  In the past 60 years, we have seen the industry grow to be more environmentally friendly while protecting homes and businesses from pests.  During this growth, we have proven to be the leader of green pest controlNorPest Green is a program that was developed exclusively by Northwest Exterminating to get rid of pests while maintaining the lowest environmental impact possible.

NorPest Green is a customized program that utilizes only the most innovative and advanced products and equipment available. Our products’ active ingredients are derived from flowers, plants, and natural elements from the earth. No harsh chemicals. And just as effective as traditional pest control.

Check out our latest commercial that features some of the benefits of using Northwest Exterminating and NorPest Green to get rid of your pests.  Not to mention that the cute factor in this commercial is OFF THE CHARTS

For your termite, mosquitoes, and pest control needs Trust the Mouse to Protect Your House.  Call Northwest Exterminating for your FREE inspection.

Check out our YouTube page for other videos http://www.youtube.com/user/NorthwestExterm