Our Northwest teammates are constantly on the lookout for ways to go the extra mile and create extraordinary experiences wherever they go! Here area few examples of the Northwest Way at work!
A message written about Canton teammate Dan:
“Dan is our Northwest Pest Professional, and we have been very happy with the service Dan has continued to provide. We wanted to bring your attention to a specific issue that Dan brought to our attention which, thanks to Dan, we have been able to resolve. In January, Dan was in our basement and called out a problem with our radon system. Dan told us that air was leaking around the piping of the system. We immediately contacted our Warranty Department and Atlanta Radon to have a radon test done. The radon was over the FDA acceptable limits! It has taken us several months to fully resolve the issue, but we are happy that our radon levels are now well below the 4.0 acceptable limit. We had no idea there was a problem as the vacuum gauge was showing a steady reading of 3.5. As you know, radon is a health hazard and carcinogen. If not for Dan bringing this to our attention, we could have had a serious problem as we were totally unaware of the leaking and higher radon levels. We appreciate Dan and Northwest,and we wanted to commend him for his outstanding service.”
While Columbus teammates Jamie and Will were at a customer’s home, they assisted him in helping him move trees in his yard that had fallen over during Hurricane Michael. After they finished their inspection, they rolled up their sleeves and cut the trees at the trunk. Jamie and Will hooked chains to the trees and the truck and made quick work out of removing them.
Our Stockbridge teammates Jeannine, Kenneth, and James went to visit Lithonia Head Start to read books to the special needs Pre-K students. The Stockbridge team has been collecting books for this class since November 2018, and they were very excited to get to share them with the class.
Lawrenceville teammates Drew and John went out to an elderly customers home to help cut back vegetation.
Owning a home is a huge responsibility. There are so many things to consider, but when making that list of important items, termite protection should be in the top 5. Termites cause an estimated $5 billion in damages each year in the U.S., and most homeowner insurance policies do not cover damage caused by termites. Additionally, if you are looking to sell your home, the seller is usually responsible for covering the damage during the sale of the home. Knowing all this, let’s look at what you can come to expect in your first year of choosing to invest in termite protection.
A comprehensive inspection of your property is done by a certified pest professional. They will look for signs of any existing or previous termite infestations and damage. After this is completed, they will go over their findings and best recommendations on the protection and warranties available for your home.
Once you’ve made your choice and signed on the dotted line, your local office will schedule your installation day. A licensed termite control professional will come out and strategically install your termite protection system. When they have completed the installation, they will go over what was completed and walk the property with you to make sure everything was completed to a standard to which you expect.
The best part about investing in a bait system like Sentricon is cutting out the need for continuous visits and worry. Since the bait is cellulose-based and combined with a slow-acting pesticide, it works 24/7. A year after your installation, your licensed termite control professional will come back out to check every station for signs of termite activity.
Choosing the right direction for you when it comes to protecting your most important assets is a big decision. If you still have more questions, give us a call. We’ll schedule your FREE home inspection to give you all the tools to decide.
Has your vibrant green lawn suddenly become tainted with yellow spots? These yellow patches on your lawn can be the result of several different factors. If you’re wondering what’s causing yellow spots on your lawn, wonder no more! Whether you have a small yellow patch or a large swath of yellow, here are a few reasons why, along with some ways to fix them.
Excessively hot weather or having areas of your lawn completely exposed to full sun all day can dehydrate the grass pretty quickly. This heat stresses your lawn, causing damage and discoloration.
One solution to dryness is to water the turf more frequently and deeply, early in the morning if possible to allow the water time to dry over the course of the day. You can also consider reseeding in the fall to repair significant damage.
Your lawn can get excess nitrogen from two sources: overfertilizing and dog urine. Nitrogen is a chemical that enhances green leafy growth and is a necessary nutrient for a lush, healthy lawn. Too much nitrogen, however, can cause chemical burns to grass roots and a change in the pH of soil, leading to yellowing grass.
Dog urine also contains a high concentration of nitrogen and can cause burn spots on your lawn. Urine spots are often yellow bordered by greener grass because the diluted edges of the urine actually feed the grass (like fertilizer) while the more concentrated center of the urine spot burns the roots and causes the discoloration.
The best way to minimize damage from excess nitrogen is to prevent it in the first place. Use caution when fertilizing and make sure to water it in deeply when applied. If damage has already occurred, water the patch immediately to drain it and then water everyday for a week. Put in compost to replenish any lost minerals. If the grass is already dead, put sod over the area and reseed it the following season. Train your pet to urinate in other places and not go to the same spot repeatedly. Water any urine off your lawn immediately to minimize damage.
Most turf diseases that cause your lawn to have yellow spots are fungal. Temperature, thatch, and moisture levels all affect your lawn’s susceptibility to fungus. Some of the most common fungal diseases include fairy rings, snow mold, fusarium, and smut.
To help prevent fungal disease, make sure your lawn is dethatched and aerated. Try to water in the early morning hours so the moisture has time to evaporate throughout the day and not sit overnight. Make sure to also rake up any clippings, debris, and leaves to prevent moisture from being trapped underneath.
Nutritional deficiencies can lead to discoloration of your lawn. Nitrogen and iron are two of the most common deficiencies that cause yellow spots on your lawn. Nitrogen deficiencies cause leaves to turn yellow-green or yellow and your lawn will have stunted growth. Large collections of clover are also common in nitrogen-deficient lawns. Iron deficiencies will often cause the younger grass blades to turn yellow but don’t usually cause stunted growth. A soil test can indicate the deficiencies.
Once the nutrient deficiency has been identified, treat it with a nutrient specific plant food or fertilizer.
Discoloration of your lawn can also be caused by small insects chewing on grass roots causing damage. One way to check for this is to get a magnifying glass, part the grass blades, and thoroughly inspect the thatch for larvae or insects. Pest damage to grass is usually caused by younger pests and not adults.
Once you have identified the pests that are damaging your lawn, use an insecticide formulated for that pest to treat. Reducing thatch, irrigation, and proper fertilization can also help reduce pest populations.
Physical damage from frequent walking on the lawn can cause soil compaction where the soil gets packed so close together that the pores are too small. This restricts the roots and keeps them from spreading. Water and other nutrients also can’t penetrate the densely packed soil.
To help loosen the soil, aerate your lawn with either a core aerator or a rake. Follow the aeration with grass seed, fertilizer, and a layer of loam. Try to keep heavy traffic off the lawn. If that’s not possible, consider installing a walkway or stepping stones in high traffic areas.
Now that we’ve identified some of the reasons your lawn has yellow spots and ways to fix them, how can you restore the vibrant green color? Here are some other tips to bring your lawn back to life.
What Can You Do To Keep Your Home Cool This Summer?
Pest Control for Businesses: Everything You Need to Know About Commercial Pest Control
Which Pests Are Active In Your Area?
Just as the weather changes with the seasons, pest activity shifts to usher in new groups of active pests. Let’s take a look at what pests are active in your area and some tips to keep them away.
The humidity and moisture that come with early summer is what helps to increase subterranean termite activity. “Swarm season” is in full effect, and this can present a problem for your home.
Summer is the biggest travel time for many. College students are coming back home, and family vacations are planned. This increases the chances of having an incident with bed bugs, and a bed bug infestation is no easy battle.
As the summer weather starts to rev up, American cockroach activity will skyrocket. While they live outdoors, if they find themselves low on food or if the weather experiences a drastic change (extreme heat or excessive rain), they will try move indoors.
Pest infestation can be costly and a major hassle. Contact a professional pest control company like Northwest for a free pest control estimate to protect your home from pests year-round.
As a business owner or manager with a commercial property, you’ll most likely be faced with a pest issue during the duration of operating your business. And while pest control service may be optional for homeowners, it’s often a necessity or requirement for businesses, especially those where food preparation, distribution, or storage is involved, or any facility that offers a storefront or location for customers to visit. The appearance and condition of your commercial property is often your customer’s first impression of the business, so it’s critical that pests are not an issue or seen by existing and potential customers, or even employees!
Because of the health risks and threats pests can present, it’s essential to take a proactive approach to commercial pest control. This includes regular pest inspections by an exterminating company that specializes in pest control for businesses and routine, often monthly or quarterly, pest control treatments. So what are your options when it comes to commercial pest control and what can you expect from the initial call to an exterminator to service and follow ups? Here’s what you need to know:
The first step in any pest control plan, commercial or residential, is to identify past, current or potential pest threats. Businesses commonly experience issues with roaches, rodents, termites and mosquitoes – but may also experience wildlife invasions (squirrels, raccoons, birds, bees, snakes, and more) and other minor pests issues.
Because of the sanitation conditions associated with roaches, rodents and wildlife, treatment and prevention is key. Your exterminator will inspect the entire property to identify entry points and areas of infestation, and provide prevention recommendations for clean-up and a pest control plan for monthly or quarterly treatments, depending on the severity of the pest issue.
Mosquitoes also pose health risks by spreading diseases like zika, West Nile, Encephalitis, and dog heart worm and causing mosquito bite allergies. If your business serves customers outdoors, you should have your property inspected for current and potential mosquito resting and breeding sites, eliminate or reduce these areas, and request monthly mosquito treatments during peak mosquito season, usually April through October. Mosquito control service is the best way to prevent mosquito bites and minimize risk of mosquito-borne diseases.
Wildlife invasions are also common and can present damage and sanitation issues for business owners. If you suspect a wildlife issue, contact a wildlife control company immediately to inspect the property, identify wildlife issue, and offer solutions for wildlife exclusion and prevention.
Once you have your property inspected, pest issues identified, and you have treatment and prevention options, review proposals and determine the best fit for your business. If you’re looking for eco-friendly options that are effective yet utilize non-toxic products and careful application, consider an exterminating company that specializes in green pest control.
Other factors to consider when choosing an exterminator for your business:
Have more questions about commercial pest control? Call us now or request a free estimate to get started.
