Feb 15, 2023 | Uncategorized
South Florida Pests: Bed Bug Control
It’s the holiday season, the time of the year when a bed bug infestation can be devastating! Bed bug activity can be confused with only being active in the summer, but they are year-round pests. This means that while the weather cools off, bed bugs are still active during the winter and will be looking towards your Miami Lakes home for warmth! Here’s what you need to know about bed bugs, signs that they’ve infested, and how you can avoid them.
What Does a Bed Bug Look Like?
Bed bugs are extremely small, only growing to 3/16th of an inch in length. Before these pests feed, their appearance is brown in color and flat in body shape. After feeding, they become red, swollen, and longer in body length. These pests will often get around by hitchhiking through certain items. Adult bed bugs can be spotted by the human eye, but nymphs are harder to spot, as they are smaller and paler in appearance.
Where Do I Find Bed Bugs in My Home?
Bed bugs will infest several areas in the home, including behind baseboards, around mattress buttons, within bedding, electrical switch plates, picture frames, and more! There are certain warning signs of a bed bug infestation, including seeing their feces, casings, bloodstains on sheets, bites on yourself or family members, and their eggs. The best evidence, however, is seeing these pests crawling around in your home.
How Can I Avoid Bed Bugs?
These pests are notorious hitchhikers, catching a ride inside your home through suitcases, old furniture, packages, clothes, and even houseguests. It’s important to be vigilant when traveling or having guests throughout the year. Check out our top preventative measures to avoid a bed bug infestation below,
- Reduce the clutter throughout your home
- Vacuum out suitcases when returning from a trip
- Check your bed linens and mattresses periodically, especially after you have had houseguests
- Thoroughly inspect any used furniture before bringing it inside your home
- After traveling, wash your clothes in hot water and dry them on high heat
If you’ve noticed signs of bed bugs or are looking to get ahead of bed bug prevention, consider reaching out to your local South Florida pest control company! These professionals will inspect your home, locate entry points, and recommend a treatment and prevention plan for your home.
Jun 21, 2022 | Uncategorized
South Florida Pest Control: Spiders
Spotting a spider inside your home is always alarming! While most of the spiders we encounter are non-venomous, spotting a venomous spider is still possible. Every homeowner should be aware and up to date with the type of spider species located in the South Florida area and how to prevent them.
Brown Recluse Spider
Known as the violin or the fiddleback spider, the brown recluse is light brown with a dark, violin-shaped marking on its back. These pests are usually found outdoors under rocks, woodpiles, logs, etc. but will seek indoors for shelter too. Once they have infested your home, they seek out dark, secluded areas during the day but are active at night to hunt. Common places you can find these spiders are attics, garages, and basements.
While these spiders are not typically aggressive, they will bite if trapped against a human, such as rolling on them in bed or stepping on them in a shoe. If bitten by these spiders, the bite can cause an infection, becoming red, swollen, and tender. It’s best to get the wound treated as soon as possible.
Wolf Spiders
Wolf spiders are dark in color with pale markings and fairly long legs. Because of their coloring and hairy bodies, they are well-camouflaged, often hiding under piles of leaves, rocks, and logs. If wolf spiders find their way inside your home, they usually stay close to the floor. You can typically find them on the walls underneath furniture.
While wolf spiders can bite, these incidents are rare and don’t pose a significant threat to humans.
Black Widow
Shiny and black, the black widow spider has a prominent red hourglass shape on the underside of its abdomen. The black widow spider is venomous, and its bite can be extremely painful. These pests often hitchhike through firewood as they like to hide in woodpiles. Once inside, they often seek out undisturbed places in the home. They are known to habitat in empty boxes, inside shoes, and eaves.
If disturbed, these spiders will bite, and it can cause serious reactions. Some reactions to a black spider bite include developing a fever, elevated blood pressure, sweating, nausea, and more. While death is uncommon if bitten, it is important to get treatment as soon as possible.
South Florida Spider Prevention
To prevent spiders from invading your home, consider placing do-it-yourself preventative measures to help avoid them.
- Keep garages, attics, sheds, basements, and other areas not used frequently clean and clear of clutter.
- Seal any cracks and crevices around the exterior and interior of your home.
- Inspect your windows for any damaged screens or cracks and fix them as soon as possible.
- If a package is delivered, inspect it before bringing it inside as spiders will often hitchhike on them.
- Contact a licensed South Florida pest control company to identify the spider species, determine entry points, and help provide you with a pest control treatment and prevention plan.
Mar 16, 2022 | Uncategorized
It’s Termite Awareness Week, and termites are a known threat to southern homeowners. Termites can cause more than 5 million dollars in property damage throughout the United States, and it is normal for this damage not to be covered by homeowner’s insurance policies. Before the damage gets out of control, look for termite signs and consider getting a preventative termite treatment and warranty from professional help.
One of the first signs that termites are near is if you encounter swarmers near your home. Although swarmers do not cause wood damage, they do indicate that a colony is nearby. If you notice swarmers, it’s best to take immediate action and have a local termite control company take a look.
Another tell-tale sign that termites are close by is the presence of mud tubes or tunnels along the foundation of your home. Termites use mud tubes to keep moisture when traveling to and from their colony and your home.
Some other signs of termites that you may notice are:
- Hollowed or damaged wood: Wood damage can be found behind surfaces like walls and floors. This is caused by termites searching for cellulose, which can leave long grooves in the wood. Over time, these grooves weaken the wood and can create structural damage. If wood is hollowed, it will show a honeycomb interior and give off an empty sound.
- Bubbles in paint: Discovering bubbles in paint means there is a buildup of moisture, which can either be from water damage or termite damage.
- Frass: Finding the appearance of wood-colored droppings that litter the ground is a sign of a drywood termite infestation.
Even if you do not find signs of termites, now is still the perfect time to get preventative termite protection! With the Sentricon Always Active bait system, you’ll experience 24/7 termite protection, annual inspections, a lifetime termite warranty, and more! Reach out to your local pest control company to help identify the type of termite and recommendations on the best treatment plan.
Jan 15, 2021 | Uncategorized
We are excited and grateful to welcome McCall Services to the Northwest Exterminating Family!
Based in Jacksonville, Florida, McCall Service has served their community for more than 90 years! We look forward to seeing this extraordinary team’s continued industry growth in the Southeast and the future opportunities that lie ahead!
Learn more about McCall Service and this update here:
Rollins, Inc. and Northwest Exterminating Co. LLC announced today that they are welcoming McCall Service, Inc. into the Rollins Family of Brands. McCall will join Northwest to create a fast growing, Southeast focused, regional platform business.
Based in Jacksonville, Florida, McCall Service has provided residential and commercial pest control services for more than 90 years to customers throughout North and Central Florida and South Georgia. This service territory fits perfectly with that of Northwest Exterminating which had previously expanded from Georgia into Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina and South Carolina.
This transaction highlights one of Rollins’ core acquisition philosophies – maintaining involvement from the families that have helped to build the pest control industry over generations. McCall Service has been led by the Cooksey family for generations, and Josh Cooksey will continue as General Manager. “With the support that our partnership with Rollins and Northwest offers McCall, I look forward to remaining focused on the overall growth and success of each teammate and looking for opportunities to better serve our customers for years to come.” The combined McCall/Northwest business will continue to be led by members of the third generations of both the Cooksey and Phillips families, an industry first.
Growing, while staying true to the brand and people, is the focus with any acquisition under Northwest and Rollins, Inc. “McCall has an incredible reputation in our industry and with their customers. We’re excited to welcome the extraordinary team into our Northwest Family,” said Stanford Phillips, Rollins Division Vice President. “We are grateful McCall chose to trust Northwest as a partner in growth moving forward and for the opportunities ahead for both brands.”
Jul 9, 2014 | Termite Control, Uncategorized
How to Maintain the Value of Your Home with Termite Control
Your home is probably the biggest investment that you will make in your lifetime. Not only is it a monetary investment but it’s a place where you want to feel safe, comfortable, and at peace when you are there. So what does termite control have to do with the value of your home?
Termites work 24/7 to find food. Unfortunately for us, and our homes, their choice of food is wood…as in the wood that is used to build our houses. So here we have these creatures that are eating wood around the clock…they are bound to cause damage.
Termite damage can be severe. Each year, termites cause over $2 billion of damage to homes in the US. In most cases, termite damage is not covered under homeowner’s insurance. So with all of that being said, it’s easy to see why termite protection is important to maintain the value of your home.
Preventing Termite Damage To Your Home:
- Be proactive. Don’t wait until the damage is done. Prevent termite infestations before they have a chance to cause damage.
- Have a reputable exterminating professional perform a termite inspection on your home. This will help to determine if you have active termites or termite damage already. They can also educate you on things you can do to deter termites away from your home.
- Save time and money by working with your pest control professional to treat your home with the termite treatments that are right for your property and situation.
By maintaining the quality of your structure you are maintaining the value of your investment, your home.
May 23, 2014 | Uncategorized
What Are 10 Ways to Prevent Mosquito Bites?
Here in the South, mosquitoes and summer go together like peanut butter and jelly. In North America there is an estimated 170 different species of mosquito. Sometimes it feels like 169 of those species live right here in the south. Aside from being a nuisance, mosquitoes can be a threat to our health. West Nile virus is a disease that is carried by mosquitoes and has become a concern in the US in recent years.
So how do you keep those pesky mosquitoes away? Below are 10 ways to Prevent Mosquito Bites:
- Wear long clothes – We know it’s the summer and it’s hot but if possible, wear long sleeves and pants when you’re going to be outdoors.
- Eliminate areas of standing water – Empty areas where water collects such as flower pots and bird baths. Properly landscape areas of the yard where water pools.
- Use insect repellant containing DEET – Follow the instructions on insect repellants that contain DEET.
- Ensure windows and doors are screened – If you have windows and/or doors open make sure they are properly screened to keep mosquitoes from entering your home.
- Avoid the outdoors between dusk and dawn – Mosquitoes are most active between dusk and dawn. Avoid going outside during those times.
- Try not to work up a sweat – Mosquitoes are attracted to the lactic acid in sweat.
- Don’t move – Mosquitoes are attracted to movement, so be still!!
- Wear light colored clothes – Mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors so wear lighter colors to avoid their bites.
- Don’t drink beer – Mosquitoes are beer lovers and will likely bite you if you are drinking one.
- Keep body temperature low – Stay cool. The higher your body temperature, the more attracted mosquitoes are to you.
Mosquito treatments can also be a great way to prevent mosquitoes. Northwest Exterminating offers a GREEN mosquito program that targets both mosquito larvae and adult mosquitoes.
May 15, 2014 | Uncategorized
Are you looking for pest control in the Smyrna, GA area?
If you’re in Atlanta, Austell, Avondale Estates, Chamblee, Decatur, Mableton, Marietta, Sandy Springs, Scottsdale, Shady Dale, or Smyrna then you are serviced by our Smyrna service center.
Our Smyrna service center offers Green pest control, Green termite control, wildlife control, Green mosquito control, bed bug control, ant control, lawn care, TAP Insulation, and Complete CrawlSpace.
Meet the Manager
Peter Schmidt
Pete is the best of the best and has been with Northwest for over 19 years. He exemplifies the “Customers for Life” attitude that we strive for at Northwest Exterminating.
May 14, 2014 | Uncategorized
Shoo “Bottle” Fly, Don’t Bother Me
The bottle fly is a common household fly. They are known for their metallic blue or green color and look like they are wearing aviator sunglasses. Some may enjoy their appearance but you won’t enjoy them if they’re in your home.
Bottle flies breed amongst unsanitary and filthy conditions. Like many other flies, they can spread diseases on the surfaces they land on including your food, kitchen counters, animal waste, and garbage. They are usually the first ones on the scene of a dead animal. Bottle flies lay their eggs in the carcass and the maggots will develop by eating the carcass. They develop from egg to adult in less than 3 weeks.
What if I find bottle flies in my home?
Finding bottle flies in your home is a good indication that you have either a dead animal located somewhere in your home or a sanitation issue. Either problem should be addressed immediately. Calling a pest control professional will allow them to identify the source of the problem and help to eliminate the original problem, as well as, the bottle flies.
May 5, 2014 | Uncategorized
Could your gardening ideas effect your termite treatment?
Spring time is an ideal time to get out in the yard, work in your garden, dig in the dirt…all those enjoyable things we like to do in the warm weather. These are great ways to improve the aesthetics of your property and also enjoy the sunshine. Hold the shovel! Wait one second before you start digging in the dirt!
Digging around the foundation of your home could disturb your termite barrier system. Minor disturbances are nothing to worry about but a major disruption can put the effectiveness of the treatment in jeopardy…causing concern for your home.
What to consider before digging around your foundation?
Mulch is a great way to spruce up your yard. Mulch provides protection, warmth, and moisture to plants but can also provide those same things to termites. Not to mention that mulch is wood! TERMITES LOVE WOOD! Other pests, such as, roaches and earwigs also find comfort in mulch.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use mulch around your home.
Don’t be discouraged. You can still use mulch around your home. Just make sure when using mulch that it is kept 1-2 feet away from the structure. Any wood that is in contact with soil and your foundation is considered a major risk for termites.
If you’re concerned about disturbing your termite treatment or suspect you may have termites, give us a call!
