Termite Inspections You Can Trust

All termite inspections are not the same. They’re either performed by QualityPro-Certified specialists or they’re not. Active Pest Control is a choice you can make with confidence, having been QualityPro-Certified since 2007 and protecting homes for more than 25 years. The QualityPro mark represents a lot when it comes to separating professional pest management providers from the rest of the pack. This important certification indicates that we have met the highest standards of professionalism in the pest management industry.

More specifically, QualityPro Certification means:

• All of our pest management professionals have had a comprehensive background check.

• Employees who drive a company vehicle have had their motor vehicle records checked.

• The company has a stringent drug-free workplace policy.

• The company meets essential insurance requirements.

• Sales and service personnel have the knowledge needed to successfully reduce and eliminate unwanted pests.

QualityPro is the largest certification available specifically for the pest management industry and administered by the Foundation for Professional Pest Management, an independent organization that develops good business practices and standards for pest management companies in the USA and Canada. You may be surprised to learn that, nationwide, less than 3 percent of pest control companies have earned this certification. Given the extensive and extremely costly damage termites can do to your home, don’t settle for less than an inspection done by a Quality-Pro Certified pro – don’t settle for less than Active Pest Control. Protect your investment by giving Active Pest Control a call today. We’re only a call or click away!

Meet Will Lowery

Have you ever wondered what has made Active Pest Control so successful and why so many of your friends and neighbors have turned to us for effective, environmentally responsible pest control solutions? Part of the reason lies with the fact that we have more than 43 years of experience in local pest pressures, and part of the reason is that we have access to the most advanced tools and technologies that work to combat pests. Some people love the Active Pest Control‘ roots that are tied to our community; and others like the fact that we are an industry leader and hold QualityPro Certification.

But one of the biggest reasons that so many trust the reliable services offered by Active Pest Control is that we hire only the best and the brightest. Our employees are some of the most qualified in the industry, and they exhibit the time-honored values of honesty, integrity, and professionalism. We carefully screen our prospective employees to ensure that the person that knocks on your door from our company is trustworthy, respectful, and knowledgeable. Before we allow someone to don the uniform that bears our name, we want to know that you will be as pleased with your pest control technician as you are with our services.

Each month, we take great pride in introducing one of our stellar employees to you in this blog. This month we have chosen to highlight one of our Administrative Trainer’s, Will Lowery. Will works hard to ensure that the services you receive are appropriate and that they are performed to exacting standards. He is certified in HPC (home pest control) and WDO (wood destroying organisms); with his direction in training employees, you can be sure that your pest issues will be quickly resolved and that the conditions that drew them in will be addressed!

It is no wonder that Will is certified in wood destroying organisms since termites are his favorite pest. Termites are always a challenge, and understanding the habits and habitats of these elusive pests is an important part of understanding how to eliminate and control them. Staying abreast of the ever-changing tools and technologies that are effective at combating termites takes a lot of studies and hands-on training, which is something that doesn’t deter Will Lowery. He states, “I love to learn new things,” which is a very useful attribute when battling the “silent destroyer”!

When Will is not busy supporting the offices and their training efforts, he loves to spend time with his family. He and Beth have been married for 7 years and are the proud parents of two energetic boys, Lucas and Jacob!

The next time you need pest control services for your home, give Active Pest Control a call. Even if you do not see Will Lowery on the other side of your door, you will certainly meet someone that he has influenced and is worthy to wear our uniform.

Avoid DIY Termite Treatments

Subterranean termites are a fact of life here in Atlanta. Some say there are only two types of homes, those that have termites, and those that will have termites. That is why it is vital to have termite protection. But not all termite protection is created equal. If you’re considering a do-it-yourself termite solution, here are a few reasons you may want to reconsider.

Termite Treatments Can Be Hazardous

When you apply a treatment to protect your property from termites, you may trade one hazard for another. If termiticides are not applied properly, they can be toxic. Professionals follow strict protocols established by industry experts and government agencies.

Termite Treatments Can Be Ineffective

The last thing anyone needs is to spend a lot of money and a lot of time to stop termites from destroying their property, only to have termites destroy their property. Sadly, this is the likely outcome if a treatment is not performed by an educated professional. The behavior of termites causes these insects to continually search for vulnerabilities in an insecticide barrier. If you miss one spot, those termites will find it.

Termite Treatments Break Down

If you apply termiticides to the soil around your home, or to the structure, you need to be aware that those products break down over time. Even if you make a complete barrier, it won’t stay complete forever. Professional pest control companies know when it is appropriate to apply new treatments to soil.

Subterranean Termites Are Sneaky

There are few insects that can avoid detection the way termites can. They tunnel through soil to find wood to feed on and, when they find it, they tunnel into it and feed on the inside. This makes termite detection extremely difficult, if not impossible, without an education in termite control. So, if your DIY pest control treatment doesn’t work, you’re likely to not realize it till you have significant damage.

At Active Pest Control, we believe the best solution is to completely avoid termite treatments altogether. We use a system that requires no drilling, no trenching, and no termiticides. It is called the Sentricon System. It uses bait stations to systematically stop termites when they come up from the ground to feed on your home. We are a certified Sentricon installer with experienced and educated technicians on staff who know how to effectively deploy this system.

If you need protection for your Atlanta home, Active Pest Control can help. Reach out to us today for a free inspection and stop those termites “before” they feed on your equity.

Tips to Reduce the Risk of Termites, Increasing Your Sales

At Active Pest Control, we take pride in educating our neighbors, and yours, about pests. To help ensure that our communities are well taken care of, we provide a curriculum for real estate professionals to help identify issues ahead of time and close more deals. Read the class recap below to learn about termite damage, how it can affect home sales, and how to get rid of those pests!

Why are termites such an issue for my clients?

The leading reason that termites can halt a home’s sale is that they cause massive, often unseen, structural damage. Each year, over $5 billion in termite damages are reported — and homeowner’s insurance rarely covers it. In fact, termites damage more structures in the U.S. than fire, floods, hurricanes, and tornados combined.

Timing is another issue. A “swarm” is the most immediate and recognizable way to identify a termite infestation; however, a colony can be established for 4-10 years before the first swarms appear. During that timeframe, the subterranean bugs are eating away at wooden parts (subfloors, door and window casings, wall studs, etc.) By the time swarms appear, much damage has occurred.

What do I look for when considering a home for contract?

Termites thrive in damp, dark places. Issues that can foster those conditions include leaky gutters, decaying eaves, poor ventilation and drainage, wooden structures sunk directly into soil (decks, foundations, porches, etc.), and peeling paint. Inside the home, signs are more subtle such as termite tubes along the baseboard and holes hidden by picture frames.

Can legal action be taken for an infestation?

Yes. To further protect you from liability when taking a house under contract, make sure it receives a comprehensive inspection by a certified company. It is important to understand, and secure an Official Georgia Wood Infestation Inspection Report. 95% of all termite-related lawsuits arise due to improper use of this “Clearance Letter” report.

What treatment method does Active Pest Control recommend?

Our technicians are trained to use the Sentricon™ Termite Colony Elimination System. It works to attract, bait and eliminate a termite infestation. Stations are placed around the perimeter of the home and loaded with a bait cartridge. When termites consume the bait from a bait tube they distribute the product throughout the colony. We believe the “always active technology” of the Sentricon™ System is the most effective way to eliminate termites from your property without causing additional damage to the structure and driving down the home’s overall price.

My property has termites — how do I get the Sentricon™ System installed?

Simply contact Active Pest Control and your authorized service technician will inspect and install the system at your convenience!

The Active Pest Control’ Realtor Education series is led by Ben Satterfield, Assistant Sales Manager for Real Estate and Builder Services. He works with home sellers throughout Georgia to protect families and eliminate pest issues.

The French New Year and Pest Control

In America, there are many traditions that folks participate in to welcome in the new year. Among them are things like doing a countdown at midnight, kissing the person you are with, dressing in weird hats, using noisemakers, and, of course, eating lots of food. This last tradition seems to be a common one around the world. In France, certain types of cakes and tarts are associated with New Year’s Day. Heart-shaped cakes and log-shaped cakes made of ice cream are among the more popular. But the one that is really interesting, in our opinion, is a type of cake that has a paper crown upon its top, called King’s cake. This puff pastry, which contains a type of filling called frangipane, has a small treat hidden inside. If you are the lucky person to find the dried bean, small coin, or ceramic figure in your piece of King’s cake, you get to wear the paper crown and be King for the day!

So, what can we learn about pest control from this French New Year’s tradition? Well, sometimes you might find something inside your food, but you don’t get to be King for the day for finding it. When you have pests in your home they can spread harmful bacteria and illness wherever they go. Rodents, cockroaches, and flies are among the worst. If they get into food storage areas or land on food prep surfaces, you could get some unwanted microscopic things inside your food. This can lead to stomach illness, dysentery, fever, or worse.

Pest Prevention Tips

If you want to keep these dirty creatures, as well as other common pests, out of your Georgia home, here are some practical steps you can take:

  • Inspect your home for gaps or cracks and fill in holes using a caulking gun.
  • Trim bushes and tree limbs back away from your house.
  • Remove standing water from your yard.
  • Stack firewood off the ground and far away from your home.
  • Make sure all trash is in tightly sealed containers.
  • Keep your house free of crumbs and food spills.
  • Store all foods, including pet food, in tightly sealed plastic containers.

If you have done all these things, and you are still having trouble with invading pests, or if you simply would rather not take any chances, it may be time to consider a professional pest control company. Here at Active Pest Control we offer year-round pest control options. This plan eliminates common household pests, has rodent monitoring and control, and includes the Sentricon® Termite Colony Elimination System. Plus, we won’t charge extra for additional service between scheduled visits. If you would like to welcome in a pest-free* New Year, and not have to worry about finding illness-causing surprises in your cake, drop us a line today.

Happy New Year! From all the staff here at Active Pest Control, we look forward to partnering up with you for a pest-free* and stress-free 2016!

Termite Warning Signs For Macon, Georgia

Of all the pests that can attack a home, termites are by far the worst. And, of all the termites species in the United States, the termites that fall into the category of “subterranean” are the ones that will do the most damage to homes in Georgia. So, we will be focusing this article on the warning signs that specifically relate to these destructive, wood-eating insects.

Swarmers: Winged termites are sometimes mistaken for a species of termite when they are actually a caste of termite. In a termite colony, there are different castes that have different roles. Workers eat wood and bring that food back to the nest. Soldiers protect the colony from predators. Queens make babies and kings fertilize the queen. The job of winged reproductives is to establish a new nest. It may be a few feet from the old nest, or up to a few miles. But, the first sign of danger will be a swarm of insects somewhere around your home. Subterranean swarmers are drawn to light, so you might see them engulfing a streetlight or an exterior light on your home.

Swarm evidence: Swarms don’t last long, so the only warning sign you may get is evidence that a swarm happened. It may be a single swarmer crawling on a wall or it might be the gossamer wings these insects shed after swarming. These might be found on back decks, patios, or window sills. They even get caught in spider webs.

Inside swarmers: If you find wings on inside window sills or swarmers crawling around on interior walls, these are signs of a current and mature infestation inside the walls of your home. You aren’t likely to get more than one or two swarmers inside your home if you aren’t already infested.

Mud tubes: Subterranean termites randomly forage for food underground and build mud tubes up your foundation walls when they emerge from the soil. These tubes can also be found on interior walls, all the way up to your attic spaces. Subterranean termites require moisture to live. These tubes keep them safe from the drying effects of the sun.

Damage: If your home has been infested for years, doors and windows will begin to stick, walls will begin to bulge, and floors will begin to sag. But, by the time you start seeing these warning signs, it is too late.

Learn the warning signs and keep your home safe from termites in Macon, Georgia. If you don’t already have a termite protection plan, give us a call. The team here at Active Pest Control is the best in the business, and we have the awards and reviews to back that up. When you need to know for sure that your home is protected from the damaging effects of termites, Active Pest Control is the right choice.

Termite Protection Is Crucial Protection

Did you know that termites cause over 5 billion dollars in damage annually in the United States?  It seems like an incredibly large number, doesn’t it?  Well, that’s because it is!  The reason this number is so high, and continues to grow, is because most people don’t even know that they have termites until the damage is extensive – often beyond repair!  These little pests do most of their eating, sleeping, breeding, and living deep in the bowels of your home.  This makes them extremely difficult for homeowners to discover.  An extremely attentive homeowner may notice some of the signs:  small piles of wings on the window sill, swarming ‘flying ants’ in the yard after a rain on a warm day, or small piles of ‘sawdust’ lying around in odd places; however, most homeowners can just brush these subtle signs away.  Besides, you may think, “Well, that’s why I have homeowners insurance,” but don’t think that too soon because most insurance carriers have a clause in their policies stating that they will not cover the cost of repair or replacement for damages caused by termites!  Talk about kicking you when you’re down!  This means that the majority of that $5 billion annually has to be absorbed by you – the homeowner!

In the not so distant history of pest control, the only point of attack of termite infestation was handled by trying to eliminate infestations after they occur, but often, they would return in a short amount of time.  It was not very effective, and often costly.  Thank goodness that we have discovered a far more effective way to deal with termites.  Exclusion!  That’s right; the newer way to deal with these pests is to not even let them in in the first place!  That is where a call to a pest control professional like Active Pest Control comes in.

Here at Active Pest Control, we use the Sentricon® Termite colony elimination system. This proven system monitors your yard and the boundaries of your home for termite activity, and when termites approach the discreet baiting stations they consume bait that will interrupt their growth and reproduction capabilities.  Not only that, but they love this bait even more than wood!  They are a social group and can’t wait to share this yummy snack with the rest of the colony; and, soon, the entire colony has been eliminated – before it could even enter your home!  It’s awesome!  Our trained specialists can inspect your property to locate any areas of easy access and help you eliminate those, and they can detect any current infestation inside your home and eliminate that as well.  Don’t become part of the statistics.  Protect your home, family and your pocketbook with a call to Active Pest Control today.  You’ll be glad you did.

Terrible Termites in Tennessee!

Termites strike fear in the hearts of homeowners for good reason, they are well known for dining on wood and significantly damaging the structural wood of homes and other buildings. And while that in itself is scary, the really scary thing about termites is that it can sometimes take weeks, months, or even years for a termite infestation to be discovered. At Active Pest Control we want to help make sure that your property isn’t taken over by these silent invaders by providing you with some information about them, the signs of a termite infestation, and what to do if you do discover termites in your home.

The most common species of termite found invading homes is the subterranean termite. As their name suggests they spend most of their life underground, and if they aren’t underground they are most likely on the inside of a piece of wood-feeding. The colony is divided up into three different castes each with their own job to do; workers, soldiers, and reproductives. Subterranean termites prefer to invade and feed on wood that has been previously damaged by water and will often accidentally enter into homes as they are searching for food sources.

The biggest threat from termites is that they are so difficult to notice. They could be living, feeding, and damaging the wood in your home for a long time before you finally start to notice that you have unwanted guests in your home. Active Pest Control’s termite experts want to provide you with some common termite signs to help you identify a termite infestation sooner than later.

Signs of a termite infestation include:

  • Finding mud tunnels that are about the width of a pencil running toward your home just underneath of the ground.
  • The walls in your home appear to be blistered or warped and sound hollow when tapped upon.
  • A large infestation that has been active for a period of time will results in doorways, floors, and ceilings becoming warped.
  • Finding piles of wings underneath of doors and windows left behind by swarming termites.

If you have discovered that termites have chosen your home to invade it is important to know that you are not alone. In fact termites are responsible for over 5 billion dollars’ worth of damages to homes all across the United States. And while termites are bad news, there is good news, the termite experts at Active Pest Control can quickly and safely eliminate termites from your Tennessee home through the use of the environmentally friendly Sentricon® System.

The Sentricon® system works by placing stations around your property that are filled with a specially developed bait. The workers are attracted to this bait even more so than the wood that they find so tasty. The workers bring the bait, along with a death sentence back to the colony. The bait works to effectively kill all the kings, queens and all other members of the colony. It’s that simple, no digging, trenching, or harsh chemicals needed! The bait stations can then be routinely monitored by our technicians so that future problems with termites will not be an issue for you or your home!

For more information about termites, the Sentricon® System, or how the termite experts at Active Pest Control can help eliminate an infestation, call Active Pest Control today!

What Is Termite Baiting?

When you hear the word bait, what do you think of? Does it conjure up an image of a man with fat fingers squeezing a worm onto a hook? Do you see him sitting in his boat or on shore waiting for the pole to bend so he can yank a giant fish from the water? If you do, it may seem impractical to use bait to catch something as small as a termite.

Now maybe you’re imagining a cup of worms being laid next to your home and all the termites squeezing out of the nooks and crannies to feast on it. After getting a belly full of poison they die in a big pile right there next to your basement wall–where they can be easily shoveled up and disposed of. You’re getting closer.

Some of you already know that termite bait doesn’t work anything like fish bait. You wisely relate it more to cockroach bait, and you are mostly right. Termite and roach bait are similar in many ways. Both are picked up by the insect and brought to where the “group” lives. And, both act as a toxin that continues to spread. But how it spreads differs.

Cockroaches and termites both have nasty habits. I know what you’re thinking, “Cockroaches and termites are nasty? I don’t believe it!” It’s true. And, it is these nasty habits that are exploited by the baits that are used to eradicate them.

Cockroaches are not picky eaters. They’ll eat toothpaste, hair, glue and even other dead cockroaches. When they eat a dead friend who was killed by toxic bait, they are poisoned by the bait, and soon die to become a meal for another roach.

Cockroaches also have a wonderful habit of leaving their excrement everywhere, and walking through the excrement of other roaches. Real nice, roaches. Real nice.

Termites go one step further with the whole “excrement” idea. They actually eat each other’s poo. This makes it even easier for a toxin to work its way through a colony. After the worker termites are eliminated, the colony is starved for food and goes into a suppression phase. As the colony starves, the queen starves. Without a queen, the colony dies.

If you’re looking to protect your home from termites, termite bait is the best way to go. It works to kill termites “before” they can damage your home. It isn’t perfect though. Sometimes the number of termites that take the bait from a bait station isn’t enough to fully eradicate the colony. But it is enough to warn a pest technician that there is a problem and zero in on where new bait should be placed. Call Active Pest Control and find out how a termite baiting system like the Sentricon© Termite Colony Elimination System can safely and effectively protect your home from termites.

Termites In Tennessee

Have you found transparent silver wings on your window sills or back porch–or worse–have you found a swarm of winged insects crawling around on the wood in your backyard? There are two types of insects that are drawn to moist, decaying wood, and neither of them are good to have in your backyard. Let’s take a look.

What are these winged insects?

Carpenter ants and termites are both a swarming insect that you will find crawling on wood. Neither of these two insects are good to have in your backyard, but termites are decidedly more dangerous. Each year carpenter ants do millions of dollars to property in the United States. Termite damage is in the billions.

How do I tell them apart?

There are two distinct way to tell the difference between termite swarmers and ant swarmers. If you’re bold enough to grab one by the wings, you can lift it up and examine its body. Ant swarmers will have a very thin waist, termites have no waist at all. If you are not bold enough to pick them up, you can look to see if there are wingless ants crawling around with the swarmers. The presence of these wingless ants is a clear sign that you have an ant swarm.

Is it possible for this swarm to pass me by?

If you have a termite swarm in your yard you should know that it is a very bad sign. Termite colonies do not swarm at first. The colony must mature. This can take a few years. You should also know that swarmers are terrible fliers and they will not be found too far from this mature colony. Often the mature colony is on your property, or inside your home. That means you have a termite colony that has been eating your home for several years. And, even if it didn’t originate from your home, it will not be passing you by. Termite swarmers don’t go far.

One more thing to know.

A swarm can happen quickly. If it does, you may not see the swarm, but instead, find your yard littered with the wings they shed after mating. If you find wings, you should immediately call a pest control company.

If you live in our area, you should never be without termite protection. Subterranean termites are a ferocious and silent wood eater. Don’t wait till you see the swarms. Get your home equity protected today.