As the temperature outside starts to cool off in the fall, some pests will be more active and more noticeable in our yards and in our homes. Advanced Services Pest Control can rid your home or yard of unwanted pests and keep them from coming back. Here are five of the most common fall pests to watch for:
Bees and wasps
These flying – and stinging – pests are more active because they are busy preparing their nests and hives for winter. As their natural food sources (mostly smaller insects and plants) start to run low, bees and wasps seek food higher in sugar and carbohydrates. This is when you’ll see them on soda cans, plastic cups and garbage cans. Advanced Services will eliminate any wasp nests within 15 feet of the ground. Because bees are pollinators, we don’t exterminate them, but we will recommend beekeepers who will move them.
Cockroaches
Cockroaches always want easy access to warm shelter, food and water. Some of these little pests can tolerate the cooler weather of fall and winter, but they usually prefer a warm place to live, which might be your home. You can reduce cockroaches in your home by making sure they don’t have access from the outside. Seal all cracks and holes, including those in the foundation, around doors and windows and at the roofline. In your home, sweep and vacuum regularly and ensure all food is stored in airtight containers.
Beetles
Beetles are generally harmless, but anyone in the Augusta-Aiken area knows that ladybugs love to get indoors during the fall and winter months. These are usually more of a nuisance than anything, because they tend to gather in large clusters around lights fixtures and in windows. Instead of spraying chemicals in your house to get rid of them, just remove them with a vacuum cleaner.
Mice
Aside from Mickey Mouse, perhaps, there’s nothing cute about having a mouse in your house. If you see one mouse, there are likely more hiding somewhere. Like other pests, mice just want a warm place to stay with easy access to food. Mice can carry and spread diseases, and they reproduce quickly. A couple of mice can quickly turn into an infestation.
Spiders
Spiders are more active in the fall because they are looking for mates. Unfortunately, though, the spiders you see in your home during the fall have likely been there all along. They are just venturing out to mate. Spiders like damp, dark environments, so keep basements, bathrooms, kitchens, etc. dry.
If you need help with fall pests or just want some more information, Advanced Services Pest Control is happy to help. Contact us today to get rid of fall pests in and around your home.
There are two species native to our area, the striped scorpion and the devil scorpion, and because they prey on large numbers of insects, they’re a natural pest control! Scorpions in our area like to hide under bark that is quite flat to the tree, which is why we don’t seen them often. Striped scorpions can be identified by three dotted stripes running down the back. Contrary to popular belief, the sting of most scorpions is no more poisonous than that of a bee or wasp.
LEARN MOREThere are many species of wasps in Georgia and South Carolina. The most common you will encounter in our area are yellow jackets and various paper wasps. Yellow jackets vary in their appearance, aggressiveness and habits. As a group, yellow jackets are considered very aggressive. They can deliver a painful sting and will attack in large groups if their nests are threatened. Yellow jackets are commonly seen buzzing around trash pails and dumpsters. Paper wasps are not aggressive and only attack or sting if they are threatened or provoked. Paper wasps build their nests in hollow voids in attics, roofs, hollow fence posts and wall voids. Paper wasps get their name form their practice of building nests made of paper that they manufacture from chewed wood and bodily secretions.
LEARN MOREMillipedes and centipedes are not insects. They are closely related to lobsters, crawfish and shrimp. Centipedes can typically be found in moist areas with high humidity and are most active at night. Centipedes have an elongated, flattened body, have 14 body segments and one pair of legs per body segment. They eat insects, spiders, birds and reptiles. Depending on the species, they can vary in length from 1 to 12 inches. Most species found in our area are less than 5 inches long. Centipedes also have poison glands in their jaw. Occasionally, humans may be bitten by a centipede, but the poison usually produces a reaction similar to a bee sting.
LEARN MORESilverfish are usually seen when cabinet doors or other objects are moved. They feed on a wide variety of things including glue, wallpaper paste, starch in clothing, book bindings, rayon, and dried meats. Silverfish are active at night and hide during the day.
LEARN MOREThere are 19 Georgia and South Carolina species of grasshoppers and crickets. Male crickets produce a chirping sound at nighttime. Both grasshoppers and crickets make these sounds but crickets make theirs at a higher pitch. Males are smaller in size than females. They can be found in the kitchen when they are found indoors. They feed on food waste like crumbs.
LEARN MOREAt least 61 types of mosquito species exist in our area. Mosquito means “little fly.” They are closely related to gnats and no-see-ums. The most common diseases in our area include West Nile, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, La Crosse encephalitis, and dog/cat heart worms. To help with mosquito control, you can reduce the number of adult mosquitoes around your house by eliminating sites with standing water. Most mosquitoes bite during dawn, dusk and night.
LEARN MOREIn Georgia, there are 25 species of spiders, and there are 21 species in South Carolina. Spiders can often times be found outside of their range due to accidental or intentional misplacement from humans by cars or luggage and other belongings.
LEARN MORESquirrels, mice and rats can be a nuisance and destructive. If a squirrel population gets out of control, you will find damage to and most likely hear them running in the attic or walls of your home. Rats and mice carry diseases and parasites and can cause damage to furniture. To get rid of rodents, we will inspect the building to find where they may get in. Based on entry points, we will set traps and seal entry points. Then, if it’s possible, we will repair the damage the rodents have caused at the entry point which will help to prevent future rodents.
LEARN MOREIn Georgia and South Carolina, we share a common hatred for Palmetto bugs (cockroaches with a fancy nickname). Both smokybrown and American cockroaches are referred to as Palmetto bugs. American cockroaches are reddish brown, while smokybrowns are darker and more uniform in color. Both typically live and lay eggs in dark, moist and humid spaces like bathrooms, kitchens, crawl spaces, mulch and gardens. Palmetto bugs can carry multiple harmful pathogens. Seeing a Palmetto bug has nothing to do with cleanliness or economic conditions because they are just looking for food, and they eat anything!
LEARN MOREThere are over 12,000 ant species in the world. Only a fraction of these ant species make themselves a problem for humans. Here in South Carolina and Georgia, we only have a handful that can be considered common pests. Here is a list of the usual suspects you’ll find in your yard or in your home: Fire Ants, Carpenter Ants, Sugar Ants and Pavement Ants.
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