American Pest Control

Spot the Ampest Truck and Win GA/FL Tickets!

"Spot the Ampest Truck" and enter to win a pair of GA/FL tickets!

Everyone has heard of the "world largest outdoor cocktail party" before, and this year's game is one you don't want to miss! We're giving away 2 GA/FL tickets for next Saturday's game to a lucky fan that "Spot's the Ampest Truck!" Just snap a picture of one of our service trucks and upload the picture to Facebook or Twitter tagging American Pest Control in the status by saying " I spotted the @American Pest Control, Inc truck to win GA/FL tickets!"

The contest will last one week, you may enter on either site but you must follow these guidelines to enter:

Methods of Entering

1. Upload a photo of an Ampest truck on American Pest Control, Inc. Facebook fan page wall and type “I spotted the @American Pest Control, Inc. Truck to win GA/FL Tickets!” in the comments.
2. Upload a photo to your own Facebook wall and type “I spotted the @American Pest Control, Inc. Truck to win GA/FL Tickets!” in the comments.
3. Upload a photo to Twitter of an Ampest truck and type “I spotted the @American_Pest Truck to win GA/FL Tickets!” in the caption.

**It is important that you use the @ symbol so to tag American Pest Control, or else we will not know that you entered the contest!

Rules

1. You may enter using all 3 of the entry methods (the fan page, your wall and through Twitter) but you cannot enter more than once per method. This allows one person to enter the contest a maximum of 3 times.
2. After the contest ends we will draw a winner randomly from all entries made during the specified time limit.
3. We will directly message the winner and give them details on picking up their prize.
4. The contest ends next Wednesday, October 26^th at 4:00PM

Good luck!!

Hairy, Crazy Ants Invade the South

 

 

We've seen our fair share of pest problems while providing pest control services to northeast Georgia over the past 40 years. Everything from crazy termite stories to bed bug issues, but a new pest that has yet to reach our area has caught our attention over the past few weeks as a real contender as one of the craziest.

Known as Hairy, Crazy Ants (Nylanderia pubens) have spread rapidly over the past 9 years from Texas into Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida. Many pest control services don't know what to do about these "Crazy" pests because of their rapid speed and reproduction capabilities.

They get their nickname from the sporadic and quick movement and the light fuzz that covers their abdomen. They are hard to control because once one ant has been killed it sends a chemical warning message to the rest of the colony.

They like to hide in moist, protected areas and can even short out electrical equipment. These crazy ants can eat just about anything. Most scientist believe that they have been traveling in hay bales, cargo containers, potted plants, motorcycles and moving vans.

Although we haven't seen these hairy, crazy ants while performing pest control services in Northeast Georgia, we're keeping an eye out for them to stay up to date on their movements and proper treatments.

Don't "Fall" Prey to Pests

                                    Image Credit: Erica Marshall "The Phillyist"

Now that fall is in full swing, many people are enjoying the cooler temperatures in our area. A break from the brutal summer heat brings many people outdoors to enjoy the temperate climate in October. These changes in temperature, however, bring many pests indoors. Rodents, spiders, ants, cockroaches and other pests begin to seek shelter indoors during cooler months, looking for food, water and shelter which become scarce in the cooler months.

Some ways to keep these unwated house guests out this fall are:

•     Check around your home for cracks, crevices and points of entry for pests. Especially check door and window seals, pipe entryways and screens. Most pests need only a very small opening to sneak indoors.
•     Remove all standing water near your home and check for built up moisture from appliances. Many pest come indoors seeking water, so by cutting off their supply it will help to keep them away.
•     Always keep food containers sealed and your home clean of crumbs that pest could use for food.
• Keep firewood a good distance away from your home. Many pest travel via firewood and can easily move into the home when collected.
• Brush away debris and remove limbs/sticks that are directly touching your home. By removing these "bridges" pest will have a harder time gaining access to your home.

If you notice a pest infestation remember to give a licensed professional a call to manage the problem.  Although changes in temperature can bring in unwanted guests, by doing a few, quick and easy steps you won't have to worry about pests ruining any fall festivities.

For more information check out the National Pest Management Association's blog on "Pest Proofing."

Also, DebugtheMyths.com has some great tips on keeping pest out through their Inspect and Protect Week (Oct. 3- 7) initiative here.