Springtime Pests in GA: Ball Ground, Canton, Jasper

Springtime Pests in GA: Ball Ground, Canton, Jasper

Are you finding yourself quarantined with unwelcome, pesky house guests? I think we can all agree that springtime looks a little different this year. As the current COVID-19 situation unfolds, we are all spending more time than usual inside our homes. Unfortunately, though, virus or no virus, all of the bugs emerging from their winter hibernation are about to make your home a little more crowded. Which unwelcome house guests will be invading as spring temps continue to rise? Be on the lookout for these four pests so you can send them packing this spring with a little pest control help from SurGuard Exterminating (SEI).

Ticks
With extra time at home and more incentive for kids to play outside, homeowners have to be vigilant in keeping an eye out for ticks this spring. Although warm southern states such as Georgia have to deal with a year-round tick season, the tick activity here peaks in the spring. For assistance ridding your Cherokee or Pickens County home from ticks, call SurGuard Exterminating for more info. The three most common ticks in Georgia are as follows: the lone star tick, the American dog tick, and the black-legged tick. These pests make a living by hiding out on the edges of grass or leaves (a process known as “questing”), catching a ride on a chosen host, and finding a desirable spot to bite before drawing blood. Unlike other biting pests, a tick stays attached to its victim, though. Fun fact: Ticks are actually arachnids, which means they’re closer relatives to spiders than a mosquitoes or other types of bugs.

Carpenter Ant
This particular home-invasive pest can become the culprit of major structural damage to your trees or house if left untreated. The carpenter ant, the largest ant species found in Georgia, has power in numbers. A mature nest can house between 10,000 and 20,000 workers with some even boasting more than 50,000. In Georgia, carpenter ants emerge from hibernation and are active from March/April until early fall.

Carpenter ants, contrary to popular belief, do not eat wood as termites will. Instead, they chew out nesting sites or tunnels to feeding sites, excavating the most favorable damp, dead wood with preferable warm temps. In compromising whatever structure selected, they leave behind their signature “frass,” a pile of sawdust-like shavings. Ask SEI how they can help prevent such disaster from befalling your home – servicing zip codes 30114, 30107, 30143, 30183, and more.

Palmetto Bugs

With the scorching summer heat just around the corner, another pest you should be on the lookout for is the palmetto bug, which is another name for the American cockroach. They become active in the spring sometimes as they scramble to get outside after taking refuge in your house during the cold winter months. These creatures are most active at night when they are on the hunt for food. The last thing anyone wants is to wake up and step up one of these in the middle of the night!

Cockroaches are quite resilient and can generally live an astounding three months without food or one month without water. You are likely to find these pests hiding out in any damp, dark corner of your house. They might forfeit their plan to get outside and decide to stay around your house, though, if you have the right conditions and enough food for them. Yikes! Canton, Jasper, and Ball Ground home owners, let us help you send these creatures away for good.

Kudzu Bugs

Although not harmful to humans, this next pest can cause quite the stink in your house, figuratively and literally. Kudzu bugs, the smaller cousin of the brown marmorated stink bug, emit a similar pungent odor when disturbed or crushed. Kudzu bugs’ activity rises in the spring and fall before and after its preferred host plants (kudzu or soybean) have peaked. A Kudzu bug can be particularly detrimental to you if you are a home gardener or have any bean plants.

When in doubt, call SurGuard Exterminating for all your pest control needs. We offer unbeatable service throughout Ball Ground, Canton, and Jasper with a 100% guarantee, so don’t hesitate. Act today and save yourself and your house from allowing these unwanted pests to take up any more of your time and home. No matter how big or small the problem this spring, we are here for you.

Written By: Ashley Gibson

David Gibson, Owner

SurGuard Exterminating, Inc.

770-735-8229

surguard@yahoo.com