You know how to recognize cockroaches, fire ants, and other pests, but those aren’t the only ones you need to worry about in your home. Carpenter ants make tunnels in wood and can cause severe damage to your house before you even know there’s a problem. Here are some ways to recognize a carpenter ant infestation in your home:

Seeing carpenter ants in your home may seem like clear sign that you have an infestation, but that’s not necessarily the case. After all, worker ants can forage quite a ways looking for food. However, if you’re seeing lots of winged ants emerging from crevices, ceilings, etc. you know you have a problem. Trust us, it’s hard to mistake the sight of hundreds of these pests pouring out of your wood! But if you’re at all uncertain, be sure to call Progressive. Our highly trained Registered Operators will make sure to determine whether you have foragers or an infestation.

Unlike termites, carpenter ants don’t eat wood. Therefore, you may see piles of wood shavings underneath wooden items. If you get a chance to investigate the tunnels themselves, you’ll know that they’ve been made by carpenter ants, rather than termites, if they are clean and polished inside. If you have an infestation of carpenter ants, it’s likely a sign that you also have water damage, or even fungus in your wood, since they seek out wood that’s already softened.

Don’t panic if you notice carpenter ants in your home. Call Progressive Pest Control right away to deal with these pests! 

It is with deep sadness that we share with you that our friend and technician Richard passed away on Saturday, March 10, 2018. Ric was born in Mansfield, OH in 1957 and resided in the metro Atlanta area for the last 37 years. He loved his clients at Progressive Pest and spoke of them often. Ric was a member of Dacula United Methodist Church, a Veteran of the United States Army, an avid Buckeye fan, and bowler.

Ric is survived by his wife of 35 years, Jill Waddell; children, Brian Waddell and wife Star, and Amanda Enlow; grandchildren, Kylee Waddell, Beau Waddell, Ashlynne Enlow, and Elizabeth Enlow; sister, Betty Hollingsworth and husband Homer; and brother, Donald Waddell. Ric was preceded in death by his brothers, Charles Waddell and Rueben Waddell.

During this time, our thoughts and prayers are with Ric’s entire family and friends. There will be a memorial service held for Ric on April 8 at Dacula United Methodist Church at 3 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family request, donations to the Dacula United Methodist Church Building Fund.

When most people think of pests, they think of mosquitoes, cockroaches, and maybe ants or termites. But don’t forget about spiders! While many spiders can be beneficial in your outdoor spaces, certain kinds can be very dangerous, especially if you have pets or young children. Most spiders are not inherently aggressive, but will bite if threatened or provoked. If you’re dealing with a non-venomous spider, that’s no big deal. But there are certain types of spiders whose bite can be harmful or even fatal to humans.

Keep an eye out for these dangerous spiders:

• Black Widow. And no, we’re not talking about the character from the Avengers. These distinctive spiders are glossy black, with a red marking on the underside of the bell that is often shaped like an hourglass.
• Brown Recluse. These kinds of spiders are brown and have violin-shaped markings. They also have only six eyes, whereas most spiders have eight. These spiders are shy and will often hide in dark spaces–even inside shoes. Their venom can easily be fatal if not treated promptly.
• Yellow Sac Spider. As the name might imply, these spiders have a yellowish or beige tinge. Since they are mostly nocturnal, it’s easy to get bitten by them without realizing it.Their bites can cause pain, swelling, and itching, or even more serious reactions.

If you see any of these spiders in your home, it’s best to call Progressive Pest Control right away! Our registered operators know how to deal with them to keep your family safe.

Is there anything like the love of a pet to warm our hearts and homes? When we take on the joy of pet ownership, we also take on a host of responsibilities. At Progressive Pest Control we care deeply about our pets, and about yours. Do you know what bugs you should watch out for to protect your pets?

Of course, everyone knows about fleas and ticks. Ticks can carry lyme disease and rocky mountain spotted fever, which can be passed to humans and cause tick paralysis in pets. Fleas are less dangerous unless your pets are allergic, but they’re terribly annoying and difficult to remove! Most people know to use appropriate products on your pets, check them for ticks after walking through wooded areas or tall grass, and remove ticks promptly. But there’s another very important component to keeping pests away from your pets: treating your yard!

Yard treatments won’t just protect you and your pets from fleas and ticks. You’ll also be safer from mosquitos, which can be a carrier of heartworm. Heartworm treatment is expensive and painful, and if untreated, it can kill a pet within just a few months. There’s also cockroaches, ants, wasps, spiders–don’t let your furry companions deal with these bugs on their own!

Exterior treatments are an important part of your pest control process because they expand the defensive barrier beyond your home. Don’t neglect this part! Contact Progressive Pest Control today to set up a service request and protect your whole family, including the four-legged members.

Pests are called pests for a reason–they’re sneaky and annoying! That’s especially true if you’re talking about rental properties. Most landlords don’t visit their properties every day, or even every month, and depend on their tenants to keep them up-to-date on maintenance issues since the tenants are more often on the property. But in the end, pest prevention is still the responsibility of the landlord. What steps can you take to keep your rental property free of pests?

• Keep Your Tenants Informed. Make sure that your renters know their responsibilities, your expectations, and your pest control plans, as well as how best to prevent infestations. Check in every so often (but make sure to give notice as required by law, your lease, and common courtesy) to make sure that everything is going well.

• Schedule Pest Control Services. Progressive Pest Control offers a variety of residential services that landlords can schedule with us directly. Don’t think you need to wait until your tenants have told you they see bugs, either. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

• Property Maintenance. Make sure that windows and doors are secure, vents are in good shape, and all windows have screens. It’s up to tenants to make sure doors and screens stay shut, kitchens get cleaned, and trash gets taken out.

A good partnership with your tenants will go a long way towards keeping a rental property free of pests, and so will Progressive Pest Control! Check out our testimonials and then contact us for more information on how you can keep your property secure.

It’s the season of cold winds and freezing nights, and everybody is seeking shelter indoors–including pests! That’s why the winter is such a high season for finding cockroaches and palmetto bugs in your home. When you call for pest control services it’s important to know what kind of pest you’re dealing with. Progressive Pest Control’s qualified Registered Operators can identify pests, but if you’re curious now, what’s the difference between cockroaches and palmetto bugs?

The answer might surprise you: there is no difference. That’s right! Palmetto bugs are actually a type of cockroach. Generally the phrase “palmetto bug” is used to refer to any of the largest species of cockroaches, including the ones that fly or glide from surface to surface and scare the heck out of you, but they’re not different insects exactly. There are over 4,000 species of cockroach in the world, so it’s easy to understand the confusion.

The kind of cockroaches often referred to as palmetto bugs are extremely adaptable, and can eat almost any organic material: food scraps, hair, even paper and glue. They can live up to three months without any food! They’ll often hide in your drains, foundations, trash cans, hidden corners, and even the dishwasher.

If you’ve noticed a palmetto bug problem in your home, don’t wait! The sooner you contact Progressive Pest Control in North Atlanta, the sooner you’ll be able to enjoy your beautiful home free of pests. Check out our services to see if we offer what you need and give us a call today!

As you work on your plans for 2018, don’t forget to think about your pest control needs. Check out Progressive Pest Control’s New Year’s Resolutions for a pest-free home!

• Get Cozy. Seal up the cracks in your home! Carefully inspect both the inside and outside of your home and seal up any openings to prevent rodents or other pests from getting inside. Remember, they’re just as cold as you are, and especially in the winter months, these critters will seek warmth and shelter wherever they can find it. Don’t let that be your home!
• Get Tidy. Eliminating clutter helps in two major ways. First of all, a dirty home will attract pests. It takes time to declutter, it’s true, but it will pay off in spades. The fewer things you have, the easier it is to keep them clean! Second, a tidier home means fewer hiding places, fewer things to snack on, and a less welcoming environment for pests if they do manage to get inside.
• Get Pest Control! An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so sign up for regular pest control services with Progressive Pest Control. Our full range of services is affordable, flexible, and available for your home or office.

Progressive Pest Control stands by our services so much that we guarantee them: a single treatment is guaranteed for the interior control of rats/mice & non-flying insects for six months. Call Progressive today and let’s make this the year you never see another bug in your home or office!

Nothing makes your home feel cozier and more festive than gathering around a crackling fire. But firewood isn’t just a way to make your winter nights beautiful and warm–it can also be a vehicle for pests! Rodents and insects will try their best to get into your home during the fall and winter. Don’t let them sneak in with the firewood; follow these tips from Progressive Pest Control.

Safe firewood starts with proper storage. Never store firewood inside! This is a recipe for pest-related disaster, and also a fire hazard. You’ll also want to avoid stacking it against buildings–it can create a way for pests to burrow directly into your walls. It’s best to store firewood off the ground, on bricks or concrete blocks, at least three feet from the wall of any structure. Don’t stack firewood next to trees, either; pests in the trees will see that as an open invitation!

Use the “FIFO” system: first in, first out. This means that you’ll be using the oldest firewood first, thus minimizing the time infestations have to establish themselves. If you’re cutting your own firewood, remember that late summer or early fall is the best time to cut to prevent spring infestations. Wood should be covered and dried appropriately. Shake logs before you bring them in, and only use local firewood to prevent the spread of invasive species.

If you find yourself with unwelcome guests this holiday season, don’t panic! Call the experts at Progressive Pest Control. We can handle just about any kind of pest control–except for human guests, of course!

Fall is a busy time. Not only do we have the holidays right around the corner, but pests of all kinds are trying to get into your house before the winter! While you’re preparing your home against rodents and bugs, don’t neglect fire ants! Many people associate these pesky critters with summer because that’s when we spend the most time outside, but colonies actually reach their peak in the fall months. Treat fire ants now and you’ll find your yard much more pleasant come spring.

The most common fire ants are called Red Imported Fire Ants, and as the name would imply, they aren’t native to the United States–they came from South America sometime in the 1930s. Since then these horrible pests have spread throughout the entirety of the Southeastern US, plus all the way to West Virginia on the east coast and Washington State on the west coast.

While Progressive Pest Control can treat your fire ant problem anytime, fall is the most effective time. Fire ants are actively foraging for food right now, and their mounds are relatively shallow, all of which makes them more susceptible to treatment. The closer the queen and the brood are to the surface, the more quickly they’ll die off!

When you contact Progressive Pest Control for your pest concerns, you know you’re getting professional, effective services. Check out our testimonials and give us a call so we can get started making your yard a safe, pleasant place for you and your family!