Month: January 2020

There are three types of termites in the United States. Can you name them? Don’t feel bad if you can’t. The only reason we can name them is because we are entrusted to protect Nashville homes and businesses from termite damage, and we need to be ready to answer questions about termites when customers ask. The three types of termites in the United States are drywood, dampwood, and subterranean termites. Here’s what you need to know about them.

U.S. Termite Distribution

• Dampwood Termites — These termites are found on the West Coast from the bottom of California all the way up into Washington, Idaho, and Montana. On the East Coast, they are only found in Florida.
• Drywood Termites — These termites can be found in all of the Southern states from California to Florida, and up the East Coast to as far as North Carolina.
• Subterranean Termites — These termites can be found in most of the United States. Alaska is completely excluded, and there are a few Northern states that have no termite activity in the top regions of the states.

What Is The Worst Type Of Termite?

There is no contest. When it comes to destructive capability, subterranean termites are the clear winners. The damage done to U.S. properties by subterranean termites is in the billions. The damage done by dampwood and drywood termites is in the hundreds of millions. One reason subterranean termites do so much more damage is that they have a much larger distribution area. But that isn’t the only reason. Subterranean termites are sneaky. What do we mean by sneaky? They live in the ground and come up from the ground to feed on the inside of the timbers inside man-made structures. This allows them to feed for years without being detected.

Guess What Type of Termite We Have In Nashville?

Subterranean termites have a distribution throughout Tennessee. But that isn’t the worst part. The most destructive of all subterranean termites species has started to appear in the state. They are called Formosan termites, and they’re pretty scary. Fortunately, all subterranean termites have a weakness. They never stop looking for food. And we give them a food source they can’t resist.

How To Stop Termites In Nashville

The pest control experts here at All-American Pest Control trust the Sentricon® System with Always Active™ to stop subterranean termites. Sentricon® targets subterranean termites in a way that it quite ingenious. The developers of the Sentricon® System observed the behavior of subterranean termites and learned that workers keep searching for food, even after they’ve found a food source. So they developed a bait that those workers couldn’t resist. In the bait, they put an active ingredient that prevents termites from molting. As workers share this ingredient with other termites in their colony through a process called trophallaxis, the termites begin to die off. This is a slow enough process that it works its way to the heart of the colony, and to the queen herself. In no time, the colony is eliminated. It is as simple as that.

How To Install The Sentricon® System

This powerful termite control system needs to be installed by a certified professional and properly maintained to ensure complete protection from termite damage. All-American Pest Control is proud to be a Certified Sentricon® Installer for the Greater Nashville area. If you have questions about Sentricon®, or you would like to request a visit from one of our installers, we’d love to hear from you. When it comes to safeguarding your equity from the threat of subterranean termites, there is simply no better way. If there was, we would tell you. 

Ahh, the joys of winter in Tennessee. No more mowing the lawn. No more weeding the flower gardens. No more swatting at mosquitoes. Yes, the cool winter weather is a welcome reprieve for many Nashville residents. And the last thing people are thinking about is pest control. But can you really let down your guard when it comes to pests getting into your home? You can if you want to. But the smarter thing to do is to take some time right now and seal up your property before the coming pest invasion that happens when the warmer weather returns.

Pest Prevention In Winter?

Think about it. When the trees are mostly bare and yard vegetation has stopped growing, this is a great time to inspect your property and your house for possible pest problems.

• Carefully check the outside of your foundation and walls for gaps, cracks, or holes where pests may try to get in. Use wire mesh, expanding foam, or a caulking gun to seal up openings. Even the tiniest of openings will be exploited by pests such as ants, cockroaches, and termites.
• Check around windows and doors for cracks that can let pests in and seal them up. These openings not only let pests get inside your home but they can also let pests get into your wall voids, where they can set up housekeeping and start multiplying. And insect pests inside your walls are an attractant for other pests, such as spiders.
• Make sure all doors leading outside have door sweeps that are working effectively. Be sure the bristles or the hard rubber makes a good seal all the way across.
• Check all of your window and door screens. Make sure they are all present and in good condition. Replace or repair screens as needed.
• Check soffits and eaves for water damage and fix any areas of concern. Clean out gutters and make sure water is channeling away from your outer walls. Water-damaged wood is soft and easy to chew through. If rodents chew their way into your home, this will let moisture in and heat out. It will also create a route for other pests.
• Trim vegetation away from the perimeter of your home. This will allow the area around your house to dry out quickly after it rains. It also removes hiding places for pests like mice and rats.
• Cut tree limbs that touch or hang over your roof. This will help keep roof rats, squirrels, and other pests from getting into your attic.
• Clear away any leaf piles or other organic material, since moist vegetation is a magnet for all sorts of insect and animal pests.
• Remove any items or materials in your yard that act as hiding places for pests. If things such as woodpiles, construction materials, and children’s toys can’t be removed, try to at least store them as far away from your home as possible.
• Make sure all of your outdoor trash cans have tight-fitting lids and that they cannot be tipped over by wildlife.

Winter is also a great time to schedule an annual termite inspection, general pest inspection, or both. If pests are found, it is a good idea to be proactive in getting rid of these pests before the weather warms up, and insects and pest animals start coming out of the woodwork (some of them quite literally).

When your done doing some or all of the tips above, you can sit back and relax, or you can take one more step and contact All-American Pest Control to sign up for year-round pest control service. When you have ongoing pest services, you don’t have to work so hard to keep pests out of your home. Plus, we give your exterior and yard everything they need to get control of pests all year long. Then, you can really relax. Reach out to us today to schedule a free inspection and get started.

Have you been thinking about investing in residential pest control for your Nashville home? We hope so! Year-round pest control is a smart choice for your health, and for the protection of your property. Are you considering All-American Pest Control for your ongoing pest control service? Our team of friendly, dedicated and highly-educated service professionals have a strong track record of meeting and exceeding the expectations of customers. Here are 10 more reasons you’ll be glad you chose year-round pest control with All-American.

1. Spider Web Removal

Spider webs aren’t just unsightly to look at, those webs can have lots and lots of spider eggs. If one batch of eggs hatch near your home, you can have more than a hundred new spiders crawling around. Any one of those spiders can find its way in. You’ll be glad that our service team members use a 20 ft. spider web-removal tool to get webs on the first and second floors of your home.

2. Quarterly Perimeter Applications

The landscaping around your home is the perfect environment for a long list of potential household pests. Quarterly perimeter applications takedown household pests before they get into your home and become a problem for you. We use EPA approved products, and we make sure to target key spots such as window sills, foundation walls, splash blocks, garbage cans, pest entry points, and door openings.

3. Misting Services For Landscaping & Trees

Mosquitoes and ticks can be a serious threat. We mist the locations mosquitoes and ticks hide, and we address breeding sites to make it much harder for these two potentially dangerous pests from breeding around your home.

4. Sentricon Termite Colony Elimination

When our Certified Sentricon® System with Always Active™ installers place Sentricon® with Always Active™ around your Nashville home, you won’t have to worry about destructive subterranean termites damaging your home and eating into your retirement savings.

5. Annual Maintenance For Sentricon System

We don’t just install Sentricon® with Always Active™, we keep track of the routine maintenance, so you don’t have to think about it. When termites try to attack your home, we’ll know it, and we’ll let you know it.

6. Annual Visual Termite Inspections

Our licensed service team members are trained to recognize the warning signs of termite activity. If your service plan does not include Sentricon® with Always Active™, we’ll make sure you get an annual visual termite inspection to reduce the risk.

7. Granule Yard Treatments

At All-American Pest Control, we go the extra mile by adding a granule application around the perimeter of the homes we treat. This granule barrier provides longer effectiveness under winter weather conditions and better results all year long.

8. Liquid Treatments

We make sure to apply a liquid barrier treatment around doors and windows we can reach, along the seal of the garage door, and in other important locations. This creates a seal that keeps pests out.

9. Fire Ant Mound Treatments

When you have Stinging & Biting Insect Yard Treatments as a part of your year-round pest control service from All-American, you get important control for fire ants. We perform localized treatments to fire ant mounds to keep those ants under control.

10. Indoor Treatments Upon Request

If Tennessee pests ever get into your home, you have fast access to a Nashville pest control technician who knows your home and your specific pest pressures. We’re always just a phone call away.

11. $1 Million Termite Damage Repair Agreement

We’ve already talked a lot about termite protection but you should know that we don’t just stop termites from getting into your home. We offer a $1 Million Termite Damage Repair Agreement to qualifying homeowners. If termites ever find a way past your termite protection and damage your home, we pay for it. That’s a guarantee you can take to the bank.

If you’re considering year-round pest control for your Tennessee home, reach out to us today. There are lots of reasons to choose All-American Pest Control!

Mice and rats present a challenge for commercial facilities in Middle Tennessee. Their ability to chew through building materials, squeeze through tight spaces, and scale walls makes them difficult to keep out. When they get in, they contaminate food with their hair, feces, and urine. They chew holes in stored goods. They introduce parasites, such as ticks and fleas. Worst of all, they chew on wiring and create a fire hazard. These are just some of the many ways rodents can be dangerous in Middle Tennessee commercial facilities. Let’s talk about a few of the ways you can get control of those rodents and prevent mice and rat infestations.

Rodent Prevention

Before rodents get into your business, they explore the outside. If you understand what they’re looking for and what requirements they need to feel comfortable searching every square inch, you can reduce rodent activity and lower your chances of an infestation.

Food — Mice and rats are always looking for food. The list of foods they’ll eat is quite long. Some food sources, such as vegetables and fruits, are obvious choices. Some are not so obvious. Mice are strongly attracted to seeds. They’ll feed on birdseed that falls to the ground, as well as grass seeds that have been laid down to fill in areas of your lawn. Rats will feed on nuts that fall from trees. Both will eat insects and invertebrates. It is impossible to hide all the food. But you can reduce food options by:

• controlling moisture to reduce insects
• installing fencing around food sources
• keeping trash in sealed receptacles
• moving birdfeeders to at least 20 ft. from your exterior

Moisture — Standing water provides a drink for mice and rats. Water also creates the conditions necessary for wood rot, which is attractive to rodents. You can reduce moisture by:

• making sure gutters are clear and in working order
• trimming tree branches to allow sunlight to dry the ground
• trimming bushes to allow good airflow to dry the topsoil in your landscaping

Cover — Mice and rats are skittish. When they explore the exterior of your facility, they’re going to move from one place of cover to another. They’ll hide in man-made objects, vegetation, and the voids under structures. You can reduce rodent activity by:

• removing unnecessary objects, especially objects that are close to the structure
• keeping the lawn and landscape vegetation neatly-trimmed
• installing fencing to protect voids from being used for hiding or habitation

Exclusion

When rodents explore your exterior, it is important that they don’t find a way to get in. Here are some tips for keeping them out.

• seal cracks, gaps, and holes in your foundation and exterior
• make sure all doors have working door sweeps and weatherstripping
• repair or replace damaged screens
• trim tree branches, so they don’t touch your roofline and offer a path for rodents
• put wire mesh in your downspouts to stop rodents from climbing up to your roof

Rodent Control

If you continue to have problems with rodents, reach out to us. At All-American Pest Control, we understand the challenge your up against. No matter what business you’re in, we can help you protect your brand, and your bottom line, from the threat of mice and rats. All-American 5-Star Business Care includes inspections for rodent activity, monitoring of rodents, and ongoing removal of rodents around your exterior. It also helps you get control of many other pests that can threaten your business. Let us develop a plan for your commercial facility that meets your specific pest control needs and budget, and grow your plan as your business grows. Get started by requesting a free consultation.