Spring Pest Defense: The Termites are Swarming

You’ve heard the expression, “The best defense is a good offense.” This expression is especially true for termite control this spring in Nashville.

Termite Swarm & Infestation Season (March-May)

Groups of termites with wings are called “swarmers”. Warmer temperatures and rainfall in the spring will spur a termite swarm to leave their homes and start new colonies. While swarmers themselves don’t eat wood, they do search for places to drop their wings, mate and start new colonies - and their presence is a good sign that an infestation is present.

If you find evidence of termite wings or swarmers around your home, you should call a professional termite exterminator immediately, such as Marigold Pest Services of Nashville. Termite extermination requires an understanding of building construction and a knowledge of where termites may enter your home and damaged areas. Treating these areas typically requires special equipment and professional grade termite treatment.

Termite Control Requires a Good Offense

Now, consider the saying about putting up a good offense. Playing “Russian roulette” with your home may not be the smartest tactic. The cost of termite damage can lead into the thousands, while termite control through termite prevention methods can save you the headaches, time and expense of costly structural damage.

Most pest control services like Marigold Pest Services of Nashville offer thorough and well-designed forms of termite control that will best suits the needs of your home or business.

How to Choose the Right Pest Control Service

Nationally owned, locally owned, do-it-yourself … Nashville homeowners today have many choices when it comes to pest control and pest extermination services for their homes. But, when it comes to making a decision about which pest control service to choose, there are a few questions every homeowner should consider:

Does your pest control service employ an eco-friendly approach?

Some exterminators and pest control companies like Marigold Pest Services of Nashville employ a unique approach to pest control management, called Integrated Pest Management (IPM) that is an eco-conscious approach designed to control today's problem and prevent tomorrow's. 

Can they provide pest prevention services and education? 

A good pest control service not only exterminates bugs, they prevent them from entering your home by addressing the core issues making your home attractive to pests like ants, roaches, termites or bedbugs in the first place. Many services like Marigold provide free estimates and prevention tips to help keep your home bug free. 

Does your pest control service care for the community?

Some large pest control services apply a one-size-fits-all approach to pest services. A good question to ask is whether your pest control service cares for and invests in your community. MariGrow™ is a commitment by Marigold Pest Control Services to help local Nashville businesses and individuals raise money for local teams, bands, neighborhoods, schools and more. In addition, the company will provide pest education to schools and businesses.

Are they there for the long run?

Is your service a well-respected company with a track record of good service? Make sure you do your research, check your references and interview potential services before making a decision.

Termite Treatment to Safeguard Your Nashville Home

There are at least five different types of termites hiding and eating around this planet, but the most dangerous termite to the structure of your home is the subterranean termite–alive and well here in the Nashville area.

These destructive little creatures could be living in your walls, floors and ceilings, using their sharp jaws to weaken the structure of your home at this very moment. In fact, termites cause more than $5 billion in property damage each year across the U.S., according to the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) - and more home damage every year than earthquakes, fires, and storms combined.

How can such a tiny creature cause so much damage? By its very nature the termite is stealthy, burying itself through tunnels and structures and eating as it goes–hiding from unsuspecting homeowners until it’s too late. Your home could be hosting hundreds of termites, all feasting on the delicacies your home provides. Groups of termites have successfully collapsed structures with their incessant gnawing.

Rather than compromise your home and pay hundreds even thousands to replace and repair the damage termites can do, professional pest control services can provide termite treatment for termite control or even termite extermination.

Termite and pest control companies like Marigold Pest Services of Nashville provide integrated pest services to protect your home and can educate you on the best ways to keep termites away.  Look for Integrated Termite Service, Barrier Treatments and Pre-Construction Treatments as just a few of the ways you can stay a step ahead of termites and their damaging ways.

Nashville Residents: Get Ready for Spring Pests

It’s been a longer winter than expected, but Nashville residents are finally beginning to see evidence of springtime blooms throughout the city. And while with spring arrives the promise of new beginnings and outdoor fun, sometimes the outdoors and new beginnings come a little too close to home in the form of new insect hatchings in our homes.

This phenomena is not unusual when you consider that many insects hibernate in the cold winter months, granting us a feeling of reprieve from our warm weather battles with household pest.

“This is the time of year when we begin to see more calls for help,” says Sam Cross, owner of Marigold PestControl Services of Nashville. “A good point to remember is that with pests, out-of-site may mean out-of-mind, but it doesn’t mean out-of-trouble or out for good.” 

So, what can you do to protect your home from these spring pest awakenings? 
Marigold recommends starting with pest prevention – a strategy that the company itself employs using its Integrated Pest Management approach. The idea is to control today's problem and prevent tomorrow's by addressing the core issues making your home attractive to pests in the first place, including:

• Inspecting and sealing entry points – Your doorways, windows, pipeways and more may be welcoming insects like roaches, ants and even rats or mice into your home this spring.
• Reducing harborage areas – These can be difficult for a homeowner to identify, but knowing where to look for nests in warm, dark places, areas collecting moisture or water under sinks or near potentially rotting wood where termites and other destructive pests might be causing damage is an important practice for every homeowner. 
• Reviewing food storage and disposal practices – Keeping your house clean, counters clear of food and crumbs, trash under cover, and food sealed and in the refrigerator can reduce the temptations that attract many pests.
• Investigating any conditions inviting to pests – Keep your eyes open for pest-attracting activities and habits, or items around your home that may be inviting these unwanted guests.
• Getting professional opinions or help – While getting better at prevention can make a big difference, many times the best option is to get help from at professional pest control service to secure your home against these invaders.

Services such as Nashville’s Marigold Pest Control Services can not only provide protection and advice, they also know the specific pest issues most relevant to area’s residents. By employing their preventative approach, Nashville residents can enjoy spring and into the summer months and beyond, free from warm weather pests and the damage they bring.

Why Environmentally Friendly Pest Control Matters

Nashville residents now have a choice to opt for more eco-friendly pest control services thanks to a rise in environmentally conscious practices among the pest control industry.

“We chose to meet the demands of the market and do the right thing by opting for a kinder, smarter approach to home pest control,” said Sam Cross, owner of Marigold PestControl Services in Nashville. “Through our Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach, and by making every effort to employ products with the lowest possible impact on the environment, we are able to provide our customers with an eco-friendly pest service.”

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency calls the IPM method “an effective and environmentally sensitive approach to pest management that relies on a combination of common-sense practices.” That’s because IPM seeks to reduce the amount of pesticides needed by managing and deterring pest infestations through prevention and by addressing the core issues that are making your home attractive to pests in the first place. The result is a healthier planet, and a healthier neighborhood for you, your family and community. 

Some pest control services, like the Nashville Marigold team, have even gone so far as to integrate green practices into the core of their business, using hybrid vehicles, paperless billing and recycled materials whenever possible.

Whether you need a local Nashville exterminator to help you rid your home of insects such as roaches, ants or termites – or need to deal with rodent issues such as rats or mice, finding a pest control service that employs these eco-friendly approaches is a good first step toward developing the safest, most effective method to safeguarding your home and your community.

The Top 5 Worst Household Pests for Nashville

It seems that everyone has their own idea about what makes the worst household pest based on various personal phobias, emotional reactions and visceral dislikes to certain pests like spiders, roaches or rats.

Take me, for instance. Emotionally, I’d rather see a termite than a roach. Or, even an ant rather than a spider. But, logically I know this doesn’t make good sense. That’s when the experts come in handy.

Professional exterminators and pestprevention services like Marigold Pest Control Services of Nashville can help us view threats from household pests from a factual perspective – giving us knowledge about which bugs to look out for and which pests can make the worst problems for our homes.

1.     Cockroaches – In Nashville and the Southeast, cockroaches can cause huge infestations because they multiply quickly, hide well and can be difficult to eliminate.

2.     Mice & Rats – These creatures can carry diseases, leave droppings in food areas and can cause thousands of dollars in damage to your home.

3.     Termites – Termites are proof that what you can’t see can hurt you. Many homeowners take the risk of leaving their homes unprotected from termites, costing them thousands of dollars in repairs after infestation by these aggressive home eaters.

4.     Ants – Oftentimes ants will return year after year until a homeowner decides to do something about it. These guys can be pesky and difficult to get rid of and did you know ants can move their entire colony into your home?

5.     Fleas – Our beloved cats, dogs and pets are notorious for bringing fleas into the home. Once fleas and their eggs make their way into your carpets or infest your surrounding lawn, they can cause a homeowner a great deal of distress and embarrassment.