Peskies Pest Control Montgomery Alabama Podcast

Peskies Pest Control Montgomery Alabama Podcast
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Home & Garden
  • Updated Semiweekly

Our motto at Peskies Pest Control Is 100% Guarenteed Or You Don’t Pay a Penny for pest problems in Montgomery, Alabama! Monthly discussions on how to have a pest free home with pest experts Michael Wienecke and Travis McGowin

Episodes

  1. May 26

    Worse Than Fire Ants? Meet the Asian Needle Ant

    Think fire ants are the worst thing hiding in your backyard? Think again. In this episode of the Peskies Pest Control Podcast, Travis introduces a stealthy new invader that’s rapidly expanding across the Southeast: the Asian Needle Ant. Unlike common yard pests, these tiny, orange-legged insects don’t build massive mounds—instead, they lurk quietly in mulch beds and woodpiles, packing a sting described as ‘liquid fire’ that can pose a serious medical threat. Tune in to learn how to spot their bizarre behavior, avoid their painful sting, and protect your yard from this aggressive ecosystem hijacker. Podcast Transcript: Travis: Hey everyone, welcome back to the Peskies Pest Control podcast. I’m Travis, your host. You know, we talk a lot on this show about ants, we talk a lot about termites, uh, little crawling insects like that, and we talk about how they’re nuisances. Uh, you know, the ones that come along and ruin your outdoor gatherings in your backyard, um, or fire ants that, you know, leave itchy bumps on you and your kids’ ankles, you know, when you inadvertently walk through the grass and they, you know, you come into contact with them. But today we’re going to discuss another pest that’s been making some headlines this spring. You know, so we’re halfway through May at this point, uh, and if you’ve been keeping up with the news, there’s kind of a bit of a new insect in town. And that is the Asian needle ant. Now, I say new, although this ant has been around the United States for quite a while, um, but the “new” refers to the fact that they are currently exploding and invading across the Southeast. Uh, you know, a lot of experts refer to them as a medical pest, and there’s a very good reason for that. If you’re a gardener, uh, someone who enjoys hiking, uh, if you like to move a little bit of mulch in your backyard, then you need to know who these guys are before you reach into the wrong pile of leaves or dirt. So, you know, you may be asking, “Well, I’ve never heard of the Asian needle ant. What am I looking for exactly?” So, they’re tiny, maybe even about a fifth of an inch long, if that kind of gives you an idea of just how small these Asian needle ants are. Now, as far as color goes, they’re dark, they are kind of shiny and glossy, and almost black for most of their body. But there’s a dead giveaway that you need to look for when you see these ants, and that is that they have a distinctive orangish-brown color to their legs and their jaws. So, almost a full black body, but their legs and their jaws are orange to orangish-brown. And honestly, you might not even see them coming because, unlike fire ants, they don’t build these huge nests in the middle of your lawn. They’re a lot more stealthy. They do love moist and shaded areas. A lot of times you’ll find them under, you know, rotting wood or logs, even maybe under your stones or pavers in your yard, or way down deep in a mulch bed. You know, they don’t march in long straight lines like a lot of ants do when they make invasions on your house in your kitchen or, you know, in your bathroom. They are more likely to be loners and forage um, on their own, or solo. And you know, in fact, if an Asian needle ant actually finds a great food source, it doesn’t leave a scent trail to attract other ants. But it actually goes back and picks up another ant and carries the ant to the food with them. Uh, so they’re not communicating with those chemical trails that a lot of other ants leave. So, if you see what looks like an ant with two heads moving across a log or across a mulch bed, then you might actually be spotting this tandem carrying um, that these ants do, which is kind of classic needle ant activity. One more weird way to identify them is um, if you put them into a glass jar, a lot of ants can climb right up the side of a jar, but an Asian needle ant cannot climb any smooth surfaces. So, if it attempts to climb and it’s sliding down to the bottom of the jar like it’s maybe on a layer of slick ice, you’ve probably found an Asian needle ant. Now, let’s talk a little bit about why they are referred to as medical pests. So, the sting has been described as liquid fire, uh, or as if someone is driving a hot needle into your skin. But here’s the real danger: the ants are shy. They’re not really aggressive like fire ants that, you know, come and swarm you the second that you step on a mound. So, most stings happen a lot of times when you accidentally trap one, you know, maybe you’re wearing gardening gloves, one of them gets inside, or you lean against a tree where they’re nesting. So, for most of us, it’s just an intense localized pain. Uh, it can actually hurt for sometimes hours. But for about 1% to 2% of the population, it’s actually a lot worse than that. So, these ants have an incredibly high rate of causing anaphylaxis. Uh, and if you don’t know what that is, it’s a life-threatening allergic reaction um, for people who may be hypersensitive to this interaction with the Asian needle ant. And so there’s uh, people are reporting that, you know, those who have been stung by them, and they’ve lost consciousness within a minute of being stung. So, if you’re already allergic to things like bees or wasps, then you probably have a much higher risk of this reaction. So, if you get stung, you feel dizzy, have trouble breathing, you end up having a reaction all over your body with hives—don’t wait, don’t put it off. I would say immediately call emergency services, dial 911. Uh, this is not just some sort of, you know, “rub some dirt on it” kind of situation where it’s just going to go away like a lot of times people experience with fire ants. You just want to be extremely careful. And it’s not just a threat to us; it’s also a threat to our environment in general. So, uh, University of Georgia’s actually done some research and show that in areas where these ants move in, native ants actually disappear. So, uh, they’ve actually done some studies where it looks like about 60% of the native ant population drops in the area where the Asian needle ants move in. And I know you think, “Well, I mean, ants are ants, who cares, right?” So, ants are what we can refer to as forest janitors. They turn the soil, um, they spread seeds for wildflowers. The Asian needle ant doesn’t do anything like that at all. They come in, they dominate, they take over. Uh, they even move into termite galleries um, and force termites out, uh, which sounds like a win for your house, but it completely disrupts the ecosystem of the woods wherever they move in. So, you may be asking yourself, “Well, what do we do to combat this ant? What do we do to help fix this problem?” So, here’s a couple of things: so clean up debris around your yard. You want to get rid of old wood piles, you want uh, get rid of old thinning layers of leaf litter. You want to watch for excessive moisture as well. So, if you got a leaky outdoor faucet, you may want to get that fixed and stop those leaks because these ants love and crave a damp environment. You know, when you’re out and about, wear protective um, ensembles. You know, thick gloves, closed-toe shoes while you’re working in the garden or moving landscape timbers, um, just protect yourself from the possibility of that interaction. And then also baiting can help too, um, and this is probably more from a pest control standpoint, although some people do, you know, attempt to do some pest control on their own. Um, but you know, a lot of times in the pest control world with ant baits, we have either sugar-based baits or protein-based baits. So, with these Asian needle ants, standard sugar-based baits a lot of times don’t work because they prefer protein. So, if you’re seeing them, you might need to call a professional who’s got a professional-grade protein bait of some sort to get the job done with them as well. So, bottom line: the Asian needle ant’s not going anywhere, unfortunately, just like a lot of invasive species that come from other countries. Um, they get here, they take up residence, and they’re here to stay. And as our climate warms up, they’re only going to move further north. So, it’s not about living in fear, it’s about being aware of what’s going on. So, when you’re out and about outside, look for those ants with the orange, orangish-brown legs. Watch out for damp spots or, you know, old wood piles, mulch beds, things like that. And if you’re hypersensitive to insect stings, definitely keep an EpiPen handy if you’ve had one prescribed by your doctor. Uh, if you have a high risk of having an anaphylactic reaction, it’s definitely a good idea to keep that with you. Um, so thanks for tuning in. Uh, if you think you’ve found a colony in your yard, feel free to reach out to us. And probably not a bad idea to locate and reach out to your local agriculture extensions office—most areas have them. And let them know that you’ve found them—they’re definitely keeping record and track of where these invasive ants are spreading to next. So, again, I’m Travis with Peskies Pest Control. Stay safe, stay pest-free, we’ll see you next time. The post Worse Than Fire Ants? Meet the Asian Needle Ant appeared first on Peskies Pest Control Montgomery.

    11 min

  2. May 19

    The Alabama Spring Guide to Termite Swarms

    Welcome back to another episode of the Peskies Pest Control Podcast, your go-to guide for keeping your Alabama home safe and bug-free! In this episode, host Travis McGowin dives deep into a phenomenon every Alabamian knows all too well: the dreaded spring termite swarm. Picture a beautiful afternoon right after a rainstorm, only you look at your windowsill and see a shimmering cloud of vibrating insects. Before you slip into total “termite panic,” Travis breaks down the biology of these winged invaders, how to tell them apart from ordinary flying ants, and the critical “red light” warning signs that mean it’s time to put down the over-the-counter bug spray and grab the vacuum. Tune in to learn exactly what to do whether you find these pests inside or outside your home! Visit our YouTube Channel! Podcast Transcript: So, I want to give you a scenario. So, let’s just say that it’s a pretty spring afternoon. Storms rolled in, but the rain has just stopped. Sun’s peeking out through the clouds. And you look over to your windowsill to get a glimpse of how beautiful the day actually is becoming. Only to see a cloud of vibrating, shimmering insects on your windowsill inside your home. So, if you’ve lived in Alabama for more than a year, you probably know the feeling of what we will call termite panic. So today, we’re going to talk about the spring swarm. Why is it happening? Is your house currently being eaten, and most importantly, what do you do if you find this phenomenon on the inside versus the outside of your home? So first off, let’s talk a little bit about termite biology. These aren’t just any termites. These are termite alates. So, think of them as royalty in the termite world. So, they’ve got one mission. The termite colony itself is like a crowded city. So, once it gets a little too full, the colony produces these winged reproductive termites. Their only job, their only reason for existing, is to fly out, find a partner from a different city or colony, and establish a new colony. So, they’re waiting for that perfect weather window, which is usually, you know, a nice, warm, high-humidity spring day, and really after a rain is is uh definitely ideal for them. So, the ground is soft, it makes it new—or excuse me, makes it easier for a new queen to go in and burrow and start to establish that colony. However, they’re terrible flyers. Um they do flutter around for a few minutes, often carried and pushed around by the wind if they’re outside. But if they’re inside your house, they flutter around for a few minutes, they’ll shed their wing—their wings, and then attempt to go to work. So, if you see piles of, you know, translucent termite wings on your porch or on your windowsill, then that means that their nuptial flight is over and they’re trying to start the work of what it is they’re really trying to do. Now, before you call an exterminator uh in, you know, just a complete and sheer panic, let’s talk about it and make sure that you aren’t looking at flying ants. So, ants do swarm at the same times, look almost identical when you glance at them, but there are a couple of key and important differences that you need to know about to make sure that you identify whether or not it is a termite or an ant. So, termites have thick, straight bodies. Ants have a pinched waist kind of resembling an hourglass. So, if the body’s approximately the same size from head to toe, or from front to back, I should say, it’s probably a termite. However, ants have that pinched hourglass waist. The next thing you can look at to identify them is their antennae. So, termites’ antennae, um they’re straight and look almost like they have a bunch of little tiny beads that build their antennae up. If you look at ants, they have elbowed or bent antennae. And then, another unmistakable sign that can help you identify termites versus ants is the wings. That’s probably one of the easiest ways to tell what it is you’re dealing with. So, termites have four wings that are all equal length in size. Ants, on the other hand, have four wings. However, the front wings are a lot longer than the back ones, so you’ll have two long wings and two shorter wings. Uh so, if the other methods, the the body and the antennae are a little bit too difficult for you to identify, the wings are definitely almost always a dead giveaway. So, let’s get into what now if you discover this phenomenon, and that depends entirely on where exactly you found this going on. So, in the first scenario, which would be more ideal maybe, they’re outside. If you see them swarming from a stump in your yard, a fence post, a dead tree, something like that, do not panic. This is a natural part of the ecosystem in the woods around your property. It means that somewhere nearby, you have a mature termite colony and can kind of give you like a yellow light warning. If you picture a traffic light, you know, red means stop, yellow means caution, green means go, this is probably like a yellow light warning. You need to check your foundation for mud tubes, um check the interior and exterior of your house for signs of termites. But mud tubes are kind of like, you know, a line of dried dirt that’s about the size of a pencil, and it goes up the side of the foundation or brick or concrete of your house. You want to make sure you don’t have any of those. Um because that can signify that termites are either already trying to invade your house or have already invaded your house. So, the second scenario to this would be that you find this phenomenon inside your home. So, if you happen to see these winged alate termites coming out of a baseboard, from around a light fixture, a crack in the drywall, around a window frame, the reality is is that this is a red light. This is a big stop sign. You need to stop, take heed uh because termites are swarming inside your home, and that almost always means that they are coming from within your walls, and they’re trying to get outside to go towards light. So, what I would do in this—in this scenario, if this is you, get you a vacuum and vacuum them up. And there’s going to be a lot of them, so just be prepared. Save a couple in a jar or somewhere where, you know, they’re not going to get away, and call Peskies Pest Control. Don’t wait. Call Peskies Pest Control. And then, the third part of this, and this is the big one: do not spray them with anything over the counter. No bug sprays. Um, you know, we don’t want to spray them. That spray, whatever you use that’s over the counter, will not reach the colony, will not kill the colony, and it can actually cause them to shut off where they’ve been accessing for the time being and just move to a different part of the house. So, we definitely don’t want that. So, yes, vacuum up these pests. Vacuum them up, save some for your pest control professional, and then do not spray anything on them. You’re going to make life a lot more difficult in getting rid of these termites if you do spray them with something. So, the bottom line: termite swarmers are just nature’s way of saying, “I’m here, I want to colonize.” If they’re outside, definitely be vigilant. Uh just the other day, I was at a customer’s property doing their termite renewal, checking their baiting system, and while I was around the outside of the house, there were termite swarmers flying everywhere. But, the customer can rest easy knowing that their house is protected. Termites cause billions of dollars in damage every single year. However, like most anything, if they’re caught early enough, they are manageable, the damage can be minimal. So, stay dry. You don’t want to have any moisture—high moisture content or anything that’s going to attract these termites. Keep an eye around your house, especially this time of year, and definitely get your house protected. Uh call Peskies Pest Control. We can come out, we can do a top-to-bottom, thorough inspection to make sure that you don’t already have a termite issue, and then subsequently prevent a termite issue from ever occurring. So, again, I’m Travis with Peskies Pest Control. Thanks, and we’ll see you next time. The post The Alabama Spring Guide to Termite Swarms appeared first on Peskies Pest Control Montgomery.

    10 min

  3. May 12

    Hantavirus: What You Need to Know!

    Welcome back to the Peskies Pest Control Podcast, where we look beyond the common household nuisance to discuss the serious health risks associated with local wildlife. In this episode, Travis dives into the recent headlines surrounding the MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak to explore the realities of Hantavirus—a severe respiratory disease with a staggering 40% mortality rate. While the news may be focused on the Atlantic, the danger actually begins on land with the rodents that enter our homes and workplaces. Join us as we discuss how professional exclusion and monitoring are your family’s best defense against these invisible pathogens. Podcast Transcript:Host: Hey everyone and welcome back to another episode of the Peskies Pest Control Podcast. So today we don’t necessarily want to discuss the nuisance side of pests, but we want to talk a little bit about the dangerous side of pests. So anyone who has been on social media, watched the news lately, you probably seen headlines referring to the MV Hondius. If you’re not familiar with that, it is a cruise ship that was out in the Atlantic Ocean and is dealing with a now deadly outbreak of what is known as Hantavirus. So three people have died, there’s quite a few more being monitored around the world. CDC says they’re on high alert and it just sounds like something out of a horror movie, right? Or a suspense movie of some sort. You got a Hantavirus outbreak out in the middle of the ocean, but the truth is this is not a cruise ship problem, this is not an ocean problem. This is a rodent problem. Very often it starts on land, even in some of the places where you live and you work. What is Hantavirus?Host: So you may ask yourself, what exactly is Hantavirus? In short, it is a severe respiratory disease. So, you know, we have different strains of Hantavirus, but you know, the scary part is is that it has a mortality rate of nearly 40%. So compare that to the flu or even COVID-19 and you realize, you know, how potentially serious this can be. So, you know, you may be wondering how do you get Hantavirus? Well, you don’t get bitten by a mouse or a rat to get sick from this virus. It’s actually a lot easier than that and you don’t even have to contact a live rodent to get it. But the virus is carried by rodents, some mice, some rats, and they usually shed or disperse the virus when they urinate or when they defecate or even from their saliva. So you can get it from urine, their droppings, their spit. And when their droppings dry out and you sweep them up or you vacuum them or you clean them up, especially in large rodent infestations, the virus almost becomes aerosolized, you know, floating around in the air and then you breathe it in and you are at risk for Hantavirus in that moment or at that time. The MV Hondius ConnectionHost: So realistically, you know, how did this happen on a cruise ship? Well, the outbreak, you know, we can speculate all we want to but it likely started before the passengers were even on the boat. You know, there are reports that the first victims may have been exposed while birdwatching or visiting remote areas in Argentina. But two things to note here. The virus has quite a long incubation period, so somewhere in the upwards of 8 weeks. So you might not even really know that you’re sick until way after you’ve already been exposed. And you could see where somebody maybe got on the cruise ship having already been exposed to this virus. And it only takes one small interaction with an infested area, you know, to set this off. So on the ship, because it was a certain specific strain, it began to spread through close contact between the guests on the ship. And this is why we say, you know, that pest control isn’t just about property itself. Yeah, we love protecting your property from insects and from rodents and wildlife, but the big picture of pest control really is about public health. Bringing it Home – Why Pest Control MattersHost: So I know what you’re thinking now, it’s like, well, I’m not on a cruise ship in the Atlantic, or I’m not going to get on a cruise ship in the Atlantic. But here’s the unfortunate reality: every time that a rodent, a mouse or a rat enters your crawlspace, your attic, your kitchen pantry, they are bringing what is on the outside and bringing it in. So they’re not just looking for your food, they’re leaving behind a biological footprint that can in the long run affect you, your pets, your children. In Peskies, we don’t just kill bugs. You know, we create barriers between you and your family and your pets and we create the barriers between that group and these types of groups, the insects, the rodents, the wildlife, that sort of thing. So for rodents specifically, exclusion is extremely important and when I say exclusion, I mean sealing off the entry points so that they cannot get in in the first place. And then on top of that, sanitization is extremely important. If you find droppings, it may not be the best idea to sweep them up. It might be a better idea to call a professional who knows how to disinfect, who has the appropriate personal protective equipment or PPE to deal with that type of issue just to protect you and your family from aerosolizing those those types of diseases. And then of course after exclusion and sanitization, monitoring is important. Rodents didn’t advance as long and as far as they have without being experts at hiding. So professional monitoring and inspection finds them before it becomes this massive huge infestation which can then in turn become a massive and huge health risk for you and your family. Closing & Call to ActionHost: So, you know, from our point of view and definitely the world’s point of view, the news, you know, coming from that cruise ship, the MV Hondius, is definitely a tragedy. But I do think that it is a broader wake-up call. You know, we share our world with different insects, with rodents, with wildlife, but our living spaces we shouldn’t have to share in terms of the air with these pathogens that they, you know, spread. So do not wait until you see a mouse running across your floor because chances are they’ve been there for a lot longer than you have actually realized or then that you have actually seen. If you hadn’t had an inspection, if you don’t have general pest control on a regular basis, give us a call at Peskies Pest Control. Let’s make sure that your home stays a sanctuary for yourself and your family and not a habitat for rodents, wildlife and pests. So stay safe, stay pest-free, and we’ll see you next time here on the Peskies Pest Control Podcast. The post Hantavirus: What You Need to Know! appeared first on Peskies Pest Control Montgomery.

    9 min

  4. May 5

    Tick Talk: Prevention, Protection, and Professional Treatment

    As summer temperatures hit a sunny 72°F, outdoor enthusiasts are hitting the trails to hike and bike. However, this beautiful weather also brings the rise of a dangerous parasitic creature: the Asian longhorned tick. In this episode of the Peskies Pest Control Podcast, Michael Wienecke discusses how these self-sufficient pests can breed without a mate and explores the best ways to protect your yard and family from the pathogens they carry. Podcast Transcript: Michael Wienecke: “Hey, so it is summertime and everyone is out there running these trails, biking, hiking, enjoying this great weather we’re having right now, 72 and sunny. I myself am enjoying it, especially in my backyard. But with this beautiful weather also comes a parasitic creature and today we’re going to be talking about ticks. I don’t like ticks, I don’t think anybody likes ticks. They embed in your skin and they can cause all kinds of diseases. We’ve got this new tick that is just sweeping the nation throughout the United States and it’s the Asian longhorned tick. So I kind of wanted to just bring some attention to that. I personally have not seen any in the field or any of that, but I just wanted to talk about it and it is really just kind of predicted to be a wave over this entire country. So they’re bad, they cause disease. Biggest thing, you know, we’ve got Lyme disease in this country, Rocky Mountain spotted fever. They are pathogens or they can transfer pathogens back and forth from each other. That’s how they get them. So when they bite an animal, they will bite that animal with a disease, they’ll absorb that disease and then they can transfer it from animal to animal to animal. And unfortunately there are quite a few ticks in the United States that can already transfer that disease from human to animal and back and forth. So ticks are just all around pretty bad. Another thing about the Asian longhorned tick is that it can breed without a mate. So it’s able to lay eggs without having to mate. That’s kind of scary because it can—it’s self-sufficient. Let’s talk about some ways that you can help prevent ticks in your area. So just, you know, keeping your yard nice and trimmed, keeping a really manicured, you know, all the bushes need to be cut down, just kind of out of the way because that’s what those little guys do is they just hang out on the edge of those bushes and branches or whatever it may be and as you brush up against it, those guys are latching onto you and it’s very hard to even feel them crawling on you and then all of a sudden, you know, you’re figuring it out maybe the next day and you got a tick that’s already embedded in you and you have to remove that little guy. So that’s no fun. So let’s talk about just some ways to prevent this tick over, you know, walking through these trails. Wear long sleeves, long pants, socks. If you want to spray a little bug spray on you, especially in the woods, definitely going to be helpful. Just try to keep yourself as covered up as possible and that’s going to prevent them mostly. And then of course just stay on the trails or stay away from the brush line and you should be okay. So again just picking up debris, stuff around the house, cutting the grass, keeping it short, keeping, you know, the bushes away from the house, manicured and then just watching where you play. You know, if that doesn’t work, we treat for ticks so we’re going to treat the underside of the bushes kind of where those guys are hiding, where they’re along there and that’s going to prevent those guys from being able to multiply and continue to create tick after tick. They are really good multipliers, thousands of ticks at a time. So if you’ve ever seen those deer hunting videos where they’re just crawling up the hunter’s legs, they can get really bad real quick. So again, if you need any help, give us a call (334) 595-9055. Thanks, have a great day.” The post Tick Talk: Prevention, Protection, and Professional Treatment appeared first on Peskies Pest Control Montgomery.

    5 min

  5. Apr 28

    Attic Invaders: How Raccoons Exploit Your Home

    Welcome to another episode of the Peskies Pest Control Podcast! In today’s episode, Michael Wienecke and Travis McGowin peel back the mask on one of nature’s most clever “bandits”: the raccoon. While these “trash pandas” might look cute from a distance, the duo discusses the gritty reality of dealing with them, from their human-like dexterity used to tear into roofs to the serious health risks like rabies and roundworm. Whether they are falling into living rooms or turning your attic into a “two-for-one” special with a side of fleas, you’ll learn why you definitely don’t want these vicious critters as roommates. Like us on Facebook! Podcast Transcript: Michael: So Travis, when’s the last time you were in your attic? Travis: Uh, a couple weeks ago actually. I was, uh, running some wiring for a new Wi-Fi internet system at my house. Michael: Okay, well I can guarantee that most of humanity is not running Wi-Fi throughout their attic in their – on their spare time. Uh, is that what you did? Travis: Oh, I’ll tell you, I will tell you that if most of humanity experienced Wi-Fi like I have at my house, they would. Michael: I mean we got mics dropping, you know, internet going down, you know, I – we gotta have somebody that – that knows what he’s doing. Anyway, we’re getting way off topic. Uh, well for the people that are not in their attic right now, what is – uh, what are we seeing a lot of, you know, things that are crawling around in attics right now? Besides squirrels – I mean we just did a podcast on squirrels, but what’s the other – uh, bandit that – uh, is getting in the house? Travis: I mean definitely the appropriate question should always be like, what’s living in your attic? Michael: Or in your crawl space. Travis: Or in your crawl space. That is – uh, definitely an area of concern with this particular – uh, nuisance wildlife, but – uh, you know, I’ll just go and say it, raccoons. I mean raccoons are something that you – I don’t know why that was funny. Michael: ‘Cause we drew it out so long before talking about it. Travis: Yeah, we did. It was like, kept everyone in suspense clearly. Michael: I hope the suspense was suspenseful. Travis: Uh, so they probably want to hear more about my Wi-Fi at my house, but anyway. Michael: But no, the raccoons are definitely something that you don’t want living in your home. Travis: Uh, it was funny, I was – this has been – uh, probably like two years ago or so, but I was sitting on the floor in the living room one evening, it was after 7:00, 7:30 in the evening, – uh, playing with my kids and my phone vibrated and there was a voicemail on our business line. And it was a lady in Montgomery who – uh, she – uh, had left a message saying that she needed desperate help because there was a raccoon in her living room at that very moment. Michael: Did it fall through the floor? Travis: Uh, I don’t really know the logistics of how the raccoon got into the living room. Uh, you ever see that commercial where the lady’s like calling to her cat in the yard but she doesn’t have her glasses on or whatever and she like lets the raccoon in? I don’t know if it was a situation like that. Michael: Anyway, so I looked at my wife and I’m like, you know, it’s after dark but I’m gonna call this lady back. So I did call her back, she had somebody on the way – uh, and I followed up with her the next morning and they actually did in fact somehow catch the raccoon. Uh, I don’t know what exactly method, you know, what method they used or anything like that. But – uh, not something that you want to tangle with. Michael, why don’t you elaborate on why raccoons might not be as cute and cuddly as people think? Michael: Uh, well they have – they’re just vicious. I mean they look so – they look like a little baby cat from really far away and they’re puffy and, you know, I – I kind of – I’m gonna refer back to that – uh, I believe it was in another country but the lady that went and took pictures of the – the wild cat that was in the mountains in the snow. She got mauled pretty bad. So something that looks cute and cuddly – uh, with fangs and – and claws and all that – uh, can do some major damage. So just stay away from ’em, especially if you’re seeing ’em in the daytime. Travis: Yeah, you know, I have had one try to eat me through a cage before after trapping it. Michael: I’ve had a lot try to eat me through the cage. Travis: It did – it did not look cute and cuddly as it was like snarling at me trying to tear me up through the cage. Michael: So – uh, I was sold right then on the belief that they’re not as cute and cuddly as everybody thinks they are. Travis: But aside from their looks, you know, one of the biggest problems with them is rabies. Uh, I like what you said a second ago about, you know, not toying with ’em if you see ’em in the daytime. Uh, that’s a kind of – definitely a telltale sign, you know, raccoons coming around humans is a telltale sign. Michael: Well there’s a couple situations in the daytime, you know, if – if you’ve got the neighbor feeding the raccoon constantly and it’s good food then that could bring ’em out in the daytime. Uh, we see some of that. And then the other one would be either, you know, just maybe some – some reason it got uprooted from wherever it was. But typically the daytime is not – is not the best time to see a nocturnal animal. Travis: I very rarely ever see them in the daytime. Michael: Uh, I’ve had some strange encounters with raccoons now that I think about it. But – uh, there was one morning we had got up, it was still kind of dark outside, we were letting our dogs out, we were getting the kids up, getting them ready for school. And I just remember hearing the dogs outside just going completely nuts. I’m talking about like, you knew something was going on. It wasn’t like a barking at the neighbor or something like that. So – uh, I went outside to see what was going on and our dog at the time was, I’m talking about losing his mind about a raccoon walking through the yard. And that raccoon did not show me any regard, didn’t even act like it knew I was there, didn’t act like it knew the dog was there. Uh, you know my dog was just several, you know, a few inches, a foot away maybe barking and growling and just, you know, acting crazy. And the raccoon did not even attempt to defend itself or anything. So I – I honestly thought that something maybe like rabies or something was going on with that raccoon. He – he was not concerned about our existence. Michael: Well and he probably would have won that fight against you or – uh, your dog. Travis: Absolutely he would have. Michael: My – that dog was very much all bark, no bite. So – uh, I don’t see him winning a – a scuffle with a raccoon. Travis: But it was – it was very alarming that morning that the raccoon just did not try to get away, didn’t run, didn’t fight back, didn’t do anything, just kind of slowly just was, you know, meandering through there and – and – uh, you know that was kind of a – a weird encounter. So definitely could have been rabies. Michael: They all have rabies Travis. Every single raccoon has rabies – I mean really that’s the way I just treat it. Like don’t let ’em scratch you, don’t let ’em bite you, no harm no foul and then – uh, you’re good to go. So – uh, let’s talk about just like squirrels, you know – uh, the main ways that they get into your attic, into your living space, – uh, you know all that kind of stuff. What – what are some ways they get in? Travis: Well first of all access is very, very, very important. Uh, or should I say not giving them access. It brings up – uh, one of the customers that I trapped a raccoon for – uh, that was in Montgomery a couple of years ago. So – uh, we – we knew that there was noises in the attic, they weren’t sure what they were. So I went up in the attic. When I saw the droppings of a raccoon, I immediately got out of the attic. Uh, because I’m not going to be in an enclosed space with a raccoon. It’s very likely that he was probably there at the time – uh, during the day anyway. So – uh, you know, I – I did my inspection and they had a couple of trees here and there that were close to the house that I kind of suspected that the raccoon was going up and down the trunk of the tree and getting over on the roof line. Michael: Uh, and so, you know, that’s – that’s a big one. Obviously raccoons – uh, are very smart. Travis: Physically they’re very, you know for their size they’re strong. Uh, they’ve got great dexterity with their hands. Uh, basically almost human-like dexterity with their hands. And so, you know, they – they – they can sniff out if there’s a gap that they can exploit or something that they can tear into, they can sniff it out. And access, taking away that access is one huge – uh, advantage that you have as a homeowner in making sure that you don’t end up with one in your attic or your crawl space. Michael: Well and I like how you said too, I mean with the – with the dexterity of the human-like appendages, you know, they can tear shingles right out. Uh, we’ve seen holes in roofs, we’ve seen – uh, you had one – I think you had a really good picture of one that tore off a – a vent on a roof and was getting in through the vent. Travis: That was the house that I was just referencing. Uh, yeah there was – uh, you know some people refer to them like mushroom vents or whatever but there was a – an attic vent on top of th

    17 min

  6. Apr 24

    Identifying and Managing Carpenter Ant Infestations

    In this episode of the Peskies Pest Control Podcast, Travis McGowin and Michael Wienecke dive deep into the world of carpenter ants, the “other” wood-destroying insect that can cause significant, often undetected damage to a home. The team discusses how these pests differ from termites, highlighting their tendency to gnaw on wood for nesting rather than food. Through engaging stories—including a “detective” case in Prattville involving sawdust in a bathroom and a cautionary tale about a tree collapsing due to structural compromise—they explain the signs of an infestation and the importance of home maintenance. You’ll also learn about the fascinating, “mutualistic” relationship between ants and aphids, and why Michael insists that the textbooks might be wrong about when these insects are most active. Like us on Facebook! Podcast Transcript: Introduction and Initial ReactionsTravis McGowin: How would you feel if you discovered that there was an insect essentially chewing on your house, other than termites? Michael Wienecke: I would be devastated and upset. Travis McGowin: Devastated and upset, those are your big emotions. Michael Wienecke: Distraught. Travis McGowin: Oh, distraught. Is there a difference between being distraught and devastated and upset? Michael Wienecke: Unnerved. Travis McGowin: We’re just going to pull out every descriptive word we can think of now. Michael Wienecke: No, but seriously, I mean, one of the biggest investments that I have, yes, I would be very upset and I would call Pesky’s Pest Control and be like, “Hey, get rid of this problem for me, whatever it is, whatever’s munching on my home.” Travis McGowin: You’re not biased at all to the company, are you? Michael Wienecke: No, not at all. Just saying, call a reputable company and let them come and evaluate. Identifying Carpenter AntsTravis McGowin: Well, so what I’m getting at here is a very specific insect, and the one I am currently referring to is the carpenter ant. Michael Wienecke: Yes, we have been seeing a ton of carpenter ants. I have a lot in my driveway right now, just crawling all around. Travis McGowin: You know, the interesting thing is that carpenter ants can go unnoticed for so long due to a couple of reasons. Obviously, they are gnawing on wood, and most of the time wood is going to be in a not-so-visible place inside your house—inside the walls, inside the attic, the framing, the studs, that sort of thing. So, they can go undetected for so long until the damage is so significant and the population is so large. But what are some signs that you might actually be dealing with carpenter ants? Signs of InfestationMichael Wienecke: Well, I was going to say, unless it’s a brick home, but you kept going, so… Travis McGowin: I stole your thunder, I’m sorry. Michael Wienecke: You stole my thunder. What are some signs? Well, the first sign would be carpenter ants, that would be the first sign. The second sign would be things getting kicked out of the baseboards or even little holes, sawdust, dead little insects, decapitated bodies, legs, antennae. Travis McGowin: Sounds like very violent little creatures. Michael Wienecke: Hey, they are clean little creatures, I will say that. They keep it smooth and they don’t want anything messing up their home. Travis McGowin: You know, the very interesting thing too, and I’m going to touch on what you said a second ago about obviously seeing carpenter ants, however, there’s one little fact that a lot of people don’t know or don’t realize as to why they might actually not physically see the carpenter ant itself. Can you guess why? Michael Wienecke: Is it because they are nocturnal? Travis McGowin: Absolutely. Michael Wienecke: Well, excuse me, hold on, they’re not nocturnal, that’s not the right thing to say. They feed in the nighttime, which is at night. Travis McGowin: Nocturnal is a very good… Michael Wienecke: Well, that’s not fair because I’ve got them in the daytime… I don’t know what’s the word. Travis McGowin: I mean, yeah, you’ll see an occasional carpenter ant out foraging around and doing things in the daytime, but the vast majority of them are going to be running around at night. That’s where a lot of times if you have looked and you’ve got some sort of damage obviously from an insect that destroys wood and you feel like it’s not a termite, then the time to really go out and scout is actually after dark. Michael Wienecke: I disagree with you 100% and I disagree with the book 100%. I think the best time to go out is early morning and late afternoon. I don’t think you need to go out that late. I’m just saying, that’s the one thing where I’m like, “The book’s got it wrong.” Travis McGowin: Questioning everything, Travis. Case Study: Prattville HomeTravis McGowin: Well, I will say that I have seen it both ways, actually. So, I had a customer over in the Prattville area that was obviously having some sort of carpenter ant issue they knew about, in between their first and second floor behind the sheetrock. It was kind of interesting, the bulk of the area where the issue was was tied to the ceiling above the master bathroom that was located on the first floor. And so, they actually would have bits of sawdust and, like you said, the insect parts, dead insect parts, fall from the vent fan that was located above the toilet and land on the toilet seat. So, they would like clean their toilet and then a little while later there would be like sawdust and everything else falling from the ceiling and getting on the toilet seat. Michael Wienecke: So, how, just curious, did they clean up all that after…? Did you do a treatment? How did that go? Travis McGowin: Yeah, absolutely. So, I inspected the house first and foremost to ensure that it was in fact carpenter ants that we were dealing with. And I did find a select few very large black ants that were scattered throughout little areas of the house on the first and second floor, kind of localized to that corner of the house where that bathroom was. So, I did, of course, believe we were dealing with carpenter ants. Travis McGowin: And then it became detective work. So, a lot of times you can have a carpenter ant nest inside of a house—it’s not out of the realm of possibility—but I wasn’t finding that type or amount of activity that led me to believe that they were taking up residence in a wall or in the ceiling or something like that. So, I started looking around the outside of the house, got to that outside brick veneer area that was kind of adjacent to that master bathroom, and started kind of stopping and looking around on the ground during the daytime. So, this proves a little bit of your theory that the books are wrong. Michael Wienecke: I’m telling you, it’s only one thing. Travis McGowin: I’m ignoring you. Anyway, so I did find one or two carpenter ants running around on the ground, and then at that point, I started investigating the trees that were immediately to that side of the house. And I actually took a really cool video of it, but I found a tree that towards the bottom of the trunk of the tree had a giant hole in it. And I believe I just kind of like messed with the tree, kind of like kicked at it a little bit, caused some vibration, that sort of thing. And out of nowhere comes just this massive amount of carpenter ants coming out of this hole and I was like, “Oh, well, looks like I found the nest.” So, of course, obviously treated the nest, treated the house, customer has had zero problems with carpenter ants since that day. Nesting Habits and MoistureMichael Wienecke: Well, that is great because that’s what we want to do, right? We want 100% satisfaction. So, let’s talk about—I love how you said the nest and luckily it wasn’t in their house, but they can also do satellite nests. So, you can have a nest in your house and then a nest outside in the tree. So, in large infestations, which typically take what, three to five years to get fully invested… Another thing too is they don’t just nest in trees, they’ll nest in the ground. In that particular home, was there any—why were they going to the bathroom? Was there any moisture issues there, any rot? Travis McGowin: Not that I saw. So, let me rephrase a little bit about the structure or the design of the house. So, the house actually did have a basement area underneath it. I did not personally see any moisture issues going on. Doesn’t mean that they weren’t there, just during my inspection I didn’t see any obvious signs of, like you said, rotted or damaged wood, any idea that there could be a leak in the roof or something like that. I mean, they again, could have been there, but I didn’t see any obvious signs or anything like that during the inspection. Risks and DamageMichael Wienecke: Gotcha. Well, let’s talk about them other than, you know, a pest that destroys your home. You know, other than that, they really don’t… They have the ability to bite, but they don’t—they’re typically not very aggressive in all the ants that we deal with. But they do have the ability to bite. So, biggest thing is just, I wouldn’t get into a nest. I wouldn’t mess with like a bunch of them at one time, you might have a problem, but one or two is completely fine. Travis McGowin: I think more so than the potential threat, like you said, of them retaliating against you, I really think that the frustration from these ants certainly comes more from their economic impact from just structural damage or physical damage of a house or of a property. You know, I would even think that in like, for example, in the case of that house that we were just discussing, if you had

    16 min

  7. Apr 21

    Eviction Notice: The Logistics of Squirrel Trapping

    In this episode of the Peskies Pest Control Podcast, Michael Wienecke and Travis McGowin dive into the seasonal “explosion” of squirrel activity and the havoc these bold climbers wreak on local homes. From chewing through electrical wiring—which can lead to dangerous structure fires—to tearing into gable vents and rooflines, the team discusses the serious risks and requirements involved in a professional eviction. You will learn how simple landscaping mistakes like untrimmed crepe myrtles provide a “bridge” for rodents and the tactical logistics required to successfully trap and seal out these persistent unwanted guests. Podcast Transcript: Squirrels in the AtticMichael Wienecke: All right, so who wants something crawling around in their attic? Travis McGowin: I know personally I hate crawling around in my attic, so I don’t know why anything would want to live up there in the first place. But far be it from me to tell wildlife that they can’t go in my attic, right? Michael Wienecke: So we have seen just an influx of, uh, things in attics here recently and they’ve just been squirrels and I, uh, I mean it’s, it’s just been an explosion. Travis McGowin: Yeah, ’tis the season. Um, and, and I feel like it’s like this every single spring realistically right there into that transition from winter to spring, it’s like they’re just on the prowl looking for someone’s house to get into. Michael Wienecke: Or houses. Travis McGowin: Or houses, that’s right. That’s right. Michael Wienecke: Well, and what are they doing up there? Why are they tearing into gable vents and roofs and, and all, all kinds of places on people’s homes right now? Travis McGowin: I mean, they’re looking for a place to start a family. Michael Wienecke: They’re looking to move in rent free, huh? Travis McGowin: Absolutely. Absolutely. They’re looking for a place to go and, uh, and nest and, and reproduce and, you know, take over the world one, one litter of squirrels at a time. Michael Wienecke: I’ll tell you one thing that is crazy to me about squirrels all the squirrel jobs that we do, they are very bold. They’re just, they’ll just hang out with you in the attic while you’re looking for ’em or watching ’em. I mean we’ve got plenty of videos on that, but they just kind of hang out and some of ’em will run away but a lot of ’em are just bold and they’ll just watch you. Travis McGowin: I think sometimes they think that they can’t be seen. Like they’re camouflaged. Michael Wienecke: I always thought because they thought they owned the home. They’re like hey this is I’ve been here six months this is I’ve, you know, um, what do they call it squatter’s rights. Travis McGowin: So, in order for us to effectively remove squirrels from someone’s attic do we need to go get an eviction notice from from some, you know, county entity? Michael Wienecke: We do actually Travis it is, uh, it is the state license, the, the trapping license that we, that we have to get, uh, for the state. So yes, we do have to, we do have to do that. Travis McGowin: Right. Damage and Issues Caused by SquirrelsMichael Wienecke: Well, let’s talk about some of the damage that they do though. I mean, we have seen, I mean, we just did a really good video on one chewing right in the front of someone’s house and, and getting through the wood. Uh, I’ve seen a lot of chimney damage in the past, um, just a lot, a lot of damage on wires. I mean, it’s, it’s just something that you just don’t have to deal with. And it’s always where you can’t reach it and it’s always next to the power lines. Travis McGowin: Um, you know, I think the perfect, more appropriate place to start in terms of damage and issues that the squirrels cause is really to kind of go and lead off with access. So, uh, first of all squirrels are really good climbers. Michael Wienecke: Really, really good climbers. Travis McGowin: Absolutely. They can climb textured surfaces like Spiderman. I mean realistically if your house has any kind of veneer made out of brick on it, um, even some types of siding, especially, you know, wood siding, rough cut wood, stuff like that, I mean they can climb like no body’s business. They have no trouble, um, going back and forth. And if you, you know, are fortunate enough to have some sort of surface on the outside of your house that is not textured that they can’t climb, then, you know, the next thing is they’ll climb a tree that is close to the eaves or close to the roof of the structure and they’ll just jump back and forth if they need to or if, you know, if that’s touching the roof or the eaves then they’ll just climb right, you know, back and forth and then, you know, of course we also see ’em running up and down power lines, uh, cable lines, um, more specifically cable lines to a house and I mean so there’s just so so many routes that they can get and take for their house, you or for to get into your house I should say. Michael Wienecke: Oh definitely. I mean, I think a lot of people just deal with squirrels year to year like oh well they’re back or oh they’re, you know, stirring around again this time of year or before just because they think that there’s no way to get rid of them. Travis McGowin: Oh, but there is. You know, there certainly is. Um, but you know the problem too is not only is it the access but if a squirrel doesn’t have, you know, the ideal entry point figured out, they’ll just make one. Michael Wienecke: 100%. Well, I mean that goes, you know, to maintenance on the home making sure that, you know, I think we’ve talked about what is it a pound of, uh, a pound of cure gives an inch of pressure, pa-, prevention? Travis McGowin: Oh no. It’s an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Oh gosh. I’m going to get on a shirt so I can remember. Building Construction and DeteriorationTravis McGowin: But, you know, if they climb up the, the house or come across on a line or or, you know, enter the space of the house with a tree and you know there’s a small gap, I mean rodents constantly gnaw, they constantly chew on things. So if the, if the hole itself is not quite big enough, um, they’ll just make it larger. You know, they have no problem doing that. So whether it’s the hole near an eave or, you know, a vent, um, they’ll just, you know, make their own access sometimes if the access isn’t already there. Michael Wienecke: Well let’s talk about building construction too. I mean, you know, you’ve got unfortunately skip corners, um, I don’t know when code was to put drip edge. I, I thought it was around 2000 but, uh, I, I see a lot of 2000 homes that do not have drip edge. So I mean you just see a lot of things that were missed. I mean we, we did some homes over here in Chelsea, uh, over here off Inverness and Hoover and Birmingham, you know, it’s just missing flashing and they’re just slipping right on those cracks and crevices, uh, during the, uh, you know, uh, between the roofline to the flashing. Travis McGowin: Uh, well, and you know those houses too, some of them may not have necessarily started out with an issue in the area where the drip line, or excuse me, the drip edge was supposed to be installed. But what we see a lot of times is that over the course of the life of the house, you have the decking underneath the shingles starts to, whether it’s absorbing moisture, whether it’s, uh, you know, reacting to just constant heat from the sunlight, whatever it is it may be a little mixture of both. But it’ll start to bow up and what was a tiny gap that maybe wasn’t a rodent entry point, all of a sudden down the road becomes a rodent entry point because that wood starts to warp and, you know, and change its shape. Michael Wienecke: Well it happens all the time. I mean like we talk about with wildlife squirrel work, raccoon work, bat work, whatever it can be it’s it’s creating that puzzle piece that that’s no longer there. Hazards of Squirrels in AtticsTravis McGowin: Right. And so once they damage the exterior of your home to get in and they get into the attic, now what? What becomes the problem then? So now we’ve we’ve not only got a rodent that’s made entry into the home but what can they do in the attic that’s so detrimental to a house? Michael Wienecke: Uh, well a couple things. I mean they’re going to urinate in that house, they’re going to pee in the house, um, they’re going to gather insulation. We’ve seen it to where they’ve, you know, been scratching so hard that they’ve gone through the ceiling. Um, seen a few inside of a home, that’s pretty rare, so, uh, take that, take that for what it, what it’s worth. Um, but I have seen it. Uh, and then they’re going to start chewing on wires, you know, all the stuff that can cause house fires and then they’re going to cause the, the contamination that you’re having to breathe. Travis McGowin: Right. And you know fun fact for for individuals that may, that may not know this, but years ago and I hope this is not still a practice now, but years ago the sheathing inside of electrical wiring that would, when they were creating the Romex or creating the wiring for the houses, that sheathing lubricant to get the sheathing to go over the wires was essentially vegetable oil based or similar to vegetable oil based. So not only, you know, does does the wiring pose an ideal thing for the rodents to chew on to the wildlife to chew on, but now it tastes good. So now it’s like oh well let’s give ’em something to eat in the attic that’s going to, you know, potentially cause a structure fire. Case Study and Preventive MaintenanceMichael Wienecke: Well let’s talk about some do’s and don’ts. Yes, I would agree on that structure

    24 min

  8. Apr 14

    Super Colonies and Sewage: The Alabama Argentine Ant

    In this episode of the Peskies Pest Control Podcast, hosts Michael Wienecke and Travis McGowin dive into the gritty details of what they call the “nastiest, grossest ant in Alabama”—the Argentine ant. The duo explores the unique biological traits of these invasive pests, such as their monomorphic size and their tendency to form massive supercolonies that can span thousands of miles. Beyond just being a nuisance, the hosts highlight the genuine health risks these ants pose as they travel from damp areas like sewage and stagnant water directly into home pantries, potentially spreading diseases like E. coli, salmonella and dysentery. From the “musty odor” they emit when squished to practical “ounce of prevention” tips for sealing up your home, this episode provides a comprehensive guide to identifying and controlling one of the most prolific pests in the South. Watch this on YouTube! Podcast Transcript: Michael Wienecke 0:00 Hey. So here on the Peskies Pest Control Podcast, we are going to talk about the nastiest, grossest ant in Alabama, and that is the Argentine ant. It is. It’s gross. It crawls over sewage and poop and gets in people’s food sometimes, and it just causes dysentery, Travis McGowin 0:18 among many other things. I’m sure there’s probably some E coli, salmonella and all that in there too. Michael Wienecke 0:26 Look, dysentery is just it reminds me of, like, Oregon Trail. Remember that game Oregon Trail? It’s like, what’d you die from dysentery? Travis McGowin 0:34 I think everybody died from dysentery on that game, if I’m not mistaken. It’s a very common theme, apparently. But anyway, no, the Argentine ant definitely, definitely, a very prolific ant in terms of size, colony size and whatnot that, you know, originally came around from Argentina and basically South America, very large area of South America, and was very likely introduced, you know, because of world trade shipping and trade routes and that sort of thing, like most of our very invasive pests are introduced to other countries. Michael Wienecke 1:09 It’s crazy to me how most rats, bugs, you know, other animals, have gone over from shipping. I mean, shipping has just transported so many different species of animals from one continent to another, absolutely. Travis McGowin 1:26 I mean, when you consider, you know, pests in general, and the problems that they’ve caused throughout history, and then, you know, we all want to be interconnected and trade and and all these things. But, I mean, it does come with its consequences. You know, it’s, it is one caveat to being a more, I guess, unified world in that sense, nature, nature. So, you know, tell us a little bit about some of the physical characteristics of the Argentine ant. Michael Wienecke 1:59 So really, it’s brown, light brown, kind of blackish colored. You know, really, biggest thing is you’re going to find them around the the outside of your structure, your house, leave debris, large stacks of wood. We always kind of joke about Argentine ants, because they are just they wreak havoc once you find a nest. I mean, they just come in Super colonies and just come out of the woodwork. Travis McGowin 2:27 RIght, and then when you squish them, they stink, Michael Wienecke 2:30 Yes, the musty odor, yes. They do a bit when you when you stink them, or when you squish them, they do stink, yes. Travis McGowin 2:35 And unlike some, you know, some ant colonies out there can be what we we call polymorphic, but Argentine ants are monomorphic, so typically they are all one size in when you look at them. Michael Wienecke 2:51 Well, and that sounds really boring, but we’re trying to do an inspection, knowing if they’re poly or mono is very important, because that gives that leads us to what type of ant we have, whether a carpenter ant, Argentine ant, fire ant, Pharaoh ant, you know, kind of going over all the ants. Travis McGowin 3:10 Right, and you know, Argentine ants are known to have very large colony sizes, so, and when you consider that approximately 90% of the colony are workers. I mean, they get things done, and they get it done in a hurry. So, you know, from the time that they’re an egg to the time that they’re an adult is roughly around 100 days, give or take, depending upon, obviously, the colony and weather and all that sort of thing. But by spring, they’ve got this very large build up of colonies, or excuse me, colony members, you know, and so, I mean, there’s, there’s even a documented case over in Europe of a colony Spain, one colony ultimately spanning 3700 miles. Michael Wienecke 3:56 That is a long way. I believe it was, what Italy to what does it say Spain? Travis McGowin 4:03 I don’t remember exactly, but it was, it was a very, very long way for one ant colony to have spread. Michael Wienecke 4:11 Yeah, that’s wild. They Well, I mean, in a super colony over winter, or colonize over winters to survive, and then in the summertime, they just, they explode. Travis McGowin 4:19 Right, absolutely. So, you know, when they’re out and about foraging around, they do prefer sugars, especially like honeydew or sweets. They you know, ants are funny. Most all types of ants can kind of transition and switch their foraging behaviors over based upon, you know, the time of year that it is. So they may go from sweets to proteins and back and forth or what have you, but the primary diet of these ants is something sweet, and when they run out of honeydew, what do they come for? Michael Wienecke 4:53 Well, honeydew, honeydew and aphids, they’re coming for any kind of sweet, sticky liquid or sugary, you know. A sweet what do we all eat in the summertime and, you know, all that, so, cookies, cakes, all that kind of stuff. Travis McGowin 5:05 Yeah, so they’re coming for your sweets. Yes, yeah, yes. And you know, they like moisture as well. So, you know that’s the problem with them, though. You know they’re looking for these moist, damp areas. Well, what areas are moist and damp? You’re talking about areas with sewage, stagnant water, areas those types of things. And like we said at the beginning, you’re talking about the high potential that these insects can cause you and your family to be sick, because everything they touch with their legs, that they crawl across, and then they come and they invade and infest your pantry or wherever it is, inside your house and your your surfaces, your countertops, things like that. Everything that they’ve touched before they got to that point is fair game to be placed down on everything that you have. Michael Wienecke 5:55 Well, what’s the amount of sewage that you let in your food? What’s the what’s the percentage that you’re okay with. Travis McGowin 6:01 I would hope my percentage is, can you get a negative percentage? You know, but no, 0% 0% is what I want, Michael Wienecke 6:12 Yeah and again, like I said, they’re nasty. They just blow up in the summer or the springtime. And we’re seeing a lot of calls right now on these ants, and they are a booger to control, because just like Travis said, we’ve got 10% queens, we’ve got 90% workers. Well, 10% doesn’t seem like a lot, but in a colony, 10% is a lot, so we have to kill those queens, to kill that colony. Travis McGowin 6:36 Well, you know, and that their their activity, their influx of activity, you know, comes and goes. A lot of it depends on what’s going on around the outside in their world, whether it’s extremely wet or extremely dry. That can push these ants to, you know, increase their activity. One of the big things though, that homeowners can do to help themselves, you know, obviously, there’s pesticides and different things that you can use, but sealing off access points is great. These ants like to run up and down. Utility lines, service entries, plumbing, things that go inside the wall of your house, you know, HVAC lines, those sorts of things. Sealing up those things. You know, anyone who’s listened to us for any length of time, has heard me say this multiple times, like, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, right? Just doing those little things, Michael Wienecke 7:27 I think I’m gonna get you a t shirt with that on there. Travis McGowin 7:30 And get it on the wall behind me. Michael Wienecke 7:32 Brodie asked me that the other day and I was like, I don’t know, a pound of cure. Travis McGowin 7:37 You totally. You butchered it, didn’t you? You butchered my saying, Michael Wienecke 7:41 I It’s not mine, it’s not mine. All to you. Travis McGowin 7:43 Yeah, but, but anyway, helping yourself out just a little bit like that, a lot of times, will solve some of your problems. Now, granted, they are ants, and they can kind of fit into any small gap they want to. And I’m convinced that if all ants pulled their resources together, they could take over the world. But along the way, they could, they could, they’re very strong. But, yeah, an ounce of prevention is totally worth a pound of cure in some of these situations. Michael Wienecke 8:09 Well, and sealing up your house is great too, but I know we’ve talked about too is, is the the environmental factors around the home, major water sources that are going to draw these guys in? I mean, even sealing up a home, just like Travis said, you know, your home has to breathe, so you can’t seal every inch of it, or it would just mold and fall apart. So getting rid of the firewood, like I talked about the you know, everybody’s kind of cleaning up their yard right now, raking all that old pine straw out, which is no fun, and it makes it more expensive, but it’s kind of important on a pest control level, because you’r

    11 min

  9. Apr 7

    The Heat is On: Managing Alabama’s Summer Pests

    Welcome to another episode of the Peskies Pest Control Podcast, where we dive into the “full force” emergence of Alabama’s most annoying insects as the weather warms up. In this episode, Michael Wienecke and Travis McGowin discuss everything from the “prehistoric” look of moisture-loving earwigs to the high-altitude difficulty of treating wasp nests in home eaves. Whether you are dealing with a “nightmare” yellow jacket infestation in your walls or looking for a 100% guarantee to keep fire ants out of your yard for an entire year, we have the professional solutions for whatever “ails” your home this summer. Watch this on YouTube! Podcast Transcript: Michael Wienecke: All right, so what are some summertime pests that you have seen that have just been—or coming up summertime pests? Travis McGowin: I mean, the summertime gets everything moving. Everything from roaches, crickets, silverfish, earwigs—I mean, a lot of things that we just haven’t seen throughout the fall and winter months or hadn’t had any issues with. It’s now like they’re all coming out in full force again. I mean, not even to mention, you know, mosquitoes—we’re already seeing those, and it’s only halfway through March yet, so. Michael Wienecke: I’m just glad that the Asian lady beetles are starting to kind of—kind of go away. Travis McGowin: Are they? Are they, though? Michael Wienecke: Well, you know, there’s a lot of videos out there about—about them, so I don’t know if they’re going away, but it—at my house, they’re going away. Travis McGowin: I still have a couple lingering here and there. A lot of them have died, personally, here in my office. I’ve got a couple still crawling around on the ceilings, it looks like, but I have a very large amount on the floor that are dead. So, but they’re getting annoying, still. Michael Wienecke: You know what my favorite pest to treat in the summertime is? Travis McGowin: You have a favorite pest. What’s that? Michael Wienecke: Favorite pest. Travis McGowin: What’s that? Michael Wienecke: Earwigs. Travis McGowin: Why earwigs? Michael Wienecke: Because earwigs are a moisture problem, and most people—it’s kind of crazy because like, we look in our forums and stuff off Facebook and all that, and people post earwigs all the time and they don’t know what they are because they’re—they look prehistoric, you know. Travis McGowin: Well, you know where they get their name from, though, right? Michael Wienecke: Oh yeah, yeah. Travis McGowin: Yeah, so for those listening that may not know where an earwig gets its name from, it was thought years and years ago that the earwigs would burrow into people’s ears to lay their eggs. And so there was this—this unfounded fear, which is—don’t get me wrong, any type of insect has the potential to crawl in your ear. I mean, you do enough research online, you can see where people have roaches— Michael Wienecke: Ugh, roaches, yeah. Travis McGowin: —spiders and stuff. Michael Wienecke: That was like my biggest fear when I found that out. Of like a roach just flying into your ear and like you having to go to the hospital and get it removed. I’d just be like, oh, that’s disgusting. Travis McGowin: Right, right. And from what I understand, having something crawling around inside your ear canal is not comfortable by any means. But any—any roach or earwig or whatever insect that’s small enough can go into your ear canal if it gets the opportunity to. But like I said, the—the idea was that that was where they went and laid their eggs, and they would hatch inside your ear canal, which is just not true. But, I guess the name stuck. Michael Wienecke: Well, I just think they’re cool. I mean, you know, they’ve got those little pin—pinchers on the back, and they actually do work. I mean, if you put your finger in, they can pinch you. It doesn’t hurt, but it’s just—they’re just cool little creatures, and when they get in people’s houses that—that typically don’t see them, it’s—it’s just something new to them. Travis McGowin: Well, and rarely—the—the pinchers themselves are not typically used as a defense mechanism for them. They’re actually used to hold their whatever food they have—um, to consume, is more what they’re used for, actually. Michael Wienecke: Yeah, which is really cool. So, like I said, it kind of looks like a prehistoric scorpion to me. Travis McGowin: Well, we have those too. We have scorpions too here in Alabama. Michael Wienecke: We do not see a lot of scorpions, but we do, you know, every now and then we’ll get a house, especially one that’s had a lot of—um, you know, like unearthed—like they’re doing some kind of landscaping or something like that, we’ll typically see some invasions of scorpions inside homes. What’s your least favorite pest to treat? Travis McGowin: Uh, clarify the question a little bit more for me. So when you say least favorite, are you talking about least favorite in terms of potential difficulty or least favorite in terms of process? Michael Wienecke: Difficulty. Travis McGowin: I think my least favorite—and—and this is—this is probably strictly just based upon the fact that reaching them can be difficult—and because they fly, but probably one of the most annoying ones to treat is wasps. Michael Wienecke: Oh, a wasp. Okay. Travis McGowin: Yeah, I was going to say wasps, because—and I’ll give you an example. Went to a customer’s house last week that has a single-story house, but there’s some very high eaves—especially above the house in the attic space, there’s just some very high eaves. And you can’t reach it with a traditional pole to knock a web or—not—not a web, but to knock a nest down. Spray has difficulty getting up that high. But, you know, the wasps being that they fly, being that they can get into really small gaps and crevices around the eaves of the house or doors and windows and they’ll inevitably end up in somebody’s house and they’re freaking out because they’ve got this wasp in their house. But there’s—there’s not a lot necessarily, you know, prevention-wise other than sealing things up. I mean, even—even applying a liquid pesticide’s only going to do so much for a wasp. Michael Wienecke: Well, hold on now, Travis. Now we—we’ve been up on a three-story home, and we’ve sealed out a chimney to keep these wasps from getting in a house. So you can do preventive maintenance. Um, you want to screen things that they can get into—main area’s going to be a chimney, but again, it’s going to be very high up, especially if it’s a—a—a tall home. Travis McGowin: Right, from a—from a just a general pest control—um, perspective on that, I think that they’re probably one of the more annoying. And—and, you know, obviously they can come at you and sting you—so, you know, there’s that dangerous aspect of it, if you will, especially if you have—you know, an allergy or a hypersensitivity to a wasp sting. But, there again, they can fly, they can go wherever they want to—um, and when they’re out foraging throughout the day and doing their activities throughout the day, you know, they—they can be kind of a nuisance, and—and like I said, unfortunately from a pesticide perspective, there’s only so much that you can do because they fly. Michael Wienecke: Well, I—I like how you said, you know, so high, you know, our duster pole if we can’t reach it to remove it, but we do also have the—the attachment that goes on the pole with the, you know, where we can either dust—what is it called, a Gotcha Duster? Travis McGowin: Yeah. Michael Wienecke: Yeah, the Gotcha Duster—um, you can get an aerosol on there or something, so I have used that to take care of some very, very high wasp nests in gutters and such. Travis McGowin: Right, right. Michael Wienecke: But I would agree with you on difficulty, that would be—that would be one that’s not really—that’s kind of hard to treat because like you said they fly, but also the difficulty level of finding them. Travis McGowin: Well, and there’s the—the preventive aspect. So let’s—let’s really talk about that. So from a pest control perspective, what we do when we come out for these quarterly services or we come out for these monthly services is an attempt to not only treat what it is that the customer may or may not be having a problem with, but it is also to prevent things from coming in or things from happening so that there is no, you know, pest inside or there’s no infestation that builds up. You know, and there’s a lot of pests that we can target preventatively. I mean, if you look at a house that has shrubbery, flower beds, mulch beds, those kinds of things where it’s conducive place where roaches and crickets and silverfish and earwigs want to live, but we can liquid treat and we can put out bait granules and that sort of thing, there’s a lot of preventive measures that can be taken. But something like a wasp, I mean, if they fly over and land on your house, I mean, you know, halfway up the side of your house, I mean, you know, there’s really no preventive for that. Michael Wienecke: No, not at all. Um, perfect example in Chelsea, Alabama—um, had a customer that had every year in the summertime right around this time they get—they get wasps in their house. Um, they signed on with us, they haven’t had it for the last two years, but did an inspection, found out where they were getting in, and they had an issue where the—the roof was a little raised up and they were just right in there able to get into that—that attic space, and then of course they were in t

    24 min

  10. Mar 23

    Listener Deep Dive: Reviewing Laura’s Infestation (Part 2)

    In this episode of the Peskies Pest Control Podcast, hosts Michael Wienecke and Travis McGowin consult with a homeowner named Laura regarding a severe, recurring infestation of Asian Lady Beetles in her Georgia home. We identify these insects as “occasional invaders” that swarm southern-facing structures in the fall to overwinter, often attracted to the same locations year after year by lingering pheromones. To combat the issue, we recommend an “IPM” (Integrated Pest Management) approach that prioritizes structural exclusion—sealing cracks and poor door seals—combined with the strategic use of insecticidal dusts in wall voids and fast-acting liquid treatments on high-activity exterior surfaces. While many local companies suggested only vacuuming the pests, the Peskies team emphasizes that a proactive professional protocol can achieve a 90% to 95% reduction in the beetle population. Watch this YouTube Video! Podcast Transcript: Michael Wienecke: All right, so here today on the Peskies Pest Control Podcast, we have got a guest—Laura from Georgia. She put a form out on our online fill-out form and said her issue, what she was having an issue with. No one in Georgia could take care of it. Saw a YouTube video that Travis and I had made, and so she came, she wants to come on the podcast and just talk about this issue, which is Asian Lady Beetles. So here she is. Travis McGowin: All right. Welcome, Laura. Laura K: Thank you! Nice to be here. Travis McGowin: So Laura, we understand that you’ve got a pretty extreme—I was about to say German cockroaches! We were talking about those earlier—but Asian Lady Beetles. I mean, who knew? Now is this your first run-in with them that you’ve ever really had? Laura K: Yes. I’ve never had them—you think they’re ladybugs until you have hundreds or thousands of them and they bite, and you know that’s not a ladybug. Michael Wienecke: Did you have any reaction to the bite? Laura K: No, just hurts. And they’re not aggressive; they just bite if they get stuck, like under a sleeve or something, but it’s still not good. Travis McGowin: Now have you been in Georgia your entire life or…? Laura K: No, I grew up in Virginia… in rural Virginia, so I’m used to bugs and rural areas. And then lived in New Jersey for 10 years, and then we got cold and it was expensive, and we moved to Georgia in 2004. So we’ve been in Georgia since then. Travis McGowin: That’s pretty impressive though that you’ve lived several different places and still up to this point haven’t really had any kind of run-ins with these things. And it feels like—Michael, see if you agree—but I do feel like now over the last probably four or five years, they’ve actually seemed to be getting worse. That’s just from my take on how many I’ve treated and seen. Would you agree with that? Michael Wienecke: 100%. Me and my wife went to Georgia, I do not know exactly where, but it was very similar to your pictures of your home—beautiful home by the way, up in the mountains and all that—but we were bombarded by them. My wife, obviously, it’s not something that… they controlled them a lot better than what was outside than what was inside the condo/cabin where we were at. So I think they were doing something. But yes, like Travis said, we’ve had such hot winters. It’s just been extremely hot winters and we normally see a much larger pest infestation or we start seeing a lot more aggregation of pests inside homes in the summer. Travis McGowin: So these Asian Lady Beetles, they fall under a category in our world of trying to overwinter in a warm place. They’re one of a couple—you’ve got Asian Lady Beetles, you’ve got the Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs… Laura K: Stink bugs are all there too, yeah. Travis McGowin: Right, absolutely. So they come into September, October, they start to look for a place to overwinter and ride out the potentially colder weather, which in Alabama we’ve had like three days of cold weather and the rest has been miserably warm or humid. And I’m sure North Georgia might be better, but Georgia itself is probably not too far off base of what we’ve been seeing. Laura K: No, it’s been a mild winter, yeah. Travis McGowin: Yeah, they creep in and they just try to take over. They’re just looking for a place to hang out and they come in droves. Laura K: They do. They fly, yeah. Michael Wienecke: Well, they’re called occasional invaders for this reason, that they come in right around that time and then they drop off at a certain time, and then the next year they come right back. Travis McGowin: Right, so, but from what we’ll discuss and from what you’ve experienced, I feel like come next season for these pests, you’ll probably be a lot more well-equipped to deal with them, especially having some understanding about what it is you’re dealing with. Laura K: I hope so. I’ve got… that’s why I wanted to talk to you guys about it, but also just to come up with a plan for the next six months to start the prevention because I know they’ll come back. I think they’re trying to get out of the house from what I’ve read. And so they get trapped inside now and they die everywhere. And so they are, I guess, trying to get out, but then they’re going to come back in the fall and swarm again. And they swarmed like… you had to walk like you’re swatting them to get up to the house. It was terrible. And I don’t think the previous homeowners did anything. I think they were very much more laid back than we are. Travis McGowin: Well, and as with most any pest, on the very basic level, the first thing we always like to take a look at is how are they getting in and what can you do about that? Before any type of chemical application, before any type of pesticide or what have you. I don’t know if you’re familiar with the term “Integrated Pest Management” or IPM, but in your research you may have seen it or heard it. So IPM is really, really big on cutting the access points off for whatever it is you’re having a problem with even before using anything to basically harm them or kill them or whatever it is. So, judging by what we saw from some of the pictures that you sent us for your house there… you’ve probably got a decent amount of access points around. Laura K: Oh yeah, for sure, yeah. And we’ve tried to seal up windows and doors as best we can, but I think our next step is going to be to hire a painter to just come and caulk the entire house. Like everywhere—outside, inside, if you guys think that would help. But just all those little cracks and crevices because it’s an older home and it’s got a lot in it. Michael Wienecke: Well, and that’s what I wanted to pull up the pictures and talk about too, because there are a few areas, and I’m really hoping because I’ve bet a lot on this in myself, but where these little guys are hanging out mostly in your house. So, right-hand side right there on the deck ledge, is that where you’re getting most of the activity? Laura K: Yes, around those doors and that window on the right. Both of the two windows on the right side, but really the one on the right side mostly—right is… they’re everywhere. That corner. That lighter colored wood right there. Michael Wienecke: Yes, that shingles, uh-huh. Travis McGowin: Now which direction—can you advise us which direction that part of the house faces? Laura K: That is… it faces south. Travis McGowin: Okay, so being that it’s a southern-facing direction, of course sun rises in the east and then sets towards the west, it’s probably, I would dare say, probably receives the most amount of sunlight more so than the rest of the house. Obviously more so than the opposite side. Laura K: Yes, it’s been a mild winter. Michael Wienecke: So tell me what your other pest control companies have done to try to get rid of this problem for you as far as treatment? Laura K: They have come out and just sprayed. They sprayed the eaves, the windows, around the doors… they were just out last week. Travis McGowin: So when did they start doing that? Laura K: We’ve only owned the home since November. So they came shortly after when we moved in with the ladybugs and were needing help. So they came probably late November and sprayed, and then I called them and said come back and they did and it didn’t, you know… Travis McGowin: So that—that’s the kicker right there, and I’m glad you—I’m not glad you’re dealing with this, but I’m glad you said November because it probably hit the nail on the head of what I was thinking in my mind, which is: so they start to migrate in in that September-October range. So by the point that you guys purchased the house, they were already there. Now I’m not going to say you didn’t end up with more like you said, they’ve swarmed and you’re swatting at them and all that, but if you don’t catch it from a chemical application standpoint on the exterior of the house before they get there, then they’re already inside. Michael Wienecke: It is much more difficult to deal with them once they’re already, like he said, established. Because they’re going to put off that pheromone and they’re going to just start kind of coming in there in droves. Travis McGowin: Right. So this is kind of the point in question that we’re talking about, that second floor. How are the door seals around that bottom? Laura K: They’re really bad. The doors need to be replaced, we just can’t afford to do it yet. But both doors are in pretty rough shape. I mean, you can see daylight through one of them—like through the crack in the middle. Travis McGowin: And they probably get baked by the sun a lot. The bla

    39 min
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Our motto at Peskies Pest Control Is 100% Guarenteed Or You Don’t Pay a Penny for pest problems in Montgomery, Alabama! Monthly discussions on how to have a pest free home with pest experts Michael Wienecke and Travis McGowin

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