The American Cockroach, or Palmetto Bug as it is commonly called in the low country, is the largest commonly encountered cockroach in Charleston, SC measuring  on average  a tad over 1 1/2 inches long. It occurs in and around homes throughout South Carolina, especially in the coastal zones. It is second only to the German cockroach in abundance. It is not native to Charleston, having been introduced to America from Africa as early as 1625 and has spread throughout the world by commerce.

The American cockroach is most often found living outside and is not typically found indoors. They live in moist and shaded outdoors areas such as shrub beds, yards, trees, firewood piles and mulch. These areas provide enough food, water, and shelter for the American cockroach to flourish. In Charleston, a thorough and ongoing perimeter  pest control treatment  is necessary to control the American cockroach.

They dwell outside but wander inside for food and water during extremes in the weather. They move indoors, particularly after a heavy rain, by crawling or flying, from sewers, from plumbing penetrations, from trees and shrubs adjacent to your home with branches touching or overhanging the structure. The American cockroach is sensitive to light and is most active at night. During the day it rests close to water  around pipes, sinks, baths, toilets and kitchens.

They dwell outside but wander inside for food and water during extremes in the weather. They move indoors, particularly after a heavy rain, by crawling or flying, from sewers, from plumbing penetrations, from trees and shrubs adjacent to your home with branches touching or overhanging the structure. The American cockroach is sensitive to light and is most active at night. During the day it rests close to water  around pipes, sinks, baths, toilets and kitchens.

Adults can live up to one year and the female will produce around 150 young during her lifetime. Environmental conditions found in Charleston and Summerville, SC such as temperature and humidity, speed up the developmental time. They are omnivorous, opportunistic feeders and scavengers eating almost anything, but prefer sweets. They are a health risk because of their association with sewers, human waste and disease because of their ability to move into your home from the sewer.

To lessen your chance of getting American cockroaches in your Charleston or Summerville home, trim all shrubs and trees back off the exterior foundation, exterior walls and roof. Stack firewood well away from the house. Caulk all penetrations in your walls such as for plumbing, electrical or air conditioner.  Limit the moist areas around your home with proper drainage. Repair any plumbing, gutter or roof leaks. Weather strip or seal around your exterior doors.

Whether you choose a  Charleston pest control company or a Summerville exterminator, the one you do choose should perform a comprehensive exterior inspection and pest prevention treatment. Pellet baits and/or granular insecticides are an extremely effective tool against American roaches when applied in a band around the outside of your home on a regular basis and should always be included in any Charleston pest control service.  The company should provide you a re-treatment guarantee and a money back guarantee.

All termite treatment warranties are not created equal.

Charleston exterminators commonly offer three different types of termite warranties for homeowners in the Charleston SC area.

The first type is a “Termite Re-treatment” only warranty. This type of warranty only promises that if the termites come back the exterminator will re-treat your home for them; most often only a spot treatment to the immediate area the termite re-infestation occurred.  This type of guarantee offers no monetary coverage  should the re-infestation of termites result in damage to your home. Typically after 5 to 7 years the termite control company will require your home be completely re-treated, at your cost, in order to keep the warranty in effect. This cost can run from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars. The termite companies that offer this type of warranty are admitting,  I don’t have enough confidence in the effectiveness of my treatment to give you a damage warranty, but if you do get a re-infestation of termites, then I will come back and re-treat. This is the least desirable of the three warranties.

The second type is a “Termite  Re-treatment and Repair Warranty” with a deductible and limited damage coverage  that provides for both re-treatment and compensation for termite damage, however with a deductible you are responsible for and limits to the amount of damages covered. The amount of the deductible and the limit of the damage coverage should be clearly spelled out in the service agreement and varies from company to company.  The deductibles are commonly around $500.00 and the damage portion is capped at $50,000.00. In most cases you will be asked to pay for a “booster treatment” a few years into your service agreement to keep the guarantee in place.

The third type is a “Termite Re-treatment and Repair Warranty” with no deductible and a high amount of damage coverage that provides for re-treatment in the event of a re-infestation of termites and provides damage coverage for any structural damages caused by the termite re-infestation up to $1,000,000.00. The amount of liability that the pest control company assumes should be clearly spelled out in the service agreement and again varies from company to company. This is the most desirable of the three warranty types. These usually have a termite baiting system as one component of the treatment and are monitored on a regular basis for termite activity. 

Any warranty where the pest control company comes out only once a year to inspect is a “reactive” type service. They come out once a year on the anniversary date and perform an inspection. If a termite re-infestation or new termite damages are found, they will re-treat for the termites and repair damages covered in the scope of the agreement. By state law, termite companies are not permitted to apply any termiticide unless they find live termites in the structure or are executing a new service agreement. Companies that lead you to believe they are treating for termites around the perimeter of your home each year during the annual inspection are misleading you. They are using a product such as is used in  household pest control for spiders, ants, etc.  This is designed to  make you think you are getting something for your annual cost.

There is a proactive alternative with the termite company coming out every four months to check the termite bait stations and inspect the exterior of your home. Then once a year, a full inside or underneath inspection is performed.

Termite guarantees or warranties typically require a very large first-year treatment fee to cover the cost of the inspection and initial treatment with a smaller annual maintenance fee to cover the ongoing annual inspections and liability. Because reputable termite control companies do not guarantee other companies’ work, (that would be no different than General Motors guaranteeing a Ford car), switching termite companies usually requires re-treating your home. As the cost of re-treating is substantial, the best time to switch is at the end of the term for the bond or warranty, not at an annual renewal.  Be wary of any company that offers to “take over” your warranty without treating your home first.

Choosing a Termite Company

When comparing proposals for termite control from different companies, make sure you get the details and read the fine print. A detailed proposal should be specific in the scope of the work. It should outline what products will be used and in what concentrations. (The best termite control companies do not use cheap generic products). It should also include a graph of your home specifically detailing the areas and the manner in which the products will be used or applied.  It should clearly state the type of warranty and the terms of the warranty.

You can find the Black Pest Prevention guarantee on our website. Our PreventionPLUS™ Termite Protection with Altriset™ is backed by a comprehensive , no nonsense one million dollar damage and re-treatment warranty. One of the best in the business. If for any reason you are not completely satisfied with our termite protection treatment, we’ll keep coming back, at no additional cost to you, until you are satisfied. In the event Black Pest is unable to correct your termite problem, we will refund your initial treatment charge.

For Charleston Pest and Termite Control, contact Black Pest today! 

DON'T PANIC CHARLOTTE

THEY'RE ONLY

17 YEAR CICADAS

 It might be a noisy year in Charlotte this year as Cicadas’ mating songs are among the loudest sounds made by any insect.

A huge hatch of 17 year cicadas will emerge this spring across portions of the eastern U.S. including North Carolina. North Carolina is typically the southernmost point they are observed. These Cicadas spend 17 years of their life underground and then emerge in huge numbers to mate. Cicadas mate, date and die—all in four weeks. They will emerge once the ground temperature 8 inches deep warms to about 63 degrees. Things may get noisy in the Queen City—their mating songs are among the loudest sounds made by any insect.

 Adult male Cicadas use loud chirping songs to attract the female. The noise they make is produced by the rapid vibration of a tymbal, which is a membrane located on their abdomen. As their abdomens are partially hollow, the noise produced by the tymbal gets amplified to even greater levels.  When encountered en masse the sound is like a space ship landing in your backyard.

The male cicadas fly into trees and start a two to four week courtship ritual that that involves loud screechy noises and jumping form limb to limb to attract the attention of a female cicada.

Between calls, the male pauses hoping to hear a “yes” from a nearby female.  After mating the female deposits her eggs into slits at the tips of tree limbs. In time these fall to the ground, where the nymphs dig in to stay for another 17 years.

Cicadas have large transparent wings, their eyes are spaced wide apart and they have mouthparts that enable them to pierce and drink sap from plants. They spend most all their lives underground as immature nymphs and then emerge for the mating cycle. Quickly after emerging, the nymphs shed their exoskeletons and molt into full developed adults. You can easily find their old shells attached to trees and rocks.

Cicadas are not venomous and are eaten by a lot of common predators such as birds, squirrels, mice and fish. The only negative impact of cicada activity is the possible harm to the limb tips of young fruit trees. Otherwise they just annoy us with really loud noises and fly-bys. They will emerge between now and the middle of May and be gone by the middle of June. Charlotte Pest Control and Termite Control companies can expect their phones to light up as these Cicadas  make their presence known. There is no need to pay an exterminator to treat for the Cicadas as they will be gone quickly.

Most activity will occur in forested areas that have been undisturbed for the past 17 years. With all the development In and around Charlotte in the past 17 years, we can expect to see less of them in the immediate area.

If you are new to Charlotte  beware, North Carolina’s climate places it squarely in the “Termite Belt” where termites thrive making termite control a necessity for every home owner. The eastern subterranean termite, the most common termite in North Carolina and the Southeastern U.S., lives in underground colonies near large food supplies.

Worker termites continuously leave the colony to find and bring back food for the colony to eat. Since termites eat wood, unprotected homes are an attractive food source and may become quickly infested. In Charlotte, protect what is probably your most valuable possession with Black Pest’s PreventionPlus™ for termites.

Four popular and mainstream termite control systems are in use in North Carolina. They are:

1. Traditional repellent barrier system.

2. Non-repellent barrier system.

3. Termite baiting system.

4. Wood treatment with borates.

Each system has its advantages and disadvantages. With Black Pest’s PreventionPlus™ termite treatment, you get three of the four. (The repellent and non-repellent barrier systems are both soil treatments and are interchangeable.)

Repellent barrier systems.

 The traditional repellent barrier system places a chemical between the ground and every potential entry point into the house. A termite repellent is applied to the soil around the foundation of the house and to any breaches in the foundation and slab. Accessing all of the application points usually involves drilling into the foundation.

Chlordane, a very effective chemical repellent, was commonly used until the Federal EPA removed it from the market in the 1980s. The liquid soil or barrier chemicals used today are much less durable than chlordane, and so they must be reapplied every few years at your expense. In the clay—loam soil composition in the Charlotte area these repellents should hold up for at least four years. With Black Pest Prevention’s PreventionPlus™ termite treatment  you never have to pay to have your home re-treated ever.

 Non-repellent barrier systems. The non-repellent barrier system is similar to a traditional barrier system, except that the active ingredient in the termiticide applied is a true non-repellent. The termites cannot detect and avoid this termite control treatment, trail through it and bring it back to the colony , thus eliminating the colony.

While it can be applied in the same invasive manner used for repellent termite control treatments, some non-repellent products can also be applied to the soil around the outside of the foundation; of course, if termites have already accessed the interior of the house, localized application to those areas must also be done. This Exterior Perimeter Plus/Localized Interior termite treatment is generally much less invasive.

Termite Baiting System.

The baiting system strategically places a series of wood baits in the ground around the perimeter of your home and your termite control company should monitor them on a regular basis. (Quarterly or triannual inspections are highly recommended and can be combined with your pest control service.) Once termite activity is observed in the bait, the bait is replaced with a cartridge containing the active ingredient. The termites forage on the bait matrix taking it back to the colony thus eliminating the colony.

Borate Treatments.

Borates have been used for at least 300 years for pest prevention and now termite control. To stop decay or termites, borates are applied to existing wood, accessible interior foundation walls, sill plates and piers. Borates block the termite’s ability to derive nourishment from the food it eats. In other words, as termites ingest borates, their ability to convert food to energy is obstructed. And they starve to death. And so does the entire colony attacking your home, as termites are social insects that share food.

Termite Bonds or Warranties

There are two different types of termite coverage warranties commonly available for homeowners.

 Either a “Termite Re-treatment” warranty or a “Termite Re-treatment and Repair” warranty.

The “Termite Re-treatment” warranty promises repeat treatments if termites come back, but it does not offer compensation for any termite damage that might have occurred to your home. Typically this type of re-treatment only warranty is offered by pest control companies not confident enough in the efficacy of their treatment to offer repair coverage.

A “Termite Re-treatment and Repair” warranty provides both treatment and compensation for termite damage. The amount of liability the pest control company assumes should be clearly spelled out in the service agreement and varies from company to company.

Termite bonds or warranties typically require a very large first-year treatment fee to cover the cost of the inspection and initial treatment with a smaller annual maintenance fee to cover the ongoing annual inspections and liability.  Because reputable termite control companies do not guarantee other companies’ work, (that would be no different than General Motors guaranteeing a Ford car), switching termite companies usually requires re-treating your home. As the cost of re-treating is substantial, the best time to switch Charlotte termite companies is at the end of the term for the bond or warranty, not at an annual renewal. Black Pest Prevention provides you with a money back, one million dollar re-treat and repair warranty and guarantee.

Choosing a Termite Company

When comparing proposals for termite control from different companies, make sure you get the details and read the fine print. A detailed proposal should be specific in the scope of the work. It should outline what products will be used and in what concentrations. The best termite control companies do not use cheap generic products). It should also include a graph of your home specifically detailing the areas and the manner in which the products will be used or applied.  It should clearly state the type of warranty and the terms of the warranty.

The odorous house ant generates more complaints from Rock Hill, SC homeowners than any other pest control issue. It is one of the most difficult ants to control in Rock Hill and upstate South Carolina. Identifying which particular species of ant is infesting your home is the first step a pest control company takes when exterminating an ant infestation. The odorous house ant , if squashed, has an unmistakable rotten-coconut odor making identification by the home owner possible. This ant makes pest control challenging with its unique behavior. Each colony can have numer-ous queens, all cooperating to produce eggs and the colony can grow to a huge size very quickly making it very important to call Black Pest Prevention as soon as you see them in your home. Odorous house ant workers are about 1/16 to 1/8 inch long. Their body is brown to black.

ODOROUS HOUSE ANTS - REPRODUCTION:

Females in the odorous house ant nest lay one egg daily. It takes an average of 24 days for the young to reach adulthood. The nest colonies can range in size from 100 to 10,000 ants.

ODOROUS HOUSE ANTS - INSPECTION:

Odorous house ants forage day and night for food. Their nests can occur in a great variety of situations both Inside your home, where they usually construct their nests in wall voids, especially around hot water pipes, heat pumps, in crevices around sinks, cupboards, etc., and outside, where they are found in exposed soil, usually shallow, often located beneath boards, bricks, stone walks, etc. They are commonly seen traveling in long trails.

ODOROUS HOUSE ANTS - WHAT DO THEY EAT:

Odorous house ants can feed on anything...insects, honeydew, seeds, plant secretions, but do prefer sweets. Odorous house ants are extremely fond of honeydew and attend such honeydew-excreting insects as aphids and mealy bugs. Odorous house ants are most likely to enter your home when their honeydew supply or sweet supply of food is reduced such as during rainy weather or with leaf fall in the autumn.

ODOROUS HOUSE ANTS - WHY ANT BAIT?

The use of residual sprays or dusts from the hardware store will cause stress on the colonies, causing them to split into sub-colonies that scatter to other areas in your home. This is also called budding. After spraying, your problem can be worse than at the beginning. Additionally, by spraying with products that have repellant properties, you can trap the ants inside your home.

When you bait for ants as part of your pest control program, you will want a slow acting bait. Quick kill insecticides and ant baits kills the for-aging ants so quickly they die before taking the bait back home to feed the queen, nest workers and brood. Sometimes up to two weeks are required before the baiting eliminates the colony. It is very important to remove other food competition when baiting and to leave the bait un-touched while the odorous house ants are feeding.

ODOROUS HOUSE ANTS—BEST PRACTICES:

Your pest control program should be focused on the exterior of your Rock Hill home as It is best to stop the ants and exterminate them before they find their way into your home. Special attention should be given to areas or features that give the ants easy access to your home such as plumbing and electrical penetrations, foundation vents, etc. The products used should be non-repellents such as Termidor™ by BASF and TopChoice™ by Bayer as well as Advion™ baits by DuPont/Syngenta. Black Pest’s preventative pest control treatments all three products for extremely effective and long lasting control. It covers over 40 different insects and has a money back guarantee.