Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What are the top residential insect problems we face in Georgia ?
A. The biggest problems we face currently are ants, spiders, silverfish, roaches, and mice. We highly recommend perimeter treatments along with baiting around homes, entry points, and favorable outdoor areas. Together with interior treatments, this will get rid of the pests for a period of time; however, multiple treatments may be needed throughout the year for best results. For a quote or additional questions, please send us an Email with your name, phone number, and your question.
Q. Will the products you treat our homes with be environmentally safe to both humans and our pets?
A. The various pesticides, baits, traps, and pest management strategies used by Houseman Pest Control Inc. are the very latest in technology that the industry has to offer. Environmentally friendly products along with integrated pest management strategies are used to give our customers they very best in control with less use of chemical and effective results.
Q. Is the chemical/product safe for my children and pets?
A. We use EPA registered products and we use special care when it comes to your safety. If it will be necessary to remove pets or vacate during a treatment, we will notify you in advance. It is usually not necessary to leave.
Q. What if I am pregnant, have a new baby, or have a suppressed immune system?
A. Just as a precaution, we ask that you leave the premises for at least 2 hours. We also recommend that anyone in the home with a breathing disorder or an elderly person be taken from the home for a couple hours.
Q. After my first visit, when will you come back?
A. You can expect us within the next 90 days, or every three months. Call us if you feel you need service before then.
Q. If I didn't see any pests, can I skip a service?
A. Remember, when we do our best job you will not see a problem. For us to maintain control, we must perform all of your services.
Q. If I see a pest problem after my regular service will you come back?
A. It is normal to see an increase in insect activity right after our service. If the problem persists after about seven days, we will return at NO CHARGE.
Q. I didn't smell anything after our service technician left.
A. Houseman Pest Control Inc. is concerned about your environment. We always use low-odor products to minimize irritation for our customers.
Q. When you treat inside my cabinets, do I need to wash them when you are done?
A. No. If you plan to wash out your cabinets, do so before our treatment. Also, please remove any loose shelf paper at this time. Be sure all cabinets are dry before putting items back in your cabinets.
Q. What if it rains?
A. All materials used in our pest management programs are designed for all weather conditions, and some products need moisture to release insecticides.
Q. How soon can I water after your visit?
A. We use a water-based formulation. When your property is dry (usually 20-30 minutes), you can water without losing control of pests.
Q. How can I tell what kind of bug I have a problem with?
A. If you are unsure what kind of roach, spider, termite or other kind of bug you have, the best way to find out is to have it identified by one of our professional pest control technicians.
Q. What is the best way to catch a specimen for identification?
A. We recommend that you spray the bug with hairspray and then place it in a plastic bag to give to the technician for identification. You can also bring the insect into our office for fast, accurate identification.
Q. Why should I hire a professional pest control technician rather than do the job myself?
A. Chemicals sold by home improvement or garden centers can have a residual effect for as short as 30 minutes. Many of our products used for residential insect and rodent control last at least 60 days to keep working between treatments. We do offer do-it-yourself products you can purchase from us if you are interested in doing it yourself.
Q. Why don't you come inside my home on every pest control visit?
A. 90 % of the insects inside your home come from outside your home. By treating the outside we are stopping them from entering at all.
Q. What is the difference in Pest Control and Termite Control? Why doesn't Pest Control include Termites?
A. Pest Control covers those pests that live above the ground in your home, while Termite Control covers termites that live under ground. The treatments are different types of treatments.
Q. How do I tell the difference in Flying Ants and Termite Swarmers?
A. Termites have straight antennae, a full cigar shaped body, and 2 pairs of equal length wings. Flying Ants have elbowed antennae, an hour glass shaped body, and 2 pair of wings of unequal length.
Q. What do you look for when you inspect my home? What are the signs of an infestation?
A. With a termite inspection, we are looking for pin holes in sheetrock, mud tunnels, or visible termite damage. With a pest inspection, we are looking for dead insects, entry points, and conditions that would increase pest harborage.
Q. What is the difference in a Liquid Treatment and a Bait Treatment?
A. A Liquid Treatment requires a liquid termiticide application to the soil in critical areas creating a barrier between the ground and the house. A Bait Treatment requires placing monitoring stations around the house and placing bait in the stations only when termites are discovered in the stations.
Q. What is a Form II? Why do we need to sign one?
A. A Form II is a form used when it is not possible or practical to do some aspect of the treatment to State standards. You should only sign a Form II if you agree that the treatment can not be performed to State standards.
Q. How often should my FirstLine stations be checked? And how will I know they have been checked?
A. The stations should be checked on a quarterly basis. At the time of each visit you will receive a service ticket with all relevant information regarding your home.
Q. When the colony has been eliminated, will the stations be removed?
A. Once a colony has been eliminated, another one could invade your property. To keep your home protected, we will offer a continuous protection plan in which the FirstLine stations remain in the ground and are monitored for future termite invasions.
Q. How do the products you use stop mosquitoes?
A. Once we kill existing adult mosquitoes, we treat the standing water (mosquito breeding sites) on your property. The products we use either kill mosquitoes on contact or prevent mosquito larvae (the immature offspring that develop in water) from becoming adults. It's the best of both worlds and the most effective control strategy.
Q. How do you know if mosquitoes are carrying a disease?
A. It is impossible to tell. All forms of precautions are recommended, such as store-bought repellents. Professional control methods include two distinct control agents: adulticides, which kill adult mosquitoes, and larvicides, which prevent larval mosquitoes from becoming breeding, biting adults.
Q. Why not just use conventional methods of repelling mosquitoes, like repellent sprays and candles?
A. By the time you see a mosquito buzzing around; it's already a breeding, biting threat. That's why the use of an adulticide and a larvicide in tandem is the most effective approach for minimizing the numbers and reducing the threat to you and your family. Using a repellent should still be considered part of any protection program.
Q. Will treatments totally eliminate the mosquitoes on my property?
A. Because of the migratory mature of mosquitoes, it is impossible to prevent one from flying into your yard. However, ongoing treatments will prevent mosquito infestations from developing on your property and will reduce the number of mosquitoes you see.
Ideally, treating all the problem areas in your yard and your neighbors' yards would be the most effective way to reduce mosquito numbers, ultimately providing you and your family with protection to enjoy your outdoor activities.
Q. How many treatments are required?
A. Mosquitoes develop, mature and lay eggs in standing water, whenever the conditions are right, which is most often in the warmer months. Part of our control program last up to 21 days, depending in the amount of rainfall and standing water that occurs. The important thing is to monitor the property and apply treatment when necessary.
To be thorough, treatment should begin as soon as the temperature gets above 65 degrees in northern areas and should continue though fall. In some southern states, year-round application is recommended.
Q. Are the products you use recommended for use around people and pets?
A. The products we use can be applied around people and pets with confidence. The larvicide product will not harm pets or birds, as it is specifically targeted toward mosquitoes. Your pest management professional can provide you with greater detail about the adulticide products he or she will use.
Q. Does a larvicide harm fish or other aquatic life in ponds and streams?
A. No. The larvicide used targets only developing mosquitoes and is not harmful to fish, other aquatic life, surrounding wildlife or the environment. Always read and follow label directions.
Q. What are those brown patches in my fescue lawn?
A. That is Brown Patch Disease. It occurs during times of high humidity and warm nights. It is especially fond of new seed plants. An abundant green fescue lawn is especially susceptible, and homeowners with a heavy touch on their sprinkler system timer only encourage the problem.
Control measures consist of weekly fungicide treatments before the disease clears itself, not overdoing the fall aerating and seeding, and limiting irrigation to one inch per week applied once or twice weekly rather than daily! You can also ignore the disease and take the money you would have spent on fungicides and use it towards the fall aerating and over-seeding. On sunny lawns, you can replace the fescue with Bermuda sod.
Q. What are the silver-dollar sized spots in my yard?
A. Dollar Spot Disease is named for the silver dollar sized spots that occur in Bermuda lawns in early summer. Fungicides can be applied to control this problem; however, a good application of fertilizer can often eradicate it effectively.
Q. Why does my lawn pull up in sections?
A. This usually indicates a grub problem. Grubs feed on lawn roots as a part of their life cycle. As a result, you might notice that your lawn isn't "greening up" as it should be in the spring. By then, it's usually too late to deal with this problem and treatment will have to be postponed until August. Another indication of a grub infestation is the presence of moles which make tunnels and feed on the grubs. Controlling the grubs will usually get rid of the moles.
Q. Why do I have weeds on my lawn even though I am a Houseman customer?
A. Our bi-monthly applications take care of crabgrass and most weeds, but there are certain types of weeds and sedge (tufted plants that are different from normal grasses) that require specific herbicides that are not part of our normal applications.
One nuisance is nutsedge. It's a perennial grass or sedge, not a weed. It is most common in Bermuda lawns, but it can grow in all grasses. Nutsedge grows in vertical, single strands. It is a warm-season sedge so you can expect to see it at anytime from April until September. Houseman can get rid of it with a highly specific herbicide. Please call us if you think you have nutsedge. We can identify the problem for you and give an estimate for a special application.
Another common problem in Atlanta is the fungus called Brown Patch Disease, which we described in question 1.
Q. Why isn't my lawn as green as my golf course?
A. Lawns that are maintained by full-time professionals are fertilized much more but this increases the need to mow more frequently. For example, Bermuda grass needs to be mowed every four days, but most homeowners mow only once a week. This results in too much of the grass blade being removed with each mowing, which causes the lawn to turn yellow. Lawns that are maintained with higher fertility are also more susceptible to disease.
Q. What's the best lawn to have in Atlanta ?
A. In our opinion, Bermuda sod is the best kind of grass to have; however, it will not tolerate any shade or grow in between houses. Zoysia and fescue are more shade tolerant, but are usually over-fertilized by lawn care companies and homeowners. Same goes for centipede. This grass is the pickiest about where it will grow, which often leads to spotty lawns.
Q. How much water does my lawn need?
A. The amount of water your lawn requires and receives will determine its overall health, beauty and ability to endure use and drought. Keep in mind that too much water can destroy a lawn just as fast as too little.
One inch a week is the standard water requirement established for most lawns; however, this will vary for different types of turf. There will be varying water requirements for seasonal changes, as well as different types of soil.
Observe your lawn to determine its water needs. Grass in need of water will have a grey-blue cast to it, rather than a blue-green or green color. Also, footprints will still appear after a half-hour or more on a lawn in need of water, while on well-watered lawns, footprints will completely disappear within minutes. You can also use a soil probe, such as a screwdriver or large spike, to determine how dry your lawn is. If the probe can be pushed into the soil easily, it's probably still moist, but if it takes a lot of pressure to push in, it's time to water.
Verify watering quantities using a rain gauge or even a small can. Since your lawn needs 1" of water each week, make sure you take into consideration the amount of rain it receives before watering. You also want to know how long it takes for your sprinkler to water your lawn a certain amount. For example, if 0.5 cm (0.25-inches) collects in 30 minutes, you can easily calculate that it will take one hour to apply 1 cm (0.5-inches) of water or two hours to apply 2.5 cm (1-inch).
Water timers can help provide consistency and even be programmed to turn-off when no one is awake or at home. Some timers measure only the amount of time water is flowing through the devise, and you need to calculate how long to set the timer for in order to control the amount of water (see item above). Other units measure the number of gallons of water flowing through it. Knowing that 600 gallons per 1,000 square feet equals 1" of water will help you calculate the timer settings your lawn will require.
