Pollen Season

Although it may not feel like springtime just yet…spring is on it’s way which means flowers blooming, birds chirping, sun shining, and of course…sneezing, itchy watery eyes, and yellow pollen everywhere.  Welcome hay fever!

Common symptoms of hay fever are nasal congestion, sneezing, watery eyes, coughing, postnasal drip, facial pressure, and fatigue.  The large number of pine trees along with various other trees, grasses, and weeds we have in Georgia is a major contributor of pollen. Each plant has a pollen season which begins as early as January and lasts until November.

Short of locking yourself indoors, there are steps you can take to limit the amount of pollen in your home and car:

  • Keep windows closed in your home and car
  • Wash your car regularly to reduce pollen exposure
  • Set your air conditioning on “recirculate”
  • Wash bedding, pajamas, and clothing in warm or hot water to remove allergens
  • Take a warm shower before climbing into bed at night
  • Do NOT hang clothes outside to dry
  • Do NOT rake leaves during pollen season
  • Taking over the counter medications may be all you need to relieve your symptoms, but natural options such as acupuncture or the natural herb Butterbur, which is as effective as Allegra, may also be options to explore.

So take a deep breath and just breathe!

Barry Teubert
Northwest Exterminating
Savannah Service Center Manager
[email protected]

Virtual Home Tour to Help Keep Pests Out

Homeowners often look for tips on how to keep pests out of their homes.  Our blogs are often filled with tips from Northwest Exterminating on common approaches to keeping your house clean, sanitary, and with minimum clutter for keeping bugs out.

www.whatisipm.org offers an interactive home tour that can be used as a guide for you, along with your pest professional, to keep bugs from becoming an issue in and around your home.

The home tour offers great tips such as vacuuming frequently, wiping down counters, and inspecting luggage before bringing it into the house along with other helpful tips.  We strongly encourage you to visit this site and see how you can prevent bugs from calling your house, HOME.

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2013 St. Patrick's Day Parade in Savannah

Northwest is lucky enough to participate in the world renowned St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Savannah, GA each year.  Every year we have so much fun and we’re so lucky to be able to be part of such a great event.  2013 was no different!  We had a great time and would like to thank the great city of Savannah, GA and all the wonderful spectators for another great year in the 2013 Savannah St. Patrick’s Day Parade!

To view more pictures, visit our Facebook or Google+ pages!

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Spring Clean Your Lawn

Wednesday marked the first day of Spring.  For many of us that means one thing…Spring Cleaning!  We often think about all the things to do indoors but what about outdoors?  It’s time to spring clean your lawn as well.

backyard

Here are some Spring Cleaning Tips for your Lawn:

  • Clean up lawn debris – Remove trash, animal debris, dead grass, leaves, pine cones, sticks, etc from your lawn.  Debris removal will not only make your lawn look better but it also eliminates hiding and feeding areas for pests and rodents.
  • Rake Leaves – If you have piles of leaves left over from fall or some stragglers that have come down more recently, rake those up and dispose of them.  Raking up leaves and removing debris  will eliminate hiding spots for occasional invaders like millipedes, ants, and other pests.
  • Check leftover firewood – Check under any leftover firewood for signs of pests that often hide between and underneath wood.  Make sure that wood piles are located as far away from your home as possible.  The last thing you want is termites next to your structure.
  • Remove standing water – Standing water is a breeding ground for pests, especially mosquitoes.  Dump water from bird baths or install drains that will aid in water flowing from your yard rather than gathering.
  • Trim Bushes – By trimming your bushes you are not only making your lawn look aesthetically pleasing but you’re also reducing the risk of pests near the structure of your home.
  • Apply pre-emergent – Now is the perfect time to prevent weeds from popping up in your lawn.  Call a lawn care professional for the most effective products and treatment options for your lawn.

There’s no better time than now to trust Northwest’s Lawn Care experts to prepare your lawn to be healthy and green for the upcoming months so you can enjoy the outdoors!

Are You Ready for Termite Season?

Spring weather is the start of what we refer to as the beginning of “termite season“.  Termite season is when termite swarmers begin to emerge from their colonies in search of a new colony and a mate.  They look for the perfect place: moisture – CHECK…cellulose food source – CHECK…soil – CHECK!  Seeing swarmers is the first sign that you could have a termite infestation in your home.

A common question is how to tell the difference between a termite and a flying ant.  They may look similar but there are 3 distinct ways to tell the two pests apart:

  1. Body – ants have a distinct waist line between the thorax and abdomen while termites have a broad waist.
  2. Antennae – termites have straight (or slightly curved) antennae while an ant’s are bent.
  3. Wing Shape – termites have 4 wings of equal size while the ant’s front wings are larger than their back wings.

If you spot swarmers or other signs of termites, call your pest management companyNorthwest Exterminating provides a FREE, thorough inspection of your home.

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