National Pest Management Month

We celebrate a lot of events in April. Birthdays occur, spring is upon us, school is almost out, Easter eggs pop up in the yard, and some celebrate Thomas Jefferson’s birthday! April is quite an interesting month, no? This fourth month of the year also hosts National Pest Management Month. Throughout the rest of the year there is Termite Awareness Week, Bed Bug Awareness Week, and Rodent Awareness Week. Combined, all of these events provide great stimulus for education on pest management for your family and community.

According to the National Pest Management Association,

“The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) celebrates April as National Pest Management Month, an observance that has been taking place for more than 30 years. National Pest Management Month honors the professional pest control industry for playing a key role in protecting both health and property from significant pest-borne threats.

‘The NPMA is pleased to have the opportunity to publicly recognize the important work that pest professionals do every day during National Pest Management Month,’ says Missy Henriksen, vice president of public affairs for the NPMA. ‘In honor of National Pest Management Month, the NPMA is dedicated to raising public awareness about the risks posed by household pests and encouraging homeowners to take proactive steps to prevent pest infestations in their homes and properties.’

Pest such as termites, rodents and carpenter ants can cause extensive property damage by chewing through walls, flooring and even electrical wiring. Other pests, including ticks, mosquitoes, cockroaches and stinging insects pose health threats to humans. Ticks can spread Lyme disease, while mosquitoes can carry West Nile virus. Cockroach allergens can trigger asthma attacks, while stinging insects send more than half a million people to the emergency room every year.

During April, the NPMA recommends that homeowners follow these tips to prevent pest infestations:

Seal up cracks and small openings along the foundation of the house.
Eliminate sources of moisture or standing water.
Keep tree branches and other plants cut back from the house.
Keep kitchens clean by wiping counters and emptying the garbage frequently.
Keep all food containers sealed.
Avoid leaving pets’ food dishes out for long periods of time.
Keep trash containers clean and sealed, both indoors and outdoors.
Screen windows and doors.
If you see signs of pests or suspect an infestation, contact a licensed pest professional.” (www.Pestworld.org)

Margaret Ely of the Washington Post has this to say about National Pest Management Month:
“It’s no reason to celebrate, but the National Pest Management Association has deemed April as National Pest Management Month. And for good reason: Early spring is swarming termite season, when young adult termites emerge en masse. Jim Fredericks, director of technical services for the association, said the “swarmer’s” surface to mate, form their own colonies and feed.
‘There will be thousands of termites in a colony,’ Fredericks said. ‘You never know how many are feeding on your house.’ “ (www.washingtonpost.com)
As mentioned above, April is a time in which bugs and animals will thrive, reproduce, and swarm any areas they can find food and shelter. Particularly, April is a good time to have a professional come out and check your house for termites and other infesting insects. If you need someone to check your house for termites or any other kind of bug, call us at Canton Termite and Pest Control at 770-479-1598 today!
When you consider the amount of activity your family will probably take part in during the warmer months of the year, it becomes almost inevitable that someone will get stung or bitten by an insect. If you need information on how to respond to bugs of all kinds around your home, and perhaps learn more about the bugs themselves, then find that information on our website at  www.Cantongeorgiapestcontrol.com
Want to know more about Termite Awareness Week? From March 13th-19th, there is a huge focus termites and how they impact your community. If you want to learn more about termites, then go to our website (hyperlinked above) and read about the most common species of termites in the southeast! You will tend to find Subterranean termites, which cause BILLIONS of dollars in damage to homes every year!
The next week that is focused on is Bed Bug Awareness Week, from June 5th-11th. . A single pregnant bed bug can produce an entire infestation in a matter of weeks. The general lifespan can produce an adult bed bug in as briefly as two months, with each phase of their life cycle up to that point lasting about a week. The adult bed bug can live for around 300 days with a good food supply, amply supplied by human donors or pets. If you need to know more about bed bugs, then go to our website or call at 770-479-1598! We would be happy to come and do a free 58-point pest analysis! We provide service throughout zip codes of 30115, 30114, 30183, and 30107 and around these areas.

To learn more about National Pest Management Month, go to the websites below!

Pestworld.org: http://www.pestworld.org/news-and-views/press-releases/press-releases/april-designated-as-national-pest-management-month

The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/termites-and-national-pest-management-month/2013/04/16/7fdc60ba-9e10-11e2-a941-a19bce7af755_story.html

By: Tim