​Now that the New Year has come and gone, we all have some time to sit down and think ‘what’s next?’ Taking a minute to ponder on what’s next for your home and how to protect it, especially this time of year, is very important. Many people will ask “Is pest control really necessary in the winter?” The answer is absolutely! When we think of the cold winter months, we usually don’t realize that the middle/end of February in Georgia comes with lengthy periods of frigid temperatures as well as the scattered days of 75-degree weather, which results in unwanted pests searching for ways to get inside to shelter themselves from what mother nature is throwing at us. At ALF Pest Solutions, we are here to help prevent these pests from sharing your home with you! Here are some pests to look out for starting in February:

Cockroaches
As with most any month throughout the year, cockroaches are going to be problematic for a couple of reasons. Cold temperatures will drive them indoors to find food, water, and shelter, which our homes will provide them with all three. These roaches will come out at night from wherever they’re hiding in your home to scavenge for traces of food. Making sure we do not leave any food sitting around by wiping down our counters, as well as storing pet food in containers with sealed lids will help in reducing the food source for roaches. We also strongly encourage signing up for our monthly or quarterly pest control programs. In doing so, we will be coming and treating the interior and exterior of your home with top of the line products, creating a barrier between your home and the surrounding areas, killing any pests that cross through that barrier. 

Spiders
In these winter months, spiders are looking to escape the cold and find shelter inside your home. One spider that is typical to see this time of year is the Brown Recluse, which is a poisonous spider nobody wants to deal with, especially in your own home. The size of an entry point in which spiders need to enter the home is very miniscule. So, to ensure that you won’t be having an issue with them all winter, it is very important to have the proper pest control program taking preventative measures to protect your home. Spraying any points of entry (windows, doors, etc.) will greatly reduce the risk of seeing them indoors. When signing up for either our monthly or quarterly programs, ALF Pest Solutions also includes going around the perimeter of your home (as well as garage) and taking down any cobwebs that have been made in the corners, and windows.

Ants
As February winds down, we are starting to get closer to March and the Spring weather coming in, ants will start to be a problem in and around our homes. Most common this time of year is the Argentine ant. These ants are known for being very small and making big trails in the ways they forage. (Also known as sugar ants, or tracker ants) Leaving out food around the house and not wiping down counter-tops or your sink could easily attract these pests to trail into your home. We at ALF Pest Solutions have multiple pest control programs to help keep unwanted critters out of your home. Give us a call today, so we can work together to find the best program to keep your home pest free!

An unsightly surprise during spring green up can be spring dead spot. The spring dead spot fungus attacks the roots, rhizomes, and stolons of Bermuda grass during the fall and winter. Cold winters with temps that get down in the low 20’s and teens can intensify the effects of the fungus thus making winter damage a likely possibility.

Spring dead spot symptoms appear in circular patches from 4 inches to 2-3 feet in diameter that stay dormant as the grass greens up in the spring. Untreated the patches can get larger and they usually form in the same spot each year.

In severe situations it may take the whole growing season to correct the damage from the fungus. Multiple core aerations and topdressing of the affected areas will speed up the recovery time of the grass. A fall fungicide application with a high rate fungicide will be needed to help get rid of the fungus. There is a good chance a repeat application of fungicide the following year will be needed to help eradicate the fungus from your lawn. 

​Proper mowing, watering (1 inch per week) and fertilization also help with the prevention of spring dead spot.