Flea and tick control is one of the most important tasks that pet owners have; it is also one of the most difficult as infestations are usually hard to combat once they are in full swing. Atlanta pest control professionals can help.  Like bed bugs, cockroaches and other household pests, fleas and ticks can survive in a variety of different environments. Fleas in particular are capable of living outdoors in grass and cracks in concrete; inside a home, they can survive in a carpet and in crevices in a hardwood floor. Fleas, ticks and other parasites can cause pets to become seriously ill in addition to causing serious discomfort.

About Fleas
Fleas can be found in most places and can cause diseases like flea allergy dermatitis (FAD). FAD can cause severe allergic reactions like itching and inflammation. The itching an inflammation may cause extreme chewing and scratching that result in the pet damaging their skin and losing hair. Fleas can also transit parasites like tapeworms to humans.

About Ticks
These arachnids are extremely irritating and can transmit a variety of diseases. Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and anaplasmosis are among the diseases that ticks can carry; these diseases are serious and can even be fatal for both human and animals. There are over 80 different species of ticks in the United States, including some that are able to survive in extreme temperatures.

Preventing Flea and Tick Infestations

• Pets should be combed frequently with a flea comb; these combs can remove both fleas and their feces from the pet's fur.
• Homes should be vacuumed regularly and the bag or canister from the vacuum cleaner should be discarded or emptied after each use.
• The home's lawn should be mowed regularly.
• Cats should be kept inside.
• The pet's old bedding should be discarded.
• Both the home and yard should be treated with commercially available treatments which can effectively kill fleas and ticks.

Flea and tick products may be used on a pet, but should be carefully administered; some ingredients are potentially dangerous and an owner should commit to some research before choosing a particular product. Owners should also read and follow the instructions on the products carefully.

Lyme disease is not a joke. 
If left unchecked, Lyme disease can become a chronic illness.  Lyme disease is passed by ticks that draws blood from its host in order to survive.
The CDC recommends using a professional to get rid of tics in your home.
Atlanta pest control companies are everywhere.
Preventing Lyme disease is your best bet for keeping it at bay.  Pacific Pest Solutions is one such company that will protect your home or business from Lyme Disease and the ticks that carry them.


Symptoms of Lyme Disease

Rash where tick bites you
Stiff neck 
Chills 
Fever
Swollen lymph nodes 
Headaches
Fatigue 
Muscle aches 
Joint pain


Treatment for Lyme Disease

Immediate attention using effective antibiotics usually results in rapid recoveryAntibiotics include: doxycycline, cefuroxime axetil, amoxicillin
If you are afraid you have waited too long, click here for more info

Have you ever been walking through your yard and found something that looked like it came from another world? Or maybe it was from a fictional city like Innsmouth. Or maybe it's late and you are taking out the garbage and you stumble upon something you have never seen before.  Never fear! Pacific Pest Solutions is here. 

Ok, enough with the old superhero routine, the point is, our Atlanta pest control company is here to help you, no matter the pest.  Even if you don't know what to call the critter, we will come out for free, identify the problem, and of course eliminate it.  It really can't get any easier, all you have to do is schedule a free inspection!

Our Norcross pest control location found this critter pictured above.  Scary looking, but it's just a catepillar on its way to becoming a moth.  

Albeit rare, there are times when the work of an exterminator can accidentally harm, and in some instances, kill your household pet. Obviously, this is not something anyone wants to have happen to them. This page will serve as a guide to help you the customer know what to ask your pest control expert when you are shopping for the best pest control experience you can have.
Protecting Your Pets from Pest Control Hazards
Our pets, by and large, are a part of our families. They, for many people, are the children in the home and it is up to pet owners to protect them and keep them safe from harm. Unfortunately, the need for pest control is a normal part of life, too, and these two necessities don't always mix well. In recent years many have taken to the Internet to speak about pest control outfitters, in the process of taking care of a pest infestation, unwittingly poisoned a pet. The guilt and grief that comes with a poisoned pet is unimaginable. Thankfully, there are ways to ensure pets are kept safe during the pest control process. 

The importance of proper pest control, pets that are poisoned by pest control measures, are a consideration that must be thought of before picking the proper pest control option. Pet owners are advised to be diligent when dealing with pest control. While all pest control outfitters mean well when they enter a home, not all are going to be forth coming with pet owners about the safety of the solutions and pest control measures that they are using. That is why doing proper research and understanding what the potential measures that will be used in your home is important to keeping pets safe and sound during the pest control or extermination experience. 
For starters, keep in mind the type of pest control you are planning to use.  For example, is it rodent control, termite control, ant control, etc?  Most termite control jobs entail placing baiting systems outside your house (as this Youtube video shows).  This type of pest control, by design, is a lot less likely to harm your pets, because the poison is buried into the ground. However, if your lawn service, or dog digs up the baiting system, it stands a chance of harming your animal.  Although this example is unlikely, it is not outside the realm of happenstance.  Ask your service professional all about the poisons that go into your ground or home, only then will you know the likelihood of what can go wrong, and what you can do to prevent it from happening. 
After you've considered the importance of proper pest control, pets that are poisoned, you, etc. You must aim to keep your animal safe. The first step is to find a pest control company that uses poison that is not harmful to traditional pets, like this local Atlanta pest control company. Most companies try their best not to harm any animals, but better to not be the fool who didn't ask.  It is also important, if you are an exotic pet owner, to share the information with the professional you are working with. Ask questions and ask for referrals from friends who have had pest control outfitters in their homes with their pets. 

Keeping our pets safe is serious business, but keeping pests out of a home is, too. Many pet owners feel stuck between a rock and a hard place, but they don't have to. By following these simple tips, and working with a safe outfitter you can rid yourself of vermin and keep your pets safe in the process.

The approach fittingly described as integrated pest management (IPM) is a reasonable and proactive approach that involves using non-toxic, effective management systems to deal with pest and rodent problems in a place of business. A business that succeeds should be very proactive in terms of being always prepared to protect all of the resources within the business. And the principles of a good IPM plan should fit within the goal to decrease the amount of risk in the course of treatment of any pest-associated problems. 

The method of a good IPM plan thus focuses on some basic techniques that include:

• scheduled inspection practice for pests;
  
• identifying pests to determine biology; and
  
• treatment by professionals (the practice to manage pests at the weakest point in their life cycle). 
  

Any business needs to have in writing an integrated pest management plan. The plan will include whether the same pest is affecting the business annually; if more than one person dealing with pest management problems, and the contractor utilized to assist in the management of pest issues.

The plan can be as simple as a one page fact sheet to address each pest problem or as complex and technical as a volume of study covering the aspects of pest biology, policies and guidelines. It is recommended however to have a plan that is easy to use with easy to find recommendations for the management of pests. This plan has to be a living document that needs to be examined and updated regularly. The format of such a plan should define the business goals and how pest management fits into them. The plan should define as well the different roles and responsibilities people fill in managing pests. Also, employees should be informed on the benefits of managing pests.

Further, the plan should not include list of pesticides approved for use, not until after a specific pest issue has been examined and the appropriate pesticide selected. Managing pest issues is often times not a one size fits all approach. The IPM plan has to be developed with pest control recommendations based on a business unique needs-a trend pest control professionals, such as this Atlanta pest control company, are quite aware of.

The pest control proactive approach can involve actions such as sealing cracks, sanitation and elimination of moisture sources, or employing the judicial use of pesticide treatments-which is what an integrated pest management plan is all about-i.e. finding the best treatment of pest-associated problems.

After problematic or sensitive areas of high pest pressure have been identified, the various pest control options have to be determined and what expedient action of control necessary as well as threshold/action levels based on pest population species that must be taken. The plan should properly describe the corrective measures. And it is important to keep pest sighting report logs as well as a tool to facilitate communication between all personnel and the pest control technician. All pest sightings should be reported in the logs with specific information as to the location of sighting and type of pest. Glue boards can be an effective tool used for the duration of an IPM program to monitor pest populations and activity. This should be maintained with a visual inspection of the glue boards to identify specific areas of infestation and to assess the need for further action. An appraisal of the IPM program can be conducted bi-monthly by responsible individual. Determinations are made as to the effectiveness of the program and revisions made to correct any potential lapses.

Perhaps you have just been bitten by a bug you have never seen before. Or maybe your child has screamed in pain, because an unidentified bug has bitten them. Most of the time nothing will happen, but if you or your child is sensitive to the venom within that bug bite then perhaps an allergic reaction may occur. Albeit rare, it does happen, and on very rare occasions this can be deadly. 

Bug bites from pests that usually pose no problems to most humans outside the immediate bite include hornets, yellow jackets, ants, wasps, assassin bugs or beetles, and many others. If you are one who is allergic to these kinds of bug bites, allergic reactions can occur.

Mild Allergic Reactions

Mild nausea
Mild Cramps
Swelling around the bite

Severe Allergic Reactions

Dizziness
Swelling of throat and lips
Hives 
Increased Heartbeat
Severe nausea

If you should happen to feel these more severe reactions, then you should seriously seek professional help. If you happen to be with someone while they are having an allergic reaction, according to the Mayo Clinic, you should check them for medication such as epinephrine (which is a common treatment for people with allergic reactions, and they may carry it with them), loosening tight clothing and putting on a blanket, do not give them anything to drink, should vomiting occur; place the person on their side, begin CPR if there are no signs of breathing.

Another worry, albeit rare, is the bite of the assassin bug (or beetle). If you are bitten by an assassin bug, then it is possible to develop Chagas disease. It can take over 30 years to develop Chagas disease, but for more information, click here.

Pacific Pest Solutions is a Marietta pest control company also serving all the greater Atlanta area. Please contact us by visiting our homepage today.

After such a warm winter, it is very likely that ticks may have an increase in their population as compared to previous years...

After such a warm winter, it is very likely that ticks may have an increase in their population as compared to previous years. Sean Duffy, land and facility director for the Schuylkill Center, says that, “...Because we didn’t have the die-off from a harsh winter, I think that this is really going to be a big year for ticks.” This is very important because these blood sucking critters can carry diseases like Lyme Disease, Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, and many others.