Winged Formosan termites (also known as Alates) begin swarming by the end of March and continue to swarm through June. These groups tend to travel right after rainy or damp weather and usually travel in the evening hours.

If you see a termite swarm, it may look like they’re filling up the sky, and you’ll probably see them around streetlights and other sources of light. Swarming groups are often pretty large – some even reaching up to several thousands of termites.

Call Us If…

If you find just a few Formosan termites in one location, there’s no need to worry, but if you find hundreds of Formosan termites in one location, contact our Charleston pest control experts right away. Even though termites swarm to reproduce and not to damage your home, they can rapidly expand into a very large colony.  We can help prevent termites from attacking your home.

Give us a call or contact us if you have this problem.

The post When Formosan Termites Swarm appeared first on Ledford's Pest Control Blog.

Customer Service

Our business is in its third generation of Ledfords and since 1975, we have been focused on customer service. Our licensed technicians are happy to help the people of South Carolina take control of pesky infestations. We use safe and efficient products and always treat your home or business with care and respect.

Green Pest Control

At Ledford’s, we also offer “green” Sumter, Lake City, Kingstree, Clarendon County, Manning, and Florence pest control services. We use green products that are all natural, non-toxic, hypo-allergenic, and environmentally friendly to satisfy homeowners and businesses who are trying to reduce their carbon footprint.

If you’re interested in Sumter, Lake City, Kingstree, Clarendon County, Manning, and Florence pest control services, contact us today at 843-659-8640. We’ll send a technician out to your location to diagnose the situation.

(Please note that our satellite office is located in a small town in the surrounding area at 6749 Salem Road, New Zion, SC 29111.)

The post Our Newest Service Areas appeared first on Ledford's Pest Control Blog.

Limit Cellulose Access

Termites can easily feed on cellulose (paper, wood, plant material, etc.) that is in contact with soil and work their way into your home, so remember to:

• Keep the levels of your landscaping mulch several inches below your home’s siding.
• Remove any stumps, roots, or dead trees near your home’s foundation.
• In the winter, cover your firewood and store it away from your home.
• Never buy wood scraps in your yard – it makes it easier for termites to find your home.

Limit Moisture

Since termites like a moist environment, you can prevent them by keeping your home and its surrounding areas dry.

• Keep bushes, trees, and other vegetation trimmed and away from your home’s foundation.
• Make sure the attic, crawl space, and basement are kept dry and well-ventilated.

Limit Water Supplies

Termites need water to survive, so make sure you make it as scarce as possible to find near your home.

• Use gutters that aren’t clogged to funnel rainwater away from your home. This prevents standing water sources.
• Find and fix any water leaks you may have in your home.
• If you use sprinklers, keep them away from your home’s foundation as often as possible.

Inspect Your Home

In addition to limiting the elements that termites need to survive, make sure you have your home inspected by a Lexington termite control professional. They’ll be able to tell you if you have a termite infestation and if so, will be able to get rid of them.

The post Tips for Preventing Termites appeared first on Ledford's Pest Control Blog.

To benefit those with concerns about our environment, we work hard to find the most “green” solution for pest control in your home by using all natural products that are non-toxic, allergy friendly and environmentally friendly.

Green Solutions

Even though today’s pesticides are improving in safety, our Green Pest Control solution can offer you a better peace of mind. Our green Lexington termite control is excellent in the removal of termites. We can also quickly and easily remove fleas, roaches and spiders by working naturally and effectively.

If you’re interested in looking into a more natural pest control option please contact us and we’ll walk you through all your options!

The post We’re Seeing Green This Holiday Season appeared first on Ledford's Pest Control Blog.

‘Tis the season of decorating, shopping, holiday movie watching and most importantly lots of baking. While you’re looking through the pantry and drawers for those cute Christmas tree cookie cutters make sure you take steps to prevent pests from getting into your cookie ingredients. “Pantry pests” are a common kitchen distress. These small insects gather around foods that are often kept in pantries.

The two most common “pantry pests” are the Indian Meal Moths and the Merchant Grain Beetles. Indian Meal Moths are often found in cereal, bread, spices, pasta, rice, and dried fruits. Merchant Grain Beetles can also be found in cereal and pasta, but also in cake mixes, chocolate, and cookies.

How to Prevent Them

Here at Ledford’s, our Lexington pest control experts would like to give you a few pointers on how to avoid these holiday insects from making your cookies crumble:

1. Check the expiration date on all baking goods.
2. Store food in air-tight containers.
3. Check your kitchen for any moisture sights such as a leaky pipe or clogged drain.
4. Put a bay-leaf in your dry products like flour to repel insects.
5. Finally, make sure to clean the counter tops are clean of crumbs after cooking to prevent pests from entering your house.

A Great Cookie Recipe

We want your family to have a wonderful and pest-free holiday season! In addition to our Lexington pest control tips, we’d like to give you a simple holiday cookie bar recipe that’s sure to please all your family and friends, courtesy of FoodNetwork.com!

Ingredients:

• 1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated chocolate chip, sugar or peanut butter cookies
• Ready-to-spread frosting
• Assorted sprinkles

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In an 8-inch or 9-inch square pan, break up cookie dough and press dough evenly in pan with floured fingers.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 45 minutes. If desired, frost or decorate using ready-to-spread frosting and sprinkles. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows. Store tightly covered.

For a fun cookie tray, frost bars using a variety of prepared frostings and sprinkles.

The post Don’t Let Your Holiday Cookies Crumble appeared first on Ledford's Pest Control Blog.

Our Columbia pest control services can help you eliminate and prevent termites with Termidor. Our experts will apply a liquid dilution of the product along the foundation walls of your home. We might also treat active termite areas inside your home, depending on the extent of damage and infestation. You can expect a complete control of termites in three months or less after we’ve treated your home.

Have any other questions about Termidor or other Columbia pest control services? Please contact us. We’d love to help you out.

The post Why Use Termidor? appeared first on Ledford's Pest Control Blog.

A factoid that we posted on our Facebook feed yesterday about the Black Widow spider led to an interesting question by one of our followers:

“Which spider, a Brown Recluse or a Black Widow has a worse bite?”

If you do a search for both, you will get lots of incorrect facts and dramatic pictures of necrotic spider bites. The real facts are:

• ALL spiders are poisonous. All of them. Some spiders, like Granddaddy Long Leg spiders, just have fangs that are so small, they can’t penetrate our skin (which is a good thing since Granddaddy Long Legs are the most poisonous spiders in the U.S.)
• Spider bites usually heal on their own. The worst bites are those that get infected. Every person’s body reacts differently to the poison in a spider’s bite, just like with a bee sting or ant bite.
• According to the Clemson Entomology Institute, Brown Recluse spiders are not very common in South Carolina. Black widow spiders, however, are native to the area.
• Both Brown Recluse and Black Widow bites look like a target or a bull’s eye on the skin, however, a Brown Recluse bite will form a blister in the center.
• If you’re bit by both spiders, you’ll feel the effects of a Black Widow sooner than the Brown Recluse. Both can be painful, but the only way one can be worse than the other is if the blister caused by a Brown Recluse turns into an ulcer and gets infected.

It May Not Be a Spider Bite…

Ian Stocks, an entomologist from Clemson, says, “It is difficult for a physician to diagnose a Brown Recluse bite based simply on an examination of the wound.” He, Ivar Frithsen (of the Medical University of South Carolina) and Richard Vetter (of the University of California at Riverside) worked together to analyze spider bite diagnosis data from physicians throughout South Carolina. They found that in many cases, if a patient did not remember getting an injury, they simply assumed it was a spider bite. Many times, it wasn’t a spider bite – it was actually an injury caused by bacteria called MRSA (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus), which has become a significant health problem in parts of South Carolina.

So, to conclude, there’s no real difference between these two bites. Both cause similar symptoms (such as nausea, chills, and muscle aches/cramps) but neither is life-threatening.

If you have a spider infestation (of any kind), we suggest investing in our Columbia pest control services. We can eliminate the infestation quickly so you won’t have to worry about them again.

The post Black Widow or Brown Recluse? Choose Your Poison. appeared first on Ledford's Pest Control Blog.

en·croach

The word “encroach” means:

1. to advance beyond proper, established, or usual limits; make gradual inroads: ”A dictatorship of the majority is encroaching
on the rights of the individual.”

2. to trespass upon the property, domain, or rights of another, especially
stealthily or by gradual advances.

So roaches do encroach! Perhaps the word encroach is a dictionary tribute to the cockroach. The world may never know. However, our experts can share what we do know about roaches:

Once there is a cockroach infestation, it can be very hard to get rid of them. Cockroaches multiply very quickly, and adapt quickly as well. If only we could train them to be in the military – we could call it the Roach Regiment and they would always win! Unless, of course, the Roach Regiment was battling our Columbia pest control services. Then the roaches would lose.

If you thin you have an infestation, it is important to contact Ledford’s quickly as soon as you see cockroaches in your home or business. Those insects can be bad news and you’ll want to get to them quickly before they take over.

Cockroach varieties

There are over 4,000 different varieties of cockroaches, but only about 30 of them can comfortably live with humans. This number can be further reduced to only four varieties: the main species that cause problems in homes and businesses in America.

These four main species are the American, German, Asian, and Oriental cockroaches. They vary in size from about 1/2″ (German), up to 2″ (American). In America, the species that is most common in homes is a German variety.

Once cockroaches infest a home, they are rarely seen because they are nocturnal and can live up to a month with little or no food. They can also survive by eating book bindings, furniture, glue, soap, dead insects, shoe linings, and more. (There’s a funny student excuse: “My cockroach ate my homework. It also ate the bed I sleep on. I’m barefoot because they ate my shoes, and I didn’t finish my science project because they ate my glue. Can I get an A for effort?”)

Contact our Columbia pest control services today and get rid of your cockroaches.

The post encROACH appeared first on Ledford's Pest Control Blog.

Our Lexington pest control company is pleased to offer our customers a way to “go green.” We use the most eco-friendly ways to remove insects and pests from your home or business. Our products are all natural, non-toxic, allergy and environmentally friendly.

Borates

Many of our products contain borate as an active ingredient, which is a mineral salt that is mined from the earth and has been used to control pests for at least 300 years. Borates are deadly to termites, ants, cockroaches, crickets and silverfish and scientists believe the insects die when borates enter their digestive tracts after they consume bait. But, while deadly to these insects, this green product poses no risk to people and pets.

The green alternative is great for anyone with concerns about the environment. Our green Lexington pest control products and services will solve your infestation problems effectively, efficiently and naturally.

If you have any questions about “going green” with Ledford’s Pest Control, please contact us in Charleston at 843-766-8298 or Columbia at 803-754-3434.

The post Going Green appeared first on Ledford's Pest Control Blog.

Termite facts:

- The total weight of all of the termites in the world is greater than the weight of all the humans in the world.
- Termites have been around since the time of the dinosaurs.
- Termites eat non-stop: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Termites are social insects and raise their young as a group.
- Termites have wings that they shed once they find a good place to build a nest.

The Formosan Termite

An invasive species called the Formosan termite lives in 11 U.S. states, including South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida.  Its nickname is the “super termite” because of its destructive habits.

- Formosans live in huge underground colonies.  They also build mud nests inside of walls and can live on boats.
- Formosan termite colonies can be up to 300 feet long and there can be tens of thousands of them in a single colony.
- Formosan termites eat wood and fabric made from plants.

To avoid an infestation of any termite type, make sure water drains away from your house and keep damp wood away from your home. If you do experience an infestation, however, contact our Lexington pest control experts immediately.

The post Termite Fun Facts appeared first on Ledford's Pest Control Blog.