Pest Control Questions and Answers for Atlanta
This page answers the questions Atlanta homeowners ask most about pest control: how booking works, what a technician checks, how crawl spaces and the long season change the work, which pests to expect, and what moves the price. If your question is not here, phones are answered 24/7.
- Phones answered 24/7
- Price explained before any work starts
- Crawl spaces, attics and yards
- Same-day visits when a technician is free
Get a fast quote
Fastest: call (855) 974-4733. Or send this and we call you back.
Booking and how it works
How do I book a pest control visit in Atlanta?
Call (855) 974-4733, or use the form on the contact page for something that can wait a day. Describe the pest, where you have seen it and your address. The call is connected with a local technician, and you are told when a visit is realistic. Same-day visits are scheduled when a technician is free.
Is someone really there at 3 a.m.?
Phones are answered 24/7, so someone will take your call at any hour and plan the next step with you. That does not mean a crew is dispatched around the clock. For most problems, the visit is the same day or the next morning, depending on who is free near you.
Will I be told the price before work starts?
Yes. The technician explains what was found, what the treatment involves and what it costs before anything is applied, and you can say no. This site does not publish dollar figures, because without sourced local prices they would only be guesses. See the pricing page for what moves a quote.
Do I need to be home during the visit?
For an inside treatment, an attic or crawl-space inspection, or anything that needs access to rooms, yes, or someone you trust should be. For an exterior yard service, you may not need to be home, but ask when you book. Say if there are pets, locked gates or a crawl-space door that sticks.
What happens if I call about a pest outside your service list?
A technician will tell you honestly. Some jobs, such as larger wildlife, belong to a different kind of company. If the pest is one the service handles, the call is simply booked as the closest match, and the technician can adjust on site.
Crawl spaces, termites and older houses
Why does my older Atlanta house need a crawl-space inspection?
Many houses from the 1880s to the 1930s in neighborhoods such as West End, Grant Park and Kirkwood sit on brick or block piers over a vented crawl space. Sills, joists and piers cannot be seen from the yard, so an inspection means someone going under the house. See our termite inspection page.
Are Formosan termites a problem in Atlanta?
They are rare in Georgia. University of Georgia specialists have located and are monitoring 16 confirmed Formosan colonies in the state, most in the metro Atlanta area. Eastern subterranean termites are the common structural termite here. A technician can tell the two apart, and you should not assume the worst from a swarm.
When is termite swarm season?
Swarmers typically appear in spring, often on warm days after rain, though timing varies. Seeing winged insects or piles of shed wings near a window is a reason to call. See our termite swarm season guide for what to look at and what to keep as a sample.
Is a vented or a sealed crawl space better?
Vented spaces are the traditional design; encapsulation, a sealed liner with no open vents, is one approach to managing moisture. Neither is a guaranteed termite barrier, and the right choice depends on the house. A technician can tell you what they found under yours. Our crawl space guide explains the trade-offs.
I am buying or selling a house. Will I need a termite letter?
A wood-destroying-insect inspection letter is commonly requested at sale or by a lender in Georgia, though who asks, who pays and how long it stays valid vary by deal and contract. Check with your agent or lender. Read the termite letter guide and the letter service page.
Roaches, rodents and indoor pests
Why do I have huge roaches after a storm?
American cockroaches, often called palmetto bugs, live outdoors and in crawl spaces, drains and leaf litter, and move toward houses in heat or heavy rain. Smokybrown cockroaches live in trees and gutters and fly to lights. Both are different from German roaches. See American cockroach control.
How do I tell a German roach from an American roach?
German roaches are small and tan with two dark stripes behind the head, and they live indoors in kitchens and baths. American roaches are much larger, reddish-brown, and usually come in from outside. The treatment differs a lot, so the identification matters. See cockroach control.
Why do rats and squirrels seem to move into attics in fall?
As nights cool, roof rats and squirrels look for dry, sheltered space, and overhanging limbs make it easy to reach a soffit or roof edge. Atlanta's canopy covers roughly 45 percent of the city, so many roofs have a limb nearby. Read about squirrel and roof rat exclusion.
I rent an apartment and found roaches or bed bugs. What do I do?
Tell your landlord or property manager in writing and take photos. Multi-unit buildings often need a treatment that includes neighboring units, which a single tenant cannot arrange alone. A technician can explain what the building needs. See bed bug treatment and cockroach control.
Are spiders in my crawl space or shed dangerous?
Most are harmless, but brown recluse and black widow spiders hide in crawl spaces, sheds, garages and wood piles, and both can bite. Wear gloves and shake out stored items before handling them, and call if you find them indoors repeatedly. See spider control.
Yards, mosquitoes and stinging insects
Why are Atlanta mosquitoes so bad into the fall?
The season is long, because the winters are mild and rain falls through the year. Asian tiger mosquitoes breed in small containers of standing water, such as saucers, buckets and clogged gutters, and bite in the daytime. Dumping water weekly helps. See mosquito control and our mosquito season guide.
What should I know about West Nile virus in Georgia?
West Nile virus occurs in Georgia. For current information and prevention advice, check the Georgia Department of Public Health and the CDC rather than relying on a pest control company. Reducing standing water and using repellent are the practical steps for a household.
How do I deal with fire ant mounds in my lawn?
Do not disturb them barehanded or with a shovel; fire ants swarm up the arm quickly. Mounds tend to appear in sunny lawns, often after rain. A technician can treat the mounds and the yard. Keep kids and pets away from the area until you have been told it is safe. See fire ant control.
Is a wasp nest over my door an emergency?
If anyone in the household is allergic, or the nest is on the path to your door, call right away and keep people away. Yellowjackets and paper wasps nest in eaves and ground voids, and late summer nests are at their largest. See wasp, hornet and bee removal.
Do carpenter bees damage my porch?
They can. Carpenter bees bore round holes into bare, unpainted wood such as trim, railings and eaves, and are most active in spring. They do less harm than termites, but repeated tunnelling weakens wood and invites decay. See wasp, hornet and bee removal for what to do.
Safety, products and the company
How do I protect kids and pets during a treatment?
Ask the technician which product is being used, where it goes and how long children and pets should stay away. Precautions depend on the product and the area, and a technician should be able to explain them plainly. Keep pets and toys out of treated areas until you are told it is safe.
Is pest control in Georgia regulated?
Yes. In Georgia, structural pest control is regulated at the state level. You can ask any company for its license details before you agree to work, and you should expect a clear answer. This site's About page explains who does the work when you call.
Do you offer reviews or testimonials?
Not yet. The site does not display customer reviews, and none are invented. The reviews page explains what to look for when you read any company's reviews, and how to leave one on a public site after a visit.
Can I get a quote by email instead of calling?
You can send a request through the contact page with your address, the pest and where you saw it. For an urgent problem such as rats in the living space or a wasp nest by a doorway, a phone call is the faster route.
Question not answered here?
Call and ask. A technician will give you a straight answer, even if the answer is that you do not need us.