The Carolinas are a unique geographical region; residents are able to find both warm beaches and snow covered mountains within a reasonable driving distance. Overall, the Carolinas have been a relatively dry region, especially in summers, where our eastern mountain ranges can keep rainfall away from the foothills and piedmont regions. However, we have seen much greater rainfall totals in recent years, making our overall climate much more temperate. This change of weather has allowed damaging insects to thrive, which introduces an even greater threat to your home or business than in years past. Nelon-Cole is here to both protect you and help educate you on what threats are out there, how to find them, and what to do when you suspect you have a problem. Consider your home a ‘living’ thing, and any harmful insect as a virus; just like in living beings, the key to successful treatment is early detection. Listed here are some of the more common pests to be aware of as they look to make a path of destruction through your home.
HONEYBEES Believe it or not these insects, though vitally important to our ecosystem, can be potentially damaging to your home. They can enter through a tiny hole in siding or under the eaves and build a hive filled with honey that can damage walls and eventually cause the drywall to collapse under its weight. The best way to get rid of an active colony of bees is to call Nelon-Cole for an inspection. We can then work in cooperation with a qualified beekeeper, who will use a special type of vacuum to remove the bees and relocate them to a new hive far away. This will cause no longterm harm to the bees themselves, but could save you a fortune in damage repairs.
honeybees, though important, can do unseen damage to your home
TERMITES Termites are potentially the most damaging infestation you can have in your home or business, and termites thrive in the Carolinas. Their destructive capability has tremendous potential to your home mainly because of their stealth; there may be little to no visible sign of a termite infestation until significant damage has been done. Nelon-Cole trains all our technicians thoroughly in how to spot a possible infestation and, more importantly, how to get rid of them. We can also offer proactive solutions to not only kill existing infestations but also prevent them from happening at all.
termites can be the most damaging and often unseen enemy of your home
CARPENTER BEES You would be forgiven for confusing a carpenter bee with a bumble bee. While they look similar, only carpenter bees are usually destructive to your home, especially homes with lots of exposed wood. Female carpenter bees bore into your wood and can create numerous tunnels inside the wood that can be up to 6 feet in numerous directions in which to lay eggs. Since these tunnels are inside the wood, they are not able to be seen, but the wood is nonetheless structurally weakened (in some cases, considerably). Carpenter bee infestations can often be noticed by sighting pencil-sizes holes in your wood that are used as tunnel entrances.
carpenter bees can do structural damage that can go unnoticed until it is too late
FIRE ANTS Fire ants are a particularly menacing pest to homeowners in the Carolinas. If you have felt their sting, you know just what a pest they can be! However, you may not know that these biting pests are not just a threat to playing around in your yard, but also to electrical components in your home. Fire ants are attracted to electric fields and frequently set up shop in outlets, HVAC units, and electrical boxes. A qualified Nelon-Cole technician has specialized treatments that are both effective and safe for dealing with fire ant infestations for good.
a common enemy of your lawn, fire ants can damage your home as well
COCKROACHES ‘Roaches’ are absolute experts at survival as a species, dating back millions of years. It has been said that if life were to be driven to near-extinction in, say, a giant nuclear blast, only the common roach would survive. While we may not be able to drive the species to extinction, we do have means to control infestations in your home. Not only can cockroaches carry and spread diseases, they can also chew through fabrics and paper products, destroying wallpaper and even furniture if they’re not controlled. Eradicating roaches is a specialty of Nelon-Cole, and we welcome the opportunity to free your home or business of these ‘survivalists’.
a cockroack infestation can cause serious health problems for your family
MICE The playtoy of the house cat is also a great enemy of your home or business. Homeowners in the Carolinas are often surprised to learn mice have taken up residence in their walls because they don’t understand how they could have gotten in. These masters of stealth can easily squeeze through dime-size holes in foundations or siding, and they breed so rapidly that you could end up with dozens of mice chewing the insulation in your walls before you know it. Sometimes a mouse infestation is suspected if you hear ‘scratching’ sounds inside your walls or ceiling. Don’t worry, our technicians are experts at mouse control as well, and can not only rid your dwelling of them but also put measures in place to keep future infestations away.
mice can do damage equally to your home and your health
CAMEL CRICKETS Sometimes called “spider crickets” or “moon crickets” because their lengthy legs resemble those of spiders, camel crickets are attracted to damp areas, such as unfinished basements, where they dine on wood, stored fabrics, and even cardboard boxes. Keep these potential harmful pests out of your basement or crawlspace by sealing cracks in foundation walls where water can enter and by running a dehumidifier, if necessary, to get rid of moisture.
these evil insects are straight out of a horror movie!
SQUIRRELS You might be surprised by how many homes in the Carolinas experience serious problems caused by this mischievous pest. While it may be immensely amusing to watch the antics of these lively, agile critters, you won’t appreciate the holes they chew through wiring, ducts, and insulation if they find their way into your attic and walls. Once inside, a squirrel will look for nearly anything to gnaw on, and can easily cause electrical or plumbing problems that can lead to fire or flooding. Nelon-Cole has experience in dealing with this common pest as well, both with prevention and removal. While they are generally fine in your yard and trees, it is best to keep them out of your home.
though amusing to watch, squirrels can do serious damage to wood, wiring, and plumbing
Most of these common pests are not specific to homeowners in the Carolinas, but our climate here is near perfect for them to thrive, and in doing so your home or business investment is in danger of significant damage. Nelon-Cole Pest and Moisture Control can offer safe and proven measures of protection and removal. Our quarterly service is an excellent investment in the protection of your property. For any suspected issue dealing with pest or mold and moisture problems, you can always give us a quick call for a FREE no-obligation consultation. Tell us what you see, show us some photos – you might be surprised at how easily we can diagnose a serious issue that you didn’t even know you had, and potentially save you thousands in repair bills. We are always available across our region at 888-7-TheWeb and online at www.NelonCole.com.
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