Arete Pest Control

09/08/2026

A shield-shaped brown bug is about to become Georgia's most annoying houseguest.

Brown marmorated stink bugs spend the summer in trees and gardens. Starting in late September, they head to homes in search of a warm place to spend the winter.

UGA Extension says the window to act is before that migration begins. That means right now.

Seal every crack an eighth of an inch or wider. Windows, doors, soffits, siding gaps, and utility openings.

Install door sweeps and repair torn screens while you are at it. The same sealing blocks kudzu bugs and lady beetles too.

And when one gets inside, resist the urge to squish. They earn their name. Vacuum instead.

Homes near woods and farmland see the heaviest pressure. Exterior treatment before late September dramatically reduces the invasion.



Source: UGA Extension, Insect and Arthropod Pests of Southeastern Neighborhoods

This publication is a guide to 110 common pest insects found in and around the home, including prevention and treatment options.

09/07/2026

Happy Labor Day from all of us at Arete.

Today we are celebrating the people who show up. The technicians out in the heat all summer. The office team answering the phones. And the hardworking families we serve across Georgia and Utah.

This holiday honors work, and we are grateful that ours lets us take care of yours.

Enjoy the day off if you have one. We hope it is restful and mostly bug-free.

09/04/2026

Happy Labor Day weekend from all of us at Arete.

Whether you are firing up the grill in Georgia or heading out to the patio in Utah, we hope you get one more great weekend outside.

A few quick tips for a sting-free cookout.

- Keep drinks covered and check your can before you sip. Yellowjackets love a soda.

- Clear plates and take the trash out before dark instead of after.

- Dump any standing water nearby. Late-season mosquitoes are still biting at dusk.

If uninvited guests have been crashing your backyard all summer, we are happy to help before the next gathering.

Enjoy the long weekend.

09/03/2026

Finding earwigs in the bathroom, laundry room, or under the kitchen sink? Late summer is their peak in Utah.

They breed in damp mulch and soil all summer, and heavy irrigation keeps the ground around foundations perfect for them.

As nights cool, they slip inside through door gaps and foundation cracks looking for moisture.

Those pincers look alarming, but earwigs are harmless to people. The problem is the numbers, and what they signal: damp conditions right up against your house.

Pull mulch back from the foundation, fix leaky sprinklers, and add door sweeps. Exterior treatment stops the nightly march indoors.

See how our Utah earwig control works.

Get same-day or next-day earwig extermination in Salt Lake and Utah Counties. Expert earwig control provides fast knockdown and ongoing prevention.

09/02/2026

West Nile virus is circulating in metro Atlanta mosquitoes right now, and DeKalb County is the current hot spot.

DeKalb Public Health reports seven mosquito traps have tested positive since late July, in areas including Avondale Estates, Clarkston, Doraville, North Druid Hills, and near Stonecrest.

Fulton County recorded its first positive trap in July near Grant Park.

Georgia has two confirmed human cases so far this year. Neither is in metro Atlanta yet, but the CDC says 2026 is shaping up as the most active West Nile season nationally since 2004.

Most infections cause no symptoms. A small number become serious, especially for older adults.

The mosquitoes that carry it bite mainly at dusk and dawn. Use EPA-registered repellent during those hours and wear long sleeves after sunset.

Dump standing water weekly. Gutters, plant trays, kids' toys, and tarps are the usual breeding spots.

If your yard stays swarmed after that, targeted treatment reaches the resting and breeding sites you cannot see.



Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2 human cases of West Nile virus reported this year in Georgia
https://www.ajc.com/news/2026/08/2-human-cases-of-west-nile-virus-reported-this-year-in-georgia-cdc-says/

09/01/2026

Yellowjacket colonies in Utah hit their biggest size right about now, and Labor Day weekend is prime time for stings.

A nest that held a few dozen workers in June can hold thousands by September. Their natural prey is thinning out, so they scavenge your grill, your drinks, and your trash instead.

Most Utah yellowjackets nest in the ground, often in old rodent burrows. Mowing or stepping near one is how most people get stung.

Please do not pour anything down the hole or spray a large nest yourself. Store-bought sprays often just anger the colony.

Professional removal handles ground nests, wall voids, and eaves safely.

See how our Utah wasp removal works.

Safe wasp, yellow jacket, and mud dauber removal in Utah and Salt Lake County. Same-day wasp nest removal and treatment available. 5-Star Rated.

08/31/2026

September is the month pests change their minds.

Mosquitoes and ants are still at summer strength. But the first cool nights push roaches, rodents, and overwintering insects toward your walls.

That overlap is why a quarterly plan beats one-off treatments. Each visit is timed to what is actually moving that season.

A fall exterior barrier, sealed entry points, and a tech who knows Georgia's pest calendar. That is the whole idea.

If bugs come back between visits, so do we, at no charge.

See how our Georgia residential pest control works.

Protect your home with residential pest control in North GA. Guaranteed solutions for ants, rodents, and termites. Monthly preventative plans available.

08/28/2026

Summer travel is winding down, and this is the week bed bugs get discovered.

They hitchhiked home in luggage weeks ago. Now the population has grown enough to notice: itchy bites in a line, rusty spots on sheets, tiny dark specks along mattress seams.

Bed bugs are not a housekeeping problem. The cleanest homes in Georgia get them.

But they are a speed problem. A few bugs become an infestation in weeks, and DIY sprays miss the eggs hidden deep in seams and cracks.

Professional heat and targeted treatment eliminate every life stage, which is the only way they actually stay gone.

If back-to-school season came with mystery bites, get it checked now. See how our Georgia bed bug removal works.

Sleep soundly with proven bed bug treatments in North GA. Safe, discreet, and guaranteed elimination for residential and commercial spaces. Call today.

08/27/2026

Finding little brown worms curled into spirals in your basement or garage? Those are millipedes.

They are one of the most common pests submitted to Utah's plant pest diagnostic lab, and late summer is when they wander indoors.

Here is the reassuring part. Millipedes are harmless. They do not bite, and they feed on decaying leaves and mulch, not your home.

They also cannot last long inside. Utah State University Extension notes they dry out and die indoors unless there is a moisture problem keeping them alive.

That makes them a useful signal. Regular millipedes inside usually means damp conditions worth fixing.

Pull mulch and leaf piles back from the foundation. Fix downspouts and sprinklers that keep soil wet against the house.

Then seal foundation cracks, add door sweeps, and vacuum up any that made it in.



Source: Utah State University Extension, Millipedes and Centipedes

08/26/2026

Georgia's strangest fall pest is about to make its move, and it has a type: white houses.

Kudzu bugs spend the summer feeding on kudzu. When it dies back in fall, they migrate in droves to light-colored homes, cars, and buildings looking for a place to overwinter.

UGA Extension says the window to act is now, before the migration starts in late September.

Seal every crack an eighth of an inch or wider. Check windows, doors, soffits, and siding gaps, and install door sweeps.

Spraying the bugs you see does not help much. New ones fly in the next day. Prevention is about the building, not the bug.

One more thing: never crush them indoors. They release a foul odor that some people mistake for a gas leak. Vacuum them up instead.

If your home backs up to a kudzu patch, exterior treatment before the migration makes the biggest difference.



Source: UGA Extension, Kudzu Bugs Wake Up, Cover Houses, Pester Homeowners

Kill kudzu, use vacuum to control kudzu bugs.