Arete Pest Control

11/02/2026

Rodent season is here in Dacula, and plenty of companies will happily sell you traps.

Traps alone do not solve the problem. Rats and mice keep coming back until every gap at the roofline, soffit vents, and utility lines is sealed with chew-resistant material.

Our new guide walks you through what a real rodent program looks like. Inspect, exclude, trap, follow up, in that order.

You will also find the six questions to ask before you hire anyone, the red flags that should send you elsewhere, and a realistic timeline for a quiet attic.

Read it before you sign anything.
https://aretepestcontrol.com/hiring-rodent-control-in-dacula-ga-read-this-first/

Hiring rodent control in Dacula? Learn what a real treatment plan includes, the questions to ask, and how Arete guarantees results with same-day service.

10/30/2026

Happy Halloween weekend, Georgia. The plastic spiders on your porch are not the problem. The habits are.

That carved pumpkin on the step is a buffet. Rats, squirrels, raccoons, and fruit flies will find it within a night or two. Toss it by Sunday or move it off the porch.

The open candy bowl by the door is an ant and roach magnet. Lid it, or keep it in the fridge between trick-or-treaters.

Those stretchy fake cobwebs on the shrubs? They hide real webs, trap real bugs, and tangle birds. Pull them down Sunday too.

And the scariest sound this weekend will not be a doorbell. It is scratching in the attic after midnight.

Hear it? That is your cue, not a costume.

Stay safe out there.

10/29/2026

The first real snow along the Wasatch Front is coming. Voles are counting on it.

Once snow covers the lawn, voles tunnel underneath it all winter, unseen. They clip grass down to the crown and chew the bark off young trees at ground level.

You find out in March. Dead runways across the lawn and a fruit tree girdled more than halfway around, which usually means it is done.

Utah State University Extension says the time to act is now, before the snow.

Mow short on your last cut of the season. Wrap young trunks in quarter inch hardware cloth, buried 3 inches deep and taller than the snow line. Keep a bare 3 foot circle around tree bases.

If you already see 1 to 2 inch runways in the grass, the voles are here. Bait stations set out just before the first heavy storm work best.

Not sure what you are looking at? Send a photo and ask.



More from Utah State University Extension
https://extension.usu.edu/news_sections/gardening/vole-damage

10/28/2026

Set a few snap traps, caught two mice, and still hearing scratching? Here is why.

Traps only catch the rodents already inside. The gap they came through is still open, and the next ones are on the way.

Our new blog breaks down what DIY actually handles, where it falls apart, and the one mistake with poison that leaves a smell in your walls for weeks.

It also covers the real cost math. A fall and winter of repeat trapping often costs more than one professional visit that seals every entry point.

If you have roof rats in the attic or signs in more than one room, skip straight to the last section.

https://aretepestcontrol.com/diy-vs-pro-rodent-control-in-dacula-ga/

Snap traps rarely finish a rodent problem. See how DIY compares to professional rodent control in Dacula and why exclusion is what actually keeps them out.

10/27/2026

Big, slow, shiny black roach in the basement or near the floor drain? In Utah, that is almost always an oriental cockroach.

Some people call them water bugs. They are dark brown to black with stubby wings, and they love cool, damp, dark places.

They live in crawl spaces, sewers, and under sinks, and they often come up through floor drains. Leaky pipes and dripping faucets keep them around.

They are slower than German roaches but harder to ignore. They feed on garbage and anything decaying, and they track that into your home.

Utah State University Extension recommends starting with the water. Fix leaks, dry out the basement, and keep floor drains covered or flushed.

Then seal the gaps. Caulk around pipes, add door sweeps, and weatherstrip the basement door.

If you are seeing them every week, the population is bigger than what you can see. Baits and a crack and crevice treatment take care of the rest.



More from Utah State University Extension
https://extension.usu.edu/planthealth/ipm/notes_nuisance/oriental-cockroach

10/26/2026

Heard something in the wall last night? By the time you see a mouse, it has usually been inside for weeks.

Our new blog lays out the seven signs of rodents in a Dacula home. Droppings, gnaw marks, grease rubs along baseboards, night noises, nests, a musky odor, and a dog or cat that will not stop staring at one spot.

It also shows how to tell a mouse from a rat by the droppings, and where to look first. Under sinks, behind the dryer, the garage door edge, and the attic.

One more thing. Loud thumping overhead in daytime is probably not a rodent at all.

Read it before the first cold night this week.

https://aretepestcontrol.com/signs-of-rodents-in-your-dacula-ga-home/

Droppings, gnaw marks, and night noises usually mean rodents. Learn the seven signs Dacula homeowners miss, how to tell mice from rats, and when to call a pro.

10/23/2026

The spotted lanternfly is now confirmed in metro Atlanta, and late October is when it lays eggs.

This invasive planthopper was first found in Georgia in Fulton County. UGA Extension is tracking its spread and asking residents to help.

Adults are about an inch long with gray spotted wings and a flash of red underneath. They feed on more than 70 plants, including grapes, maples, and fruit trees, and leave a sticky mess that grows black mold.

Right now, look for egg masses. They are gray, putty-like smears about an inch long on tree trunks, fence posts, grills, patio furniture, and the underside of your car.

If you find one, scrape it into a bag with rubbing alcohol. Then take a photo and report it at gainvasives.org/slf/report.

Each egg mass holds 30 to 50 eggs. Every one you remove this fall is a few dozen fewer next spring.

Traveling out of metro Atlanta? Check your vehicle first. That is how they spread.



More from UGA Cooperative Extension
https://site.extension.uga.edu/fultonag/2026/06/invasive-insects-to-look-out-for-in-georgia/

10/22/2026

Big brown bug crawling up the inside of your window this week? Before you panic about stink bugs, take a closer look.

If it is about three quarters of an inch long with flat, leaf shaped sections on its back legs, that is a western conifer seed bug.

They spend summer feeding on pine and spruce cones. When nights get cold they head for the nearest warm wall and squeeze in through torn screens, vents, and gaps around windows.

Good news. They do not bite, do not breed indoors, and do not damage your house. They are just loud, clumsy, and annoying.

Utah State University Extension says exclusion is the fix. Repair screens, add door sweeps, and seal cracks on the south and west sides where they gather.

Already inside? Scoop it into a jar and set it outside, or vacuum it up.

Getting dozens every fall? An exterior treatment in October knocks the numbers down before they find a way in.



More from Utah State University Extension
https://extension.usu.edu/planthealth/research/western-conifer-seed-bug-leptoglossus-occidentalis

10/21/2026

This is Rodent Awareness Week, and the timing is not a coincidence.

October is when mice and rats across north Georgia start looking for a warm place to spend the winter. Your garage, attic, and crawl space are on the list.

A mouse squeezes through a gap the size of a dime. A rat needs about a quarter.

Walk the outside of your house this week. Check where pipes and wires enter the wall, the gap under the garage door, and the vents in the foundation.

Seal anything wider than a quarter inch with steel wool and caulk, not foam alone.

Inside, keep pantry food and pet food in sealed containers. Outside, pull firewood and brush away from the foundation.

Hearing scratching at night already? Do not wait for it to get louder.



More from the CDC on sealing rodents out
https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-pets/rodent-control/seal-up.html

10/20/2026

Three spiders show up in northern Utah homes every fall. Only one of them is a real medical concern.

Our new blog covers the western black widow, the yellow sac spider, and the hobo spider. Where each one hides, what a bite actually does, and which one sends you to a doctor.

Spoiler. Brown recluses do not live in northern Utah, no matter what you have heard.

It also explains why you see more spiders in October. Males are wandering for mates and cooler nights push them indoors. It is a shift in movement, not a population boom.

Read it before you reach for the shoe.

https://aretepestcontrol.com/a-guide-to-the-most-dangerous-spiders-in-utah-beware-of-the-bite/

Black widows, hobo spiders, and yellow sac spiders all move indoors in Utah each fall. Learn how to tell them apart and when you need a pro for spider control.