Arete Pest Control

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.

08/25/2026

That chirping outside your window is about to move indoors.

Late August through September is peak cricket season in Utah. Field crickets are at full size, drawn to porch lights, and slipping into garages and basements as nights cool.

Here is the good news: crickets cannot survive or breed inside. The bad news is they chew fabrics, keep you up at night, and show up in numbers.

Simple fixes go a long way. Tight door sweeps, sealed foundation cracks, yellow exterior bulbs, and cleared debris near the house.

If they keep finding a way in, exterior treatment knocks the population down before the fall push.

See how our Utah cricket control works.

Stop Mormon crickets, house crickets, and camel crickets in Utah and Salt Lake County with fast and responsive cricket control. 5-star rated.

08/24/2026

The mice you hear in your walls in October are choosing your house right now.

Late August is when rats and mice around Georgia homes start scouting. They are mapping food sources, warmth, and entry points before the first cool nights arrive.

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

Check the usual suspects: gaps around pipes and AC lines, worn garage door seals, foundation vents, and openings along the roofline.

Sealing those now is far easier than trapping an established family in the fall.

See how our Georgia rat and mouse removal works.

Protect your home from rats and mice in UT and GA. Safe removal, attic cleanup, and exclusion keep rodents out long-term. 5-star rated local service.

08/21/2026

Nothing ruins a backyard chill session or a quiet night indoors quite like uninvited guests. 🦟🚫

Don't let mosquitoes crash your vibe! Reclaim your space and enjoy bite-free relaxation with professional mosquito treatments from Arête Pest Control.

Ready to take your yard back? ✨
🌐 www.aretepestcontrol.com

08/21/2026

Gwinnett County has now logged multiple rabies-positive animals in 2026, and the pattern should change how you think about wildlife around your home.

A raccoon that attacked a dog near Tanner Road in Dacula tested positive back in March. Another raccoon tested positive in the Bethlehem area in June, and county officials confirmed yet another positive raccoon in July.

Rabies spreads through bites and scratches, and it is almost always fatal in humans if untreated.

Two takeaways for homeowners.

First, keep your pets current on rabies vaccination. Unvaccinated pets exposed to a rabid animal face a strict four-month quarantine.

Second, never handle wildlife yourself. A raccoon in your attic or a skunk under your deck is not a DIY project in a county with active rabies cases.

Georgia requires licensed professionals for wildlife removal, and this year is a reminder of why.

If you hear scratching in the attic or spot animals acting strangely, we handle raccoon, squirrel, bat, and skunk removal across Gwinnett: https://aretepestcontrol.com/wildlife-removal/



Source: Atlanta News First, Rabies warning: Raccoon tests positive in Gwinnett County
https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/video/2026/07/13/rabies-warning-raccoon-tests-positive-gwinnett-county/

A raccoon that was attacked by dogs has tested positive for rabies, Gwinnett County officials said.