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Peskies Pest Control Montgomery Alabama Podcast

Peskies Pest Control Montgomery Alabama Podcast

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Our motto at Peskies Pest Control Is 100% Guarenteed Or You Don’t Pay a Penny for pest problems in Montgomery, Alabama! Monthly discussions on how to have a pest free home with pest experts Michael Wienecke and Travis McGowinPeskies Pest Control Montgomery, Alabama Nature et écologie Science Sciences de la Terre
Épisodes
  • The Moisture-Pest Connection: Protecting Your Foundation, Crawl Space, and Home

    The Moisture-Pest Connection: Protecting Your Foundation, Crawl Space, and Home
    Oct 26 2026
    Have you ever peeked into your crawl space only to feel like you needed a snorkel and a flashlight? In this episode of the Peskies Pest Control Podcast, hosts Michael Wienecke and Travis McGowin tackle the hidden nightmare happening beneath so many homes: poor lot grading, runaway runoff, and persistent moisture issues. They break down why modern building trends often make drainage worse, the costly risks of planting heavy landscaping right up against your foundation, and how standing water turns your crawl space into an open invitation for termites, camel crickets, and other destructive pests. Tune in to find out why proper water management is your home’s first line of defense against costly structural damage and unwanted intruders. Like Us On Facebook! Podcast Transcript:Michael Wienecke: How many houses do you think have poor irrigation—or not irrigation, but um, drainage—in Alabama? Just if you had a number. And I’d like to have like a irrigation, or not—I keep saying irrigation, I’ll probably keep saying that, but drainage specialists, water specialists on on here to tell us, but I I would assume that it’s a lot.Travis McGowin: Well, if you really look at look at the houses that we go to, it seems like more and more these days, you know, they’re they’re trying to sandwich and put houses in in very creative areas. Um—Michael Wienecke: Oh, that’s a good point. Man, I saw one in Bluff Park the other day, and I just shook my head because the house is higher than the neighbor’s house, so all that water is just going to go pouring into that crawl space.Travis McGowin: Right, it’s like uh, “Okay, well, you know, you bought this lot or you own this lot. Yeah, we’ll stick a house here no matter, you know, what the the cause or the cost or the repercussions for any of the other surrounding properties.” And and I I do though, I see they’re they’re sandwiching these houses, they’re sandwiching them on really weird grades and slopes, and I would definitely venture to say that the grading of the lot and the management of runoff is is not always appropriate, and we see that a lot around the outside of houses and then even underneath houses in crawl spaces as well.Michael Wienecke: Oh, I mean, yeah. Well, I mean, they’ve got to put in more more drainage now, and I don’t think that I think they account for so much water, but unfortunately Alabama is uh, you know, it could snow tomorrow, or or it could be 105 degrees. So, we just have so much just change in weather, I I don’t think they account for the amount of water that we actually get, ’cause you’re seeing so many of these new homes with like these—I’m glad you said that about the grade, like these stair-stepper grades, and I mean water is going to go to the path of least resistance, so it’s just going to travel downhill. I’ve never understood that.Travis McGowin: And I can’t even—Michael Wienecke: Elaborate, please. Tell me.Travis McGowin: (Laughs) I am not a contractor, so… Uh, but I can say that I have been underneath quite a few houses and in crawl spaces, and and you’ve been there as well, where you just you stick your head into the access and you’re like, “Oh god,” because—Michael Wienecke: Put a snorkel on.Travis McGowin: Yeah. Uh, if there’s not standing water, then it’s like a mud hole, or you know, you can even see where the water has carved its own pathway underneath some of these houses, and you’re like you’re just waiting because you know that it’s slowly eroding the dirt from underneath the house.Michael Wienecke: Oh, yeah. I’m glad you brought that up. So, I I’d like to bring up something, too. Just um, would you would it is it better to have like bushes right up—like if you have a garden section next to your house or like a flower bed section, front, side, whatever it may be, would you recommend flowers there or like heavy heavy uh bushes, if it’s like right up against the house?Travis McGowin: Mm, neither is mine (laughs). Because—Michael Wienecke: Burn it all down! Burn it all down!Travis McGowin: I I’ll be real honest with you, I’m very lazy when it comes to landscaping because the less that I have to fool with, the less lawn work has to be done, but I’m not a big fan of landscaping near the structure for multiple reasons. Um, I I’ve seen many times where landscaping holds moisture, uh it blocks sunlight, there’s no evaporation against the bottom of the structure, you end up with growth on the side of the bottom of the structure. And then not to mention, it’s a pest harborage area. If it’s not managed properly, it grows up against the side of the structure, it’s a pest pathway. There’s just so many different reasons why I think that there doesn’t need to be vegetation. And and I know everyone loves their beautiful vegetation and their lawn and landscape, but there’s so many reasons to not have it against your...
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    13 min
  • Pest Control: American Roach Prevention

    Pest Control: American Roach Prevention
    Oct 14 2026
    Welcome back to the Peskies Pest Control Podcast! In this episode, hosts Michael Wienecke and Travis McGowin take a deep dive into the world of the American cockroach—from wild stories about roach-infested stadium concrete covers to skin-crawling encounters inside tight crawl spaces. The duo breaks down why these giant pests prefer moist environments, how natural harborage areas like pine straw and firewood attract them, and the most practical steps you can take to keep them out of your home. Tune in to learn why “American roaches come low,” what risks they pose to your family’s health, and how simple moisture control can make all the difference. Visit our YouTube channel! Podcast Transcript:Michael Wienecke: But today is the American roach. The longest, fattest, ugliest roach there is.Travis McGowin: It probably doesn’t appreciate you calling it that, all of those mean things.Michael Wienecke: Well, it’s funny because a long, long time ago I was being trained, and that’s how I was taught, that it had a, a large halo on its, on its head, and it was the biggest, just like, you know, Americans seem to be.Travis McGowin: Yeah, I would say between them and Smokey Brown, they’re… Most of what I see between the two are, are about, you know, the same or similar in size. Um, but fun story. I saw, I was at the football field last night, um, calling the game, and then afterwards the stadium got cleaned up, and then I was able to leave. And as I go to get in my truck, I crank my truck up, and I turn my headlights on, and I go to drive away, and there’s like a big concrete, um, and almost looks like the entrance to a well, like, you know, you’d see on someone’s property, um, big concrete cover, big circular, um, piece of concrete going into the ground.Michael Wienecke: Like a sewer?Travis McGowin: And it could be. I mean, you know, we don’t have sewer out there, but, you know, we do have, I guess, septic system, what not. But…Michael Wienecke: Outhouses?Travis McGowin: We’re not that rural. Um, so I look at it and it’s moving. And I took a video, and I’ll have to show it to you, but there were roaches scrambling all over the outside and going into this, uh, piece of concrete. I’m talking about all over the place. It was actually pretty epic to see. So much so that I stopped and pulled my phone out and like videoed this.Michael Wienecke: That’s nasty.Travis McGowin: Why wouldn’t I?Michael Wienecke: Well, and that’s why we always say, you know, American roaches come from below. You know, we see them a lot more in cellars, in basements, uh, wet, damp areas such as that.Travis McGowin: Right. Yeah, there, there, uh, there’s a significant population, it appears, um, in that area now. So, yeah, it was kind of gross, actually.Michael Wienecke: Well, um, are you, are we treating that area?Travis McGowin: No, we don’t treat the school.Michael Wienecke: Oh, I thought, I thought it was at the football field.Travis McGowin: No, no. Well, I mean, it’s close to the high school stadium, but no, we don’t treat anything at the school. They have their own people they’ve, you know, low-bid contracted with.Michael Wienecke: Well, all right then. Well, so let’s talk about how they enter your house in general. I mean, uh, we’ve talked about cracks, crevices, doors, windows, but, um, talk about some, uh, nature obstacles. Natural obstacles. There we go.Travis McGowin: Na- natural obstacles?Michael Wienecke: Yeah, some things that customers could do to help with, um, not letting American roaches in their house in the first place.Travis McGowin: Right, so first thing that comes to mind for me is trying to ensure that none of the areas around your property are harborage areas or places that that they want to live or stay, you know? And what that could look like is maybe not having so much pine straw or mulch, uh, and especially high amounts of moisture around those as well. Um, but just, I think eliminating some of the harborage areas is a really great start.Michael Wienecke: I mean, firewood around the house is a big one for me, cuz we see, we see that a lot. And I can just remember just as a kid watching, you know, like a stack of wood, you’d remove it for for the fire or something, and uh, roaches would come out of the woodwork. Literally. So, just for that, termites, I mean, ants. I mean, really, any kind of pest, you don’t want a bunch of wood that you’re gonna burn that probably was cut up and has some type of, uh, insect or larva already in it. So, want to keep that as far away as possible. Um, good seals on the windows, trees not touching the house. Um, that’s gonna be a big one, cuz again, those, those roaches can, they can fly, but I mean, they’re fairly weak flyers, so they’re gonna do more, more crawling. And then, of course, your, uh, water, water, na-, you know, um, like when it rains, your, your standing water issues and stuff like that...
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    15 min
  • Why DIY Pest Control Makes German Roach Infestations Worse

    Why DIY Pest Control Makes German Roach Infestations Worse
    Sep 23 2026
    In this episode of the Peskies Pest Control Podcast, pest control experts Michael Wienecke and Travis McGowin share their wildest, most extreme job stories while diving into the reality of dealing with German roach infestations. From nightmare house calls and common DIY treatment mistakes to the surprising ways roaches invade clean homes, they break down why quick fixes don’t work and what it really takes to solve a serious pest problem. Subscribe to our YouTube channel! Podcast Transcript: Michael Wienecke: What’s the worst German roach service you’ve ever had?Travis McGowin: Ooh, I’ll be honest with you. I have one that still stands out in my mind that I went to in Montgomery several years ago. Uh, it was a residential property in, um, the northern part of Montgomery, and it was—it was bad. So, when they called about the infestation, on the phone, the lady advised me that, you know, it was mainly in one room. They’d been seeing them in the living room, um, and maybe a little in the kitchen.I walked into the house, and she looked at me, I looked at her, and I looked around the room, and I said, “This is, uh—this is a little bit more than just the living room and the kitchen, isn’t it?” And she said, “Yes, sir, it’s the whole house.” And I said, “Yeah, that’s kind of what I was thinking.” When I—when I tell you that there were German roaches in every single room, pretty much every single corner, any appliance, uh, piece of electronics, any piece of furniture, it—it was—it was the most, to date, since I’ve been doing this, it was the most significant one that I have ever walked into.Michael Wienecke: Were they trying to cure the problem themselves?Travis McGowin: You know, I—I don’t know 100%. I don’t remember seeing anything that gave me that indication, um, that they were trying to remedy it themselves. But, you know, that—that’s the problem, right? Is that when people get in too deep with some of these pest problems, you know, and specifically German cockroaches, and they try to remedy it themselves, a lot of times they exacerbate the problem and make it worse, and they move it from not only just being in one room to being in multiple rooms, to being in the whole house because they’re using the wrong products and the wrong methods.Michael Wienecke: 100%. So, um, I—I think that that would be the number one way that we get called out is that, would you say 90 days after trying to treat it themselves, it becomes an explosion that started probably in the kitchen or maybe in the bathroom, and now they’re seeing them in their bedroom, or they’re seeing them in, uh, you know, closets, things where they wouldn’t see them? And, uh, let’s explain why—why that’s happening.Travis McGowin: Well, I’ll—I’ll give you an example. Another, um, German roach infestation I went to that was actually in a mobile home. Uh, when I got there, I believe they told me I was, um—or I was with the third company that they had called. And, uh—Michael Wienecke: Wow.Travis McGowin: Yeah, absolutely. So, they were pretty desperate to get rid of them. I remember asking them—and I—and I typically ask most people this question, um, “All right, so after the other companies treated, did they ever come back?” And, of course, no, they did not, because, uh, I guess they thought that, um, this treatment for this customer was one and done, which it wasn’t.Michael Wienecke: Travis, it’s called a clean-out, okay? It’s—it’s a $199, and you’re good to go for the—for the next—Travis McGowin: Oh yeah, you’ll never have roaches again. Right, okay.Michael Wienecke: That’s—that’s right. Hey, they label it all day long. I’ve seen—I’ve seen the, uh—what are those things called? The yard signs. I’ve seen them.Travis McGowin: Well, we’ll go into in a minute why that’s not actually typically possible for German roaches. But, uh, but then I followed up with the question, “After they sprayed, was the problem any better, or did it get worse?” And the answer is most always, “It got worse.” And, uh, followed up by the third question, which is, “All right, so they started—you said they started in the kitchen. But after they sprayed, were they still just in the kitchen?” And that’s when the homeowner, of course, advised me that, no, they had moved, and that they had been in other rooms off of the kitchen as opposed to just being in the kitchen where they started.So, inevitably, what probably happened is the previous companies used a product that should never have been used. They got a little instant gratification by seeing some dead roaches. Um, but in reality, Michael, you and I both know that what happened was is that they just caused the infestation to relocate due to the product that they used that they should not have used.Michael Wienecke: Look, Bifen’s a great product. It’s a great product. It’s...
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    23 min
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