Épisodes

  • Worse Than Fire Ants? Meet the Asian Needle Ant

    Worse Than Fire Ants? Meet the Asian Needle Ant
    May 26 2026
    Think fire ants are the worst thing hiding in your backyard? Think again. In this episode of the Peskies Pest Control Podcast, Travis introduces a stealthy new invader that’s rapidly expanding across the Southeast: the Asian Needle Ant. Unlike common yard pests, these tiny, orange-legged insects don’t build massive mounds—instead, they lurk quietly in mulch beds and woodpiles, packing a sting described as ‘liquid fire’ that can pose a serious medical threat. Tune in to learn how to spot their bizarre behavior, avoid their painful sting, and protect your yard from this aggressive ecosystem hijacker. Podcast Transcript:Travis: Hey everyone, welcome back to the Peskies Pest Control podcast. I’m Travis, your host. You know, we talk a lot on this show about ants, we talk a lot about termites, uh, little crawling insects like that, and we talk about how they’re nuisances. Uh, you know, the ones that come along and ruin your outdoor gatherings in your backyard, um, or fire ants that, you know, leave itchy bumps on you and your kids’ ankles, you know, when you inadvertently walk through the grass and they, you know, you come into contact with them.But today we’re going to discuss another pest that’s been making some headlines this spring. You know, so we’re halfway through May at this point, uh, and if you’ve been keeping up with the news, there’s kind of a bit of a new insect in town. And that is the Asian needle ant.Now, I say new, although this ant has been around the United States for quite a while, um, but the “new” refers to the fact that they are currently exploding and invading across the Southeast. Uh, you know, a lot of experts refer to them as a medical pest, and there’s a very good reason for that. If you’re a gardener, uh, someone who enjoys hiking, uh, if you like to move a little bit of mulch in your backyard, then you need to know who these guys are before you reach into the wrong pile of leaves or dirt.So, you know, you may be asking, “Well, I’ve never heard of the Asian needle ant. What am I looking for exactly?” So, they’re tiny, maybe even about a fifth of an inch long, if that kind of gives you an idea of just how small these Asian needle ants are. Now, as far as color goes, they’re dark, they are kind of shiny and glossy, and almost black for most of their body.But there’s a dead giveaway that you need to look for when you see these ants, and that is that they have a distinctive orangish-brown color to their legs and their jaws. So, almost a full black body, but their legs and their jaws are orange to orangish-brown. And honestly, you might not even see them coming because, unlike fire ants, they don’t build these huge nests in the middle of your lawn. They’re a lot more stealthy. They do love moist and shaded areas. A lot of times you’ll find them under, you know, rotting wood or logs, even maybe under your stones or pavers in your yard, or way down deep in a mulch bed. You know, they don’t march in long straight lines like a lot of ants do when they make invasions on your house in your kitchen or, you know, in your bathroom. They are more likely to be loners and forage um, on their own, or solo.And you know, in fact, if an Asian needle ant actually finds a great food source, it doesn’t leave a scent trail to attract other ants. But it actually goes back and picks up another ant and carries the ant to the food with them. Uh, so they’re not communicating with those chemical trails that a lot of other ants leave. So, if you see what looks like an ant with two heads moving across a log or across a mulch bed, then you might actually be spotting this tandem carrying um, that these ants do, which is kind of classic needle ant activity.One more weird way to identify them is um, if you put them into a glass jar, a lot of ants can climb right up the side of a jar, but an Asian needle ant cannot climb any smooth surfaces. So, if it attempts to climb and it’s sliding down to the bottom of the jar like it’s maybe on a layer of slick ice, you’ve probably found an Asian needle ant.Now, let’s talk a little bit about why they are referred to as medical pests. So, the sting has been described as liquid fire, uh, or as if someone is driving a hot needle into your skin. But here’s the real danger: the ants are shy. They’re not really aggressive like fire ants that, you know, come and swarm you the second that you step on a mound. So, most stings happen a lot of times when you accidentally trap one, you know, maybe you’re wearing gardening gloves, one of them gets inside, or you lean against a tree where they’re nesting. So, for most of us, it’s just an intense localized pain. Uh, it can actually hurt for sometimes hours.But for about 1% to 2% of the population, it’s actually a lot worse than that. So, these ants have an incredibly high rate of causing anaphylaxis. Uh, and if you don’t know what that is, it’s...
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    11 min
  • The Alabama Spring Guide to Termite Swarms

    The Alabama Spring Guide to Termite Swarms
    May 19 2026
    Welcome back to another episode of the Peskies Pest Control Podcast, your go-to guide for keeping your Alabama home safe and bug-free! In this episode, host Travis McGowin dives deep into a phenomenon every Alabamian knows all too well: the dreaded spring termite swarm. Picture a beautiful afternoon right after a rainstorm, only you look at your windowsill and see a shimmering cloud of vibrating insects. Before you slip into total “termite panic,” Travis breaks down the biology of these winged invaders, how to tell them apart from ordinary flying ants, and the critical “red light” warning signs that mean it’s time to put down the over-the-counter bug spray and grab the vacuum. Tune in to learn exactly what to do whether you find these pests inside or outside your home! Visit our YouTube Channel! Podcast Transcript:So, I want to give you a scenario. So, let’s just say that it’s a pretty spring afternoon. Storms rolled in, but the rain has just stopped. Sun’s peeking out through the clouds. And you look over to your windowsill to get a glimpse of how beautiful the day actually is becoming. Only to see a cloud of vibrating, shimmering insects on your windowsill inside your home. So, if you’ve lived in Alabama for more than a year, you probably know the feeling of what we will call termite panic. So today, we’re going to talk about the spring swarm. Why is it happening? Is your house currently being eaten, and most importantly, what do you do if you find this phenomenon on the inside versus the outside of your home?So first off, let’s talk a little bit about termite biology. These aren’t just any termites. These are termite alates. So, think of them as royalty in the termite world. So, they’ve got one mission. The termite colony itself is like a crowded city. So, once it gets a little too full, the colony produces these winged reproductive termites. Their only job, their only reason for existing, is to fly out, find a partner from a different city or colony, and establish a new colony. So, they’re waiting for that perfect weather window, which is usually, you know, a nice, warm, high-humidity spring day, and really after a rain is is uh definitely ideal for them. So, the ground is soft, it makes it new—or excuse me, makes it easier for a new queen to go in and burrow and start to establish that colony. However, they’re terrible flyers. Um they do flutter around for a few minutes, often carried and pushed around by the wind if they’re outside. But if they’re inside your house, they flutter around for a few minutes, they’ll shed their wing—their wings, and then attempt to go to work. So, if you see piles of, you know, translucent termite wings on your porch or on your windowsill, then that means that their nuptial flight is over and they’re trying to start the work of what it is they’re really trying to do.Now, before you call an exterminator uh in, you know, just a complete and sheer panic, let’s talk about it and make sure that you aren’t looking at flying ants. So, ants do swarm at the same times, look almost identical when you glance at them, but there are a couple of key and important differences that you need to know about to make sure that you identify whether or not it is a termite or an ant.So, termites have thick, straight bodies. Ants have a pinched waist kind of resembling an hourglass. So, if the body’s approximately the same size from head to toe, or from front to back, I should say, it’s probably a termite. However, ants have that pinched hourglass waist.The next thing you can look at to identify them is their antennae. So, termites’ antennae, um they’re straight and look almost like they have a bunch of little tiny beads that build their antennae up. If you look at ants, they have elbowed or bent antennae.And then, another unmistakable sign that can help you identify termites versus ants is the wings. That’s probably one of the easiest ways to tell what it is you’re dealing with. So, termites have four wings that are all equal length in size. Ants, on the other hand, have four wings. However, the front wings are a lot longer than the back ones, so you’ll have two long wings and two shorter wings. Uh so, if the other methods, the the body and the antennae are a little bit too difficult for you to identify, the wings are definitely almost always a dead giveaway.So, let’s get into what now if you discover this phenomenon, and that depends entirely on where exactly you found this going on.So, in the first scenario, which would be more ideal maybe, they’re outside. If you see them swarming from a stump in your yard, a fence post, a dead tree, something like that, do not panic. This is a natural part of the ecosystem in the woods around your property. It means that somewhere nearby, you have a mature termite colony and can kind of give you like a yellow light warning. If you picture a traffic light, you know, ...
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    10 min
  • Hantavirus: What You Need to Know!

    Hantavirus: What You Need to Know!
    May 12 2026
    Welcome back to the Peskies Pest Control Podcast, where we look beyond the common household nuisance to discuss the serious health risks associated with local wildlife. In this episode, Travis dives into the recent headlines surrounding the MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak to explore the realities of Hantavirus—a severe respiratory disease with a staggering 40% mortality rate. While the news may be focused on the Atlantic, the danger actually begins on land with the rodents that enter our homes and workplaces. Join us as we discuss how professional exclusion and monitoring are your family’s best defense against these invisible pathogens. Podcast Transcript:Host: Hey everyone and welcome back to another episode of the Peskies Pest Control Podcast. So today we don’t necessarily want to discuss the nuisance side of pests, but we want to talk a little bit about the dangerous side of pests. So anyone who has been on social media, watched the news lately, you probably seen headlines referring to the MV Hondius. If you’re not familiar with that, it is a cruise ship that was out in the Atlantic Ocean and is dealing with a now deadly outbreak of what is known as Hantavirus. So three people have died, there’s quite a few more being monitored around the world. CDC says they’re on high alert and it just sounds like something out of a horror movie, right? Or a suspense movie of some sort. You got a Hantavirus outbreak out in the middle of the ocean, but the truth is this is not a cruise ship problem, this is not an ocean problem. This is a rodent problem. Very often it starts on land, even in some of the places where you live and you work.What is Hantavirus?Host: So you may ask yourself, what exactly is Hantavirus? In short, it is a severe respiratory disease. So, you know, we have different strains of Hantavirus, but you know, the scary part is is that it has a mortality rate of nearly 40%. So compare that to the flu or even COVID-19 and you realize, you know, how potentially serious this can be. So, you know, you may be wondering how do you get Hantavirus? Well, you don’t get bitten by a mouse or a rat to get sick from this virus. It’s actually a lot easier than that and you don’t even have to contact a live rodent to get it. But the virus is carried by rodents, some mice, some rats, and they usually shed or disperse the virus when they urinate or when they defecate or even from their saliva. So you can get it from urine, their droppings, their spit. And when their droppings dry out and you sweep them up or you vacuum them or you clean them up, especially in large rodent infestations, the virus almost becomes aerosolized, you know, floating around in the air and then you breathe it in and you are at risk for Hantavirus in that moment or at that time.The MV Hondius ConnectionHost: So realistically, you know, how did this happen on a cruise ship? Well, the outbreak, you know, we can speculate all we want to but it likely started before the passengers were even on the boat. You know, there are reports that the first victims may have been exposed while birdwatching or visiting remote areas in Argentina. But two things to note here. The virus has quite a long incubation period, so somewhere in the upwards of 8 weeks. So you might not even really know that you’re sick until way after you’ve already been exposed. And you could see where somebody maybe got on the cruise ship having already been exposed to this virus. And it only takes one small interaction with an infested area, you know, to set this off. So on the ship, because it was a certain specific strain, it began to spread through close contact between the guests on the ship. And this is why we say, you know, that pest control isn’t just about property itself. Yeah, we love protecting your property from insects and from rodents and wildlife, but the big picture of pest control really is about public health.Bringing it Home – Why Pest Control MattersHost: So I know what you’re thinking now, it’s like, well, I’m not on a cruise ship in the Atlantic, or I’m not going to get on a cruise ship in the Atlantic. But here’s the unfortunate reality: every time that a rodent, a mouse or a rat enters your crawlspace, your attic, your kitchen pantry, they are bringing what is on the outside and bringing it in. So they’re not just looking for your food, they’re leaving behind a biological footprint that can in the long run affect you, your pets, your children. In Peskies, we don’t just kill bugs. You know, we create barriers between you and your family and your pets and we create the barriers between that group and these types of groups, the insects, the rodents, the wildlife, that sort of thing. So for rodents specifically, exclusion is extremely important and when I say exclusion, I mean sealing off the entry points so that they cannot get in in the first place. And then on top of that, sanitization is extremely important....
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    9 min
  • Tick Talk: Prevention, Protection, and Professional Treatment

    Tick Talk: Prevention, Protection, and Professional Treatment
    May 5 2026
    As summer temperatures hit a sunny 72°F, outdoor enthusiasts are hitting the trails to hike and bike. However, this beautiful weather also brings the rise of a dangerous parasitic creature: the Asian longhorned tick. In this episode of the Peskies Pest Control Podcast, Michael Wienecke discusses how these self-sufficient pests can breed without a mate and explores the best ways to protect your yard and family from the pathogens they carry. Podcast Transcript:Michael Wienecke:“Hey, so it is summertime and everyone is out there running these trails, biking, hiking, enjoying this great weather we’re having right now, 72 and sunny. I myself am enjoying it, especially in my backyard. But with this beautiful weather also comes a parasitic creature and today we’re going to be talking about ticks.I don’t like ticks, I don’t think anybody likes ticks. They embed in your skin and they can cause all kinds of diseases. We’ve got this new tick that is just sweeping the nation throughout the United States and it’s the Asian longhorned tick. So I kind of wanted to just bring some attention to that. I personally have not seen any in the field or any of that, but I just wanted to talk about it and it is really just kind of predicted to be a wave over this entire country.So they’re bad, they cause disease. Biggest thing, you know, we’ve got Lyme disease in this country, Rocky Mountain spotted fever. They are pathogens or they can transfer pathogens back and forth from each other. That’s how they get them. So when they bite an animal, they will bite that animal with a disease, they’ll absorb that disease and then they can transfer it from animal to animal to animal. And unfortunately there are quite a few ticks in the United States that can already transfer that disease from human to animal and back and forth. So ticks are just all around pretty bad.Another thing about the Asian longhorned tick is that it can breed without a mate. So it’s able to lay eggs without having to mate. That’s kind of scary because it can—it’s self-sufficient.Let’s talk about some ways that you can help prevent ticks in your area. So just, you know, keeping your yard nice and trimmed, keeping a really manicured, you know, all the bushes need to be cut down, just kind of out of the way because that’s what those little guys do is they just hang out on the edge of those bushes and branches or whatever it may be and as you brush up against it, those guys are latching onto you and it’s very hard to even feel them crawling on you and then all of a sudden, you know, you’re figuring it out maybe the next day and you got a tick that’s already embedded in you and you have to remove that little guy. So that’s no fun.So let’s talk about just some ways to prevent this tick over, you know, walking through these trails. Wear long sleeves, long pants, socks. If you want to spray a little bug spray on you, especially in the woods, definitely going to be helpful. Just try to keep yourself as covered up as possible and that’s going to prevent them mostly. And then of course just stay on the trails or stay away from the brush line and you should be okay.So again just picking up debris, stuff around the house, cutting the grass, keeping it short, keeping, you know, the bushes away from the house, manicured and then just watching where you play. You know, if that doesn’t work, we treat for ticks so we’re going to treat the underside of the bushes kind of where those guys are hiding, where they’re along there and that’s going to prevent those guys from being able to multiply and continue to create tick after tick.They are really good multipliers, thousands of ticks at a time. So if you’ve ever seen those deer hunting videos where they’re just crawling up the hunter’s legs, they can get really bad real quick. So again, if you need any help, give us a call (334) 595-9055. Thanks, have a great day.” The post Tick Talk: Prevention, Protection, and Professional Treatment appeared first on Peskies Pest Control Montgomery.
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    5 min
  • Attic Invaders: How Raccoons Exploit Your Home

    Attic Invaders: How Raccoons Exploit Your Home
    Apr 28 2026
    Welcome to another episode of the Peskies Pest Control Podcast! In today’s episode, Michael Wienecke and Travis McGowin peel back the mask on one of nature’s most clever “bandits”: the raccoon. While these “trash pandas” might look cute from a distance, the duo discusses the gritty reality of dealing with them, from their human-like dexterity used to tear into roofs to the serious health risks like rabies and roundworm. Whether they are falling into living rooms or turning your attic into a “two-for-one” special with a side of fleas, you’ll learn why you definitely don’t want these vicious critters as roommates. Like us on Facebook! Podcast Transcript:Michael: So Travis, when’s the last time you were in your attic?Travis: Uh, a couple weeks ago actually. I was, uh, running some wiring for a new Wi-Fi internet system at my house.Michael: Okay, well I can guarantee that most of humanity is not running Wi-Fi throughout their attic in their – on their spare time. Uh, is that what you did?Travis: Oh, I’ll tell you, I will tell you that if most of humanity experienced Wi-Fi like I have at my house, they would.Michael: I mean we got mics dropping, you know, internet going down, you know, I – we gotta have somebody that – that knows what he’s doing. Anyway, we’re getting way off topic. Uh, well for the people that are not in their attic right now, what is – uh, what are we seeing a lot of, you know, things that are crawling around in attics right now? Besides squirrels – I mean we just did a podcast on squirrels, but what’s the other – uh, bandit that – uh, is getting in the house?Travis: I mean definitely the appropriate question should always be like, what’s living in your attic?Michael: Or in your crawl space.Travis: Or in your crawl space. That is – uh, definitely an area of concern with this particular – uh, nuisance wildlife, but – uh, you know, I’ll just go and say it, raccoons. I mean raccoons are something that you – I don’t know why that was funny.Michael: ‘Cause we drew it out so long before talking about it.Travis: Yeah, we did. It was like, kept everyone in suspense clearly.Michael: I hope the suspense was suspenseful.Travis: Uh, so they probably want to hear more about my Wi-Fi at my house, but anyway.Michael: But no, the raccoons are definitely something that you don’t want living in your home.Travis: Uh, it was funny, I was – this has been – uh, probably like two years ago or so, but I was sitting on the floor in the living room one evening, it was after 7:00, 7:30 in the evening, – uh, playing with my kids and my phone vibrated and there was a voicemail on our business line. And it was a lady in Montgomery who – uh, she – uh, had left a message saying that she needed desperate help because there was a raccoon in her living room at that very moment.Michael: Did it fall through the floor?Travis: Uh, I don’t really know the logistics of how the raccoon got into the living room. Uh, you ever see that commercial where the lady’s like calling to her cat in the yard but she doesn’t have her glasses on or whatever and she like lets the raccoon in? I don’t know if it was a situation like that.Michael: Anyway, so I looked at my wife and I’m like, you know, it’s after dark but I’m gonna call this lady back. So I did call her back, she had somebody on the way – uh, and I followed up with her the next morning and they actually did in fact somehow catch the raccoon. Uh, I don’t know what exactly method, you know, what method they used or anything like that. But – uh, not something that you want to tangle with. Michael, why don’t you elaborate on why raccoons might not be as cute and cuddly as people think?Michael: Uh, well they have – they’re just vicious. I mean they look so – they look like a little baby cat from really far away and they’re puffy and, you know, I – I kind of – I’m gonna refer back to that – uh, I believe it was in another country but the lady that went and took pictures of the – the wild cat that was in the mountains in the snow. She got mauled pretty bad. So something that looks cute and cuddly – uh, with fangs and – and claws and all that – uh, can do some major damage. So just stay away from ’em, especially if you’re seeing ’em in the daytime.Travis: Yeah, you know, I have had one try to eat me through a cage before after trapping it.Michael: I’ve had a lot try to eat me through the cage.Travis: It did – it did not look cute and cuddly as it was like snarling at me trying to tear me up through the cage.Michael: So – uh, I was sold right then on the belief that they’re not as cute and cuddly as everybody thinks they are.Travis: But aside from their looks, you know, one of the biggest problems with them is rabies. Uh, I like what you said a second ago about, you know, not toying with ’em if you see ’em in the daytime. Uh, that...
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    17 min
  • Identifying and Managing Carpenter Ant Infestations

    Identifying and Managing Carpenter Ant Infestations
    Apr 24 2026
    In this episode of the Peskies Pest Control Podcast, Travis McGowin and Michael Wienecke dive deep into the world of carpenter ants, the “other” wood-destroying insect that can cause significant, often undetected damage to a home. The team discusses how these pests differ from termites, highlighting their tendency to gnaw on wood for nesting rather than food. Through engaging stories—including a “detective” case in Prattville involving sawdust in a bathroom and a cautionary tale about a tree collapsing due to structural compromise—they explain the signs of an infestation and the importance of home maintenance. You’ll also learn about the fascinating, “mutualistic” relationship between ants and aphids, and why Michael insists that the textbooks might be wrong about when these insects are most active. Like us on Facebook! Podcast Transcript:Introduction and Initial ReactionsTravis McGowin: How would you feel if you discovered that there was an insect essentially chewing on your house, other than termites?Michael Wienecke: I would be devastated and upset.Travis McGowin: Devastated and upset, those are your big emotions.Michael Wienecke: Distraught.Travis McGowin: Oh, distraught. Is there a difference between being distraught and devastated and upset?Michael Wienecke: Unnerved.Travis McGowin: We’re just going to pull out every descriptive word we can think of now.Michael Wienecke: No, but seriously, I mean, one of the biggest investments that I have, yes, I would be very upset and I would call Pesky’s Pest Control and be like, “Hey, get rid of this problem for me, whatever it is, whatever’s munching on my home.”Travis McGowin: You’re not biased at all to the company, are you?Michael Wienecke: No, not at all. Just saying, call a reputable company and let them come and evaluate.Identifying Carpenter AntsTravis McGowin: Well, so what I’m getting at here is a very specific insect, and the one I am currently referring to is the carpenter ant.Michael Wienecke: Yes, we have been seeing a ton of carpenter ants. I have a lot in my driveway right now, just crawling all around.Travis McGowin: You know, the interesting thing is that carpenter ants can go unnoticed for so long due to a couple of reasons. Obviously, they are gnawing on wood, and most of the time wood is going to be in a not-so-visible place inside your house—inside the walls, inside the attic, the framing, the studs, that sort of thing. So, they can go undetected for so long until the damage is so significant and the population is so large. But what are some signs that you might actually be dealing with carpenter ants?Signs of InfestationMichael Wienecke: Well, I was going to say, unless it’s a brick home, but you kept going, so…Travis McGowin: I stole your thunder, I’m sorry.Michael Wienecke: You stole my thunder. What are some signs? Well, the first sign would be carpenter ants, that would be the first sign. The second sign would be things getting kicked out of the baseboards or even little holes, sawdust, dead little insects, decapitated bodies, legs, antennae.Travis McGowin: Sounds like very violent little creatures.Michael Wienecke: Hey, they are clean little creatures, I will say that. They keep it smooth and they don’t want anything messing up their home.Travis McGowin: You know, the very interesting thing too, and I’m going to touch on what you said a second ago about obviously seeing carpenter ants, however, there’s one little fact that a lot of people don’t know or don’t realize as to why they might actually not physically see the carpenter ant itself. Can you guess why?Michael Wienecke: Is it because they are nocturnal?Travis McGowin: Absolutely.Michael Wienecke: Well, excuse me, hold on, they’re not nocturnal, that’s not the right thing to say. They feed in the nighttime, which is at night.Travis McGowin: Nocturnal is a very good…Michael Wienecke: Well, that’s not fair because I’ve got them in the daytime… I don’t know what’s the word.Travis McGowin: I mean, yeah, you’ll see an occasional carpenter ant out foraging around and doing things in the daytime, but the vast majority of them are going to be running around at night. That’s where a lot of times if you have looked and you’ve got some sort of damage obviously from an insect that destroys wood and you feel like it’s not a termite, then the time to really go out and scout is actually after dark.Michael Wienecke: I disagree with you 100% and I disagree with the book 100%. I think the best time to go out is early morning and late afternoon. I don’t think you need to go out that late. I’m just saying, that’s the one thing where I’m like, “The book’s got it wrong.”Travis McGowin: Questioning everything, Travis.Case Study: Prattville HomeTravis McGowin: Well, I will say that I have seen it both ways, actually. So, I had a customer over in the Prattville area that was obviously having ...
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    16 min
  • Eviction Notice: The Logistics of Squirrel Trapping

    Eviction Notice: The Logistics of Squirrel Trapping
    Apr 21 2026
    In this episode of the Peskies Pest Control Podcast, Michael Wienecke and Travis McGowin dive into the seasonal “explosion” of squirrel activity and the havoc these bold climbers wreak on local homes. From chewing through electrical wiring—which can lead to dangerous structure fires—to tearing into gable vents and rooflines, the team discusses the serious risks and requirements involved in a professional eviction. You will learn how simple landscaping mistakes like untrimmed crepe myrtles provide a “bridge” for rodents and the tactical logistics required to successfully trap and seal out these persistent unwanted guests. Podcast Transcript:Squirrels in the AtticMichael Wienecke: All right, so who wants something crawling around in their attic?Travis McGowin: I know personally I hate crawling around in my attic, so I don’t know why anything would want to live up there in the first place. But far be it from me to tell wildlife that they can’t go in my attic, right?Michael Wienecke: So we have seen just an influx of, uh, things in attics here recently and they’ve just been squirrels and I, uh, I mean it’s, it’s just been an explosion.Travis McGowin: Yeah, ’tis the season. Um, and, and I feel like it’s like this every single spring realistically right there into that transition from winter to spring, it’s like they’re just on the prowl looking for someone’s house to get into.Michael Wienecke: Or houses.Travis McGowin: Or houses, that’s right. That’s right.Michael Wienecke: Well, and what are they doing up there? Why are they tearing into gable vents and roofs and, and all, all kinds of places on people’s homes right now?Travis McGowin: I mean, they’re looking for a place to start a family.Michael Wienecke: They’re looking to move in rent free, huh?Travis McGowin: Absolutely. Absolutely. They’re looking for a place to go and, uh, and nest and, and reproduce and, you know, take over the world one, one litter of squirrels at a time.Michael Wienecke: I’ll tell you one thing that is crazy to me about squirrels all the squirrel jobs that we do, they are very bold. They’re just, they’ll just hang out with you in the attic while you’re looking for ’em or watching ’em. I mean we’ve got plenty of videos on that, but they just kind of hang out and some of ’em will run away but a lot of ’em are just bold and they’ll just watch you.Travis McGowin: I think sometimes they think that they can’t be seen. Like they’re camouflaged.Michael Wienecke: I always thought because they thought they owned the home. They’re like hey this is I’ve been here six months this is I’ve, you know, um, what do they call it squatter’s rights.Travis McGowin: So, in order for us to effectively remove squirrels from someone’s attic do we need to go get an eviction notice from from some, you know, county entity?Michael Wienecke: We do actually Travis it is, uh, it is the state license, the, the trapping license that we, that we have to get, uh, for the state. So yes, we do have to, we do have to do that.Travis McGowin: Right.Damage and Issues Caused by SquirrelsMichael Wienecke: Well, let’s talk about some of the damage that they do though. I mean, we have seen, I mean, we just did a really good video on one chewing right in the front of someone’s house and, and getting through the wood. Uh, I’ve seen a lot of chimney damage in the past, um, just a lot, a lot of damage on wires. I mean, it’s, it’s just something that you just don’t have to deal with. And it’s always where you can’t reach it and it’s always next to the power lines.Travis McGowin: Um, you know, I think the perfect, more appropriate place to start in terms of damage and issues that the squirrels cause is really to kind of go and lead off with access. So, uh, first of all squirrels are really good climbers.Michael Wienecke: Really, really good climbers.Travis McGowin: Absolutely. They can climb textured surfaces like Spiderman. I mean realistically if your house has any kind of veneer made out of brick on it, um, even some types of siding, especially, you know, wood siding, rough cut wood, stuff like that, I mean they can climb like no body’s business. They have no trouble, um, going back and forth. And if you, you know, are fortunate enough to have some sort of surface on the outside of your house that is not textured that they can’t climb, then, you know, the next thing is they’ll climb a tree that is close to the eaves or close to the roof of the structure and they’ll just jump back and forth if they need to or if, you know, if that’s touching the roof or the eaves then they’ll just climb right, you know, back and forth and then, you know, of course we also see ’em running up and down power lines, uh, cable lines, um, more specifically cable lines to a house and I mean so there’s just so so many routes that they can get and take for their house, you or for to get...
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    24 min
  • Super Colonies and Sewage: The Alabama Argentine Ant

    Super Colonies and Sewage: The Alabama Argentine Ant
    Apr 14 2026
    In this episode of the Peskies Pest Control Podcast, hosts Michael Wienecke and Travis McGowin dive into the gritty details of what they call the “nastiest, grossest ant in Alabama”—the Argentine ant. The duo explores the unique biological traits of these invasive pests, such as their monomorphic size and their tendency to form massive supercolonies that can span thousands of miles. Beyond just being a nuisance, the hosts highlight the genuine health risks these ants pose as they travel from damp areas like sewage and stagnant water directly into home pantries, potentially spreading diseases like E. coli, salmonella and dysentery. From the “musty odor” they emit when squished to practical “ounce of prevention” tips for sealing up your home, this episode provides a comprehensive guide to identifying and controlling one of the most prolific pests in the South. Watch this on YouTube! Podcast Transcript:Michael Wienecke 0:00 Hey. So here on the Peskies Pest Control Podcast, we are going to talk about the nastiest, grossest ant in Alabama, and that is the Argentine ant. It is. It’s gross. It crawls over sewage and poop and gets in people’s food sometimes, and it just causes dysentery,Travis McGowin 0:18 among many other things. I’m sure there’s probably some E coli, salmonella and all that in there too.Michael Wienecke 0:26 Look, dysentery is just it reminds me of, like, Oregon Trail. Remember that game Oregon Trail? It’s like, what’d you die from dysentery?Travis McGowin 0:34 I think everybody died from dysentery on that game, if I’m not mistaken. It’s a very common theme, apparently. But anyway, no, the Argentine ant definitely, definitely, a very prolific ant in terms of size, colony size and whatnot that, you know, originally came around from Argentina and basically South America, very large area of South America, and was very likely introduced, you know, because of world trade shipping and trade routes and that sort of thing, like most of our very invasive pests are introduced to other countries.Michael Wienecke 1:09 It’s crazy to me how most rats, bugs, you know, other animals, have gone over from shipping. I mean, shipping has just transported so many different species of animals from one continent to another, absolutely.Travis McGowin 1:26 I mean, when you consider, you know, pests in general, and the problems that they’ve caused throughout history, and then, you know, we all want to be interconnected and trade and and all these things. But, I mean, it does come with its consequences. You know, it’s, it is one caveat to being a more, I guess, unified world in that sense, nature, nature. So, you know, tell us a little bit about some of the physical characteristics of the Argentine ant.Michael Wienecke 1:59 So really, it’s brown, light brown, kind of blackish colored. You know, really, biggest thing is you’re going to find them around the the outside of your structure, your house, leave debris, large stacks of wood. We always kind of joke about Argentine ants, because they are just they wreak havoc once you find a nest. I mean, they just come in Super colonies and just come out of the woodwork.Travis McGowin 2:27 RIght, and then when you squish them, they stink,Michael Wienecke 2:30 Yes, the musty odor, yes. They do a bit when you when you stink them, or when you squish them, they do stink, yes.Travis McGowin 2:35 And unlike some, you know, some ant colonies out there can be what we we call polymorphic, but Argentine ants are monomorphic, so typically they are all one size in when you look at them.Michael Wienecke 2:51 Well, and that sounds really boring, but we’re trying to do an inspection, knowing if they’re poly or mono is very important, because that gives that leads us to what type of ant we have, whether a carpenter ant, Argentine ant, fire ant, Pharaoh ant, you know, kind of going over all the ants.Travis McGowin 3:10 Right, and you know, Argentine ants are known to have very large colony sizes, so, and when you consider that approximately 90% of the colony are workers. I mean, they get things done, and they get it done in a hurry. So, you know, from the time that they’re an egg to the time that they’re an adult is roughly around 100 days, give or take, depending upon, obviously, the colony and weather and all that sort of thing. But by spring, they’ve got this very large build up of colonies, or excuse me, colony members, you know, and so, I mean, there’s, there’s even a documented case over in Europe of a colony Spain, one colony ultimately spanning 3700 miles.Michael Wienecke 3:56 That is a long way. I believe it was, what Italy to what does it say Spain?Travis McGowin 4:03 I don’t remember exactly, but it was, it was a very, very long way for one ant colony to have spread.Michael Wienecke 4:11 Yeah, that’s wild. They Well, I mean, in a super colony over winter, or colonize over winters to survive, and then in ...
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    11 min