FAQs

Termites typically go unnoticed by the homeowner for several years after a colony has been established. If untreated, it takes three to five years for these colonies to produce the winged swarmers that propagate and establish more damaging colonies. Most building owners don’t know about the termites until they see the winged swarmers and by that time, substantial damage may have occurred. Worse yet, often a colony releases its swarmers outdoors, and these often go completely unnoticed. A typical mature colony of 240,000 termites consumes an average of about 20 grams of wood in a 24 hour period. This converts to about 16 pounds of wood per colony each year! That may not seem like much, but like a cancer that spreads slowly, it’s much better to catch it sooner than later. That is why is highly recommended to have one of Forsyth Exterminating’s termite professionals do regular inspections as part of a preventative maintenance program. Catching the termites early in their invasion means you spend less money and are at lesser risk of incurring any major structural damage. Termites are among the most costly of all insect pests. Subterranean termites alone cause more than 1.5 billion dollars in the United States, annually.

Yes, Forsyth Exterminating is a second-generation woman-owned pest control business. As pioneers of introducing females to the pest control industry, our company started out by having women performing pest control services and sales twenty plus years ago. Cindy and William Poss co-founded Forsyth Exterminating in 1980. Cindy started in the office answering the phone and scheduling customers and, after a couple of years, decided to try her skills in the field. She successfully serviced many accounts throughout the first 10 years of the company’s existence. She and William raised three children in the industry, all three of whom are still involved with the business. Their oldest daughter, Julie, is now managing partner of Forsyth Exterminating; she has been so since 2004. Along with her husband, Julie now owns and manages this company along with two other companies in Georgia and one pest control company in Florida. Their youngest daughter, Jessica, is preparing herself through on-the-job training in the office and the field together with training seminars and continuing education classes to be another woman entrepreneur in the near future. Their son, Jonathan, is currently working toward obtaining Certification for Pest Control Operator by completing the required experience, training, and testing by state authorities.

Yes, however property owners or representatives have to sign a service agreement authorizing the use of our products on their properties. This agreement sets forth the guidelines of what services are to be performed, the frequency of the service, and the dollar amount of the services performed, and the dollar amount of any follow up service. The paperwork may sound like a contract, but it serves to protect the business and the consumer from any miscommunication that could arise if this agreement is not signed. The agreement is not binding and can be cancelled at any time.

The term “toxic” is widely misused and misunderstood. Toxicity is based on the effect a product has on a target pest. All the products used by pest control experts and by property owners with the intent to kill insects has a certain toxic level. It is also a fact Forsyth Exterminating does not use any products with humans or pets as target pests, and that the products are intended to eradicate only small crawling insects. When our products are brought onto properties, their toxicity levels are reduced to an extremely low level, so the toxicity level of the products could be compared to any other household cleaner.

Yes. We offer products that are green, botanical, and all natural. The products are made from plant oils and seem to do an ok job controlling bugs. It is our regular practice to reduce exposure to humans and pets by concentrating the majority of our treatment on the outside of the structure. While we do have the products that are “green”, Forsyth Exterminating endorses the correct use of products derived from petroleum, as these products have better residual, don’t have any odor, and have been researched over and over to ensure consumer safety. Forsyth Exterminating is owned by an Environmental Engineer, so our clients enjoy company practices that are geared toward green practices as much as possible. We also offer many mechanical solutions that ensure permanent solutions to many pests, which are green methods as well.

Based on 30 years of experience, we can honestly say that the in-wall pest control system has not worked for many of our customers. The system is placed in an area rarely accessed by pests due to the fact that insulation occupies about 98% of the space between exterior and interior walls. When the system is installed it assumes that bugs will come behind siding and enter the home through insulation, but what we see on a daily basis is that bugs make their way into homes through cracked windows, the bottom of doors, grocery bags, and other carriers different than passing through insulation. After pests have invaded your property, rarely will they go inside your walls, as they prefer to stay close to humans and their food. In our educated opinion, we don’t recommend the use of the system. Forsyth Exterminating’s perimeter treatment does a better job of protecting your house from intruders and includes interior pest control at no charge in case pests find their way in.

There are many electronic devices that claim that after plugging them into your outlets, you will no see other bug again.

However, there is no scientific data that authenticates that ultrasonic sound waves keep roaches out of your home. It simply does not work. Forsyth Exterminating has had many first-hand experiences over the past thirty years to confirm that they do not work. Ironically, we have serviced many clients with these devices in their homes only to find the devices themselves completely infested with German roaches! Your money is much better spent by hiring a pest control professional than depending on these devices to rid your home of bugs.

The same applies to rodents and other wildlife. We have been in many homes and found these devices in attics and crawl spaces only to be over-run with all kinds of rodents. In attics we routinely find roof rats, grey squirrels, flying squirrels, bats, raccoons, house mice etc. In crawl spaces we routinely find Norway rats, snakes, opossums and many other animals. These devices are a scam!

There are several different types of roaches that are native to the south, so depending on the type of roach you have an infestation of determines what products we use and the appropriate methods to solve your problem. If you have American roaches (larger, found around windows and attics) chances are that your problem can be solved with a single visit. On the other hand, if you have a problem with German roaches (small, invade kitchens and bathrooms) depending on how severe the infestation is it will most likely take several follow-up visits. Follow up visits are recommended 5-7 days apart until complete elimination to ensure they don’t have time to reproduce in between visits. German roaches have a very high tolerance to certain products which make them more difficult to control. Once the roaches are eliminated, it is strongly recommended to have a regular maintenance program to reduce recurring issues.

Forsyth Exterminating has taken pride in providing honest solutions to pest problems for 30 years Unfortunately, there is no “magic wand” that we can wave to provide instant pests elimination. Fleas are difficult pests to eliminate, but our team works with our clients to achieve a 100% success rate. It is necessary to be proactive with your pets and should prepare in advance for a flea treatment. You can expect less fleas from day one, but you need to vacuum every day for 7 days and have 2 or 3 weekly follow-up visits done by a professional until the problem is under control. It takes a little effort and persistence to achieve 100% control, but it can be done!

Yes, there are several ways to eliminate bedbugs in a house, hotel, motel or apartment. This is a very complex service, but Forsyth Exterminating has been doing it for over 30 years with optimal results. Starting from removing all bed covering, mattresses, and box springs, we then remove all items from night stands, dressers,and all bedroom furniture. Finally, we remove curtains from windows, remove picture frames from walls , remove all electrical and light fixtures as well as cable and telephone outlet cover plates from the area to be treated. In commercial complexes such as hotel rooms you not only have to treat the infested room, but you also have to treat adjoining rooms. If it is multi-level you also have to treat the floor above the infested room and the floor below the infested room in the same manner that you treat the infested room. After all the items are removed and the infested areas exposed, treatment using different products is performed to every crack and crevice of the infested area. In almost every case it is difficult to eradicate the problem with just one visit to your home or business, but persistence and cleanliness will help to achieve complete elimination. When the bed is put back, bedbug covers should be added to mattress and box spring to provide protection to the mattress.

A Forsyth Exterminating pest control professional will inspect the property to identify any pest issues and develop a treatment plan that is customized to meet the individual customer’s needs Treatment options may include localized treatment, general preventative treatment every three months or sooner, or mechanical treatments. Areas often evaluated and treated include: exterior of property, under mulch beds, baseboards, door jambs, windowsills, garage, basement, utility closets, cracks and crevices and other potential points of pest entry. The outdoor treatment includes a perimeter application from the base of the building to approximately 8 feet around the exterior of the property treated and removal of any spider webs and wasp nests lower than 12 ft from the ground. It is worth mentioning that there are as many treatment options as there are bugs, so our pest control experts apply different techniques depending on the pest being controlled.

Yes, our services are safe for your pets and children! The products that Forsyth Exterminating uses are registered for use in homes with pets and children. All products are applied by a professional pest control professional that meets state & local standards. Our staff is required to have sufficient knowledge of the products they use and the proper application methods. In certain instances, such as when a homeowner has fleas, the inhabitants are recommended to vacate the dwelling for a minimum of two hours or until all products applied are completely dried. This procedure minimizes any risks associated with pets or children being in contact with the products applied. It is worth mentioning that the products used by our team when applied in accordance with the label are a lot safer than many of the products a homeowner has underneath their kitchen sink, or cleaning products stored in laundry rooms or bathrooms.

It sounds like termite tubes. If you are seeing termite tubes it is a sure sign that you have termites. Termites forage from their colony in search of cellulose to feed the colony. Termites use these tubes as a pathway from their colony to their food source. The tubes are useful to the termites in three different ways; they travel from the colony to the food source using them as a pathway, they serve to protect termites from invading insects, and they serve as a source of moisture, as termites need a high moisture environment in order to thrive. The best way to correct a termite problem is by contacting a pest control professional such as Forsyth Exterminating. Once the type of termites is identified, our team can recommend the most effective source of treatment- either a liquid termite treatment or a baiting system treatment. Once treated, we offer two types of warranties: Our Retreatment Warranty provides for the re-treatment of the structure in the unlikely event of a termite recurrence. Our Retreatment & Repair Warranty provides for re-treatment of the structure and provides supplemental insurance to cover any damage caused by termites after treatment.

Yes, Forsyth Exterminating’s experts can service your home if you are allergic to chemicals. There are many products available to pest control professionals that are safe to use around people that are sensitive to chemicals. It is even possible to rid your home of unwanted pests without using any chemicals at all! We start by inspecting the home and identifying the target pest, locating harborage areas and points of entry. In many cases, our trained professionals can correct harborage areas, seal points of entry, and service the exterior of your home without having to apply any products inside your home at all. There are also products available to pest control professionals that virtually have no odor or hazard to humans, therefore we could service your home without your presence. You would never be aware that your home was serviced, with the exception that you would not have ants, roaches, spiders, bugs, or other pests to contend with!

Yes, for over 30 years Forsyth Exterminating has offered wildlife trapping and wildlife and rodent exclusions. There are many ways to control rodents in a dwelling, from simply placing traps in and around the dwelling to doing a complete rodent exclusion. A complete rodent exclusion entails sealing all the premises’ entry areas and then trapping inside the attic and the crawl space (when needed.) All rodents carry diseases and in some cases it is necessary to remove all droppings physically as well as deodorizing and sanitizing infested areas. In an exclusion process our team uses galvanizes metal thick enough not to allow any rodents the ability to gnaw their way back into the dwelling. Once exclusion is performed we schedule follow up visits to ensure that the problem is solved. Then we remove all traps and give the property owner a warranty renewable annually for a small fee.

Yes, Forsyth Exterminating is proud to offer all senior citizens a 5% discount, if they sign up for quarterly service, termite coverage, wildlife exclusions, or any other service that we offer. No commitment to any ongoing service is required to receive this discount.

Yes, Forsyth Exterminating has an A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau and no open customer complains. Our customer service team feels that customer satisfaction is a top priority.

Forsyth Exterminating’s professional products have a higher active ingredient than the products available at home improvement stores. Pest control experts have access to a broader range of products and knowledge, allowing them to apply specific products for specific pests. In many cases homeowners purchase a product believing it will protect them from all invading pests when in reality it is mostly a contact product only. This means the only way to control insects is to spray the product directly on the pest, and they have little or no residual effect. Often, the homeowner follows the directions on these “over-the-counter” products but continues to have problems with insects, leaving them with no other alternative but to contact a pest control professional to correct their problem. Additionally, products and equipment go hand-in-hand. Many people don’t realize that the right product applied using the wrong equipment will be as ineffective as using the wrong product. Our pest control equipment is expensive and state-of-the-art, so in many case is a no-brainer to hire a professional to take care of a termite, rodent, or pest problem instead of purchasing equipment and spending weeks or months acquiring all the knowledge required.

There are a number of reasons our clients choose Forsyth Exterminating over our competitors.

Some of these reasons include:

• reliability
• outstanding customer service
• our high quality standards
• superior work ethic
• longevity (Forsyth Exterminating has been in business for over 30 years.)

We provide flexible scheduling in order to work around our client’s schedules and needs, and no job is too small or too big, from apartments to community associations, we can handle any job.

A termite treatment entails applying a liquid termiticide to the soil around the foundation of your home. Because termites are subterranean and live under ground, the treatment is targeted at applying those products that eliminate termite activity below the surface of the ground around the perimeter of the structure’s foundation. This is done by opening a small 6”x4” trench at the foundation, applying the liquid, and re-covering the trench. We also reach termites under slab by using the breakthrough MABI injectors.

No! All of our products are approved by the Environmental Protection Agency and have minimal to no impact on the environment. As a precaution, we do ask that all pets are kept inside or on a leash during the treatment, but as soon as the treatment is completed, your pets are free to walk outside as usual. Our products won’t even harm the smallest of animals such as lizzards or frogs!

Because our products are environmentally compatible, that means that they don’t remain active for long periods of time and are designed to break down over time. The average residual life of a soil termiticide is 5-7 years.

Your treatment will provide a proactive solution to eliminating termite activity around your home. In addition, in the unlikely event that you do have termite activity in your home (for example, if they tunnel from underneath your home in a crack in the slab), you are covered. The treatment includes a $1,000,000 damage policy for your home, so we are 100% responsible for any termite damage done to your home as long as you are under coverage with our company.

Here is a video of how you can set rat traps for rat control in your house.

This is a video that shows you how to place rat traps to achieve maximum rat control around your home or place of business.  Set rat traps in attics, crawl spaces and around voids.