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Voting is Open for best of Charleston

2/17/2023

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Champion Pest Management is honored to be nominated
once again as the best pest control company in Charleston. 

Thank you to everyone for your support and your vote. 
It would mean a lot to us if we won the 2023 Best of Charleston award. 

Please take a moment to vote for Champion Pest. 
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Are These Termite Swarmers? You can bet the Farm on It

6/7/2021

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The Most Important Things You Can Do When Termites Swarm

First: Understand What Termite Swarmers Are And When Can You Expect Them
Termite swarmers are adult termites with wings who leave their colonies to mate and create new colonies. These winged termites swarm to find a mate. Once they've mated, the termites lose their wings and find a source to lay their eggs and build their colonies.
These particular winged termites sole purpose is to reproduce. They are not physically capable of eating wood, and they aren't even able to bite or chew, but they are a reminder that termites are around us and can be a real threat to your home. 
Okay, so why now and why us?
In the Charleston, SC areas, we are located in what is referred to as TIP Zone 1. What this means is that we are located in the highest likely Termite Infestation Probability Zone.  
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Termite Life Cycle Courtesy of Texas A&M
Our tropical climate and amazing beach weather draws visitors and new residents by the thousands. Unfortunately, our warm, humid air along with spring and summer showers also makes where we live the most inviting for subterranean termites as well. Charleston, SC is an area of extreme high risk. 
Formosan termites were first discovered in the continental U.S. in Charleston in the 1950s. 


It's in the  late spring/early summer, when the temps are really starting to heat up and the rain becomes more regular when the conditions are perfect for these swarmers to come out of the ground and look for a mate. 
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Subterranean termites love Charleston as much as the rest of the country if not more​
Second: Don't Panic
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If you happen to see signs of swarmers (ex. a mass of flying insects at night near lights sources, abandoned wings either in your home or on your porch/deck), amber insects crawling or flying in through your doors and vents it's important not to panic. ​
Termite swarmers are an unfortunate inevitability in this area of the country. Yes, flying insects pouring in from your doors, windows, and vents can be absolutely terrifying, but you need to remain calm, and understand what is happening.  
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Panicking can cause you to lose focus and lose the ability to maintain a level head and an understanding of how to handle the situation. 
Equip Yourself With Knowledge So Panicking Isn't An Option
PictureEvidence of swarmers: Dropped wings, small amber termites dead due to dehydration
  • Termites don't bite people, and they don't carry diseases, so knowing your health isn't at risk can help lower the anxiety if swarmers fill your home.
  • Shut off any exterior lights to stop more swarmers from being drawn to your home.
  • Keep in mind the knowledge that swarmers have a VERY short life span if they can't access a water source and will very quickly die from dehydrations. 
  • Do not open up walls or floors looking for an infestation. This will only cause unnecessary stress and a financial burden for repairs to damage you caused as opposed to the termites. 
  • Vacuum up any evidence of swarmers in your home and dispose of the canister outside in a proper receptacle. 
  • You can save one or two in a small jar for evidence just to confirm with your pest control technician that they are in fact swarmers. 
  • If a swarm happens over night or during off hours for your pest control company, don't panic and call in the middle of the night. Remain calm, continue to vacuum, and make note of where and when the swarmers appeared. Swarmers are NOT a sign that your house is in immediate danger. An infestation that can cause damage to your home will not happen over night. There is time to remain calm and call during normal business hours to discuss any concerns or schedule an inspection. 

Third: Don't Handle Termite Issues On Your Own
While termite swarmers should not be a cause for great alarm, they are a reminder that termites are very much around us and very much a cause for concern; especially living in TIP Zone #1.
This time of year keeps the idea of protecting one of the biggest financial investments of our lives safe from the upwards of 5 billion dollars worth of damage caused a year by termites and other wood destroying organisms. 
Due to the severity of damage that can come from termites on your home, it is wise not to try and tackle this issue yourself. If you don't have termite coverage on your home, you should call a local pest control company to come out for an inspection and qualify your home for protection against termites.
Calling a professional exterminator who is trained in the proper use and application of termiticides is recommended by not only pest professionals, but also the Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Department of Agriculture. 
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Whether you choose to call Champion Pest Management for your termite needs or another local company. The investment of protection is an important one. While swarmers aren't cause for major alarm, they are a reminder that our homes need to be protected. 
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Call the BEST. Champion Pest.
​843.860.4791 
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Rare Visitor in the Neighborhood

3/22/2021

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The Luna Moth

Today we're finally getting back into the lovely spring weather, and while I was out with the dogs, I happen to have the great fortune of running into this gorgeous creature:
​the very beautiful Luna Moth 
Luna Moth
Luna Moth hanging out on my house
Despite the abundance of Luna Moths, they aren't seen out and about very often. This is due to their nocturnal nature, their forest habitat, and their very brief life cycle.
An adult Lunar Moth typically lives for about a week--sometimes up to ten days.
This very short cycle is due to the fact that the adult moths don't eat. In fact, they don't even have mouths believe it or not. Luna Moths survive off of the stored fat that is collected during their larva life cycle, and the sole purpose of their adult cycle is to reproduce and lay eggs. 

The Luna Moth is one of the largest moths in all of North America.
Their wings can span from three to 7 inches! The Luna Moth is most identifiable by its beautiful, bright, green body and the pink or purplish outline. The moths also have 2 sets of wings--with each wing having a single eyespot. These eyespots act as a natural deterrent to predators because they trick the moths' enemies into believing they are much larger than they actually are. Luna Moths also have long elegant tails which many can get in the way of the echolocation that bats use to find prey. With bats being nocturnal like the Luna Moth, they are the most common predator. 
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Luna Moth Caterpillar
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Luna Moth
The unusual beauty of this moth accompanied with its extremely short life span give many a feeling of special significance when seeing one. It is believed by many that seeing a Luna Moth is symbolic of renewal and rebirth; some believe that the moth is symbolic of the soul. 
Keep in mind how special it is if you get an opportunity to see one of these gorgeous creatures up close and personal. 
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843.860.4791
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Best Of Charleston 2021

3/22/2021

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3rd Year Nominated!!

Thank you to all of our wonderful customers who nominated us! 2021 is our third year being nominated, and we would love for your help to get us the win this year. 2020 was a difficult year for everyone, and this would be a great way to turn things around. 
Click on the photo below to cast your vote!
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COVID-19 Update

3/27/2020

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What an Early Spring Means for you

2/12/2020

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What Does Warmer and Wetter Weather Affect in the World of Pest Control?  

As we all know, Groundhog Day was just a few short weeks ago, and Punxsutawney Phil didn't seem to find his shadow anywhere. Luckily for us, that means an early spring is on the horizon. 
But how lucky are we exactly? ​
Sure, an early spring means leaving that coat at home, and enjoying all that the wonderful activities that being outdoors has to offer, but it also means an early return of all of those spring pests who like to get in the way of our outdoor fun. 
Punxsutawney Phil

Mosquitoes 

Mosquito Larvae in Water
So where exactly have the mosquitoes been over the past few months? Do they just up and vanish? Maybe take holiday, or go on a family cruise? Nah, let's get to the bottom of this. 
In the colder months, mosquitoes (or at the least the female mosquitoes) take a sort of hibernation. Many female mosquitoes find a warm hole to "sleep it out" when the weather consistently drops below 50 degrees. Others, lay their eggs in frozen water where the eggs go into diapause (a state of suspended development) waiting for thaw and for more consistent warmer weather, so they can hatch hungry and desperate for something to eat.

With the more consistent warmer weather, those eggs will be ready to hatch, and the sleeping mommas will be ready to come out and feast as well. There are many locations throughout your yard that could be a mosquito egg hatchery in waiting. All it takes is one capful of standing water to create the right breeding grounds. Check your yard for any areas of standing water: flower pots, birdbaths, grill covers. 
Mosquito

Termites 

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When the weather is in the 70s on a more consistent basis, male and female termite swarmers make their way from below ground to look for a mate and start new colonies. With an earlier spring, we will most likely experience a earlier swarmer season. It's incredibly important in the Charleston area that your home is protected from termites. 

Formosan termites and other subterranean termites are the culprits behind 90% of the annual termite damage to home and structures. Charleston is the first siting of Formosan termites in the 1950s, and our warm, wet climate makes this area PERFECT for these guys to get to work eating our homes. In the United States, we spend close to $5 billion annually in repairs. The average home repair for termite damage is over $3,000. If an infestation takes over your home, there could be major structural damage in as little as 6 months. 
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Don't Let These Seasonal Pests Frighten You 

Despite the warmer weather bringing back so many of the creepy crawlies, there is definitely a way that you can protect your home and your peace of mind. Keep control of your home with regular pest control treatments, investing in termite protection, and keeping your yard free of mosquitoes with monthly yard treatments. ​
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843-860-4791

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Call the Best. Champion Pest. 

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Are you protected?

5/7/2019

46 Comments

 

​Did you know that termite damage isn't covered under most homeowner's insurance policies?

Most insurance companies don't cover the cost of termite repair due the fact that termite damage is something that the homeowner can prevent through regular home maintenance. 
Aerial view of home: Photo by David McBee from Pexels
Photo by David McBee from Pexels

​Each year OVER HALF A MILLION homes are damaged by termites.

Many homeowners may not realize just how vulnerable their home is to outside pests. Termites alone cost American homeowners upwards of $5 billion dollars a year in damage.

How vulnerable is my home?

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​South Carolina is located in TIP (Termite Infestation Probability) Zone #1 which means the potential for termite damage is considered to be very heavy. The warm, wet climate creates desirable living conditions for termites and other wood destroying organisms. 

In fact, the likelihood of your home being eaten by termites is 10 times greater than the possibility of your home being destroyed by a fire.

What's a Formosan Termite, and why should I be worried?


​Formosan termites were first discovered in the continental U.S. here in Charleston in the 1950s, and this species of termite prefers the climate of southern states. Charleston in particular is an area in extreme high risk due to the warm and moist climate in our area. 

Formosan termites will use mud tubes to bring moisture to their colonies which are located in nests below ground. These tubes mean that the termites don't have to return to the soil as often leading to more damage to your home. 
Formosan Termites
Formosan Termites
​These termites are aggressive and not afraid to put up a fight,  and they will definitely defend what they determine to be their territories. Formosan termites act quickly, and they can cause a lot of damage in not a lot of time. These termites reproduce fast! The queen can lay around 1,000 eggs in a single day contributing to how quickly one colony can destroy a home. ​

How can I tell if I have a Formosan Termite problem?

Formosan Termite SwarmersFormosan Swarmers
​There are some warning signs that you should pay attention to in order to tell if you might have a termite infestation. One warning is the presence of termite swarmers. Termite swarmers are adult termites with wings who leave their colonies to mate and create new colonies. These particular winged termites sole purpose is to reproduce.

​You can see evidence of termite s
warmers when you see them flying around your porch lights. Another warning to pay attention to is if you see their wings dropped near your doors, windows, vents, and other parts of your home. This is a sign that termites are nearby, have potentially found a mate, and could very well be creating a colony right under your nose. 

What can be done?

There are preventative measures you can take to make your home less appealing to termites.
What can you do to help prevent termites
  • Pay attention to what happens to rain runoff in relation to the exterior of your home. When it rains, does the water head straight to your foundation? If so, you should use gutters to divert the water away from your home. 
  • Avoid stacking firewood against the foundation of your home
  • Do everything that you can to keep the humidity levels low in your crawlspace, garage,  and attic spaces. A quality vapor barrier can really help control moisture levels under your home. 
  • Check anywhere you may have wood to ground contact. Your porch and deck areas, for example, are quite susceptible to termite infestation. Watch out for the wood to ground contact on the support beams of your beach style home as well.  Ideally, you should have a 1 inch gap between any soil and any wood. 
  • Schedule regular annual termite inspections from a professional. 


Is your home safe from termites?
​Check your homeowners insurance to see if you should invest in additional protection from a pest control professional. 
​
Protect your investment and don't fall victim to the statistics.
Call us at Champion Pest Management today to schedule an inspection and to get a quote on termite protection and prevention for your home.
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843.860.4791
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2019 Ashley River Cleanup

3/13/2019

4 Comments

 
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​Year 3 in the books for Champion Pest Management's participation in the annual Ashley River Clean Up. On Saturday, March 9th, Greg took our John Boat out with his son, Sam,  and some friends to join the Dorchester County Parks and Recreation for their annual cleanup of the upper Ashley River sponsored by Palmetto Pride. ​
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I know Sam had a great time helping. Sophie was disappointed she couldn't make it this year (that's her pictured above from last year's clean up). Our kids love helping out with this event because they LOVE living in the river all summer long. 
The guys worked really hard, and they definitely picked up quite a bit of trash! This year's haul included an odd amount of balls: footballs, baseballs, golf balls, kick balls, Nerf balls, and even a LARGE number of FIREBALL mini bottles. *COUGH*COUGH*
Overall, our boat alone pulled in 6 LARGE bags of trash in just a few short hours.
We are proud to help out each year to help take care of the community we live in and the waters we play in! We look forward to being back out there with everyone next year! In the meantime, let's keep the Fireball in the boat. 

For more information on Palmetto Pride and how you can help clean up your community  click 
HERE
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Thank you for the Nomination!

2/8/2019

9 Comments

 

Thank you to all of our customers who nominated us for the City Paper's Best of 2019! 

Thanks to your support, we've made it to the final round of voting, so we need you one more time. 

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Click below to vote for Champion Pest Management
Vote for Champion!
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Fact or Fiction: FIre ant Control

8/7/2018

7 Comments

 
This girl is on fire
This girl is on fire
She's walking on fire
This girl is on fire
       -Alicia Keys
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Red Imported Fire Ants

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The Red Imported Fire Ant (or the Solenopsis Invicta; Latin for undefeated) came to America the 1940s when shipping and trade ships left South America bringing more than just imports to Alabama. It was from there the insect spread throughout the south, and has now become a very common outdoor nuisance to many southern yards.  Fire ants are aggressive, and the ants work together as a team to take out anything that they feel can be an immediate threat to their colony. 
Fire ant are omnivorous and can work together to take out birds, lizards, and other small animals. Fire ants don't use their bite to spread their venom. Instead, the bite is used to latch on, and then they sting with a stinger on their abdomen. And boy do they ever sting. Fire ants, when latched on, can use their stinger to attack a victim multiple times. 

Fire Ants and Your Yard

PictureUSDA APHIS PPQ - Imported Fire Ant Station , USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org
The fire ant mound is the tell tell way to visually see that you may have a fire ant colony below. While the mound is the most visible indicator, it isn't necessary for the survival of the colony. Taking it out or disturbing it doesn't take out the colony--more on that in a bit. 

The ants nest (aka where the queen can be found, and the only thing that can actually destroy the colony) is actually not directly accessible from the mound itself. Unlike other ant hills, access to the  the fire ant nest requires a trip along multiple tunnels, and the nest can  be SEVERAL feet away from the actual mound visible in your yard. In extreme temperatures (like a nice hot Charleston summer) fire ants can dig even deeper and further away from the mound for protection from the elements. 

Getting Rid of Those Colonies: Do home remedies work?

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As far as fire ant treatment goes. It is way easier to work on a preventative plan than it is to eradicate a colony once it has made it's home in your yard. Yards with wide open spaces may want to consider a regular treatment in order to prevent the colony from even starting. However, if those those nasty red mounds start popping up, they can cause fear and panic on how to get rid of them, and many will turn to DIY home remedies and Old Wives' Tales to try and eradicate the problem. However, very few of these methods have success and can even make the condition worse.  Let's look at a few of the most popular methods recommended and explain what it is that just doesn't seem to do more than make you dizzy chasing fire ant mounds around your yard. 

Solution Suggestion #1: Grits 

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MYTH: Here in the South, grits are staple. We like to eat them with everything. There's creamy grits, baked cheese and grits, shrimp and grits, heck--there's even a creamy sweet grits pie! You may even find your neighbor recommending you use uncooked grits on and around a fire ant mounds to take care of your problem. I mean, Hey, it worked for them right? What else are you going to use those instant grits for? Surely you're not going to eat instant grits? Your neighbors insists that the ants are supposed to eat the grits and explode. Problem solved. Sounds good right?
Think about this: There's a reason "it worked" for them and you now have fire ants.  
TRUTH: Fire ants really enjoy the sweetness of corn, and yes, they will "eat" the grits, but these grits aren't killing anything. Adult fire ants aren't capable of eating solid food. They will carry the grits back to the colony where the larvae will convert the solid grits into a liquid for the rest of the colony to  consume the food. The grits aren't exploding anywhere. The larvae break the grits down into such small particles, there's no chance for explosion to occur. Fire ants' love of sweet corn is one reason it's used in pesticides--not to explode the ants, but to carry the pesticides to the nest. 
If you use grits and the mound goes away, you may be asking yourself, "but where did the mound go?"
The likelihood is that you damaged passage ways to the nest, so the ants simply picked up and are heading to build a new mound elsewhere. You didn't kill them, you just moved their front door. 

Solution Suggestion #2: Boiling Water

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MYTH: Pour some boiling water over the mound.
TRUTH: While this method is slightly effective, you've got maybe a 50-60% chance it could work, it is extremely dangerous to you. Researchers have found that this method is only effective if enough water is used. In this case, enough water is over 3 gallons! 3 gallons of boiling water? Not something I would want to handle. Boiling water cools very quickly. Without a heat source to maintain the temperature, the water will not remain boiling by the time it reached the queen. If you don't kill the queen, you don't kill the colony. 
Boiling water ins't worth the risk. You could burn yourself, kill the surrounding vegetation, and possibly not kill the colony. Also, have you EVER seen how ants behave when they encounter water? 

Solution Suggestion #3: Fight Fire with Fire

MYTH: Take fire ants from one colony and add them to another colony. 
TRUTH: Here's another case where all you're really doing is causing more work for those worker ants and not taking care of the real problem: the queen. The worker ants will most likely fight to death, but the queen will remain. The colony will rebuild. In Texas, we're even seeing cases where the different colonies join together and spread even faster. 

The Best Way to Combat Fire Ants

One of the most effective methods of fire ant treatment is the use of a professional service. A trained professional has access to the most effect pesticides and is equipped with the best knowledge of application. It's best to stay proactive and maintain a consistent fire ant treatment schedule that treats the yard and mounds. Even after the mound are gone, a yard treatment is still recommended to stay on top of and avoid the development of future colonies. Typically, fire ant treatments occur twice a year, and are most effective when applied in the Spring and the Fall. 
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843.860.4791
Sources:
https://articles.extension.org/pages/60922/what-do-fire-ants-eat
http://articles.extension.org/pages/16027/a-fire-ant-smorgasbord
http://www.walterreeves.com/insects-and-animals/fire-ant-control-grits/
https://doyourownpestcontrol.com/pest_control/questions_and_answers/top_10_things_you_should_know_about_fire_ants.html
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