Photos by Cameron Flasich

Sometimes, you don’t realize you have a problem until it bites you. Across the millions of households and businesses in the Unites States, termites, mosquitos, roaches and other things that creep and crawl around unwelcomed can be a real, well, pest. But, not only are they an overall nuisance, they can also cause both costly structural damage for your home and a health risk for you and your loved ones. Pests are often a forgotten threat until they get out of hand. Some don’t make the news until they stand as a major issue which threatens our community.

According to recent study, termites alone cause over $5 billion in property damage to households annually. Surveys show that over 56 percent of Americans report that they have an ant problem in their household, placing them at the top of the pest nuisance list in the United States. We already know that rodents can harbor and spread more than 200 human pathogens. And mosquitoes still stand globally as the most deadly animal towards humans, responsible for up to 800,000 deaths each year due to their transmission of diseases such as West Nile virus, malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever.

That is why men and women like Ryan Streeter, branch manager for the Rome office of Active Pest Control, remain as some of our true, everyday unsung heroes.

Streeter is a family man, happily married with two kids, who has personally worked in the pest control industry for 15 years. Today, he ensures that people across the Northwest Georgia region are safe and pest-free in their homes, and that his Floyd County team is well equipped to meet their needs. Whether he is working in the field or in the office leading his fellow team members at Active Pest Control, Streeter loves what he does for two simple reasons.

"My team and I believe that when we go out to homes or places of business that we are genuinely helping people by solving problems and providing a service they need.”

“I love the pest control industry and wouldn’t do anything different unless I was forced too,” says Streeter. “I love helping people, as well as knowing that every day I will be doing something different. My team and I believe that when we go out to homes or places of business that we are genuinely helping people by solving problems and providing a service they need. Needless to say, there’s a lot of job satisfaction as a result of that.”

It’s a tough job. In fact, there is much more to being successful in the pest control industry than one might realize. Streeter ensures that his team has all been thoroughly trained and tested to learn how to identify any solve any and all pest control problems a home or business owner might have. With just a simple inspection, a pest control technician at Active Pest Control can give a knowledgeable diagnosis as to what problems are affecting a house or place of business, and begin to prepare a way to not only solve the current issue, but prevent it from occurring again.

“We see a lot of cases involving ants, spiders, and roaches in the community,” Streeter explains. “Also, due to the high number of crawl space homes that we have in the area, termites stand as a major problem. A lot of times, people do not understand the types of problems that we deal with. They can seem like minor issues but can cause major health risks to our clients.”

Oftentimes, people who seek to solve the problem themselves can potentially cause more problems for their loved ones than the pests, unintentionally choosing the wrong products in their homes that they have not been trained to use. Whether chemicals need to be used, or a natural solution is present, the technicians are trained to provide a safe removal to the threat caused by unwanted pests.

The greatest lesson Streeter, or any of the knowledgeable technicians of Active Pest Control, can teach the local community is the need to prevent a problem with pests before it occurs. Here, the mindset of being reactive instead of proactive towards the threats of structural damage and health risks that pests can bring, will only cause much greater costs for the individual in the long run. Why wait until it is too late to prevent a potential costly problem?

This is why Active Pest Control team has created what they call a customer VIP Plan that serves as an active and ongoing solution for protecting against any threat of pests now, and in the future. The plan starts off with an initial inspection and treatment for any current pest removal needs including termites. Then, for a small monthly fee, Active Pest Control provides monthly inspections and treatments that will guarantee protection from mosquitos, german roaches, bed bugs, stinging pests, fleas, ticks, carpenter ants and bees, spiders, rodents and any other pest that could threaten the well-being of the home and those who inhabit it. This service can be described as the absolute pinnacle of service that Active Pest Control provides, combined with the best termite warranty in the industry.

Joseph Willingham, a Floyd County Community member and realtor for Keller Williams, can attest to the superior service that Active Pest Control provides.

“They have awesome customer service,” explains Willingham. “I can call or text any of the employees at any time and I don’t have to worry about whether or not they will show up in a timely manner and be professional. I know that if they say there is a problem that they will fix it. They come to my house once a month for pest control, and every quarter they protect my home against termites. I choose them for my home and my clients because I trust them.”

So, whether you currently have a pest control problem that needs immediate attention, or whether you are making the smart choice to protect your home and loved ones from the threat of potential pest problems that you may never see coming, Active Pest Control would love help.

To schedule an inspection call 770-954-9941 or visit the office in Rome at 510 West 12th Street. You can also find the Active Pest Control location nearest you by searching online at activepestcontrol.com.