Pest Control in Turf Valley, Ellicott City
Turf Valley started as a country club in the late 1950s, with two golf courses built on farmland west of Ellicott City. Over the years the land around the courses was rezoned and built out with single-family homes, villas, townhouses and condos, wedged between Route 40 and I-70 with the David Force Natural Resource Area along the north side. Pest control in Turf Valley mostly means newer construction, which has different weak spots than the old houses down in the valley.
Newer houses here tend to be tight, with sealed windows and modern foundations. What they have plenty of is irrigated lawn, deep mulch, decks and patios, and a lot of open turf next door.
Mulch beds, irrigation and the ants that love them
Fresh mulch heaped against the foundation stays damp, especially with irrigation running on it, and that's where odorous house ants and pavement ants set up. After a heavy rain they trail into kitchens and basements. Carpenter ants show up too, usually traced to a deck ledger or a section of trim that stays wet. Keep mulch a few inches below the siding and point sprinkler heads away from the walls. Ant control that finds the nest does the rest.
Termites come into the picture with slab garages, patios poured against the house and finished basements. A spring swarm in the basement of a five-year-old house surprises a lot of people. It shouldn't, since eastern subterranean termites live in the soil around here regardless of how old the house is. If you see winged bugs near a slab edge in April or May, ask about a termite inspection.
Townhouse rows and the open course
In townhouse rows, mice and ants don't respect the property line. If the unit next door has mice, you'll likely hear about it in your walls within a few weeks. Tell your HOA or neighbors, and mention the building type when you call so the tech can plan around shared walls. The big windows facing the open course get the afternoon sun, which is exactly what fall stink bugs look for, so sealing before stink bug season pays off here.
Paper wasps build under deck railings and in the grill cover, and yellow jackets nest in the ground along the edges of landscaped beds. Ponds and irrigation also mean mosquitoes on still summer evenings, so tip out saucers and toys near the patio after each rain. Turf Valley sits right next to Marriottsville and Woodstock to the north and west, where the lots get bigger and more wooded, and the older streets of St. Johns Lane aren't far east.
Around Turf Valley: Turf Valley Resort and golf courses · Turf Valley Road · Marriottsville Road · Baltimore National Pike (Route 40) · David Force Natural Resource Area (ZIP 21042)
Questions We Get
Our house is only a few years old. Can we really have termites?
Yes. Termites live in the soil, not the house, and they'll come up into new construction through slab joints and wood near the ground.
Also serving Old Ellicott City, Dunloggin, Valley Mede, St. Johns Lane, Columbia, Catonsville, Clarksville, Woodstock and Marriottsville, Elkridge.
