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Peskies Pest Control Birmingham Alabama Podcast

Peskies Pest Control Birmingham Alabama Podcast

By: Peskies Pest Control Birmingham Alabama Podcast
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Our motto at Peskies Pest Control Is 100% Guarenteed Or You Don’t Pay a Penny for pest problems in Birmingham Alabama! Monthly discussions on how to have a pest free home with pest expert, Michael Wienecke how toPeskies Pest Control Birminging, Alabama Earth Sciences Nature & Ecology Science
Episodes
  • Why DIY Pest Control Makes German Roach Infestations Worse

    Why DIY Pest Control Makes German Roach Infestations Worse
    Sep 23 2026
    In this episode of the Peskies Pest Control Podcast, pest control experts Michael Wienecke and Travis McGowin share their wildest, most extreme job stories while diving into the reality of dealing with German roach infestations. From nightmare house calls and common DIY treatment mistakes to the surprising ways roaches invade clean homes, they break down why quick fixes don’t work and what it really takes to solve a serious pest problem. Subscribe to our YouTube channel! Podcast Transcript: Michael Wienecke: What’s the worst German roach service you’ve ever had? Travis McGowin: Ooh, I’ll be honest with you. I have one that still stands out in my mind that I went to in Montgomery several years ago. Uh, it was a residential property in, um, the northern part of Montgomery, and it was—it was bad. So, when they called about the infestation, on the phone, the lady advised me that, you know, it was mainly in one room. They’d been seeing them in the living room, um, and maybe a little in the kitchen. I walked into the house, and she looked at me, I looked at her, and I looked around the room, and I said, “This is, uh—this is a little bit more than just the living room and the kitchen, isn’t it?” And she said, “Yes, sir, it’s the whole house.” And I said, “Yeah, that’s kind of what I was thinking.” When I—when I tell you that there were German roaches in every single room, pretty much every single corner, any appliance, uh, piece of electronics, any piece of furniture, it—it was—it was the most, to date, since I’ve been doing this, it was the most significant one that I have ever walked into. Michael Wienecke: Were they trying to cure the problem themselves? Travis McGowin: You know, I—I don’t know 100%. I don’t remember seeing anything that gave me that indication, um, that they were trying to remedy it themselves. But, you know, that—that’s the problem, right? Is that when people get in too deep with some of these pest problems, you know, and specifically German cockroaches, and they try to remedy it themselves, a lot of times they exacerbate the problem and make it worse, and they move it from not only just being in one room to being in multiple rooms, to being in the whole house because they’re using the wrong products and the wrong methods. Michael Wienecke: 100%. So, um, I—I think that that would be the number one way that we get called out is that, would you say 90 days after trying to treat it themselves, it becomes an explosion that started probably in the kitchen or maybe in the bathroom, and now they’re seeing them in their bedroom, or they’re seeing them in, uh, you know, closets, things where they wouldn’t see them? And, uh, let’s explain why—why that’s happening. Travis McGowin: Well, I’ll—I’ll give you an example. Another, um, German roach infestation I went to that was actually in a mobile home. Uh, when I got there, I believe they told me I was, um—or I was with the third company that they had called. And, uh— Michael Wienecke: Wow. Travis McGowin: Yeah, absolutely. So, they were pretty desperate to get rid of them. I remember asking them—and I—and I typically ask most people this question, um, “All right, so after the other companies treated, did they ever come back?” And, of course, no, they did not, because, uh, I guess they thought that, um, this treatment for this customer was one and done, which it wasn’t. Michael Wienecke: Travis, it’s called a clean-out, okay? It’s—it’s a $199, and you’re good to go for the—for the next— Travis McGowin: Oh yeah, you’ll never have roaches again. Right, okay. Michael Wienecke: That’s—that’s right. Hey, they label it all day long. I’ve seen—I’ve seen the, uh—what are those things called? The yard signs. I’ve seen them. Travis McGowin: Well, we’ll go into in a minute why that’s not actually typically possible for German roaches. But, uh, but then I followed up with the question, “After they sprayed, was the problem any better, or did it get worse?” And the answer is most always, “It got worse.” And, uh, followed up by the third question, which is, “All right, so they started—you said they started in the kitchen. But after they sprayed, were they still just in the kitchen?” And that’s when the homeowner, of course, advised me that, no, they had moved, and that they had been in other rooms off of the kitchen as opposed to just being in the kitchen where they started. So, inevitably, what probably happened is the previous companies used a product that should never have been used. They got a little instant gratification by seeing some dead roaches. Um, but in reality, Michael, you and I both know that what happened was is that they just caused the infestation to relocate due to the product that they used that they should not have used. Michael Wienecke: Look, Bifen’s a great product. It...
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    23 mins
  • The Hidden World of Drain Flies & Breeding Sites

    The Hidden World of Drain Flies & Breeding Sites
    Sep 30 2026
    In this episode of the Peskies Pest Control Podcast, hosts Michael Wienecke and Travis McGowin dive deep into the murky world of household plumbing to answer a simple yet unsettling question: what’s in your drain? From hair-clogged shower drains and dried-out guest toilets to hidden breeding grounds in garages and commercial kitchens, they uncover the real causes behind pest infestations like drain flies and fruit flies. Tune in to discover why bleach isn’t the quick fix you think it is, how structural plumbing issues can trigger surprise fly surges, and practical steps you can take to keep your drains clean and pest-free. Visit our YouTube channel! Podcast Transcript:Michael Wienecke: So what’s in your drain, Travis?Travis McGowin: Probably moisture, crud, and buildup, I’d have to guess.Michael Wienecke: I would have much rather heard “which drain,” because I have multiple different ones.Travis McGowin: Well, I mean, that too. I mean, obviously, there’s, you know, drains everywhere in your house—bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms… Sometimes people have them in their garage. I mean, there’s, you know, potential for drains to be in quite a few places.Michael Wienecke: And in our line of work, we see a lot of things in drains that shouldn’t be in drains.Travis McGowin: (Laughs) Absolutely! I mean—when you get right down to it, when you think about drains, you think about bathtubs and sinks. That’s probably about as far as your mind goes, but if you really wanted to get to the reality of it, toilets are drains too.Michael Wienecke: That’s very true. That’s very true. I was thinking more of a shower drain, and if you’re married or, you know, have a sister or what—if they’re, you know, most…Travis McGowin: Anyone with long hair.Michael Wienecke: Anyone—(laughs) I think women because my wife, but my shower—my shower drain has—has hair all—all in it.Travis McGowin: Oh, yeah. And it—it’s amazing how quickly it builds up. And, you know, no offense to my wife or any other female, but sometimes it’s like, “Dear Lord, how are you not bald?”Michael Wienecke: It just keeps on growing, man! I—I don’t—I’ve often thought that myself. But, you know, with hair in that drain causes a lot of issues, other than just, you know, gagging while you’re cleaning it out.Travis McGowin: Oh, it always has a very nice, pungent odor to it when you pull it out of the drain.Michael Wienecke: It’s so funny watching—like, I’ve seen videos of people, you know, trying to be manly and take it out of the drain; they’re just like about to just lose it.Travis McGowin: Gag—gagging the whole time. (Laughter) It is, it’s gross. It’s gross.Michael Wienecke: As firemen, we’ve seen a lot, so I feel like—I feel like we can handle a lot. But hey, on—on a side note, since we’re talking about gagging, we just got a puppy, and—and it—it used the bathroom in the garage this—this morning. So when I went in there, I—I almost lost it. And I was like, I guess I’m just getting old, I don’t know.Travis McGowin: Was it like, the smell permeated the entire room?Michael Wienecke: Yes! Well, it—I guess it’d been sitting there since, you know, whenever it did. And it was just like, “Oh!” It just hit me in the face. But… Now we have flies, you know? Had to take care of that today.Travis McGowin: So, you know, with drains—and we’ll—we’ll harp a little more on the shower drains and, you know, hair buildup in the drains. I’m sure you’ve been in this position where you pull the drain cover off and you go to pull the hair out, but like, it’s literally not just hair. It’s this very long, just—it’s like it keeps going and going, and it’s like whatever hair you had, and then whatever growth is on that and buildup is on that, it—it just stretches like way down into the drain. Um, you know, the dead giveaway sign for us is when it starts to back up and not drain properly while you’re using your shower, and then inevitably you pull the cover off and it’s just like this long growth buildup with hair and all manner of other mess on it. But I mean, think about any drain.Michael Wienecke: You’re painting an amazing picture.Travis McGowin: I know, right? I—I should’ve taken a picture—I’ll take a picture next time and send it to you.Michael Wienecke: We—we have plenty of video footage of drains. Plenty.Travis McGowin: But moisture—moisture’s the, you know, to me—obviously you got matter and—and items that get put into a drain, but moisture is to me the key ingredient, and it’s—it’s always gonna be there. I mean, drains have moisture in them by design, constantly.Michael Wienecke: Well, and the problem is moisture or lack of moisture can bring on problems.Travis McGowin: Right. So I’ve—I’ve seen it both ways. I’ve seen where, you know, the moisture sitting in the drain along with some organic ...
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    18 mins
  • Don’t Burn the House Down: A Professional Guide to Bed Bugs

    Don’t Burn the House Down: A Professional Guide to Bed Bugs
    Oct 7 2026
    In this episode of the Peskies Pest Control Podcast, hosts Michael Wienecke and Travis McGowin broadcast on-location right outside a residential home in Montgomery, Alabama, where a full-house thermal remediation is underway. From the spike in bed bug infestations following peak travel seasons to the science behind using a 500,000+ BTU propane heater to destroy pests and their eggs in a single day, Michael and Travis break down why heat treatment is the ultimate “one and done” solution. Tune in as they discuss practical travel inspection tips, dismantle the stigma surrounding pest infestations, and share a few hilarious past mishaps involving fire departments and unexpected flea encounters! Like us on Facebook! Podcast Transcript:Michael Wienecke: Travis, I feel like bed bugs are on the rise. I feel like we’ve done so many bed bug jobs. I’m losing count.Travis McGowin: Um, things are heating up. See what I did there?Michael Wienecke: Heating up! I like that. Yes. Just in case anybody’s listening, we do heat treatments, so that’s why I said that.Travis McGowin: No pun intended. No pun intended, like I said. But yes, I would say over the last, what, two or three weeks, we’ve done four or five now.Michael Wienecke: Yeah, and I think it’s due to a lot more people traveling. I just think people are traveling more.Travis McGowin: Well, and I think you’re going to only see more of an increase in that simply because the holidays are coming up—October, November, December. Peak travel season, people going visiting with their family. You know, the potential of someone bringing something into your house as they come in to visit, or even family members—you know, some families like to take a big family trip for the holidays. Maybe they go, you know, to the mountains or whatever and they stay in a big cabin or something together. Whatever that looks like for their family, there’s definitely a risk that these bugs can travel. Unbeknownst to them, and then of course, when they realize it, a lot of times it’s just too late.Michael Wienecke: Oh, 100%. I mean, by the time you get them, what, I’d say a month to three months is when they start really showing themselves.Travis McGowin: Yeah, absolutely. And depending upon what size the bed bug was, what life stage the bed bug was prior to you, you know, bringing it home with you. And for those that don’t know, we’re actually sitting outside of a house right now while we speak that we’re currently doing a heat treatment for. And I think it’s a great place to talk about, because earlier on this morning before we got started, we were interviewing and talking with the owner of the house. And, you know, we asked some normal questions that we ask most clients, which is, “Any idea how you got them? Do you travel?” And that’s the first thing that she said was, “Oh, we travel all the time.”Michael Wienecke: Yeah, yeah. And the consultation’s so important. I mean, we talk about this in every aspect of pest control, but asking those questions, “Hey, when’s the last time you went out of town? When’s the last time somebody came over?” We’ve had somebody bring bed bugs because their mother-in-law came and stayed for a month. So, unfortunately, unwelcomed guests on both sides can be, can not be great for your home.Travis McGowin: Absolutely. So, you know, there’s a lot of people who for work or for family, they travel all the time. They have to stay in hotels, they have to stay in Airbnbs or rental properties in general, and they find themselves, you know, at risk—or I would at least say at higher risk than your average everyday human being who’s a homebody. So, let’s discuss a little bit—we’ll talk for a minute here in just a second about what it is we’re doing with this house and how we’re moving the heat in and what it’s doing. But what are some ways that you can mitigate or potentially mitigate this from even being a problem in your own house, especially if you find yourself where you don’t have a choice, you have to travel, you have to move abroad and stay at random places?Michael Wienecke: Yeah, I’ll tell you what I do. So when I go to a hotel or if I’m out of town or something like that, I hang all my luggage up. Some people put it in the bathtub; that’s also a really good way to, you know, if you’re that worried about it. But I hang everything up, I try to put everything in a hanger in the closet. I do an inspection as well, so looking through cracks and crevices—just a quick inspection of the bed frame, behind the headboard. Doesn’t take that long, about five minutes. If you’re that worried about it, though, I would—if you travel a lot, I would carry, I don’t know the scientific term, but bed bug cups. They go up under the bed frame, and they’ll catch the bed bugs so you’d know right then and there. And then you could just talk to the hotel staff, and I think ...
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    30 mins
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