Pests to know in Savannah
Termites in Savannah
- Formosan subterranean termite infestations have been found at sites in Georgia since the early 1990s, often spread by infested railroad crossties used in landscaping.[3]
- UGA Extension has documented Formosan termite sites in Savannah, including a colony found eating cotton underwear in an overturned tractor trailer.[4]
Invasive species reported here
The invasive Asian tiger mosquito was discovered locally in 1986 and has since spread throughout Chatham County, breeding in containers near homes.[1]
Pests local experts flag
Forty-three mosquito species are known in Chatham County, but only eleven are important nuisance species or disease vectors.[1]
Climate
Central Savannah (ZIP 31401) is in USDA plant hardiness zone 9a, where the average coldest winter night is 20 to 25°F.[7]
Public agencies that handle pests
- Chatham County Mosquito Control was organized in 1957 around integrated mosquito management, combining physical, biological and chemical controls.[1]
- Chatham County has isolated Eastern equine encephalitis virus from Culiseta melanura and West Nile virus from Culex quinquefasciatus, and keeps a sentinel chicken flock for EEE surveillance.[1]
- Chatham County Mosquito Control warns that any container holding water for more than five days in a row can produce adult mosquitoes.[1]
- Chatham County Mosquito Control offers mosquito-eating fish for backyard ponds and lets residents report mosquito problems through the My Chatham app.[2]
Hiring a licensed company
- Anyone providing pest management services in Georgia must hold a valid license from the Georgia Department of Agriculture's Structural Pest Division.[5]
- Georgia's Structural Pest Control Act (O.C.G.A. § 43-45) governs pest control companies, and the Structural Pest Control Commission certifies companies, operators and employees.[5]
Free local help
UGA Extension's Chatham County office in Garden City offers soil and water testing and a Master Gardener help desk for local residents.[6]
Through the year
- Winter to Summer
- In Georgia, Formosan subterranean termites swarm at night in late May and early June, while native subterranean termites start swarming by day in February or March.[3]
Sources
- Chatham County Mosquito Control, “Mosquito Control Methods.” mosquitocontrol.chathamcountyga.gov/OurMethods/OurMethods (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Chatham County, “Mosquito Control: Protecting Our Community Year-Round.” chathamcountyga.gov/OurCounty/newsArticle/68556817-35c8-4386-87af-67f9fdaa66d0 (accessed 2026-10-06)
- University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, “Identifying the Formosan Subterranean Termite (C868).” fieldreport.caes.uga.edu/publications/C868/identifying-the-formosan-subterranean-termite/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
- University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, “Georgia initiative fights ferocious alien termite.” fieldreport.caes.uga.edu/news/georgia-initiative-fights-ferocious-alien-termite/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Georgia Department of Agriculture, “Structural Pest Control.” agr.georgia.gov/structural-pest-control (accessed 2026-10-06)
- University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, “Chatham County Extension.” extension.uga.edu/county-offices/chatham.html (accessed 2026-10-06)
- USDA ARS and PRISM, via phzmapi.org, “Plant hardiness zone for ZIP 31401 (2023 USDA map data).” phzmapi.org/31401.json (accessed 2026-10-06)
- National Pesticide Information Center, “State Pesticide Regulatory Agencies.” npic.orst.edu/reg/state_agencies.html (accessed 2026-10-06)