Bessemer sits in the southwestern corner of Jefferson County, where the industrial flats along I-20/59 give way to wooded ridges toward Tannehill. That mix - older masonry housing stock downtown and around Jonesboro, newer construction off Academy Drive and Morgan Road, and creek bottoms along Valley Creek - produces pest pressure that runs most of the calendar year. The Wedgworth family has been doing pest control and termite control in Alabama since 1958, and we cover Bessemer and the 35020, 35021, 35022, and 35023 ZIP codes from our Birmingham office on 16th Ave S.
Three things drive the problem here. First, moisture. Valley Creek and its tributaries run through and around the city, and the low ground holds water long after a storm. Damp soil next to a foundation is the single most reliable predictor of subterranean termite and ant activity we see. Second, age of construction. Large parts of Bessemer were built in the first half of the twentieth century, and those homes have settled. Mortar joints crack, sill plates sit closer to grade than modern code allows, and utility penetrations open up. Pests do not need a large opening - they need a continuous one. Third, the interface between developed lots and woods. Properties on the Tannehill side back up to timber, and the pests living in that timber - carpenter ants, wasps, spiders, occasional rodents - treat the nearest structure as an extension of their range when weather turns.
Every Bessemer home gets the same four-pillar program — pest, termite, mosquito, and tick protection from the same family-owned team.
Your technician is a neighbor — we know every street.
What we treat most often around Bessemer — and how each program handles it.
Eastern subterranean termites are the primary structural threat in Jefferson County. They live in the soil, forage upward, and build mud tubes across foundation walls to reach wood. They do not announce themselves. In most Bessemer homes we inspect, the first visible sign is a swarm in spring or a soft spot in trim. Our termite work uses Sentricon Always Active in-ground bait stations. EnviroCare is a Sentricon Certified Specialist. Stations are installed in the soil around the structure and monitored on a schedule. There is no slab drilling and no chemical trenching, which matters on older Bessemer brick and on homes where a drilled slab would mean tearing up finished floors. Termite service includes up to $1,000,000 in damage repair coverage, subject to the terms of the agreement, and is priced after a free on-site inspection.
Argentine ants and odorous house ants persist through Alabama's mild winters and move indoors when it rains hard or turns dry. Nuisance ants are covered under the regular pest control plan. Fire ants are different - they nest in open turf, mound after rain, and require a separate whole-yard approach, so fire ant service is quoted as an add-on after we look at the yard.
German cockroaches are an interior problem tied to harborage and food, common in older kitchens with dated cabinetry. American cockroaches come from sewer lines, drains, and mulch beds and push in through gaps at door sweeps and utility chases. The two need different handling, and part of the initial inspection is determining which one you actually have.
Mice and rats move toward structures as nights cool. In Bessemer's older housing stock the entry points are usually foundation gaps, unsealed vents, gaps at the dryer vent, and garage door corners. Rodent control is part of what we do, and it starts with finding and closing the entry rather than only setting devices inside.
Paper wasps and hornets build under soffits and in shrubs. Both are handled as part of exterior service.
Mosquito season in this part of Alabama runs March through October. Yards near Valley Creek, near the Bessemer Flea Market area, and anywhere with heavy shade and standing water hold the highest counts. Mosquito service reduces mosquito populations in the treated area by targeting resting sites and breeding habitat - it is a reduction program, not an elimination program, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something. Mosquito and tick service is a separate add-on to the pest plan.
Residential plans are $35, $69, or about $100 per month, billed on a 12-month ACH agreement. The $35 plan is bi-monthly exterior service covering 30-plus common Alabama pests, with re-service between scheduled visits included at no extra charge. Fire ant, flea, tick, and mosquito are separate add-ons. Termite work is priced after a free on-site inspection.
No. We install Sentricon Always Active in-ground bait stations in the soil around the structure and monitor them on a schedule. There is no slab drilling and no chemical trenching. Homes on the plan carry up to $1,000,000 in damage repair coverage, subject to the terms of the agreement.
The base plan is bi-monthly exterior service. If pests show up between scheduled visits, re-service is included at no extra charge - you call, we come back out. Higher-tier plans include more frequent visits and additional coverage.
Yes. Inspections and quotes for pest control and termite service are free, on site, with no obligation.
We serve Bessemer proper - downtown, Jonesboro, Lakewood, West Bessemer, the Academy Drive corridor - along with surrounding southwestern Jefferson County communities, from our Birmingham office.
Tell us what works best and our office will call to set it up — most visits don’t require you home.
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