Jun 20, 2024 | DIY Pest Control, Florida Pest Control
Living in Florida can come with great perks – gorgeous beaches, vast landscapes, and a warm, tropical climate to enjoy practically year-round, though this climate also invites some unwelcome guests: stinging pests. From wasps to fire ants, these pests can turn your outdoor fun into worry. In this blog, we breakdown your guide to common stinging pests and how to keep them at bay!
Identify Common Stinging Pests
- Wasps: Wasps, such as paper wasps and yellow jackets, can be aggressive, with their sting being extremely painful. They’ll often build their nests in eaves, attics, and other sheltered areas.
- Bees: While beneficial to the environment, these pests can still become a nuisance if they nest near or inside your home. While honeybees are less aggressive, carpenter bees are known to destroy the structural integrity of structures!
- Fire Ants: These small ants pack a painful sting! Fire ants can be aggressive, and their stings are known to cause severe allergic reactions to some.
Tips to Prevent Stinging Pests
Maintain Your Yard
Keep your lawn trimmed and free of debris. Stinging insects will often nest in overgrown areas throughout your property. Additionally, trim back trees and bushes, and remove piles of leaves or wood. Place any stored lumber 20 feet from your home and raise it off the ground.
Secure Your Trashcans
Wasps and other pests are attracted to food waste, so it’s crucial to dispose of it properly. Make sure your trash bins are sealed tightly and clean them regularly to prevent odors that attract pests. Wasps love the sugary liquids that are left behind in soda cans, so make sure your recycling bins are secure and clean too.
Inspect & Repair
Inspect your home for any openings where pests could enter. Repair screens and doors, and seal gaps around pipes and cables with steel wool or caulk, depending on the size.
Call a Professional
Controlling stinging pests on your own can be very risky and it’s always best to deal with these pests by calling a Naples pest control company near you. These pest control professionals are trained to know how to handle and remove these pests safely.
Jun 6, 2024 | DIY Pest Control, Fire Ant, Florida Pest Control
While fire ants are small, they can pack a painful sting! These pests can quickly take over your yard with their unsightly mounds and if threatened they can become aggressive with their painful sting. Let’s review everything you need to know about preventing fire ants and ways you can deter them from your yard.
Understanding Fire Ants
Fire ants are reddish-brown with a dark abdomen. These ants can vary in size from 1/8 to 1/4 inch. Fire ants will often build their large, dome-shaped mounds in yards. These mounds can reach up to 18 inches in height. They will often build in areas that are open and sunny, such as lawns, pastures, and along roads. Fire ants are known to sting if provoked, causing allergic reactions to some. Fire ants will often enter our homes for a food source, such as fruits, insects, and oils from seeds.
Preventing Fire Ants from Your Yard
An effective method to prevent fire ants is placing some easy preventative measures throughout your property to deter them in the first place. Consider the following DIY fire ant prevention tips:
- Seal cracks and crevices to keep them out of your home
- Keep your yard well-maintained by regularly mowing the lawn, trimming bushes, and removing debris.
- Avoid over-watering your lawn, as fire ants are attracted to moist environments.
- If you’re eating food outdoors, make sure to clean up any food crumbs or drink spills.
- If you have fruit trees in your yard, make sure to remove any rotten fruit or fruit that has fallen on the ground.
- Repair any leaking faucets, hoses, or irrigation systems in your yard.
If you’ve spotted a fire ant mound in your yard or would like to start preventing them now, the best thing to do is call a professional pest control company near you for help. These experts will provide you with a thorough inspection, treatment plan to remove these pests, and recommendations on how you can prevent them from returning.
May 28, 2024 | DIY Pest Control, Florida Pest Control
Living in Florida, we have to deal with our fair share of bugs invading our home throughout the year. Whether mosquitoes are invading your yard, ants are taking over your kitchen, or rats are raiding your trash cans, household pests can surely become a major issue. Unfortunately, humans can have a lot to do with pest infestations by our habits, often leading bugs right into our home. We break down the common reasons you could have a bug problem into your Florida home.
What Leads To Bug Problems In Your Home
Trash
Our leftover trash is dinnertime for pests! Pests, such as rats and ants, are all looking for a food source for survival and will often look to our trash cans for available food, creating a huge mess in the process. It’s important to secure your outside and inside trashcan with a tightly sealed lid and ensure your trash bags are sealed without rips or tears.
Excessive Moisture
Several pests prefer a damp environment and need water to survive too. Unfortunately, we also need water, and certain factors throughout our homes can provide pests with a water source, often leading to a bug problem. A leaky faucet can attract pests, like mice, who will return to areas if they have access to water or food. Make sure to check throughout your home for any leaky pipes, faucets, or AC units and repair them as soon as possible. Likewise, your basement and crawlspace can often create excess moisture that can lead to fungus, bad air quality, and pest infestations. Utilize a dehumidifier to dry any wet areas and consider crawlspace enclosure to ensure no moisture is found.
Unnecessary Clutter
Clutter, such as old newspapers, magazines, and cardboard boxes can provide several pests with the perfect environment. Decluttering and cleaning items out to eliminate hiding places will help prevent pests overall. Consider utilizing plastic storage containers with lids to store any items and elevating them off the ground. Additionally, avoid having clothes piled on the floor, as bugs like spiders are known to hide out in them.
Dirty Kitchen
Dirty dishes, food crumbs, and drink spills can attract pests like flies, ants, roaches, and more right into your home! After each meal, wash and put away your dishes to avoid these pests. Likewise, clean up any leftover spills and food crumbs off your floors, dining room table, and counter tops. Don’t forget to clean behind and under your kitchen appliances too as pests like to hide behind stoves and refrigerators to find a food source.
If you’ve noticed an increase of bugs throughout your Florida home, it’s best to call a pest control company near you. These professionals will provide you with a comprehensive pest control and prevention plan.
May 7, 2024 | DIY Pest Control, Florida Pest Control
House mice, roof rats, Norway rats, and other rodents seek our homes as a place for shelter to breed and search for an available food source to survive. These creatures are known to contaminate our environments and spread diseases such as plague, tularemia, and hantavirus. Rodents will often chew through insulation and electrical wiring, creating the risk of a fire. Placing do-it-yourself rodent-proofing measures throughout your home will protect your property and family from these pests.
Do-it-Yourself Rodent Proofing Tips
Rats and mice seek out food, water, and shelter in homes, so it’s important to eliminate these factors from your property to avoid an infestation. Let’s review our DIY rodent-proofing tips for your Florida property:
- Rodents can enter through the smallest opening, so inspect your home’s doors and windows for holes, gaps, and loose or broken seals, repairing where necessary.
- Remove any clutter from your home, including old newspapers, books, magazines, and cardboard boxes you don’t utilize anymore.
- Always keep your yard well-maintained by mowing on a regular basis, keeping shrubs and trees trimmed, and removing yard debris.
- If you store lumber or firewood, place it at least 20 feet from your home and elevated off the ground.
- Check for any excess moisture throughout your home; repair any leaky pipes and eliminate excess moisture in your crawlspace through crawlspace encapsulation.
If you’ve noticed signs of rodents or would like extra help with rodent-proofing, call a pest control company near you! Professionals will provide you with a free analysis and a recommended rodent control treatment and prevention plan!
Apr 25, 2024 | DIY Pest Control, Florida Pest Control
Rats are practically year-round creatures in Florida, seeking your home for a warm place to nest and find a food source. Once these rodents find their way inside your home, they will reproduce quickly, making it difficult to remove them. Here is what attracts rats to your home and easy prevention tips to avoid a future infestation!
What Attracts Rats To Your Home
Dirty & Cluttered Home
Rats are attracted to homes that are both dirty and cluttered. These wildlife creatures look for leftover food crumbs and spills for their food source. Likewise, rats tend to utilize piles of old newspapers or cardboard boxes to create a nest and hide out.
Easy Access Inside
Rats can enter homes through a gap or hole the size of a quarter! If any openings are found, they’ll use it to their advantage to make their way inside your home. You can often find these openings around your foundation, doors, and windows.
Cluttered Yard
Your yard is the first line of defense for avoiding rodents but there could be factors attracting them right onto your property. Leaf piles and deep mulch are the perfect materials for rats nesting sites. Likewise, dirty outdoor grills and open garbage cans can be an invitation for rats to scavenge and find a food source.
Available Water Source
Rats need water to survive and will look for any source available in and around your home. If there is a constant supply of water dripping from your pipes, that’s enough for rats to move into your home. Common areas where rats find water include leaky bathroom faucets, pipes in your basement, hose faucets, and even HVAC systems.
Access to Food
One of the biggest rat attractions is any available food source. Leftover crumbs, drink spills, and open food containers in your pantry will all attract rats into your home. Rats are not picky eaters and are attracted to all kinds of food, including meats, vegetables, fruit, and more.
Preventing Rats from Your Florida Home
Having a rat infestation can be alarming, not only because of the damage they can cause but also the diseases they can spread. One of the best ways to keep rats from entering your property is to place the preventative measures to deter them in the first place. Consider these tips and tricks to avoid rats:
- Empty your garbage on a regular basis and always use a tight-fitting lid or lock it.
- After each meal, make sure to clean up food crumbs and drink spills. Don’t forget to wipe your countertops and stovetops of food too.
- Avoid leaving dirty dishes in the sink overnight; instead, wash, dry, and put them away.
- Repair windows and doors, making sure there are no open gaps, holes, and loose or broken seals.
- If you have pets, consider storing their food in plastic containers with a lid instead of the bag it comes in; always bring in your outside pet food and water bowls at night.
- Check your exterior home for any cracks or gaps that rats could fit into, seal these openings as soon as possible.
- Reduce all standing water on your property by fixing leaky pipes and eliminating moisture in your crawlspace through encapsulation.
- Maintain your yard by keeping your grass mowed, trimming back shrubbery, and removing debris.
If you’ve noticed rodent activity at your property or would like to start rodent control now, it’s best to call a pest control company near you. These professionals can provide you with a thorough inspection, rodent identification, and a rodent treatment and removal plan based on your needs.
Apr 18, 2024 | DIY Pest Control, Florida Pest Control
Florida is no stranger to dealing with stinging pests! These insects can become a real nuisance to your Bonita Springs property once they have invaded your yard and can pose a health risk to your family. Let’s review some common stinging pests in Florida and how you can avoid them on your property.
Common Stinging Pests in Florida
- Hornets: Large and can be aggressive, hornets can pack a powerful sting! These pests build large paper nests in hollow trees, bushes, and attics. Hornets are attracted to light and will often fly into windows at night, infesting the inside of your home. Hornets do not hesitate to sting if they feel threatened.
- Wasps: These pests will build their nests on branches, porch ceilings, eaves, and attic rafters. If wasps feel threatened, they will sting multiple times and call on reinforcements by emitting pheromones.
- Yellowjackets: These stinging insects tend to nest in the ground and inside wall voids, where their colonies can number up to 4,000! Yellowjackets are territorial and will sting humans, often causing allergic reactions.
- Fire Ants: These pests are small but known for their painful sting. Fire ants will build large mounds in lawns, gardens, and even HVAC systems! If a fire ant stings you, it can be painful and often result in a raised welt.
Preventing Stinging Pests
Stinging pests are most active during summer and early fall, so it’s crucial to start placing preventative measures throughout your property to avoid their infestation! Check our tips and tricks on avoiding stinging insects:
- Keep your garbage cans covered with a tightly sealed lid.
- Thoroughly inspect the exterior of your home for any openings or gaps in your screens, doors, and windows; fix any openings as soon as possible.
- At night, keep your doors and windows shut and turn your outside lights off.
- Sweet smelling perfumes or cologne can attract stinging pests, so it’s best to avoid wearing them when you’ll be outdoors for long periods of time.
- When eating food outside, make sure to place it in sealed containers and clean up any trash, spills, and crumbs after you have eaten.
If you happen to be stung by a stinging insect, it’s best to seek medical attention immediately. Likewise, if you’ve seen an influx of stinging pests on your property, it’s best to contact a pest control company near you. Removing nests can be extremely dangerous, so it’s best to leave it to the professionals who will safely remove the nest and provide you with recommendations on preventing these common stinging pests in the future.
Mar 26, 2024 | Florida Pest Control
Cockroaches are one of the most common household pests that Florida residents will deal with. While these pests won’t cause structural damage, they can be a health risk to you and your family as they will transmit diseases and contaminate food. Spotting a roach inside your home doesn’t always mean your home is dirty, as roaches can easily get into the cleanest of homes to look for food, water, and shelter. One question homeowners often ask is “How can I stop roaches?” One of the best ways you can prevent them from entering your home is to understand how they can get inside in the first place and familiarize yourself with the cockroach prevention tips that you can utilize.
How Do Roaches Get Inside?
Roaches can be extremely resourceful when trying to enter homes. These small insects will flatten themselves to be able to crawl through the smallest holes and cracks leading inside a building, including openings around your foundation and utility pipes leading inside the home. Likewise, they will squeeze through any available openings around doors and windows, whether it’s gaps or if it’s been open too long. Roaches are known to hitchhike and lay their eggs on certain items to get inside the home, including luggage, backpacks, used furniture, used appliances, and packages.
How Can I Stop Roaches?
One of the best ways you can stop roaches is to create an environment they aren’t attracted to that will deter them away. Check out our common roach preventative tips to consider:
- Identifying where roaches are getting in is the first step in preventing them. If you’ve seen these pests in a certain area of your home, like the kitchen, it is likely that is where they are entering from. Inspect both the inside and outside of these areas, sealing any cracks or crevices you find with caulk.
- Consider placing sticky roach traps in the areas where their activity is the highest, as it can be closer to the nest and closer to where they are entering.
- Use weatherstripping on doors and windows.
- Before you bring in any items, inspect them for roaches, such as packages or used furniture.
- Roaches love to nest in clutter so it is crucial to clean out piles of old newspapers and magazines, cardboard boxes, and paper bags.
- After cooking or eating meals, clean up any spills or food crumbs from dining tables, countertops, stovetops, microwaves, and floors.
- Check for leaky faucets and repair them as soon as possible.
- Consider having your exterior lighting on motion sensors to reduce roach activity.
- Sweep and vacuum behind larger appliances and get rid of any food stuck in the bottom of your dishwasher.
Cockroaches are extremely resilient and once an infestation occurs, they can grow overnight! If you’ve noticed one too many roaches than you are comfortable with, contact a pest control company near you for a free evaluation and the recommended pest control treatment and prevention plan based on your current pest situation.
Jan 24, 2024 | Florida Pest Control
Contamination, disease, and property destruction are all possible in your home if a rodent invades it! Rodents, including mice and rats, can be destructive creatures and once they’ve invaded your home, it can be difficult to remove them since they reproduce so quickly! One of the best ways to ensure these pests don’t enter your Florida home is taking the necessary precautions to avoid them in the first place. We break down the types of rodents to be cautious of and our best do-it-yourself rodent prevention tips to keep rodents out of your Sunrise home.
Types of Florida Rodents
- House Mouse: Preferring dark, secluded areas in your home, these rodents are found in crawlspaces, basements, and attics. Mice adapt quickly to our human environments, seeking out food and water for survival. These rodents are also skilled climbers and can jump a foot high to reach isolated areas!
- Roof Rats: With their padded feet, roof rats will climb into our homes at the highest points, including our attics, eaves, and roof lines. These rodents typically live in colonies and stick together once they’ve found a place to habitat.
- Norway Rats: One of the largest rodent species, Norway rats are nocturnal and will seek food sources at night, especially in your trash can. Once they’ve infested a home, they are known to gnaw on furniture, walls, plastic, lead pipes, and even electrical wires.
Preventing Rodents in Sunrise
Rodents are attracted to food, water, and available shelter, so it’s crucial to eliminate these factors from your property to avoid a rat and mouse infestation. Check out our DIY rodent prevention tips for your Florida property:
- Seal and repair windows and doors that are loose or have a broken seal.
- Utilize screens on doors and windows, especially for those that tend to be open.
- Inspect the exterior of your home for any cracks or gaps and seal them immediately.
- Avoid leaving your pet food and water bowls outside overnight and store pet food in plastic containers with lids.
- Repair any leaky pipes and eliminate excess moisture in your crawlspace; we recommend enclosing crawlspaces to moisture issues and help eliminate household pests.
- Keep your yard well-maintained by mowing your grass, trimming back shrubbery, and removing debris on a regular basis.
- If you store lumber on your yard, look to place it at least 20 feet from your home and elevated off the ground.
- Have a regular cleaning schedule that includes vacuuming, mopping, and sweeping.
If you suspect you have a rodent infestation or are interested in getting ahead of preventing them, call your local pest control company. Professionals will provide you with a thorough inspection, identification of the rodent, possible entry points, and a rodent control and prevention plan.
Jan 17, 2024 | Florida Pest Control
It’s always alarming spotting a roach in your home. These pests are highly adaptable and seek out human environments for a food and water source. Once they’ve infested your home, it can be difficult to control and eliminate them as they reproduce rapidly! The first step in preventing roaches is understanding the signs of cockroaches and the factors that could attract them into your Florida home.
Common Signs You Have Cockroaches
- Smear Marks: Roaches seek out areas with moisture, where they will produce dark, irregularly shaped spear marks as they rest or crawl along walls. You can find these smears where the wall and floor meet.
- Droppings or Egg Casings: Depending on the roach species, droppings will vary but you can often find them near floor corners, cabinets, under the fridge, and under the stove.
- Musky Odor: If there’s a large number of roaches that have infested a home, a strong musky odor may be present in your home. This smell can indicate live or dead roaches.
- Allergies: Roaches contain proteins known to trigger allergy symptoms, including a stuffy nose, wheezing red itching eyes, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and an increased use of inhalers.
- Live Roaches: An obvious sign that roaches have infested your home is actually seeing them present on your property. If you’re seeing them during the day, overcrowding from an infestation could force them out into open areas.
Common Roach Prevention for South Florida Homes
The best way to avoid roaches from entering your Sanibel property is placing preventative measures throughout! Check out our tips on preventing cockroaches:
- Seal gaps and openings including in walls, around electrical sockets, around doors and windows, and along your foundation with silicone-based caulk or steel wool.
- Keep counters, sinks, floors, and tables clean of drink spills and food crumbs.
- Vacuum on a frequent basis; we recommend at least once a week!
- Don’t leave pet food outside overnight, instead bring it indoors and store your pet food in a plastic container with a tight lid.
- Consider enclosing your crawlspace to help reduce moisture and prevent household pests like roaches, mice, termites, and more.
If you’ve noticed the above signs of cockroaches, it’s best to call your local Florida pest control provider. These professionals will identify the type of roach, any entry points, and the best treatment and ongoing prevention for your home.
