Aug 28, 2023 | Florida Pest Control
After a rainstorm, the last thing we want to deal with in our Florida homes is an influx of pests. Unfortunately, prolonged periods of heavy rains can cause certain pests to emerge, seek shelter, and cause damage to your home. To prevent pests after rain, it’s important to understand the prevention measures to put in place.
Prepare Before the Storm
If reports of a potential rainstorm or hurricane emerge, look to inspect the exterior and interior of your home to help identify any issues that could lead to a pest infestation. Look for any cracks, crevices, holes, or gaps throughout your home, and seal them up with a silicone-based caulk as soon as possible. Likewise, ensure that your downspouts are diverted away from the foundation rather than towards it. Look to place both your garbage and any mulch away from your home too.
Remove Standing Water
After a storm, your property could see plenty of standing water throughout. Unfortunately, pests like mosquitoes and roaches seek out excess moisture for survival. Look to remove all standing water from your property to avoid an influx of pests. Remove items holding water, such as buckets, old tires, tarps, etc. Likewise, clear out debris and leaves from your gutters.
Remove Spoiled Food
With storms comes the chance that power outages may occur. If these outages last for a while, your stored food could go bad. Pests, like flies and rodents, seek out rotten food to eat, making it crucial to remove it as soon as possible. Deposit any food that’s gone bad in a sealed trash bag outside of the house. Likewise, ensure that any discarded food outside is also picked up and thrown away.
Identify Water Damage
Rotting wood caused by water damage can attract destructive pests like termites, who will chew wood from the inside out. If these pests infest, they can cost millions of dollars in repairs. After a storm, inspect your home for any water damage that may have occurred. Remove any rotting debris, fix damaged pipes, and fill areas in your yard where water has pooled with dirt.
Inspect for Openings or Holes
High winds and rain result in damage to our homes. Any openings that lead inside your home are an open invitation to larger pests such as rats, mice, raccoons, and squirrels to seek shelter. It’s important to inspect these areas after a storm has occurred. Damaged roofing, siding, and soffits can provide entry points inside the home. If you see any openings, look to seal them with caulk or steel wool.
Call a Professional
If you notice more pests than you can handle after a storm, it’s best to reach out to your local pest control company. These professionals will inspect your property, identify the type of pest that’s infested, and recommend the best treatment and prevention plan.
Aug 21, 2023 | Florida Pest Control
Highly adaptable pests, cockroaches will find their way inside homes and quickly begin to multiply! Once they’ve infested in numbers, it can be difficult to control them. Understanding the factors that attract these pests into homes is your first step to preventing them! Check out our guide to preventing roaches from infesting your Florida home.
Types of Roaches in South Florida
There are several types of roaches homeowners should understand to properly prevent them. Here are some common roaches that you could come across at your home:
- American Cockroach: One of the largest cockroaches, these pests are reddish-brown with a yellow figure-eight pattern on the back of their heads. They prefer to live in dark, secluded areas such as basements or sewers.
- Brown-Banded Cockroach: Receiving their name from the light brown bands across their wings, brown-banded roaches prefer warmer, higher locations in a room, including in cabinets and behind picture frames. They can typically hide their egg cases in or underneath furniture.
- German Cockroach: Preferring warmer and humid spaces, German roaches will gravitate towards rooms where humans eat, such as kitchens. They can be identified by their light brown body with two dark brown stripes on their back.
- Oriental Cockroach: These roaches are considered to be one of the dirtiest roaches due to the strong odor they produce. You can identify them by their dark reddish-brown to shiny black color. They are often found in sewers, entering homes through drains and door thresholds.
Remove Food Sources
Roaches prefer to eat sugar, carbs, and protein but will eat about anything they can find. Regularly clean up any leftover food, spills, or crumbs on tables, countertops, and appliances, especially after cooking or eating a meal. After a grocery trip or storing leftovers, look to place your food in airtight containers. Likewise, rinse out cans, bottles, or jugs, before throwing them out in your garbage can. Finally, empty your garbage on a regular basis, placing it outside in trash cans with lids.
Remove Water Sources
Did you know that roaches are able to survive without water for 2 weeks? It’s true! Despite this, they still seek out water as much as they can and will enter homes if they’ve found it. It’s important to remove any standing water inside or outside of your home. Look to remove water near drains and sinks, particularly overnight. Your crawlspace and basement can create excess moisture; consider utilizing a dehumidifier or installing a moisture barrier or crawlspace enclosure to help.
Remove Shelter
Roaches love clutter, making it essential to remove any unnecessary items from your home, garage, and attic. Get rid of any old cardboard boxes, newspapers, and magazines. Likewise, vacuum and dust periodically and consider painting or varnishing your wood shelves to seal cracks and crevices where roaches tend to hide. Check your interior walls, skirting, electrical outlets, baseboards, sinks, and cabinets for any gaps or openings, sealing them as soon as possible. Inspect that your windows and doors are sealed and consider utilizing weatherstripping.
Prevention is a great way to keep cockroaches away, but if the issue becomes more than you can handle, it’s always best to call your local pest control company for help. These professionals will be able to identify the infested roach and provide you with a treatment and prevention plan.
Jul 25, 2023 | Florida Pest Control
Common to the Florida area, rodents can cause significant damage to our homes by chewing on wires, destroying insulation, and contaminating our living areas. There are several types of rodents in Florida that homeowners should be aware of to properly prevent them from invading. Check out our list of common rodents and how to prevent them from invading your home.
Types of Rodents in Florida:
- Norway Rats: Norway rats have brown fur and can grow up to 10 inches long! They typically live in burrows and will enter homes through gaps in the foundation or holes in walls.
- Roof Rats: Roof rats are smaller than Norway rats and can be typically found in the upper parts of buildings, such as attics, roofs, and trees. You can tell them apart from other rats as they have longer tails and are gray or black.
- House Mice: House mice are small and can fit through very small openings. You’ll typically find these mice in kitchens and they are often identified by their droppings, which are small and black.
- Squirrels: Cute but not so cuddly, squirrels are known to invade our yards and attics! Once inside, these wildlife creatures can cause significant damage to homes by chewing on wires and insulation.
Preventing Rodents from Invading Homes:
- Seal Entry Points: Check for any gaps or holes in your home’s foundation, walls, and roof, and seal them to prevent rodents from entering.
- Keep Your Home Clean: Keep your home clean and free of food debris. This will make it less attractive to rodents. After each meal, make sure to wipe up any leftover crumbs or spills as soon as possible.
- Store Food Properly: Look to store your food in sealed containers with a tight lid. This will make it more difficult for rodents to access.
- Trim Trees and Shrubs: Trim any trees or shrubs that are close to your home and roofline, as they can provide a pathway for rodents to enter.
- Reduce Moisture: Check for sources of moisture throughout your home, as rodents are attracted to water. Consider utilizing a dehumidifier in your basement and enclosing your crawlspace.
If you suspect that any of these common rodents have invaded your home, it’s best to reach out to your local pest control company for help. These expert professionals will be able to remove, exclude, and prevent them in the future!
Jul 21, 2023 | Florida Pest Control
Bed bugs are tiny, invasive pests that can easily hitchhike a ride with you after traveling and infest your home. Bed bugs are notoriously difficult to get rid of once they’ve made themselves at home in your furniture, bedding, and even carpet. To avoid the headache and expense of a bed bug infestation, consider following these tips to prevent them after you’ve come home from traveling.
Inspect Your Luggage and Clothes
Upon your hotel arrival, consider inspecting your hotel for bed bugs and checking the bed bug registry before booking a room. After your stay, when packing up and leaving your hotel room, do a thorough inspection of all your items, including luggage, bags, and clothing you’ve traveled with. Check for any signs of bed bugs, such as live bugs, shed skins, and brown stains on the mattress or bedding. Pay close attention to the seams of your luggage, as bed bugs often hide in small crevices. If you find any evidence of bugs, throw out your luggage and purchase a new one or seal it in a plastic bag until you can properly treat it.
Wash Your Clothes and Bedding
As soon as you get home from your trip, inspect and unpack your clothes outside instead of inside your home. After unpacking, wash all your clothes and bedding in hot water as soon as possible. Bed bugs cannot survive in temperatures above 120°F, so washing and drying your items in the hottest setting is one of the best ways to kill any hitchhiking bugs. If you cannot wash an item in hot water, seal it in a plastic bag and place it in the freezer for a few days to kill any bugs that could be hiding inside.
Inspect Your Home
After unpacking and washing your clothes, it’s still important to inspect your home after a trip. Inspect the areas where you often store your luggage and clothing, such as closets, dressers, and bedside tables. Check for any signs of bed bugs.
Be Vigilant
Even if you take these precautions, bed bugs can still find their way into your home. Be vigilant and watch for any signs of bed bugs, such as bites on your skin, live bugs, or small bloodstains on your bedding. If you suspect that you have a bed bug infestation, it’s best to call your local pest control company for help. These bed bug experts will be able to provide you with a thorough inspection and a treatment and prevention plan.
Jun 30, 2023 | Florida Pest Control
Once they’ve infested your yard, it can be difficult to get rid of ant infestations. These pests are extremely invasive and will search our yards and inside our homes for a place to nest and for a food source. Once ants take over your yard, it’s likely they will enter your home, sometimes without us even knowing. Check out the common ways to prevent ants in your Florida yard.
Clean Up Debris
Keeping your yard well-maintained is crucial in preventing ants from taking over your yard. Make sure you regularly mow your grass and trim back plants and shrubbery away from the home. Likewise, ensure that leaves and debris are picked up, especially after a storm. Get rid of rotten tree stumps or logs, as ants will build their nests in them.
Utilize Natural Remedies
Did you know there are certain smells that will deter ants away? It’s true! Ants dislike scents such as peppermint, vinegar, and citrus. Consider using these scents to deter them away from your yard and home by placing cotton balls soaked in the scent around the perimeter of your property.
Remove Food Sources
Ants are looking for water and food sources to survive, making it crucial to remove them. While many of us leave our pet’s food bowls outdoors during the warmer months, it’s important to remove them at night, as they will attract not only ants but other creatures such as rats and mice. Likewise, remove any standing water from your property, including fixing leaky pipes, removing buckets holding water, and unclogging gutters.
Eliminate Points of Entry
To ensure ants will not enter your home, it’s important to identify and eliminate any entry points they could enter in from. Inspect the exterior of your home and seal any holes, gaps, and cracks you find. Don’t forget to check the areas around pipes and wires as well. Likewise, check your windows and doors for any openings and consider utilizing screens and weatherstripping.
Eliminating ants can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. Consider reaching out to your local pest control company which can help identify the type of ant, provide you with a treatment plan, and set you up with a prevention plan to avoid a future infestation.
Jun 23, 2023 | Florida Pest Control
Once flies get inside your home, they not only become a major nuisance, but they can also be difficult to eliminate. While flies can look very similar at first glance, there are different types, each with their own set of characteristics. It’s important for every homeowner to understand their difference to properly prevent them from invading their home! Check out the common flies you can encounter in Florida and tips on preventing them!
Drain Flies
Commonly found in kitchens or bathrooms, drain flies look like fuzzy moths. They thrive in dark and damp environments, such as floor and sink drains. You can tell these flies apart from others as they are light gray or tan in color and have a dark border around their wings. While these flies don’t bite, their presence can trigger asthma in some people.
Fruit Flies
One of the most common flies known to invade our kitchens is fruit flies. These flies are known to rapidly produce and will breed in dark, moist areas of your home, including drains, garbage disposals, and trashcans. These flies can lay around 500 eggs that hatch in as little as 24 hours! These pests are attracted to and will eat rotting food and usually prefer fruits and vegetables. While these flies won’t sting or bite humans, they will contaminate foods with bacteria and disease-causing pathogens.
Horseflies
Horseflies can often be found near bodies of water they utilize for breeding, both in suburban and rural areas. Horseflies are most active during the hotter days of the year and typically rest on paths and roads in wooded areas. Female horseflies can be a risk to our health as they are known to have a painful bite with their mouthparts utilized for cutting open flesh instead of sucking blood. Their bites are also known to cause allergic reactions too.
How to Prevent Flies from Your Florida Home
- Clean up spills and leftover food crumbs as soon as possible
- Frequently sweep, mop, and vacuum your home.
- Store your food in tightly sealed containers, including your pet food.
- Don’t leave your pet bowls outside and clean up any pet waste in your yard.
- If you are going to open your windows to enjoy the fresh air, make sure to use screens to keep flies from entering.
If you’ve noticed more flies around your property than usual, it could be time to reach out to your local pest control company for help. These pest professionals will be able to find a fly prevention method that works best for your home.
Apr 27, 2023 | Florida Pest Control
As a resident of North Naples, Florida, you know hurricane season can bring many challenges, including an influx of pests. It’s important to both prepare your home for the high winds and heavy rain and place preventative measures to prevent a pest infestation that the hurricane season can bring. Check out our tips on preparing for pests during hurricane season:
Secure Your Home
Before a hurricane hits your area, it is crucial to ensure that the exterior of your home is secure. This means checking for any gaps or cracks where pests can enter your home. Look around your windows, doors, and roof for openings. Consider utilizing weatherstripping or caulking these areas to ensure they are sealed.
Keep Food Sealed
While stocking up on food and water before a hurricane hits your area is important, it can also attract pests. Ants and rodents are highly attracted to food, and it’s important to properly seal stored food you have inside your home. Consider utilizing airtight containers to avoid pests from invading them.
Remove Debris
After a hurricane hits, your yard could be littered with debris, leaves, tree limbs, and more. This clutter can be the perfect environment for pests to thrive. Remove any of these items from your property as soon as you can to help prevent pests from utilizing it as a nesting ground or hiding place.
Inspect Your Home
The aftermath of a hurricane can see various damages to your home, including broken windows, water damage, foundation damage, and more. It’s important to inspect your home for any of this damage after the storm. Inspect your home for any cracks in the walls, windows, or doors caused by high winds and debris. These openings will provide easy access for pests, making it essential to repair them as soon as possible.
Consider Pest Control
Sometimes, placing preventative measures throughout your home can only go so far. If you need extra support to deal with pests before, during, or after hurricane season, consider reaching out to your local pest control company. These professionals will identify the pest problem, identify entry points, and provide a treatment and prevention plan to prevent future pest infestations.
Apr 20, 2023 | Florida Pest Control
Hurricanes are bound to happen, especially in Florida. These natural phenomena can cause severe damage to our community, homes, and the environment around us. Unfortunately, hurricanes will also affect pest activity, as homeowners might see the emergence of even more pests. After a hurricane, we will often experience a population increase of pests that thrive in warm, moist environments. Check out our list of pests to look out for after a hurricane and what you can do for hurricane pest control.
Mosquitoes
One of the most common pests that emerge after a hurricane is mosquitoes. The water that’s left behind by the storm will provide the perfect breeding ground for these pests. While mosquitoes are a nuisance, they can spread diseases such as the West Nile virus, Zika virus, and dengue fever. To prevent these pests, remove objects that can collect rainwater, including toys, buckets, tarps, old tires, and more. Likewise, look to remove all leaves and yard debris to keep mosquitoes from invading your yard.
Ants
Other pests that will emerge after a hurricane are ants. When an area becomes flooded, it forces ants to seek out a new place to inhabit, often leading them to our homes. Ants, such as fire ants, pavement ants, and carpenter ants, can all be difficult to control, as they can establish their new colony quickly and are highly adaptable. To keep ants from invading your home after a storm, seal all cracks or gaps found on the interior and exterior of the home. Remove and clean up any food source that may attract ants inside.
Roaches
Cockroaches will thrive in the aftermath of a hurricane. A home or building that’s flooded provides the perfect environment for these pests, where they can settle, breed, and multiply. Roaches are known to carry diseases and even trigger allergic reactions. To deter roaches from your home, eliminate as much moisture as possible by regularly checking for leaky faucets or sinks. Take the trash out on a regular basis, placing it in a tightly sealed trashcan with a lid.
Hurricanes can have a significant impact on our environment and the activity of household pests. Utilizing hurricane pest control measures throughout your home before a hurricane or rainstorm will help to prevent a full-blown pest infestation. If you’re still seeing pests after taking precautions, it could be time to contact your local pest control company for help. These professionals will inspect your home, identify the pest, identify areas of entry, and provide you with a treatment and prevention plan that’s fit for your home.
Apr 13, 2023 | Florida Pest Control
Miami, Florida is known for its beautiful beaches, lively city, and hurricanes! Unfortunately, hurricanes can bring in an influx of certain pest problems that can cause significant damage and be a nuisance. Check out the common hurricane pest problems that you could see after a storm and how to prevent them.
Common Pests After a Hurricane
Check out the most common hurricane pests you could see after a storm which include:
- Mosquitoes: Standing water left behind by the storm will become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Items that hold water are a huge attractant to these pests, including toys, overturned trash lids, bird baths, flowerpot sauces, and more.
- Cockroaches: Flooded areas are an ideal living environment for cockroaches to inhabit as they prefer damp climates and areas. Likewise, once they invade, it can be difficult to control them as they reproduce at a rapid pace.
- Termites: Flooding and moisture can weaken the structure of homes, making them more susceptible to termite infestations. Termites will cause significant wood damage and destroy the structural integrity of your home by eating it from the inside out.
- Rodents: These wildlife creatures will seek out damaged or flooded areas. Rodents, such as rats, carry many diseases and can cause damage to your home, including chewed electrical wires and destroyed insulation.
Preventing Pests Before a Hurricane
Taking precautions before a hurricane or storm arrives is the best way to prevent hurricane pests from invading your home. Check out our top pest prevention tips:
- Keep your gutters clear of debris and standing water
- Place wood debris and tree stumps away from your house.
- Keep your home clutter-free by removing any old newspapers, magazines, and cardboard boxes.
- Eliminate standing water around your home by checking for any leaky faucets, pipes, sinks, and appliances.
- Remove any items from your yard that can collect water, such as toys, buckets, old tires, tarps, etc.
- Seal up any cracks and holes outside of your home, including the areas where utility and pipes enter.
- Ensure your vents are screened and any gaps around your windows and doors are sealed.
- Store firewood at least 20 feet away from your home and elevated it at least 5 inches off the ground.
- Keep your home clutter-free by removing any old newspapers, magazines, and cardboard boxes.
If you’ve seen an increase in pest activity after a storm, it could be time to reach out to your local pest control company for a thorough inspection and treatment plan.
