Noticing Silverfish In Your House?

Silverfish in Florida home - Florida Pest Control

Some insects could seemingly care less whether or not people see them. Others, like silverfish, make every effort to avoid the limelight. In fact, you might never know silverfish are secretly living inside your home. As nocturnal insects, silverfish are active while most people are sound asleep. They prefer dark, humid areas such as garages, attics, sheds, kitchens, and bathrooms, but won’t hesitate to scurry across a bedroom floor. The brown-gray to the bluish-silver appearance of their tapered bodies coupled with their wiggly walk earned them the silverfish name. They often lurk in cabinets or inside cardboard boxes and may also deem a pile of damp clothing a good nesting place.

If you are noticing these pests around your home, you may be wondering what you can do to get rid of them. The experts at Florida Pest Control are here to share everything you need to know about silverfish.

What Are Silverfish?

Silverfish have powerful appetites that translate to a lot of damage within our homes. Paper and photos make for ideal dining as do sugary or starchy substances like carpet glue, book bindings, wallpaper, plaster, and some paints. And those are just a few of the items on the silverfish menu. Most often, you’ll notice silverfish damage long before seeing an actual silverfish.

When people do encounter silverfish inside the home, it often happens in bathrooms. You may see them in the sink or bathtub or crawling along the floor, near a wall. They move fairly quickly and rush to find cover, often squeezing under baseboards as soon as the lights come on.

How to Get Rid of Silverfish

To discourage silverfish from entering your home in the first place, there are a few things you can do. To prevent silverfish, there are two crucial steps you can take:

  1. The most important thing you can do is control humidity inside the house. They prefer to live in areas with 75-95 percent relative humidity. That might sound high, but it’s not uncommon in Florida. For that reason, air conditioners and dehumidifiers are vital for making your home environment less attractive to silverfish. You can also take steps including fixing leaky pipes, caulking baseboards, and eliminating standing water.
  2. Whenever possible, store items in plastic bins with lids, rather than cardboard boxes. Cardboard boxes tend to be one of the silverfish’s most favorite places to hang out. Not only do silverfish like cardboard, but roaches also do too! The corrugation of the cardboard creates a nice place for them to call home.

Dealing With a Silverfish Infestation?

If you don’t stumble across a silverfish, however, how are you supposed to know they covertly live in your home? Well, you probably won’t know for sure without a professional inspection. If you have suspicions (most likely based on damage around the house), our household pest control service is a perfect option to eliminate these secretive insects.

Contact Florida Pest Control today to schedule an inspection!

Common Bathroom Bugs & How to Get Rid of Them

Spiders are a common bathroom bug in Florida - Florida Pest Control

Bugs in the bathroom are never a welcome sight. You want your bathroom to be your own sanctuary—and, preferably, a bug-free zone! Unfortunately, pests of all kinds love to dwell in bathrooms. This is because a bathroom provides shelter, water, and even food for insects to feast on. In order to avoid the discovery of bugs infiltrating your Florida home’s bathroom, it’s important to learn not only what bugs are drawn to that room, but also what you can do to get rid of them for good. The experts at Florida Pest Control are here to share everything you need to know. Read on to learn more!

Common Bathroom Bugs in Florida Homes

Out of all rooms in a home, bathrooms are one of the most susceptible to pest problems. After all, leaky pipes, showers, and sinks provide precisely the environment many pests require to survive and reproduce. The culprits behind most bathroom pest problems are as follows:

  • Cockroaches. Roaches love filth and feed on sewer and drain sludge. They easily get into your bathroom through plumbing fixtures.
  • Centipedes. These long, spindly insects feed on other small insects that are common in bathrooms and love a humid environment.
  • Drain Flies. Just as their name suggests, drain flies are found around drains. They often appear when there is a plumbing problem in the main sewer line.
  • Spiders. As predators, spiders like to prey on the smaller insects often found in your bathroom areas.
  • Silverfish. These nocturnal insects are typically found around sewers or drains, and prefer to feed on mildew and mold.
  • Ants. A small ant problem can quickly turn into a large one if ants have found a source of food or water in your bathroom.

How to Get Rid of Bugs in Your Bathroom

The key to bathroom bug control is prevention! By eliminating the things that attract bathroom pests in the first place, you can avoid dealing with a full-blown cockroach or ant infestation. First, it’s crucial to quickly address any leaky pipes or plumbing issues that are contributing to the humid, moist environment. Consider using a dehumidifier from time to time to aid in this process. Lastly, clean your bathroom on a regular basis! By reducing clutter and cleaning every square inch of your bathroom from top to bottom, you can keep an eye out for early signs of a pest problem.

Need Bathroom Bug Control?

No homeowner wants to encounter pests in their home, let alone their bathroom. If you are noticing endless pests in your bathroom, you may have an infestation on your hands. It’s always best to enlist the help of a professional pest control company that can not only get rid of bathroom bugs but keep them away for good. Contact us today to get started!

Recluse Spiders in Florida

Recluse Spiders in Florida - Florida Pest Control

There is a popular misconception that Florida is riddled with the dangerous brown recluse spider. Thankfully, this simply isn’t the case. While several different species of recluse have indeed been found in Florida, they are rare and homeowners do not have to worry about them! At Florida Pest Control, we know how concerning these spiders can be. Our spider control experts are here to share everything you need to know about recluse spiders in the state of Florida. Read on to learn more!

Does Florida Have Recluse Spiders?

There are three species of recluse spiders that have been found in Florida: the brown recluse, the Mediterranean recluse, and the Chilean recluse. No breeding populations of these species have been found in any Florida county in a natural habitat. Over the years, our team has received a number of recluse spiders to identify. While they were indeed all recluse spiders, they were not brown recluses, but Mediterranean recluses! We once came across a Chilean recluse that was carried in from South America by the owners of a home being fumigated in the Winter Haven area. Recluses are found in cracks and crevices in and under rocks or the loose bark of dead trees. Thankfully, they are rarely found here in Florida.

Do Recluse Spiders Bite?

Many believe spider bites are quite common, which simply is not true. Spiders have no interest in us as a food source. They feed on insects and other invertebrates, not on human blood. Most spiders are venomous, but few have the ability to bite us. In fact, most spiders would rather leave us alone entirely—there’s a reason why the recluse spider gets its name, after all. The bottom line is bites from spiders—including recluse spiders—are extremely rare. However, it is still important to learn how to recognize the signs of a more dangerous bug bite. Some of the symptoms to look out for include the following.

  • Pain at the site of the bite.
  • Redness and swelling.
  • In serious cases, a deep, purple sore or ulcer that forms.
  • Fever and chills
  • Nauseua
  • Joint pain
  • While rare, seizures.

Needless to say, always contact a medical professional immediately if you are experiencing any of the above symptoms from a spider bite.

How to Stay Safe From Dangerous Spiders in Florida

While spiders may be abundant in our region, you don’t have much to worry about when it comes to the recluse. Spiders in general are typically harmless, especially the ones we tend to encounter in our homes. If you are ever unsure of what type of spider you may be dealing with, the spider exterminators at Florida Pest Control are happy to help. Contact us today to learn more!

Do Hurricanes Cause More Termites?

Hurricane damage to the roof of a house - keep pests away from your home with florida pest control

Every summer, storms seem to get worse and worse. Unfortunately, this year is predicted to be another above-normal hurricane season. While you may not think termites and hurricanes are relevant to each other, they go hand in hand in causing massive damage to homes and businesses. And people often think that with more hurricanes come more termites, but is this true? Yes, there is a degree of truth to this. With termites’ love for damp, damaged wood, hurricanes can encourage their activity this time of year.

At Florida Pest Control, we know that termites and hurricanes are both major stressors for residents throughout the state. Our termite control experts are here to share all you need to know about termites during hurricane season.

Are Termites Dangerous During Hurricane Season?

Both subterranean termites and Formosan termites are infamous for infesting damp wood that is typically in contact with soil. A stormy summer, then, can encourage termite activity even more. The main dangers of termites during hurricane season are as follows:

  1. Storms will put more wood in contact with wet surfaces and soil, even to the point of causing water damage in a property. Water damage in wood above ground can bring subterranean termites up out of their nests and into higher levels of a building.
  2. Termites weaken wood not only in buildings but in trees as well. This puts structures at an even higher risk of damage during a storm or hurricane. Trees weakened by termites will be more likely to fall during a storm, and homes weakened by termites won’t have quite the stronghold they need to withstand high winds and water.

What Happens to Termites During a Storm?

Similar to other insects and animals, a hurricane or storm will likely displace termites. In the case there is serious flooding from a hurricane, it is likely that subterranean termites will drown. In fact, research conducted in 1995 by entomologists at the University of Georgia at Athens found that inundation, or flooding, was the single-greatest natural factor that led to mortality of subterranean termite populations. Before you get your hopes up, this usually will not kill off an entire colony. While there may be a decrease in termite populations immediately after flooding or storms, they will come back quickly—especially with the abundance of moistened, damaged wood at their disposal after a storm event.

How to Stay Safe From Termites During Hurricane Season

The last thing you want to think about during a hurricane is about the threat of termites. Unfortunately, these two threats go hand in hand. To ensure your property is not weakened by termites and made more vulnerable to storm damage, it’s important to team up with a local termite control company. At Florida Pest Control, we are proud to provide Florida property owners with industry-leading termite treatments and monitoring. Contact us today to learn how we can help prepare you for termite and hurricane season.

Types of Florida Scorpions

Florida scorpion identification - Florida Pest Control

Florida is home to three main species of scorpions, the Florida Bark Scorpion, the Hentz Striped Scorpion, and the Guiana Striped Scorpion. These scorpions like to hide under boards, in debris, and in other places in homes and yards where food and shelter can be found. Florida scorpions live from three to five years. Scorpions may be capable of reproducing up to several times a year, so an infestation may become severe and long-lasting. It is recommended that professional pest services be sought if a scorpion infestation is suspected in the home.

Do Florida Scorpions Sting?

None of the three Florida scorpion species are capable of producing a fatal sting. While the sting may not be lethal, it is painful and may cause swelling and allergic reactions. Florida scorpions are not aggressive, but may sting when pinned against the skin as when the scorpions become trapped in clothing or sheets.

Florida bark scorpion - Florida Pest Control1. Florida Bark Scorpion

Also called the slender brown scorpion, the Florida bark scorpion is the largest of the Florida scorpions. These scorpions can grow up to four inches long and have a brown body, light-colored legs, and yellow dashes on the back. Bark scorpions are nocturnal and are typically found under boards, especially in newly constructed or abandoned homes. The sting is extremely painful, although not as venomous as bark scorpions that are native to Central and South America. These scorpions are found in the more tropical areas of Florida and feed mainly on termites, spiders, and other small insects.

2. Hentz Striped Scorpion

The most common scorpion found in Florida is the Hentz striped scorpion, which can be found in nearly all parts of Florida. These scorpions are typically about 2-3 inches in length and are dark brown to tan. These scorpions can be further identified by their dark brown to tan color and the presence of greenish-yellow stripes on the midsection. The abdomen is slender and there is a tooth behind the venom bulb. These scorpions are most commonly found beneath stones and other debris on the ground. Hentz striped scorpions eat cockroaches.

3. Guiana Striped Scorpion

Guiana striped scorpions can range from one to three inches in length. They are identifiable by their primarily yellow body, although patterning and coloration may vary. These scorpions are the least common type that can be found in Florida and are generally only seen around Miami-Dade, Collier, and Monroe counties in Florida. These scorpions seek available shelter under stones, under bark, or in vegetation. When Guiana scorpions sting humans, the effects last from one to five hours.

Scorpion Control in Florida

Florida scorpions don’t cause often problems, but in the event that you have an issue, Florida Pest Control is just a phone call away. Our Integrated Pest Management methods allow us to customize services to meet your needs, keeping you and your family protected from household pests. Our lawn services can help to reduce scorpions and exclusion will keep them out.

Have you spotted scorpions around your property? Check with your local office for services offered. Contact us today!

All About Lovebugs: Origins of These Florida Pests

Lovebugs mating in Florida - Florida Pest Control

Twice a year, no matter where you live in Florida, you can expect a swarm of lovebugs taking to the sky for weeks. They take over our yards and especially our streets, and although they aren’t harmful or dangerous, they become a nuisance for many of us. There are many rumors around about the origins of these bugs and the reasons why they’re here in Florida, but not many of us think about them when they’re zooming into our windshields and hoods on the road.

Florida Pest Control knows all about the real nature of lovebugs. Read on to learn more about them and their biannual swarms from our experts.

What is a Lovebug?

There is an urban legend that says that lovebugs are the result of a genetic experiment at the University of Florida gone wrong. Although this is fun to believe, lovebugs actually migrated from Central America and were first reported in the U.S. in the early 1900s. These are some of their characteristic features:

  • Lovebugs have black underbodies and legs with a red thorax and purple wings.
  • They swarm in large numbers in mid-spring and late summer. Their swarms can contain up to a million individual lovebugs.
  • While mating, lovebugs will remain attached to each other, back to back, for up to four days.

Lovebug Swarms

Lovebug swarms happen twice a year, once from late April to early May and once from late August to early September. At this time, you’ll see lovebugs take to the air, many of which are in the process of mating. When lovebugs pair up to mate, they remain attached to each other, tail to tail, for multiple days. This is where they get their name from.

Lovebugs have short lives, but a very quick and prolific reproductive turnaround. The female adult lovebug only lives for three or four days, but can lay anywhere from 100 to 350 eggs before dying. This keeps their swarm lasting for weeks.

What to Do About Lovebugs in Florida

Lovebugs’ acidic body composition makes for their nuisance status in many peoples’ eyes. When they fly into your car, their bodies can cause damage to your paint job or leave stains on your windows. The sheer volume of their swarms can also lead to a buildup of lovebugs clogging your radiator intake, leading to the vehicle overheating.

If there is a massive swarm of lovebugs by your house in Florida this year, you can count on your local pest control company to help. The technicians at Florida Pest Control are trained to use safe and efficient techniques to keep all kinds of pests off of our customers’ properties all across the state. For a free quote, contact us today!

Ouch! Something’s Biting Me!

What mites look like in Florida - Florida Pest Control

One of the most universally loathed feelings is the sensation of a bug crawling up your leg or your back, out of sight. You quickly jump to swat it away, and sometimes you make contact with a critter, but sometimes there’s nothing there at all. This leaves you wondering whether there’s a pest lurking somewhere close by or your imagination is making you believe that there is.

Florida residents know that there are a lot of different bugs that could be biting during the summer. Read on for Florida Pest Control’s expert advice on bug bite identification and our regional conditions that could trick you into thinking you have bug bites.

Bugs that Bite in Florida

Florida is home to more pests than almost any other state in the country. Our wet, subtropical climate creates the perfect environment for insects and arachnids of all kinds to thrive. Because of this, Floridians are subject to all kinds of bug bites each year. Here are five of the most common types of bites that we experience here:

  • Bed Bugs: Bed bugs come out of hiding during the night to bite us while we sleep. They bite us in zig-zag patterns across our exposed skin, leaving tiny, bright red bumps.
  • Mosquitoes: Mosquitoes are so light that you often won’t feel them on your skin until the bite mark appears. They start as a raised white welt and recede into an itchy, pinkish-red bump over the next few days.
  • Ticks & Fleas: People often pick up tick and flea bites in heavily wooded or vegetated areas. Flea bites are tiny and of a light red color, but ticks lodge into your skin and stay there for up to two days sometimes.
  • Midges: Also known as “no-see-ums,” biting midges are only about 1-3 mm long. They leave tiny bite marks that are very itchy.
  • Mites: Mite bites have raised white centers with a bright red ring around them. Sometimes they are harmless, but they are also able to cause swelling, itchiness, and sharp pain.

Conditions that Cause Itchiness

Certain conditions of the environment around you and your body’s reaction to them can cause skin symptoms that resemble bug bites. Redness, itchiness, and pain are all related to pest-related and unrelated skin issues. These are a few other reasons why your skin could feel worse than usual:

  1. Low humidity: A stark drop in humidity can cause your skin to become dry. It will also increase static electricity, so part of your skin or hair can be made to move in a way that feels like a bug crawling.
  2. Skin allergies: Changing your detergent, soap, perfume, deodorant, or any other topical product can result in a skin allergy. Red bumps and rashes that result from these changes can feel and look like bug bites.
  3. Clogged air conditioning filter: A clogged air conditioning filter can actually result in more particles in the air due to an excess expulsion of trapped dust and debris. This can lead to irritated skin and rashes that might look like bug bites.

How Florida Pest Control Handles Biting Bugs

If you’re sure that you have an infestation of biting pests in your home, the best way to get rid of them is to have them handled by a professional pest control company. At Florida Pest Control, we train our technicians with an emphasis on IPM principles, meaning that we integrate eco-friendly solutions and preemptive pest control strategies into our priorities. No matter what kind of pest you’re dealing with, contact us today for a free quote!

What’s the Difference Between Bee Stings vs Wasp Stings?

What honey bees look like in Florida - Florida Pest Control

Most people have dealt with a wasp or bee sting at one point or another. It is widely known that their stings are painful, but not everyone knows about the serious side effects that they can cause in cases of allergic reactions.

If you need help identifying the stinging insects in your yard in Florida, look no further than Florida Pest Control. It is important to be able to tell apart bees and wasps to ensure that you are aware of the side effects that you might be in danger of.

Wasp vs Bee Stings in Florida

Bee stings and wasp stings can feel almost the same in some cases, but the processes of their stings are quite different. There are three main differences between bee and wasp stings:

  1. Stinger: When a bee stings you, it ejects its stinger into your body, rendering it unable to sting again. On the flipside, wasps’ stingers remain intact. They can sting you many times in a row.
  2. Volume: Bees sting just once, but inject all of their venom into their victim. This usually totals 50 micrograms of venom. Wasps only inject 2-15 micrograms of venom per sting, but they can issue many stings in a short amount of time.
  3. Venom: Wasps and bees have different allergens in their venom. Despite this, though, their stings both result in the release of histamine in our bodies, which causes a breakout of hive-like patterns on the skin.

Differences between wasp and bee stings in Florida - Florida Pest ControlDo Bee and Wasp Stings Cause Allergic Reactions?

It is possible to develop an allergic reaction to both wasp and bee stings. You might be allergic to one and not the other, both kinds of stings, or neither. Bee and wasp stings usually only result in mild symptoms, like:

  • Pain and soreness
  • Swelling
  • Itchiness and redness

Unfortunately, severe allergic reactions occur more commonly than many people expect. Thousands of people visit the emergency room annually for complications resulting from anaphylaxis, the most dangerous reaction that results from bee and wasp stings. The most serious symptoms of anaphylaxis are:

  • Difficulty breathing
  • Swelling of the throat and tongue
  • Vomiting
  • Fainting
  • Pain and itchiness all over the body

Wasp and Bee Control in Florida

Bee and wasp stings should be taken very seriously. It is possible to experience an allergic reaction to a sting without experiencing severe symptoms in the past. If you can’t tell which kind of stinging insect is inhabiting your yard in Florida, ask your local pest control company. Our experts at Florida Pest Control can identify any type of bee or wasp on your property, locate their nest, and remove it safely and promptly. Contact us today for a free estimate on nest removal services!

Fire Ants in Florida: What You Need to Know

Fire Ants: Florida’s Red Menace

Fire ants, often called “red imported fire ants” originate from Brazil and it is believed they were introduced to the United States around 1940 via shipping containers. Because these pests can pose a serious threat, it’s important to know how to recognize them as well as how to stay safe from their painful stings. Learn more with the ant control experts right here at Florida Pest Control!

Are There Fire Ants in Florida?

Yes, there are fire ants in Florida. Fire ants’ range stretches across most of the southeastern United States.

Are Fire Ants Dangerous?

These small, yet powerful, insects bite and sting approximately 14 million people each year. For most people, fire ant bites are not a big deal. They will hurt but you are unlikely to need medical attention. However, for those hypersensitive to bug stings, the venom from these ants can be life-threatening. Additionally, getting large numbers of bites can be highly dangerous to people. If you’re ever attacked by fire ants and start feeling tightness in your chest, difficulty breathing, or onset of an allergic reaction, seek immediate medical care.

What Do Fire Ants Look Like?

Fire ants measure from 1/8 – ¼” and are a dull red color. Fire ants are most known for their stinger, which in accordance with their aggressive nature, can lead to bad encounters. Fire ants are best recognized by two bumps that they have between the abdomen and thorax.

The easiest way to identify fire ants is through their mounds. These mounds range in size—some are small bumps, others can be up to 18 inches high. If you run into a fire ant mound, it won’t feature an opening on the top like other ant mounds. A mound that is about 7 inches high can house over 200,000 ants, which is precisely why these ants pose such a huge threat.

Fire ant infographic in Florida - Florida Pest Control

5 Facts About Fire Ants

Fire ants differ from your typical house ant in a number of ways. The most important things to know about these potentially dangerous pests include:

  • If a fire ant mound is disturbed, they will attack as one unit. When disturbed, the ants will begin spilling out ready to attack—and each ant will sting repeatedly.
  • To begin a fire ant colony, queen fire ants mate with males, killing the male in the process, and fly to the site at which she’ll begin the new colony. The queen will lay up to 800 eggs per day, growing the colony to an average size of 100,000 to 500,000 ants.
  • Fire ants don’t bite—they sting! Their stings can result in a burning sensation, hence their name. The sting site may swell and itch. A small pustule sometimes develops where the stinger enters the skin.
  • If fire ants get on you, it’s important to quickly and repeatedly brush them off your skin. The ants can latch on tight, meaning shaking won’t repel them. If you develop symptoms from fire ants, it’s important to seek medical attention.
  • Fire ants typically nest outdoors in open areas. Parks and fields are usually primary targets, but yards can be as well. The mounds are often found lining your grass and concrete, and they typically form on humid days.

Fire Ant Control in Florida

Trying to get rid of a fire ant mound yourself is dangerous. Their colonies extend far under the ground and feature multiple queens. If you have noticed a fire ant mound grow in your yard, the safest and most effective solution is contacting your local ant control experts to get rid of them.

4 Tips to Prevent Summer Lawn Pests

Grubs are a common summer lawn pest in Florida lawns - Florida Pest Control

Here in Florida, maintaining a healthy and lush lawn doesn’t come without its troubles. With our climate, it can be difficult to keep a lawn in good shape throughout the seasons—especially in the warm summertime. To make matters worse, lawn pests are a common nuisance dealt with by homeowners all year long. Lawn insects target grass and yards that are unkempt and unhealthy to begin with, making it all the more important to take proper care of your lawn and grass. The lawn care experts at Florida Pest Control are dedicated to helping our customers achieve a green, healthy lawn. We’ve provided our top 4 tips to prevent summer lawn pests to assist you.

Summer Lawn Pests in Florida

Florida is home to many types of pests, including a number of lawn pests! These insects commonly live just under the grass in your lawn, making it difficult to notice them until they’ve done their damage. Here are the most common lawn insects in our region during the summer:

  • Sod webworms chew through small areas of grass. They create tunnels out of their silky web that will run under the grass. Signs to look for include raggedly-chewed grass and smaller brown spots- around the size of a baseball.
  • Armyworms are small caterpillars that grow into moths. The females lay up to a thousand eggs at once in patches of fresh grass. These can hatch as quickly as 2 days. To spot these guys, you’ll want to look on the outside of dead or damaged grass areas.
  • Chinch bugs attack your lawn by sucking the liquid out of grass blades. In doing so, patches of grass on your lawn will dehydrate, turn yellow, then brown and die.
  • Mole crickets feed on and chew through the grassroots, causing your grass to die off. When dealing with mole crickets, your grass will feel spongy when stepped on and be covered with brown patches.
  • Grubs are beetle larvae that remain dormant through the winter. In the spring, they make their way toward the surface to feed on grassroots.

Top Tips For Lawn Pest Prevention

The key to lawn pest control is prevention. The key to preventing lawn pests is taking care of your yard! To ensure your lawn is healthy, thriving, and pest-free, follow these tips:

  1. Learn how to properly mow your lawn. Long grass that is never cut will attract all types of pests and weeds. Mowing your lawn in a timely manner will deprive lawn insects food and shelter.
  2. Avoid over- or under-watering your lawn. Pests of all kinds love moisture. If your lawn is soggy from overwatering, you are sure to create a haven for lawn pests. Learn how to properly irrigate your lawn depending on the season.
  3. When you see weeds, remove them! Wild, unkempt weeds attract a number of insects and pests. Weeds also negatively affect the health of your grass, leading to a number of diseases and problems.
  4. Fertilize your lawn as needed. Similar to your irrigation system, failing to fertilize your lawn correctly can lead to a plethora of problems. A lawn made unhealthy due to over-fertilization can contribute to pest problems.

Your Local Lawn Pest Control Experts

At Florida Pest Control, we know how frustrating it can be to diagnose your lawn problems. If you think you have a lawn insect problem, our lawn care experts can help. Contact us today to get started!