With spring gone and the summer in full swing, so is bug season. It may be too hot outside for most folks, but the bugs love this weather. If you step out your front door and sit under the shade of a tree, expect pests. It’s the sad but true reality. Everything from roaches in the home, to mosquitoes in the yard. Today we’ll be discussing some of the more common Florida Pests.
Florida Pests- cockroaches
Of all the pests we discuss today, few will get as visceral a reaction from most people as the cockroach. And of all the roaches, few are is infamous as the “palmetto bug”, otherwise known as the American cockroach. The adults of this species can reach up to three inches long, and are reddish brown or mahogany in color. The area just behind their beds is outland with a yellow band of color. The females make protective, capsule shaped cases for their eggs. They then deposit these in warm or humid areas, and these capsules can contain up to sixteen eggs. They then hatch and release the tiny cockroach nymphs out into the world. And, with enough food around, these babies can develop into adults in as little as five and a half months.
One of the most famous attributes of this roach is that both the males and females can fly.
The wings develop when the roaches become adults.
American cockroaches normally live outdoors. They prefer warm, damp areas like flowerbeds, and under mulch. In many parts of the United States people call them “palmetto bugs” because they live on trees. American cockroaches are very common in sewer systems of many American cities.
American cockroaches enter homes to find water or food. They can easily pass under doors if the weather stripping is damaged. Basement windows and garages are also common entryways. When American cockroaches enter homes, they often go to bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms and basements.
Their Diet
Outdoors, American cockroaches eat leaves, tiny wood particles, fungi and algae. They also eat small insects. Indoors, American cockroaches forage under appliances, in drains, in kitchen cabinets and on the floor. They eat crumbs, scraps of food and spilled food that they find. They will also eat pet food that is left out overnight. This is one of the most durable Florida Pests.
The Mosquito Gang
Down here in our sunny little slice of the tropics we have, literally, dozens of species of mosquito. To start with, one of our fun little invasive friends is called the Asian Tiger Mosquito. Asian tiger mosquitoes (Aedes albopictus) are also known as forest day mosquitoes. Native to Southeast Asia, these mosquitoes have spread across the globe.
The body of the Asian tiger mosquito is black and white and measures approximately 5 mm in length. Their legs are striped black and white. Males feed on nectar, while the female Asian tiger mosquito has an elongated proboscis used to extract blood. This blood is used in the development of eggs. Asian tiger mosquitoes lay their eggs in water sources such as containers holding water. Asian tiger mosquitoes can thrive in a wide variety of environments and conditions. They are faster moving and more aggressive than other species of mosquitoes. Asian tiger mosquitoes are known carriers of yellow fever and dengue fever.
Anopheles
These Florida Pests are an entire genre of mosquito. Humans are the ideal prey for an Anopheles mosquito, so the pests tend to gather where people live. These insects can breed in any source of fresh water. They can even lay their eggs in temporary pools of collected rainwater. Itchy bites are the most common problem associated with the pests. These insects are the primary transmitters of malaria. Not every Anopheles mosquito has the disease, and malaria, having been eradicated in the 1950’s, is extremely rare except for imported cases in the U.S. But it’s still good to stay on your toes and be cautious!
But, that doesn’t change the fact that malaria is still dangerous. When a child catches malaria from one of these pests it can still be fatal. Of all the FLorida Pests, few are likely as dangerous as the mosquito.
Florida Pests- Bed Bugs
This next pest occurs worldwide and in any climate. It’s a creeping, nearly unstoppable infestation once it gets rolling. Not only that, it thrives off drinking your blood when you sleep! That’s right, I’m talking about one of the nastiest of the Florida Pests. The Bed Bugs.
In nature, bed bugs infest nests of birds, bats, and other animals. These flightless insects, which measure 1/4 inch at maturity, enter a house, motel or apartment building by hiding in luggage, clothing or fabric. Once in place, the bugs set about reproducing, which they can do with impressive speed. Female bed bugs lay between one and five tiny eggs per day. Hatchlings are no bigger than a poppy seed. Once hatched, according to the School of Public Health at Harvard University, a baby bed bug or “nymph” requires only a single blood feast to molt and move into its next stage of development, which occurs five times before adulthood.
The nymphs reach maturity in a month or more, depending on conditions such as temperature (bed bugs like it warm) and the availability of blood. Assuming an average daily production of three viable eggs, simple math would indicate that at the end of one week, a single female would lay more than twenty eggs. Some weeks later, given a steady blood supply, these 20 bedbugs are adults.
If half of them are females and each one lays twenty eggs in a week, this means the second generation of nymphs numbering approximately 200, all of which come from just one female bed bug. The production of three generations of bed bugs in a year is not uncommon.
Florida Pests – What To Do?
Once any of these pests decides to pack up and move into your home, there’s few things that the layman can do. Prevention is key with these things, but once they’re established, they’re established. So if you need help, give us at Earth’ s Best a call at 1-800-634-1313 for a consultation and lets get your home free from these Florida Pests.
