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The seasons are changing again in central Florida. In fact, at the time of writing, yesterday was forty degrees over the average for this time of year. So it’s about time we knuckle down and talk about some Tampa spring pests. We’ll touch one what to do if you find some in or around your home, and ways to prevent them from coming in and reduce their number while you wait for professional help!
Tampa Spring Pests: Is springtime in Florida bad for pests?
Down here in the Sunshine State, spring is a great time to be a resident. You’ll see kids out playing, smell barbeques most days of the week, and people’s gardens will bloom with new explosions of color. However, this is also a time of bugs down south. Spring brings forth a flurry of new pest activity as the state shakes off its winter slumber, and you’ll find plenty of pests on the rise over the next few months.
Ants, for example, mate in the spring and begin to establish nests near food sources. Keep an eye out for things like ant hills, and trails, or scouts sent into your home to look for sugary or savory treats.
Bees and wasps will be active during this time of year as well. Both of them will busily be collecting pollen and creating new nests to store them in. Look out for wasps, especially members of the paper wasp species, flying low and under the eaves and overhangs of your home.
And, of course, mosquitoes. The combination of rising temperatures and spring showers creates ideal conditions for mosquitoes. They lay eggs in stagnant water, even in small containers like bottle caps. Regularly check your yard for standing water to prevent mosquito breeding. This is the time of year when long sleeves and bug spray are a must, even during hot days because these parasites will be buzzing around everybody and contending for the title of most annoying Tampa spring pests!
Tips for keeping Tampa spring pests out of your home
Alright, now let’s touch on a few methods of prevention before we move on to control. We’ll start with the basic, surefire stuff and then move into some less proven but still anecdotally effective methods.
Good housekeeping Practices
Obviously, cleanliness is going to be your greatest defense against a myriad of the Tampa spring pests. Ants, roaches, and all manner of creepy crawlies love an untidy house. So make sure you stay on top of cleaning. Any food or crumbs dropped need to be wiped up immediately or vacuumed out of a carpet as soon as you can. Spills are a silent killer as well. Standing water or sugar left behind after soda spills can be a major source of food for pest insects in your home.
Trash cans are another big issue when it comes to pest attraction. If you live in Florida, the reality is simple. All of your trash cans need lids. Even the small ones in the bathrooms and offices. The cellulose in thrown away paper can be eaten by bugs. And that’s not even to mention the rest of the gnarly trash that will have insects flocking to your home.
Pet food also needs to be sealed away tightly. Unattended pet food will not only attract insects to your home, but larger pests as well. Possums, racoons, feral cats, and all manner of things will chow down on dog or cat food that’s left unsealed. And in the worst case scenario, a hungry black bear may even sniff it out!
Bug exclusion
Prevention is always better than having to fix a problem. So let’s touch on some ways that you can exclude bugs from your Florida home.
For one, make sure your thresholds are properly sealed. Install sturdy steel or aluminum thresholds under your doors. Combine this with a door sweep to cover the gap between the threshold and the door bottom. Nylon brush sweeps work best against bugs. Weather stripping and caulk help as well. Apply weather stripping or door-seal kits around the door frame to prevent insects from entering along the sides or top of the door. Then, with the caulk, seal the joint where the door frame meets the wall and along the bottom of the frame where it meets the ground.
Foundation maintenance is vital to bug prevention as well. Use mortar or cement to patch any cracks or gaps in your home’s foundations and masonry walls. Replace damaged bricks and fill joints with mortar. Caulk foundation cracks and gaps around windows and doors where bugs can enter from the outside.
And finally make sure screens are all added in the right positions and properly maintained. Install window and door screens with fine mesh to keep out even the smallest insects. Patch holes and loose edges on existing screens to prevent bugs from slipping inside.
Natural exclusion
Now these are methods that may work with some variability depending on your unique situations. Some people have success with natural exclusion so we’ll touch on a few popular methods.
Peppermint oil has a strong scent that repels spiders, ants, and other pests. Mix a few drops with water and spray it in the problem areas. White vinegar as well, many pests dislike the taste and smell of white vinegar. Prepare a 50/50 mix of warm water and white vinegar, then spray it around windows and other entry points to keep bugs away.
Tampa Spring Pests: Conclusion
Well, it’s like we said above. Florida has plenty of good to go along with the bad, but the pest situation will always be BAD. So take our tips and make sure to defend yourself against spring pests. But if you get an infestation, those don’t go away with a few basic changes to cleanliness. Contact a natural pest control specialist as soon as you’re able to, and we’ll make sure to get you the help you need and get your home free of bugs!