If you’re dealing with a pest problem right now and need help, don’t hesitate to contact us. Earth’s Best has been in service for thirty years, and is ready to help you today. We can be reached either via the pop-up form on our website or at our phone number 1-800-634-1313.
Florida is a massive and complex state. Huge swaths of it are farmland, and the coasts are covered in beaches, townhouses, and golf courses as far as the eye can see. Further south, you have the swamplands of the Everglades. And then you have the huge metropolises of Tampa and Miami crowning all of it. But the one thing that every part of Florida has in common is our bug populations. No matter where you live in Florida, you’re probably going to need to make a call to the Florida Exterminator at least once.
Florida Exterminator: Why is Florida Pest Control so important?
Florida has some of the highest amounts of damage caused by insects of any state in the union. In fact, it’s number one in some categories, like termite damage. And between them, fire ants, cockroaches, and other crawling insects that can damage your home, you have to stay on top of pest control. Most credible pest control sources will tell you that a Florida home needs an inspection at least once annually.
But why is it so bad, specifically in Florida? Well, one of the biggest reasons is the ecosystem. Warm, sunny weather is the favorite thing that bugs can feel. And Florida has months, and months, and months of that weather. When I was a young man, the Florida exterminator wasn’t quite so vital. From December into January, you’d see frost on the ground in the mornings, and temperatures were low enough to stop bug breeding. But these days, that’s not really the case. Last year it only dropped low enough to force mosquitoes into stasis, under 40 degrees, for a handful of days. So now the bugs breed straight through winter and have massive populations.
And on top of that, you have the massive population boom and development Florida is undergoing. That means more trade, more tourism, more houses, and more construction. And all of these buildings built on former swampland displace huge numbers of bugs that still do their best to find shelter. That means they usually come indoors looking for food and water. So, as you can see, Florida has many, many reasons you’ll need a Florida exterminator at least once.
Common Florida Pest Insects
In the realm of pest control, you really want to be knowledgeable about your state. Knowing what bugs are around, what attracts them, and how to keep them out of your home can be a real leg up and save you quite a bit of money in the long run. So, let’s touch on the the three most common pest infestations in the Sunshine State. And we’ll start with a doozy, and the one everyone knows about.
Florida Cockroaches
One of the things Florida is famous for is, unfortunately, our cockroaches. We have them in all shapes and sizes from all corners of the globe. But there are two main species you’ll find infesting Florida homes on average, with one being the biggest species and one being the worst infested.
And we’ll start with the largest species in the continental U.S. Often mislabeled as a palmetto bug, the American Cockroach will have you running for the services of a Florida exterminator. These bugs regularly reach three plus inches in size. That, combined with the yellow half circle positioned just behind their head, makes this species pretty easy to identify. They can also fly, but poorly. They choose a direction, and then they just sort of launch themselves forward and hope for the best. It’s pretty startling to see.
And then you have the German cockroach. Smaller in size but much worse for your home. A single female of this species will store semen after mating once in her life and will have hundreds of thousands of offspring without ever having to mate again. So one pregnant female, or a handful of insects, can very quickly turn into an infestation of hundreds of thousands.
They can be recognized by their medium size, mostly reaching about an inch in length as adults. They have pale yellow coloration and two parallel bands of black that run down the back of their heads. If you see even one of these, it’s time to consider your pest control options.
Florida Bed bugs
Bed bugs are a persistent problem in Florida year-round. Even if you did have temperatures that dropped low enough to kill insects, they’d be here because they live inside. And the spread is getting worse by the year.
International travel goes up year by year consistently, leading to the spread of this insect across borders in every direction. And with public knowledge of them relatively low, you can see how they can spread very quickly to a state so reliant on tourism as Florida. If you go to a hotel, motel, or holiday inn, be very careful- bed bugs are all over the state and not going anywhere any time soon. As of 2020, Florida is seventh in the entire United States when it comes to our massive population of parasitic mattress bugs!
If you think you have bed bugs, you need to contact a Florida Exterminator immediately.
Ants
Every single state in the Southeast has an ant problem. And sure, it’s annoying when small, domestic sugar ants get in your home. But the real problem is the invasive species. Specifically Argentine crazy ants and fire ants.
Argentine ants are annoying and tricky to get rid of. They present no real threat to your home in your health outside of insane numbers. Unfortunately, this species can create an insane number of ants in a single colony. This species has the largest known ant colony on the planet in fact, it’s in Italy and stretches underneath an entire mountain range.
Then you have the true heavyweight kings of ants. Fire ants are an invasive species from South America. They’re aggressive, create massive mounds of hundreds of thousands of ants, and are aggressive enough and carry a potent enough venom to be a hazard to human health.
Florida Exterminator: Can I deal with infestations myself?
Well, that really depends. If you’re on top of everything year round and notice a small infestation of a non-dangerous insect, like cockroaches or flies, then sure. You can probably clean up around the house, leave a little bait, and deal with it yourself.
However, you’ll never be a hundred percent certain without help from a professional. And going so far as to use pesticide yourself is something I’d never recommend. Improper use of chemical compounds like that can lead to these fast breeding insects mutating immunities over time. Not only that, but you’re also putting your own health at risk in a way that just isn’t worth it.
Instead, visit our website at insectfree.com and either fill out the pop-up form or give us a call to get the help you need from a Florida exterminator today.
