Pest infestations are genuine threats to your property and health. If you are currently dealing with a pest issue, give us a call at 1-800-634-1313 or visit our website insectfree.com today to get a consultation and the help you need with Pasco pest control.
Today, we’ll touch on some Pasco County pest control basics. We’ll talk about the most common types of pests you’ll find in the home and what you can do to make your home at least a little bit more hostile to pests.
Pasco Pest Control: Are the bugs bad in Pasco Florida?
Short answer? Yes. Long answer? Yes, and here’s why. The bug situation in central Florida is just different. It’s a perfect storm of pest insect ecological havens. For one, you have the nature and the weather here. Plenty of swamps, wetlands, cow pastures, and wooded areas. And all of these bump up against all of the new development and construction that’s tearing through the state at high rates of speed. So you end up with massive new developments where every third home comes with the nice surprise of a bug infestation!
And on top of that, Florida is one of the hottest travel destinations in the entire world. You’ll be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t or hasn’t wanted to visit here. So, any sort of human-adjacent pest from around the world has made it here, be it by plane, boat, or car. It’s one of the reasons bed bugs are worse in Florida than almost anywhere else in the country. So, let’s touch on some of the common home invading pests you’ll find in the area.
Pasco Pest Control: What are some of the most common pests in Florida homes?
Alright, now let’s touch on some broader pest groups and focus on some species within each that are common in Florida.
Cockroaches
I’m not going to bullcrap you here. In Florida, the cockroach problem is absolutely off the chain. We have species from all over the tropics in this state, including the largest species in the country. The American cockroach is a mahogany colored cockroach with a yellow band half-circle around the back of their head on their shells. These roaches are also fully capable of flight, though they have poor balance and eyesight so they’ll often crash into the people they’re trying to run away from.
Another roach species that will have you running for Pasco pest control is the German cockroach. This is the most populous home invading roach in the entire world. It exists on every continent except for Antarctica. And a single female can have up to three hundred thousand offspring over the course of her life. So that means that just one of these roaches entering your home can lead to a full blown pest infestation.
Bed bugs
Bed bugs are tiny, nocturnal creatures that live in crevices of wood, flooring, and furniture. They can also live in mattresses or anywhere that allows them to hide during the day and feed (on animal or human blood) at night. They need to eat often.
Bed bugs are small and hard to see with the naked eye. They look roughly like pale yellow apple seeds in shape and size, with flat, oval bodies that are clear until they feed. When full of a blood meal, bed bugs can swell to many times their original size.
And thanks to the State’s booming tourism industry, the bed bug pipeline is close to infinite. If there’s a bed bug outbreak anywhere in the world, there’s a good chance a part of it ends up in Florida.
ants
Ants are a problem in every state. But in the house, they’re a particular problem. But in my time living in Florida, I’ve noticed there are two species that you have a ton of issues with. Central Florida has a problem with a species called the ghost ant. This is a small, very hard to see species with the naked eye. They have clear bodies and dark coloration on their heads. They create several colonies in the homes they infest, with many of them having several thousand ants within.
But the real problem you’ll run into south of the Mason-Dixon is the fire ant. An invasive species from South America, this is one of the few species of ant that is genuinely dangerous to human life. Pasco pest control is vital if you find them nesting in your home. A disturbed nest of fire ants in a wall void will lead to thousands of bites, as they’re one of the most aggressive species of ants in the Americas and tout an alkaline venom in their stingers.
Pasco Pest Control: Pest prevention tips and tricks for Florida homes
Now to finish off, we’ll touch on a few tips for making your home a little more pest proof. And honestly, the best thing you can do for yourself as a homeowner is to stay ahead of clutter and dirt. Cleanliness isn’t just next to godliness because it’s also next to keeping the pests out of your home! So, let’s go over some basics that’ll help you for this upcoming spring.
- Outdoor cleanliness matters. Keeping your lawn well maintained, keep wood piles away from your home, and make sure your gardens aren’t right up next to your home. Overhanging tree branches and gardens in contact with the side of your home is a highway straight into your home for anything from termites to bed bugs.
- As the outdoors goes, so do the indoors. Keeping a tidy house will eliminate many possible pest infestations before they can start. But a quick tip is to be careful with storing materials holding cellulose. Things like cardboard boxes can be food, shelter, and nurseries for all manner of pest insects.
- And one thing people overlook is water and water damage. Pests can survive quite often for a very long time without food. But without water, less so. Not only that, but water damage is a magnet for pests, and any leaky pipes, walls, or roofs must be addressed immediately.
