Pinellas County Florida is a little slice of heaven. You get all of the good of Florida, without most of the bad. But one thing you can’t avoid anywhere in Florida is pests. So let’s talk about some of the usual suspects in Pinellas pest control, and ways to keep them out of your home!
Pinellas Pest Control: What pests are common in Pinellas County Florida?
cockroaches
Pinellas, like all other counties in Florida, is home to cockroaches. And many different species as well. For one, the Palmetto bug- or at least, a bug often called the Palmetto Bug. The American cockroach is pervasive in this part of Florida and is the largest species in the United States. They reach up to three inches in length and have fully developed wings capable of flight. It’s not an uncommon story for Florida homes to be invaded through an open kitchen window at night. One second you’re cooking and enjoying your Friday, and the next a three inch roach is helicoptering around your head- attracted to the kitchen lights. This species is mahogany in color, with a bright yellow half circle near their heads on their shells.
Then there’s the actual Palmetto bug. The Florida Wood’s roach is smaller, but not by much, and often found in association with the American cockroach, It’s a dark brown species, that looks more like a beetle. Thankfully, they don’t invade homes much. And it’s a good thing too, because palmetto bugs will excrete a smelly chemical when threatened; which is how they got their less known name of “stink roach.”
And then there’s the German Cockroach. This species is such a pest for humans that it doesn’t exist alone in the wild. They’re purely found in and around human settings. This species is pale yellow in coloration, with two parallel lines that run down the backs of their shelves. One female can have thousands of offspring in her life, so it doesn’t take much for these to become a real Pinellas pest control problem.
Ants
Ants and Florida go together like peanut butter and jelly. Seriously. If you stand outside anywhere in Florida and throw a rock, it’s probably going to land in an ant pile. And that ant, more than likely, will be a fire ant.
Fire ants reached Florida in the 1930s. This is an invasive species carried here in a cargo ship, more than likely. However, since its arrival, the red invasive fire ant has done a number of things in the Southern United States. Every single state in the south, including Florida, is lousy with these ants. But their mere presence isn’t the issue. It is more their behaviors.
Fire ants will nest in either large mounds that can be two feet in diameter, or foot tall dirt towers. The mounds are usually found in open fields and other flat, grassy areas. The hills are mostly found connected to rotting wood, like tree stumps and old fence posts.
But their real issue is their aggression. Red imported fire ants are a big cause for Pinellas pest control concerns. Ants like this come from South America, where the ecosystem is full of ant species all vying for control, as well as natural predators like the anteater. This has made fire ants into attacking machines. They will swarm and sting anything that disturbs one of their nests and sting with their alkaloid venom until people go into shock. Babies and toddlers are particularly vulnerable to these pests.
Mosquitos
If this one surprised you, you’re probably very new to Florida. Mosquitoes are part and parcel of the lifestyle here. Warm summer nights almost always require sleeves and bug repellent due to their sheer numbers. And it’s not just one species, but dozens. Florida’s low-lying ecosystems offer mosquitoes what they love the most: standing water. Standing water is vital to the lifestyle of this pest, as they spend the beginnings of their lives in aquatic stages before molting and growing wings to search for a blood meal for their next brood.
And that, combined with our massive and booming tourism and shipping industries, is why invasive pests reach our shores so often and establish themselves so well. We have the Asian Tiger mosquito, the Aedes Aegypti from Egypt, and nearly a hundred other species that call Florida home. And many of them are vectors for blood-borne disease. Zika virus, west Nile virus, Dengue fever, and malaria are just a few of the culprits.
And mosquitoes are unique in that they need constant treatment and prevention. Any standing water will attract them to your property in swarms, and once they’re treated all it takes is a good hurricane or strong wind to bring them right back and have you needing Pinellas Pest Control.
Pinellas Pest Control: How do I keep pests out of my Florida home?
In the realm of pest control, prevention is going to be your number one tool against insect pests. Cleanliness is a must for any Florida homeowner. And that doesn’t just mean securing your garbage and getting locking trash lids. Clutter is a beacon for species such as roaches, so reducing that in your home and using external storage is likely the way to go. Exclusion is important as well. Make sure to check things like weather stripping, screens, and the holes around utility pipes often. Make frequent repairs, and you’ll likely have much less of a pest headache in the long run.
However, most of these pests live short lives and reproduce quickly. If you’re dealing with a pest infestation that’s established, there’s not much a layman can do to get rid of it. Many of these pests nest in walls and crawlspaces and will require special treatment. That’s why you should visit our website at insectfree.com, and make sure to either fill out the pop up form on the home page or call us at the listed number. Let Earth’s Best show you why we’ve been in business in Central Florida for nearly thirty years!
