Insect Protection Pest Control

Florida‘s State Tree. Palm Mostly Right

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 19:26:00 +0000

Quick! What is the official Florida state tree? If you answered “palm tree.” you’re mostly right. After all, Florida is synonymous with warm, sunny days; sultry evenings and, of course, palm trees. But there are 2,600 varieties of palm trees and the one Florida calls its “official” tree is the Sabal Palmetto Palm. Also called a cabbage palm because the central bud can be eaten raw or cooked, it isn’t a good idea to do either since damaging the bud will kill the tree.

Palms Are Not Trees At All

In truth, palms are not trees at all; they’re grass. Sorry to disappoint. They don’t produce bark or a cambium layer and don’t heal like plants with woody tissue. The trunk is a mass of hardened spongy material that has expanded as the tree has grown taller. And, unlike a typical tree, palms don’t form annual growth rings.

Things To Consider in Choosing a Palm

While a number of varieties are native to South Florida, it’s a good idea to take into consideration their hurricane resistance when choosing trees for landscaping. Some of the best trees for wind tolerance are the Pygmy Date Palm and the Sabal Palm.

Originally from Laos and Southeast Asia, the Pygmy Date Palm is a slow growing feather palm that reaches about 10 feet. It has a single or multiple trunk and survived both hurricanes Andrew and Wilma.

Sabal palms also rode out Andrew and did well during Wilma. But because these palms are less attractive than other palms, many gardeners and landscapers don’t like them for front yards. They grow to about 50 feet and survive in nearly all conditions.

While many palms do well in a hurricane, the Queen Palm isn’t one of them. Although most common in South Florida, they didn’t do well in Wilma. They uproot rather than snap at the trunk, so removing them from within falling distance of your house would be a good idea.

Palms Aren’t Immune to Pests or Disease

Palms trees can be victim to several kinds of pests, including Palmetto Weevils, Royal Palm Bugs and Palm Aphids. Palmetto Weevils are drawn to stressed trees, mainly cabbage and Canary Island Date palms. The females lay eggs in the leaf bases of the crown and the larvae tunnel into the heart, destroying the tree. Crowns of affected trees topple. Royal Palm Bug infestations increase in Spring and Summer. These pests feed on young leaves. Although it is said that three species of spiders found to prey on the bugs along with heavy rains are a major factor in controlling

these pests naturally, their effectiveness is questionable.

Finally, the Palm Aphid infests young leaves, secreting a honeydew that is a breeding ground for sooty mold.

Other diseases that affect palm trees include: leaf spots, fake smut, root rot, butt rot, wilt, coconut lethal yellowing and spider mites.

The uniquely trained experts at Insect Protection Pest Control are available to advise you on the many pests and diseases affecting your palm trees. Call them today for a free consultation.

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20,000 Species of Ants and Counting

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 12:36:00 +0000

To view this film in its entirety, click here

There are nearly 13,000 named species of ants worldwide. Since many of the ant species found or studied in tropical areas have yet to be named, myrmecologists – those who study ants – estimate there may be as many as 20,000 or more species of ants. In Florida alone, there are over 200 recognized species.

And, sometimes it seems that all these near relatives to bees and wasps are marching through your home all at once. They just keep coming and coming and coming with no apparent end in sight. Later, I’ll give you the recipe for a simple, safe, inexpensive and natural ant killer. I can’t say yet whether or not it’s effective because I’ve only started to use it today.

As Mrs. Ant says in the video above, her tribe needs food, and humans have it. More than they will ever need, she declares, and insists they “take it!” As a result, they appear out of nowhere and are everywhere.

Carpenter Ants

In a survey of four metropolitan areas of Florida, including greater Miami, researchers found that infestations of Florida carpenter ants accounted for approximately 20 percent of all ant complaints by homeowners (Florida Entomologist 78: 112-3). These same researchers found only a few instances where other ants were more frequently encountered in buildings than carpenter ants. Although not known for damaging the wood or insulation in your home, Florida carpenter ants can get into out-of-the-way places in your home and become a nuisance when they come out at night to eat your food. They have a fondness for sweets. While there is no sting, workers can bite and spray formic acid for defense.

Florida carpenter ants have a deep reddish-colored head and thorax and a shiny black abdomen. The members of a single colony can vary greatly in size. They emerge from their nesting sites, which may be inside and/or outside the home, about 15 minutes after sundown and travel between nesting sites and feeding sites on semi-permanent paths that the ants construct and maintain. Some of the places they may nest in your home include moisture-damaged wood around chimneys and skylights, under bathtubs, inside dishwasher walls, wall voids, beneath window sills, inside hollow doors and door frames, in wooden porch supports and columns, under siding and wood shingles and in moisture-damaged eaves.

In addition to inside your home, Florida carpenter ants may be found nesting in trees and under loose debris lying on the ground. Finding their nests is the key to eliminating them, and an experienced pest control operator such as Insect Protection Pest Control is able to follow a trail of ants back to their nesting site and treat it.

There are a few things you can do to help prevent problems with these ants:

Eliminate sources of excess moisture to make your home a less desirable nesting site
Trim tree limbs away from the structure

White Footed Ants

Although the white footed ant has become a major household pest in Florida, the good news is that unlike their carpenter ant kin, these ants don’t bite or sting or cause damage to buildings. The bad news is that because their colonies are so large – from 8,000 to 3 million ants – and there are so many young to feed, large numbers of workers leave the nest to search for food. Inside your home is a good place to look.

Outdoors these ants are often found foraging along branches and trunks of trees and shrubs. They feed on plant nectars and the honeydew produced by other sap-sucking insects. Like carpenter ants, these ants are also attracted to sweet foods and lay chemical trails, finding their way into wall voids and traveling along electrical cables only to emerge in various rooms, especially kitchens and bathrooms. White footed ants are 1/10 to 1/8 inch long with a black to brownish-black body. They’re called white footed because the “foot” is yellowish-white. They’re also one of the hardest species to control and reproduce faster than almost any other species of ant because they have so many queens laying eggs almost constantly. Elimination of food sources is a primary step in controlling these ants. Also be sure to trim tree and shrub branches away from the structure to prevent ants within the trees and shrubs from entering the building.

Ghost Ants

Part of a species of ants known as tramp ants, these pests earned their name by looking much like tiny, white apparitions who suddenly appear and seem to disappear just as quickly. They don't sting or bite, but like the carpenter ant and the white footed ant, ghost ants have a sweet tooth, too, and prefer nibbling on goodies such as cakes, candy and cookies. Both small and fast, averaging about the size of a pinhead, their black head and thorax and pale, gray body make these ants almost transparent. With no effective method for eliminating them, a home can be overrun with ghost ants in no time.

They generally live outdoors in plants, plant products, wood and soil and come inside on plant material brought into your home where they move into interior walls and live in book bindings. A colony may be moderate to large in size.

Ghost ants appear to have a high need for moisture and successful control depends on the ability to locate foraging ants and nesting sites. But don’t spray repellent pesticides around ghost ants. This will not kill the queens and only serve to increase egg production. Some liquid baits containing boric acid can be effective in eliminating these ants, but it should be diluted so that the ant has time to get back to the colony before it dies. The best offense is to track where the ghosts may be entering the building and seal off the opening.

Ant Killer

For reading this far, I’ll share with you the homemade ant killer I mentioned above. Please let us know if you try it and if it was effective for you.

You will need:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons borax

Combine all the ingredients in a pan and bring to a boil, then let simmer for 2 minutes. Cool. Use bottle caps as containers for the syrup.

But, if your problem is more than this recipe can handle, the experts at Insect Protection Pest Control are always available to assist you. They have a host of solutions to take care of not only an ant infestation but almost any other pest problem you may have both inside and outside of your home or business. Call them today for a FREE consultation.

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Newspaper Reports on Spiral Whitefly Invasion

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 15:38:00 +0000

Last week, the Palm Beach Post ran a story on the Rugose spiraling whitefly invasion (Whiteflies hit Palm Beach County homeowners’ trees, plants, pools, Aug. 16, 2012). If you’re a regular reader of this blog, then you knew about the Rugose spiraling whitefly more than two weeks earlier (The Spiral Whitefly Invasion – A New Pest in Town, Aug. 1). We don’t want to brag about our timeliness; the Post certainly has more resources than us. But, it does beg the question (with apologies to Ghostbusters):

If there's somethin' strange in your yard
Who ya gonna call? (Insect Pest Control)
If it's somethin' weird an it don't look good
Who ya gonna call? (Insect Pest Control)

To Recap: Signs & Symptoms of Rugose Whitefly

The most noticeable symptoms of an infestation of this whitefly are an abundance of white, waxy material that covers leaves and excessive sooty mold. This white, waxy material is used to coat the insect’s eggs, which are laid in a spiral pattern on the underside of leaves. The whitefly also produces a “honeydew” that is a sugary substance that causes the growth of the sooty mold.

The “honeydew” can accumulate on cars, pool decks and patio furniture from infested trees overhead. It can also turn pool water green. But the good news is, the University of Florida IFAS Extension says that this whitefly hasn’t caused severe plant damage, such as plant death or severe branch die-back.

This Week’s Topic

What we really want to discuss this week is the insect invasion that seems to be taking place in our area. No, you’re not imaging it. Dr. Rudy Scheffrahn of the University of Florida’s Research and Education Center in Davie told a Miami television station that the rainy season that began in May has meant a longer period of insect activity, which has resulted in mass invasions of grasshoppers, mosquitoes and ants.

Iguanas

In addition, the mild winter helped to create an invasion of reptiles, particularly iguanas. According to the Green Iguana Society, the wild green iguanas common in South Florida are a mix of former pets and the offspring of these animals. This invasive species enjoys eating your shrubs, trees, landscape plants, orchids and fruits, such as figs, mangos, berries and tomatoes. They prefer to defecate in or around water, so your pool could become their toilet. Iguana feces are odiferous, unsightly and may harbor Salmonella bacteria.

There are several non-lethal ways to repel iguanas. Try making your yard less iguana friendly and do not feed the iguanas that come around. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences suggests removing protective cover such as dense thickets and piles of landscape rocks or wood from your yard. Sheet metal around the base of trees may deter iguanas from climbing them and may encourage them to move on. Plants can be protected by screens or wire cages. Another method used to protect plants and deter iguanas (as well as other unwanted animals) from a yard is to spray plants with a mixture consisting of three cloves of garlic and four red-hot peppers mixed with a bucket of water. To protect your pool, cover it when it is not in use.

Geckos – The Most Adaptable Lizard

Nearly everyone knows “Martin,” the GEICO gecko. He is perhaps the most recognizable of all geckos. He first appeared in 1999, voiced by actor Kelsey Grammer. Geckos are the most adaptable of lizards. They are so common in buildings in South Florida that they are often called “house lizards.”

The Common House Gecko is a native of southeastern Asia and made its way by ship around the world. They grow to a length of between three to six inches and live for about five years. They are harmless, non-venomous and enjoy feasting on insects and spiders.

If geckos freak you out, you can get rid of them by eliminating their source of food. To do this, you will have to ensure that they don’t get in at all.

Install screens in your windows, doors and vents
Seal up crack and crevices around your home with a sealant
Clean up dark and hard to reach areas to destroy their hives or breeding places
Check your garage and clean it up
Use insecticides to ensure you kill most of the insects in your home

Who ya gonna call?

Whatever kind of pest has invaded your home, the experts at Insect Pest Control can help you eliminate them and restore your sanity. Call today for a FREE consultation.

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The Spiral Whitefly Invasion - A New Pest in Town

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 19:57:00 +0000

As if it isn’t bad enough that our ficus hedges have been under attack by the fig or ficus whitefly (see Whiteflies Leave Wide Path of Defoliation, Feb. 14, 2012), now we have to contend with a new whitefly to our area, the rugose spiraling whitefly. This newest of more than 75 whitefly species found in Florida is of particular concern in Palm Beach County because of their voracious appetite for your trees and plants. Well established along the eastern portions of the county, they are now making their way west.

Do You Have These in Your Landscape?

Bird of Paradise
Coconut Palm
Bismark Palm
Pygmy Date Palm (Roebelenii’s)
Gumbo Limbo
Pandanum (Screw-Pine Palm), to name a few

If so, this new spiral whitefly will attack all these palms, plants and more. It is completely different than the ficus whitefly found on shrubs. But before you panic, the University of Florida IFAS Extension says that unlike its cousin the ficus whitefly, the rugose spiraling whitefly hasn’t caused severe plant damage, such as plant death or severe branch die-back.

Signs and Symptoms

The most noticeable symptoms of an infestation of this whitefly is an abundance of white, waxy material that covers leaves and also excessive sooty mold. This white, waxy material is used to coat the insect’s eggs, which are laid in a spiral pattern on the underside of leaves. The whitefly also produces a “honeydew” that is a sugary substance that causes the growth of the sooty mold.

The “honeydew” can accumulate on cars, pool decks and patio furniture from infested trees overhead. It can also turn pool water green and it is recommended that you seek help from a pool care professional, or you could take a water sample to a pool supply store for analysis.

Remedies may include super chlorination and backwash of the pool filters. However, an algaecide or shock treatment using products that contain sodium bromide or potassium mononpersulfate may be needed to oxidize the organic matter in the water.

Cures and Questions To Ask

Fortunately, the “honeydew” doesn’t damage paint and along with the sooty mold will disappear once the insect is brought under control. For small plants, you can wash off the affected areas with insecticidal soap or oil. Or, apply an insecticide to the soil at the base of the plants, which should prevent whiteflies for about eight months. Never use poisons on plants that produce fruit.

For larger plants, it may be necessary to call a professional. Professionals have access to a broader range of products, and are required to be trained and licensed to apply them. The University of Florida IFAS Extension recommends that when you select a pest control company for whitefly management, you should ask about the products they use and how they use them, such as a neonicotinoid soil drench or granular (active) ingredient applied to the soil in the early spring. Or trunk application, which includes concentrated trunk spray or injection.

You’ll also want to ask how to water your plants after the soil has been treated. They must receive adequate water for healthy growth. Also, adequate watering helps ensure that the pesticide moves into the plants via the roots.

What about foliar sprays? They may be used to supplement and should only be sprayed on areas of heavy infestation or where defoliation is apparent.

Finally, ask if the professional is following the soil treatment rates specifically recommended by the manufacturer. The answer should be that they are following the label instructions.

The specially trained professionals at Insect Protection Pest Control have a host of solutions to take care of not only a whitefly infestation but almost any other pest problem you may have both inside and outside of your home or business. Call them today for a FREE consultation.

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Climate Makes Citrus Susceptible to Many Diseases, Disorders

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 12:20:00 +0000

Florida’s citrus can fall prey to many diseases and disorders. Last time, we discussed Citrus Greening, which has already infected residential trees in Palm Beach and Martin counties, and learned that it has cost the state’s economy more than $3.6 billion in the last five years (The Greening of Florida Citrus, July 10, 2012). Because of Florida’s humid climate, fungi and germs multiply easily, which lead to citrus tree damage. The good news is that these predators don’t change very much and that by recognizing common symptoms, such as infections on tree leaves, including blemishes, roughness and damaged color patterns, gardeners can treat problems before more harm is done.

Many of citruses’ disease producing agents become active and increase in numbers in the spring when citrus trees develop new leaves, shoots and fruit. The most common fungal diseases of citrus in Florida are scab, melanose, greasy spot and foot rot. The first three affect fruit, leaves and twigs while the last affects the trunk of the tree and over time can weaken the entire tree.

Citrus Scab

Scabs appear as a rash of scabs or warts on leaves, twigs and fruit. Early symptoms include well-defined, cone-shaped growths on one side of the leaf, with a corresponding depression on the opposite side. Immature fruit on infected trees becomes misshapen with warty growths, although the interior fruit quality is usually not affected. Since new generations of the infectious material can be produced within five days, scab can spread rapidly, given the right conditions, from overwintering infections on leaves and stems. According to the University of Florida Extension, water from rain, overhead irrigation and dew is the most important factor affecting disease development.

Varieties susceptible to scab include Temple oranges, lemons, Minneola tangelos, Murcotts and Page oranges. Other varieties like satsuma tangerines, Orlando tangerines, Tahiti limes and grape fruit are less susceptible.

The best scab management strategy is to remove and destroy infected leaves, twigs and fruit in order to control the disease before it can spread. Since scab appears on some rootstocks, this disease is commonly introduced into the home landscape on already infected nursery trees. Carefully examine the leaves for disease lesions when buying a nursery tree. Copper sprays may be applied 2-3 weeks after petal fall, and again 2-3 weeks later to control scab.

Melanose

A fungal disease that attacks mainly young grapefruit, melanose can be recognized by small, dark brown, raised lesions on leaves that have a rough, sandpaper texture. These lesions are actually scar tissue that is formed when the the host plant walls off infections. Fruit injury from melanose is often confused with damage from rust mite. Both rust mite blemishes and melanose lesions on fruit are brown but melanose lesions have a rougher texture. Trees that are 10 years and older are typically susceptible to melanose and because melanose develops in dead wood, clearing dead wood can help control the problem. The disease, however, has little serious impact on mature trees.

All varieties are affected by melanose, but it does not cause leaf drop and damage is only superficial. Leaves are susceptible until fully expanded and fruit is susceptible for 12 weeks after petal fall. Another form of the melanose fungus causes a post-harvest fruit rot, so greater control may be necessary.

Greasy Spot

According to the University of Florida, greasy spot mostly occurs in Southwest Florida from late May through September.If allowed to survive, it will reduce tree vigor and ruin an entire fruit crop. During the summer, infected, fallen leaves decompose and produce additional fungus for one to four months that will infect leaves that will drop during the following spring. The cheapest, easiest, most effective control is to remove and destroy fallen leaves near the infected tree. Make sure they’re destroyed before summer rains occur. Oil and copper sprays can also control greasy spot.

Look for pinpoint black specks on the rind, especially on grapefruit, lemons and tangelos. Greasy spot can be distinguished from melanose by using a magnifying glass to see where the black spots occur. Greasy oil lesions don’t cover the oil glands on the fruit rinds while melanose lesions do.

Foot Rot

Foot rot is caused by two soil borne organisms. Symptoms include rotted roots; cracked bark and oozing of varying amounts of gum; water-soaked, reddish-brown to black bark at the soil line; discolored tissue in the lower trunk; yellowing, sparse foliage and death of the tree. The fungus that causes this disease belongs to a group of organisms called “water molds,” that do well under high soil moisture, but not flooded conditions. If planting is done in soil that has naturally poor drainage, especially in the flatwood areas of South Florida, the University of Florida recommends planting trees higher than usual by creating a mound or raised bed that will allow good drainage, even under flooded conditions.

Any actions to encourage air circulation at the base of the tree will help. However, if the tree has already developed foot rot, scrape off the brown, discolored bark and surface wood until healthy wood is exposed and paint the exposed area with a copper paint. Systemic fungicides are also available.

The trained experts at Insect Protection Pest Control are available to advise you on the many diseases and pests affecting your citrus trees. Call now for a FREE consultation.

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The Greening of Florida Citrus

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 00:26:00 +0000

When the Florida Dept. of Agriculture reported in 2005 that Citrus Greening had infected residential trees in Palm Beach and Martin counties, a University of Florida Extension Horticulture Agent commented that if on a scale of one to 10, Citrus Canker is a three, then Citrus Greening is an “imperfect” 10. Although the disease poses no threats to humans or animals, diseased trees can die within five to eight years and bear unusable fruit.

Many of us will recall the Citrus Canker eradication program begun in January 2000 when the state Dept. of Agriculture adopted a policy of removing all infected trees and all citrus trees within a 1,900 foot radius of an infected tree in both residential areas and commercial groves. By 2006, the program was suspended after the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture declared that eradication was not practical.

Citrus Green Affects State’s Economy, Too

In a study released earlier this year, the University of Florida found that Citrus Greening disease, also know as Huanglongbing (HLB) or yellow dragon disease, cost the state’s economy more than $3.6 billion in the last five years and with it eliminated more than 6,600 jobs. Caused by a bacterium, the disease attacks the plant’s vascular system and once infected, there is no known cure.

Control Can Be Challenging

The disease is transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllid, an insect no larger than the head of a pin. The infected insect spreads the disease as it feeds on the leaves and stems of citrus trees. an insect, the citrus psyllid. It can then be spread by grafting and field dodder, a type of parasitic weed.

Control of Citrus Greening can be challenging because:

The citrus psyllid is widespread
The frequency with which people move infected host plant material
Diseased trees may not show symptoms for several years,
and
All varieties of citrus are susceptible and the psyllid feeds on a wide variety of host plants

Signs and Symptoms

Early symptoms of Citrus Greening are small yellow leaves on one limb or section of the tree canopy. The most diagnostic symptoms are mottling that often ignores the leaf veins. The newest leaves may show symptoms resembling zinc deficiency, while older leaves have a characteristic greening mottle. Other symptoms are yellow shoots, twig die-back, poor flowering and stunting. Although symptoms can provide strong clues to the presence of Citrus Greening disease, the Florida Dept. of Agriculture Div. of Plant Industry advises that final confirmation by molecular diagnostic tools is needed for regulatory purposes.

Quarantine

Currently, all citrus and citrus psyllid host plant material in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties is under quarantine. Shipments to citrus producing areas outside the state of Florida is prohibited. Shipping within the state of Florida is allowed only through a signed compliance agreement with the Florida Dept. of Agriculture, Div. of Plant Industry. More information is available at the department’s website: http://www.freshfromflorida.com/pi/.

Management

There is no place in the world where Citrus Greening is well established that it is under completely successful management. The Florida Dept. of Agriculture advises that the best management programs are integrated, making use of regulatory measures to ensure completely clean planting stock, cultural practices to ensure timely removal of infected plants and chemic and biological control of psyllid vectors.

For more information on Citrus Greening – including program updates, factsheets, regulatory actions, control and testing protocols, and links to other sites, visit: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/citrus_greening/index.shtml

The trained experts at Insect Protection Pest Control are also available to further advise you on Citrus Greening disease as well as other diseases affecting your citrus trees. Call now for a FREE consultation.

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Lions, and Tigers, and Bears! Oh My!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 20:10:00 +0000

Nearly everyone remembers the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. Before Dorothy and her friends Scarecrow and Tinman meet up with the Cowardly Lion on their way to Oz, they hear strange sounds coming from the forest. A frightened Dorothy asks if there are any wild animals in the woods. Scarecrow and Tinman tell her there are Lions, and Tigers, and Bears, which they all begin to chant and to which Dorothy adds, “Oh my!”

It’s unlikely that you’ll meet up with any of these creatures in your backyard, but because of its great diversity of habitat types, Florida is home to more wildlife species than most other states. So you may find some less exotic animals on your property creating a nuisance and understanding why they are there is key to resolving the problem.

Snakes

Florida has approximately 45 species of snakes of which only six are venomous. According to the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) at the University of Florida, snake bites related deaths have occurred at a rate of about one every four or five years in the state. IFAS goes on to say that mortality figures for lightning strikes and bee stings are much greater.

Snakes are actually beneficial to the environment. They eat insects, rats, mice, worms, toads, frogs, fish and some snakes even eat other snakes, including the venomous ones. You could just give them their space and leave them alone. They’re not aggressive and don’t chase after people. But if snakes are a problem for you, IFAS says their visits to your yard and home can be reduced by eliminating firewood stacks, debris, boards and other objects lying close to the ground. These create the cool, damp and dark shelter or prey habitat areas that snakes prefer.

There are no repellents, poisons or fumigants registered for snakes. They can be removed from inside buildings with the use of a glueboard or funneled minnow trap. Glueboards are sold at hardware stores while minnow traps are available at bait and tackle shops. Finally, a broom can also be used to sweep a snake into a trash can for removal outside.

Armadillos

Armadillos weren’t always present in Florida. They migrated from Texas into the Florida Panhandle and then over a 50 year period, from about 1920 to 1970, there were several introductions of armadillos into the Atlantic coast region of Florida. Soon, the Panhandle and the coastal populations merged, so that armadillos are now found in uplands throughout the state.

More than 90 percent of an armadillo’s diet is made up of insects and their larvae that live in the soil. In addition, they feed on earthworms, scorpions, spiders and other invertebrates, so it’s no surprise that they cause damage by rooting in lawns, vegetable gardens and flower beds. Since they live in dens, they can also cause damage to foundations, driveways and other structures with their burrowing.

There are also no successful repellents, poisons or fumigants for armadillos. Although it is possible, live-trapping armadillos is very difficult. Shooting is an effective method, but discharging firearms is illegal in some areas. Armadillo meat is edible and recipes include baked or barbecued armadillo and armadillo and rice.

Bats

We reported this past Spring that real bats eat bugs and that they do not turn people into vampires (see Real Bats Eat Bugs, April 27, 2012). In fact, bats are beneficial. One bat can eat up to 3,000 insects in a night. They are also pollinators of countless plants and essential seed dispersers. Despite the fact that they are beneficial, nonetheless, no one wants one in their home.

Most bats are able to squeeze through slits and cracks no wider than 3/8”. Most likely, a bat that has found its way into your home has lost its way or come in accidentally through an open window or door. Remain calm and the bat will probably leave on its own. During the past 30 years, only eight human fatalities in the U.S. and Canada have been attributed to rabid bats. More people die annually from dog attacks, bee stings, lightning and household accidents. Bats are protected under Florida law and it is illegal to willfully kill them, so don’t attempt to poison or exterminate them.

Woodpeckers

Despite the fact that cartoon classic Woody Woodpecker has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a woodpecker would still not be a welcome guest in your home. They cause damage by drilling holes in wood and synthetic stucco siding and eaves, and are an annoyance when hammering or “drumming” on houses. This predominantly springtime behavior is generally done on resonant dead tree trunks or limbs to attract mates, establish or defend a territory, to excavate nesting or roosting sites and to search for insects, but your home will do.

Damage can be prevented or eliminated with several techniques. including visual repellents, loud noises, exclusion, alternate construction materials, providing nesting boxes, and as a last resort, killing. Take immediate action to reduce damage because woodpeckers are not easily driven from their territories or pecking sites once they are established.

Raccoons, Skunks and Opossums! Oh My!

These three mammals are opportunistic and have adapted well to city life. They will eat any plant, insect or other animal food that is available. Raccoons have learned that uncapped chimneys make good substitutes for their more traditional hollow den habitats.

Be sure that garbage cans have tightly fitting lids and that the cans are secured to prevent raccoons from tipping them over. Don’t leave pet food out at night and be sure to cap

chimneys. These animals can be kept out from underneath houses by sealing off all possible entrances.

Repellants such as naphthalene crystals and noise-making devices may have limited temporary effectiveness while live traps baited with sardines or cat food are effective for garden damage situations. However, trap and release of these animals is seldom biologically sound. Relocation permits from the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission are required to transport any native wildlife species. Relocation of raccoons is is especially discouraged because of the possible threat of rabies.

There are no easy solutions for eliminating these urban pests, but the trained professionals at Insect Protection Pest Control can help. Call now for your FREE consultation.

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Poisonous Plants

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 00:30:00 +0000

She comes on like a rose but everybody knows
She'll get you in Dutch
You can look but you better not touch

Poison iv-y-y-y-y, poison iv-y-y-y-y
Late at night while you're sleepin' poison ivy comes a'creepin'
Arou-ou-ou-ou-ou-ound

The Coasters, Poison Ivy (Leiber & Stoller, 1959)

Internet Archive

The 1950’s were a more innocent time than today. In their 1959 hit Poison Ivy, The Coasters weren’t singing about poison ivy, the plant, but about another kind of poison, which wasn’t discussed much in public then. Today, however, we’ll stick with the plant and other plants used for beautification in and around Florida homes that are irritating if they come in contact with the skin, like poison ivy, and others that are toxic if eaten.

Poison Ivy

Poison ivy grows throughout most of North America, and is normally found in wooded areas. The plant is extremely common in suburban and exurban areas of New England, the Mid-Atlantic, and southeastern United States. It is not particularly sensitive to soil moisture, although it does not grow in desert or arid conditions. It grows in a wide variety of soil types. Poison ivy is dioecious; flowering occurs from May to July. The yellowish- or greenish-white flowers are typically inconspicuous and are located in clusters up to 8 cm (3.1 in) above the leaves. The berry-like fruit, a drupe, is mature by August to November with a grayish-white color.

The following four characteristics are sufficient to identify poison ivy in most situations: (a) clusters of three leaflets, (b) alternate leaf arrangement, (c) lack of thorns, and (d) each group of three leaflets grows on its own stem, which connects to the main vine.

The appearance of poison ivy can vary greatly between environments, and even within a single area. Identification by experienced people is often made difficult by leaf damage, the plant's leafless condition during winter and unusual growth forms due to environmental or genetic factors.

Urushiol-induced contact dermatitis is the allergic reaction caused by poison ivy. In extreme cases, a reaction can progress to anaphylaxis. Around 15 to 30 percent of people have no allergic reaction. Most people will become sensitized with repeated or more concentrated exposure to urushiol, as the immune system has been trained to act with greater degree. Over 350,000 people are affected by poison ivy annually in the U.S.

Poisonous plants are usually grouped by poison type. In addition to poison ivy, other skin irritants include the Brazilian pepper. Both plants are poisonous if swallowed or smoke from burning plant is inhaled.

Oxalate

This group includes mostly outdoor ornamental plants such as arrowhead, dieffenbachia, caladium, philodendron, peace lily and pothos. Oxalate crystals in these plants’ stems, roots and leaves cause immediate pain, burning and irritation on the lips, mouth and throat and can cause slurred speech.

Cardiac Glycoside

Oleander, lily of the valley and foxglove are all poisonous. While some skin irritation is possible, most poisoning occurs when these plants are eaten or by breathing in the smoke from burning plants. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, dizziness, low blood pressure, slow heart rate and seizures.

Toxalbumin, Ricin

When chewed or split open, castor beans and rosary peas can cause severe vomiting, diarrhea, burning or corroding of the esophagus, shock, and multi-organ failure. These are mostly outdoor ornamental plants.

Colchicine

Ingestion of glory lily or autumn crocus can cause vomiting, diarrhea, fever, shock, and multi-organ failure. These are also mostly outdoor ornamental plants.

Triterpenoid

Common lantana and chinaberry are examples of triterpenoids, which can cause skin irritations and be poisonous. The berries of these outdoor ornamental plants are especially poisonous. If eaten, symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, fever, seizures and shallow or difficult breathing.

Gastro-Intestinal

Croton, poinsettia and American holly can all cause skin irritation and/or rash from sap inside the plants. If eaten in quantity, they can cause nausea and/or diarrhea.

Anti Cholinergic

When the flowers, leaves or seeds of angel’s trumpet are eaten or taken in as a brewed tea, hallucinations, dry mouth, muscle weakness, increased blood pressure and pulse, fever, dilated pupils and paralysis may result.

Wild Mushrooms

Symptoms of these mostly outdoor wild plants vary by species and range from none to severe gastrointestinal distress to hallucinations, acute renal failure and even death.

Recommended First Aid Steps

Remove all plant pieces from mouth.

Rinse mouth and lips with cool water.

Offer sips of water to drink.

Wash hands with soap and water.

Call the Poison Center immediately at 1-800-222-1222.

Control of Poisonous Plants

Herbicides alone seldom provide a long term solution to poisonous plant problems and several factors must be considered in the selection and use of herbicides, including selectivity in controlling the target species without adversely affecting associated vegetation. The experts at Insect Pest Control can help you evaluate what’s most effective for your home. Call us today for a FREE consultation.

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Mighty Mite Is On Its Way to a Palm Near You

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 23 May 2012 19:31:00 +0000

After devastating coconut palm trees in the Caribbean, the red palm mite made its way to Palm Beach County almost five years ago when it was discovered in Palm Beach Gardens. Today, these critters are known from 386 sites in five Florida counties, which includes 154 sites alone in Palm Beach County. The invasion of this species is the largest mite explosion ever observed in the Americas.

Sucks the Life Out

Bright red with a long, spatulate body, this “mighty mite” is known to feed and reproduce on at least 32 palm species, bananas, gingers and heliconias. This pest lives for about 26 days. It thrives on the underside of leaves and fronds and in high numbers causes yellowing of the leaves followed by death of plant tissue. They stick their sucking snouts into the stomata of leaves and feed directly from deep within the leaf. This causes mechanical damage to the stomata so that they are no longer able to close and the leaf dries out.

Easy To See

While the mites are very small, they are usually easy to see because of their large numbers on the underside of leaves. Shaking the leaf over a piece of while paper is an easy test. If red dots appear on the paper, the leaf is infested. You can also see them clearly with a magnifying glass.

Blowin’ in the Wind

Transport of infested plants or plant material seems to be the major mode of dispersal for this mite in the Caribbean region. They have been found on seed coconuts destined for Florida. Handicrafts made from coconut leaves and sold to tourists in the Caribbean have also been found to contain live mites. The red palm mite also disperses on the wind, so a tropical storm or hurricane can spread them over a wide area.

Hard To Get Rid Of

Since the red palm mite is a “new” pest, there is very little at this time that homeowners can do to eradicate it. Insecticidal soaps and horticultural oils are the best options when applications are needed to prevent damaging population levels, but they only work if you can cover the mites with them. Chemical control is difficult outside of the nursery environment because the size of most palms makes the use of acaricides (substances that kill mites and ticks) impractical. Professional pest control companies, including Insect Protection Pest Control, have access to other products that will effectively control these mites. If you suspect red palm mites, call today for a FREE inspection.

If you have red palm mites, don’t move the plant materials from your property without taking precautions. Fronds and leaves should be doubled bagged in trash bags and placed in the garbage.

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Mosquitoes Are Itching To Get You

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 10 May 2012 01:30:00 +0000

Contrary to popular belief, neither Lemon Fresh Joy® nor Listerine® will keep mosquitos from bothering you. Neither will used dryer sheets stuffed in your pockets. In addition, there is no scientific evidence that eating garlic, vitamins, onions or any other food will make a person repellent to mosquitoes, or that wearing devices that emit sound will repeal mosquitoes. Keep reading to find out what does work.

For the Female Is More Deadly Than the Male

As adults, both male and female mosquitoes feed on sugars from plants and other insects that feed on plant sugars. This is the only source of nutrition for males; they do not feed on blood. The females use the sugar meals for energy and the blood meals for egg development. She doesn’t actually bite but stabs by piercing her proboscis, which is a tubular appendage, and drinks between 0.0001 and 0.01 milliliters. She’ll continue to bite and draw blood until her abdomen is full. If she’s interrupted before she’s finished, she’ll fly on to the next person. The bumps and itch left on your skin after a mosquito has bitten you are an allergic reaction to mosquito saliva. The reaction can vary from person to person, but usually lasts no more than 24 hours.

Why Are Some People More Attractive to Mosquitoes?

If it seems that mosquitoes seek you out more often than they do other individuals, you may not be imagining it. Most mosquitoes are attracted to the odor of carbon dioxide (CO2). All humans exhale CO2 with every breath. It’s possible that substances in perfumes, soap residues, facial make-up, deodorants and other compounds on the skin make someone more or less attractive to mosquitoes. Scientists also know that mosquitos are drawn by the scent of cholesterol, folic acid and bacteria from drying sweat. According to the American Mosquito Control Association, there are over 400 such “magnetic compounds,” some of which come from within the body and some from without.

Health Threat

The introduction of a new variety of mosquito into any population of humans and animals can pose a significant health threat because they may introduce a new disease or strain of a disease. As disease carriers, mosquitoes have the ability to significantly change the health or health threats to a community. A parasite that lives in the saliva of mosquitoes is the cause of malaria. West Nile virus, which came to the U.S. in 1999, is also caused by mosquitoes. Other mosquito borne diseases include filaria, dengue, brain fever and yellow fever. Mosquitoes do not spread HIV.

Managing Mosquitoes

Managing mosquitoes is a challenge. Florida is second only to Texas in the number of mosquito species – 80 – that call the state home. There is no state that is totally mosquito free, but West Virginia has the fewest species, weighing in at 26.

The most effective way to reduce the number of mosquitoes around the home is to eliminate their breeding sites – standing water. Whether the weather is wet, dry, warm or cool, there are plenty of potential sites for mosquitoes to develop. Bird baths, swimming pools and clogged rain gutters are all potential breeding sites along with soil depressions that collect seepage and rain water.

The National Pesticide Information Center recommends:

Empty water from containers such as bird baths, flower pots, pet water dishes, cans, gutters, tires and buckets.
Keep windows and door screens in good working order to prevent mosquitoes from entering your home.
Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants while outdoors, and consider staying indoors early in the morning and evening when mosquitoes are most active.
Maintain your swimming pool to prevent mosquito breeding.

Mosquito Repellants

You’ve read this far; now we’ll tell you what are the best mosquito repellants. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends using products that have been shown to work in scientific trials and that contain active ingredients that have been registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Of the active ingredients registered with the EPA, the CDC suggests products that contain

DEET (N.N-diethyl-m-toluamide); or
Picaridin (KBR 3023)

Oil of lemon eucalyptus [active ingredient: p-methane 3,8-diol (PMD)] is also registered with the EPA and has been shown to provide protection similar to repellents with low concentrations of DEET.

For more information on repellent use and safety, visit the CDC’s website.

Mosquito control around your home involves reducing populations of mosquitoes, which might possibly lead to a reduction in the number of mosquito bites. There are many products on the market that claim to control mosquitoes. Not all of them work. The experts at Insect Pest Control can help you evaluate what’s most effective for your home. Call us today for a FREE consultation.

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Real Bats Eat Bugs

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:24:00 +0000

Vampire bats latch on to people and suck their blood. Fact or fiction? Definitely not true. Unlike our friend above, Count Dracula, vampire bats do not latch on and suck blood, nor do they turn animals –

or people – into vampires. Nor, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, do most bats have rabies. Bats are, in fact quite timid and usually ignore humans.

There are 900-1,000 species of bats classified in about 200 genera and 17 families. They range in size from a wingspread of over 5 ft. to less than 2 in. Bats are the only mammals that can fly. The wing is actually a double membrane of skin stretched between the elongated bones of four fingers and extending along the body from the forelimbs to the hind limbs and from there to the tail.

A bat’s body is mouse like and usually covered with fine fur. The face varies from one species to another. Some bats are solitary, living in caves, crevices, hollow trees, or attics while others are communal, living together in a cave or on tree branches.

Blind as a Bat

In fact, bats “see” much better than any person. They rely primarily on their highly developed sense of hearing and use echolocation, a kind of radar, to find their way around. The bat emits high-pitched sounds that echo off of objects it encounters. The echo provides the bat with information about the size, shape and distance of the object.

Florida’s Bats

Florida is home to 13 species of bats that are either year round or seasonal residents. The Brazilian free-tailed bat is the state’s most abundant species while Seminole and Evening bats are common as well.

Brazilian Free-Tail Bat

Free-tail bats are a cosmopolitan group of communal bats characterized by a a long that extends well beyond the end of the tail membrane. The Brazilian free-tailed bat has a wingspan of 11-13 in. and a body length of 2.2-2.9 in. It weighs around 0.5-0.5 ounces. These bats roost in manmade structures, including buildings and bridges. It especially likes to roost under barrel tile roofs. They feed on months, flies and beetles. They also emit a distinctive musky odor.

Seminole Bat

Although it has the same wingspan as the Brazilian free-tail bat, the Seminole bat is slightly shorter at 1.8-2.7 in. and weighs 0.3-0.5 ounces. It leads a solitary existence, usually settling in pine trees and Spanish moss. It is also insectivorous and feeds on moths, beetles, true bugs, flies and other insects.

Evening Bat

Evening bats live in colonies that range from just a few to around 70 or more bats. They roost behind loose

bark and the crevices and cavities or dead trees, but are also found in buildings, bridges and the brackets on utility pools. Their wingspan is 10-11 in. and their body length is 1.9-2.6 in. They weigh in at 0.2-0.4 ounces. The feed on beetles, planthoppers, true bugs, flies, mosquitoes, moths, flying termites, flying ants and other insects.

Bats Are Beneficial

One bat can eat up to 3,000 insects in a night. Most insectivorous bats eat their body weight in insects each night. They are also vital pollinators of countless plants and essential seed dispersers.

A Bat in the House

Bats may be beneficial and they may be threatened by disturbance or destruction of their roosting sites, but they’re definitely not welcome houseguests. Bats that are found in your home are usually younger bats that have lost their way. They may also be adult bats that have accidentally come in through an open window or door. The first step in removing a bat from your home is to stay calm. More than likely, the bat will just fly out the open door or window within a few minutes.

Protected By Law

Bats are protected under Florida wildlife law and it is illegal to willfully kill bats in Florida, so do not attempt to poison or exterminate them. If bats do become a nuisance in your home, it may become necessary to conduct a “bat exclusion,” which has been proven to be the only successful method of permanently removing them. An exclusion involves placing one-way devices at the locations where the bats are emerging from the roost. The devices all the bats to exit, but prevent them from re-entering.

If it does become necessary for you to conduct a bat exclusion, the trained professionals at Insect Protection Pest Control can help. They are specially trained to deploy the latest techniques. Call for a FREE consultation.

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What’s Behind Two Fleas?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 17:13:00 +0000

A canine flea collar commercial currently running on television asks the question: What’s behind two fleas? Answer: The next generation. A female flea can lay hundreds of eggs on your pet, ensuring that its work will be carried on by generations to come.

One Flea 400 Bites

A single flea can bite your cat or dog more than 400 times. During the day, the flea can consume more than its body weight of your pet’s blood. While flea bites may be just a nuisance to some pets, they can be dangerous to others. They cause allergies and a pet’s constant scratching to rid itself of fleas can cause permanent hair loss and other skin problems. A pet can get a tapeworm if it eats a flea that has one. Fleas feasting on your pet’s blood can cause anemia and, in rare cases, death.

About 1/16^th of an inch, fleas are dark, reddish-brown, wingless insects. Their bodies are flattened side to side, which allows them easy movement through your pet’s coat. Their bodies are hard, polished and covered with many hairs and short spines directed backward. Their long legs give them the ability to jump seven or eight inches into the air.

A VIP Flea

The cat flea, which attacks both cats and dogs, is the most important flea species in the U.S. While fleas actually prefer to feed off of your dog or cat, if there is an infestation of fleas, they will jump on any host, including you, for a meal. Fleas can settle into your hair in less than 10 minutes, causing soreness and itching. If you have small, red bumps that are itchy, especially around your ankles and calves, it’s probably fleas.

An easy way to tell if you have a flea infestation is to put down a white sheet on the floor and brush your pet’s hair. If you see black specks that move on the sheet, you have fleas. Adding cider vinegar to your pet’s drinking water can discourage fleas from taking up residence on your pet in the first place. Start by adding a few drops to your pet’s water over time so that the pet gets used to the taste. Build up to 1 teaspoon for a small pet and 1 tablespoon for a larger one.

Ticks Another Evil Nemesis

Fleas are not your pet’s only enemy. Tick bites can give your pet such infections as Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Ticks can also give these same infections to you. About 200 species of ticks live in the U.S.

The American dog tick is one of the most prevalent tick pests in the Eastern U.S. Adults are about 1/4 inch long, and the shield has variable white markings. While larvae and nymphs prefer to feast on mice, the adults prefer dogs and other large animals.

The brown dog tick is one of the most common pests of dogs. Adults are 3/16 inches long and are reddish-brown. All stages prefer dogs and are prevalent in homes and kennels.

In addition to these ticks, the Gulf Coast tick and the black legged tick are both widespread in the Southeastern U.S. The lone star tick is one of the most common ticks on humans. Its long mouthparts allow deep penetration of the skin, often causing pus sores.

There’s Good News

The good news, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is that fleas and ticks are getting easier to control. Flea products have greatly improved in recent years and some also help kill ticks. The FDA advises treating your pet at the beginning of flea and tick season. This being Florida, however, fleas can live all year long, so treatment is an ongoing task.

In years past, veterinarians advised getting rid of fleas by simultaneously bombing the house with insecticide, spraying the yard and dipping the dog or cat. Today, treating only the pet usually takes care of the problem. However, the FDA further advises that if there is a severe infestation, or if the problem persists, then you may need to treat the pet’s environment.

If you do need to treat your home, the pros at Insect Protection Pest Control are the guys in the white hats who can come to your aid with environmentally and pet-friendly solutions. Call today for a FREE consultation.

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Itsy Bitsy Spider Creepy and Crawly on the Kitchen Wally

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 21:32:00 +0000

De Spin/The Spider

Allow video to load, then click to play

The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout
Down came the rain and washed the spider out
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again

The Tale of Little Miss Muffet

As if spiders didn’t frighten us enough as children when we heard how one chased Little Miss Muffet away as she tried to eat her curds and whey, our fear was heightened in 2001 with the grade B monster movie Arachnid in which a giant killer spider menaces the survivors of a plane crash. Fortunately for the survivors, the spider loses when it falls onto a stalagmite.

Spiders are arthropods called arachnids. There are some 34,000 species belonging to about 105 families, although some specialists in the study of arachnids estimate that only 20 percent of spider species have been described, which means that there may be as many as 170,000 spider species.

Not Like Insects

Unlike insects, which have six legs and three body parts, spiders have eight walking legs and two body parts. They have fangs that are adapted for liquid feeding instead of jaws. All spiders are predators that eat insects, other spiders and related arthropods.

All spiders have finger-like appendages at the end of their abdomen called spinnerets that secrete silk during all stages of life. However, not all spiders spin webs, but all spiders do use silk for a variety of purposes, including capturing prey, rearing young, moving about and making shelter.

Because spiders are predators, they have poison glands and are capable of biting, but the vast majority don’t pose a health risk to humans. However, if you’re bitten by a spider, you should preserve it in alcohol for positive identification and if you suspect it to be one of the widow or brown recluse spiders, you should seek medical attention immediately. These spiders can cause painful injuries or systemic illness. Fortunately, they seldom, if ever, are fatal to healthy adults.

The Infamous Black Widow

While the female black widow spider’s infamy comes from eating the male after mating, these spiders are shy and nocturnal, biting only when their webs are disturbed. The female is shiny black with a reddish hourglass shape on the underside of a round abdomen. Her body is about 1.5 inches long. The adult males are harmless, about half the size of the female, with smaller bodies and longer legs. They usually have yellow and red bands and spots over the back.

In Florida, black widows come in two varieties: the southern black widow and the northern black widow. There are also red and brown widows in addition to the brown recluse. All the widows are very similar in body shape. The brown recluse is not an established species in Florida while the southern black widow is the most widespread widow in the state. The red widow is found in sand pine scrub habitats in central and southeast Florida; the brown widow resides south of Daytona Beach along the coast.

Daddy Long Legs: A Kissing Cousin

Daddy long legs are closely related to spiders, but are not true spiders. They prefer to be near water. They don’t bite humans nor do they spin webs.

Don’t randomly kill spiders in your yard or garden. They are actually beneficial, consuming even more insects than birds or reptiles. Because spiders are closely related to insects, they are just as susceptible to insecticides. A broom or vacuum cleaner is effective in controlling spiders indoors. Outdoors, they are barely noticeable, where black widows are usually found in wood piles, crawl spaces and cellars.

Don’t end up like our friend in the video. If you find that you do have an infestation of spiders, call the experts at Insect Protection Pest Control for a FREE consultation. They can help you rid your home of these unwanted guests.

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Not Even Mighty Mouse Can Save the Day If Your Home Is Home to Mice and Rats

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 16:52:00 +0000

Everyone over a certain age will remember Mighty Mouse. Beginning on television in 1955, and continuing for almost 12 years, Mr. Trouble never hung around when he heard this mighty sound. “Here I come to save the day! That means that Mighty Mouse is on the way.”

When rats and mice enter homes, farm buildings and warehouses, they’re not there to turn a “wrong to right.” They’re seeking food and shelter. They eat or contaminate large quantities of food and damage buildings, stored clothing and documents. They also serve as carriers of disease, including Rat-bite fever, Weil’s Disease, pox, plague, trichinosis, typhoid and a host of others.

Commensal rats and mice are the most common rodent pests in Florida. Commensal means living with or in close association with humans. These include the roof rat, Norway rat and house mouse. These rodents have been carried by man to every corner of the Earth.

Roof Rat Most Common in Florida

The roof rat is the most common rat encountered in Florida. It’s dark brown to black in color and measures 13-18 inches in length, including the tail. They weigh from 5-9 ounces, are slender and their ears are large and nearly hairless.

These rats travel off the ground and enter buildings from nearby trees or powerlines. While they prefer fruit, they will eat any type of human, pet or livestock food. Their presence can be determined by gnawing damage, droppings, sounds of scratching, squeaking, or gnawing in walls or ceilings, and characteristic dark, greasy rub marks on their paths along walls and on rafters.

Norway Rat

Norway rats, which are about 12 to 18 inches in total length and appear stocky, are uncommon in Florida. Nonetheless, they can occur anywhere in the state. Rats found in sewers are generally Norway rats. They’re good swimmers and because they can swim underwater for up to 30 seconds, they can enter homes by coming up toilet pipes. They usually dig burrows along foundations and under debris piles. These rats enjoy meat and fish, but like their cousins the roof rat will eat any type of human or pet food. Norway rats are very aggressive and while it’s no solace to anyone with any type of rodent infestation, these rats will drive roof rats out of an area.

House Mouse

House mice are smaller than their rat relatives. They measure less than 8 inches in total length, with a slender body, pointed nose and small protruding eyes. The tail of this mouse is hairless with scale rings. They’re very prolific and breed year-round. Females can produce as many as 13 litters a year ranging in size from three to 10. Following birth, young mice grow rapidly and reach their maturity in only six to eight weeks.

Good Sanitation First Defense

Good sanitation is very effective in reducing mouse and rat populations in your home, although it will not completely eliminate them.

1. Keep garbage containers tightly covered.
2. Store bulk foods in sealed, rat-proof containers.
3. Do not leave pet food out, especially overnight.
4. Promptly pick up any fallen fruit from citrus trees, etc.
5. Harvest citrus crops promptly and completely.

Rodent-Proof Your Home

Physical barriers can also help prevent mice and rats from entering your home. Seal all openings larger than 1/4 inch. Use heavy materials that will resist gnawing. Mice and rats find some chemical tastes and odors distasteful, but chemical repellents are usually not a practical solution.

Trapping is an effective and often used method of controlling mice and rats in dwellings. It has the advantage of allowing you to physically remove the carcass and eliminate odor problems that occur because of decomposition when mice and rats ingest poisons and die in the walls and floors of your home.

Unfortunately, Mighty Mouse can’t save the day for you if your home is also home to mice and rats. But the pros at Insect Protection Pest Control can. They have the training and the knowledge to help you make your home as inhospitable as possible to mice and rats. Call them now for a FREE consultation.

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Chinch Bugs #1 Enemy of St. Augustine Grass

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 12:22:00 +0000

Every weekend you’re out there tending to your lawn, weeding, watering and spending hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on food and fertilizer to make it the pride and the envy of the neighborhood only to one day discover the grass inexplicably turning yellow, then reddish-brown and finally dying. This is the foul work of the chinch bug. A complex of three different species within the same family, chinch bugs have piercing-sucking mouthparts and they feed on the sap of grass plants.

The chinch bug inserts its straw-like mouthparts into the plant tissue and sucks out the plant juices while injecting chemicals that clog the grass’ vascular system. The area around the feeding puncture turns yellow. Damaged areas first appear as small, irregular patches that enlarge as these pests spread. The chinch bug is the #1 pest of St. Augustine grass.

Florida’s Own Chinch Bug

Florida, of course, has its own native chinch bug, the Blissus insularis, or southern chinch bug. Adult southern chinch bugs are about 1/8 to 1/10 of an inch long. Their wings are folded flat against the back and are shiny white with a triangular-shaped black marking in the middle of the outer edge of each wing. Adults may have long or short wings. Adult females may live up to

two months and lay four or five eggs a day, or 250-300 eggs in a lifetime.
Southern chinch bug activity occurs year round in South Florida, so vigilance is important. It is estimated that seven to 10 generations a year develop in our area.

Damage May Occur Anywhere

Damage may occur in open, sunny areas near walkways and driveways but also in the middle of the lawn. Other factors, including disease, nematodes, nutritional imbalances and drought can cause off-color areas to occur in lawns, so you need to carefully examine the grass to determine which corrective measures may be needed.
Examine the grass in the marginal areas of injured patches, not in the clearly dead grass. Spread the grass gently with your fingers and look in the thatch, near the soil surface. On warm days, chinch bugs are usually very active, so you’ll be able to see them scurrying around.
Another way to detect chinch bugs is to remove both ends of a large tin can, such as a coffee can, soften the soil a bit with water, insert one end of the can into the ground about two-three inches deep, leaving four inches above the ground, and then fill the can with water. If chinch bugs are present, they will float to the surface of the water after about five minutes.

How To Combat Chinch Bugs

Common natural enemies of the southern chinch bug are big-eyed bugs, predatory earwigs and spiders. However, homeowners, lawn care companies and sod growers seek to prevent damage by applying insecticides to keep chinch bug populations low. It is recommended that an integrated pest management program, or insecticide resistance management program, be implemented to keep grass healthy and eliminate these pests. The trained technicians at Insect Protection Pest Control can help you identify chinch bugs and design a program that will keep your lawn both the pride and envy of your neighborhood. Call them today for a FREE consultation.
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And Don’t Let The Bed Bugs Bite

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 19:56:00 +0000

When you were a child, and your parents sent you to bed, after they said, “Good night, sleep tight,” there’s a good chance that they added, “and don’t let the bed bugs bite.” As children, we thought this was a cute rhyme, and while some of us may actually have been frightened by our parents’ admonition, probably few of us were really bitten by bed bugs.

Eradicated 60 Years Ago

In fact, it was thought that bed bugs had been eradicated in the U.S. over 60 years ago. That is, until 2010, when New York City’s massive bed bug infestation made national headlines. These pests were found not only in hotels but also theaters, concert halls and retail stores, giving New York the dubious distinction of being the most bed bug infested city in the country. Bed bugs got so out of hand that in that same year five states asked the Defense Dept. for money to help get rid of bed bugs.

How did this resurgence occur? Experts say it’s due to international travel and weakened pesticides. The fact that bed bugs live in furniture, clothing and luggage makes it easy for them to spread.

Two Different Species

In Florida, we’re confronted with two different species of bed bugs: the Common bed bug and the Tropical bed bug. The Common bed bug arrived here from temperate climates like North America and Europe while the Tropical bed bug came from tropical areas like South America and Africa. Cities with airports are gateways for these creatures, which arrive in passengers’ luggage and clothing.

No matter what the species, these non-flying insects feed by sucking blood from humans or animals. Their bite is painless and not noticed, but redness, swelling and itching commonly occur. Typically, no treatment is required, but if itching is severe, steroid creams or oral antihistamines may be used for relief.

What Do They Look Like?

Oval in shape, adult bed bugs are about 5-7 mm in length. They have flat bodies and may be mistaken for ticks or small cockroaches. The adults are reddish brown in color and appear more reddish after feeding on blood.

The juveniles are as small as 1.5 mm. They’re clear in color and appear bright red after feeding. Although bed bugs can live for a year without feeding, they normally try to feed every five to 10 days. While bed bugs can’t fly, they can crawl very fast and like temperatures between 70°-80° F.

There’s An App For That

Following the outbreak in New York, a New Jersey inventor created a bed bug app for iPhones called Bed Bug Alert. The app claims to help you “stay on top of the rampant spread of bed bugs.” We’re leery of this app because you don’t know from where the data is coming. A casual report by someone who thinks they’ve spotted a bed bug in a hotel could be totally wrong about the type of bug.

Getting Rid of Bed Bugs

Getting rid of bed bugs can be difficult. Most cases require treatment by a pest control expert. There are many sprays, dusts and aerosol insecticides that may be used to eliminate bed bugs, but these products must be carefully applied to areas where the bugs are seen as well as spaces where they hide. The experts at Insect Protection Pest Control can help you decide if your mattress can be disinfected or must be thrown away. Bedding cannot easily be treated with chemicals and it’s often necessary to get rid of it. If you think you have bed bugs, call Insect Protection Pest Control for a FREE consultation.

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By Any Other Name a Cucaracha Is Still a Roach

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:02:00 +0000

Click to play. Kumbia Kings

Nearly everyone is familiar with the urban legend that cockroaches could survive a nuclear explosion. The Discovery Channel’s MythBusters team decided to put this rumor to the test and concluded that because of their simple bodies, it is possible that cockroaches could, in fact, continue to exist.

Another rumor is that the presence of cockroaches indicates a dirty home. Relax! Don’t grab the mop just yet. Your home can be meticulously clean but if there are cockroaches in the building, they will seek out food and water and your home or pantry may supply them with the small amount of food they need to survive. The presence of one cockroach may signal that the population is low because of a lack of food to maintain a community.

There are basically four kinds of cockroaches in which we are interested: American, German, Oriental and Brownbanded. As with any pest, we need to know with which variety we’re dealing. Each of them prefers a different area in your home, so identification is important for best control.

By Any Other Name

American cockroach — More commonly found in restaurants, bakeries, grocery stores and other facilities where food is prepared, the American cockroach prefers warm, moist places. These cockroaches have a fondness for fermenting foods, such as bread soaked with beer. They mostly confine their foraging to the basement and ground floor of a building.

Both the adult male and adult female are 1-1/2 to 2 inches long. They’re reddish brown and have long wings that cover their abdomen. A female deposits nine or ten egg cases in a crack or crevice. Each case produces approximately 14 young in about 45 days.

What’s in a name? That which we call a cucaracha by any other name is still a cockroach. Nearly everyone in Florida is familiar with palmetto bugs. These creatures, which grow to a length of 1-1/2 to 2 inches long and are black in color with wide, glossy bodies, are also cockroaches that are related to the American cockroach. When disturbed, palmetto bugs often emit a strong, nasty odor that leads to it being called the “stinking cockroach,” which might be uttered about cockroaches in general.

German cockroach — Light brown in color with two dark stripes on the shield-shaped section behind the head, these cockroaches are about 9/16^th of an inch long. They like warm, humid atmospheres and generally inhabit kitchens and bathrooms where they are found near plumbing fixtures, in cracks and crevices in cabinets, under drawers and kitchen sinks. When severe infestations occur, German cockroaches may be found in other sections of a structure. They can disperse in large numbers from areas of high population densities to infest other areas. This species has the highest reproductive potential of all the common pest cockroaches.

Oriental cockroach — About 1 to 1-1/4 inches in length and dark brown, almost black, Oriental cockroaches are often called water bugs. They are commonly found around damp places, which includes drains, leaky water pipes, under refrigerators, inks, washing machines and floors. These pests forage mostly on the ground floor of buildings and, occasionally, thrives in adjacent landscaping. An Oriental cockroach produces a strong smell and is considered one of the dirtiest of all the cockroaches.

Brownbanded cockroach — The adult Brownbanded cockroach is about a half-inch long. An adult male is golden brown and has a narrow body with its wings extending beyond the tip of its stomach. The adult female is dark chestnut brown, has a tear-shaped body and its wings do not completely cover its stomach. Both sexes have distinctive horizontal yellow bands. The females often glues her egg case on furniture or in appliances.

Like Us Like It or Not

Like us, cockroaches are omnivores. For the most part, they’ll eat anything organic; mostly dead or immobile things. They’re known to eat the glue off of a postage stamp, envelope or book binding. Fortunately, they rarely bite humans.

Inexpensive Roach Trap

An inexpensive roach trap can be made using a deep smooth-walled jar with some roach food inside, placed with the jar touching a wall or with sticks leading up to the top. Once inside, the roaches cannot climb out. An inch of water or stale beer will ensure that they drown. This method works well with the American cockroach, not so much with the German cockroach. A small amount of petroleum jelly can be spread on the inside of the jar to increase slipperiness.

While this method may work well to catch one or two cockroaches, it isn’t very practical or effective for dealing with a roach infestation. Apparently neither is a nuclear blast, but the pros at Insect Protection Pest Control can help you rid your home or business of these pests using proven environmentally sound and pet friendly methods. Call them today for a FREE consultation.

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Weeds Are Plants Growing in the Wrong Place

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:19:00 +0000

Weeds are plants, too. They don’t get no respect, though, because they’re growing in the wrong place, such as your lawn, garden and even cracks in the pavement. If left untreated, weeds will spread to compete with the grass for space, food and light. In the end, they will ruin the look of your lawn.

Click to play

Basically, weeds come in three varieties: grassy, sedge and broadleaf. Some weeds are perennials, which means they can last for more than one growing season, while annuals germinate, flower and die all within one season. Broadleaf weeds, which are characterized by wide, flat leaves, are most common in lawns and gardens. Dandelion, plantain and other broadleaf weeds are among the most common and troublesome turf pest problems in plants.

Summer annual broadleaf weeds start to germinate in early spring. Those beginning to germinate in our area now include crabgrass, dollarweed (also known as pennywort) and goosegrass.

Where Do Lawn Weeds Come From?

Seeds of broadleaf weeds occur naturally in the soil, and can persist for 30 or more years. Low-quality grass seed often contains unwanted weed seed. The weed content of any grass seed you buy should be 0 percent. Finally, weed seeds are sometimes brought to a landscape in top soil or compost.

Broadleaf weeds often occupy areas in landscaping that have been damaged by pests or other factors. Insect pests can thin and weaken turf, allowing weeds to invade the soil. Appropriate pesticides should be applied as necessary. Broadleaf weeds are also found where soil conditions are poor and where there is incorrect maintenance.

How You Can Get Control of the Weeds in Your Turf

While a completely weed-free lawn is nearly impossible, the best way to minimize broadleaf weeds is through proper mowing height and frequency, sensible fertilization and adequate irrigation. Lawn weeds can gain a foothold when your lawn is too short or not mowed often enough; too much or not enough fertilizer, or fertilizing at the wrong time of year; and over or under watering.

Some infestations of broadleaf weeds may require herbicide treatment. Because of the variety of broadleaf weed species, most products have two or more different active ingredients and are sold as prepackaged mixtures. Before choosing a herbicide, however, it is important to first identify the type of weed with which you’re dealing so that you can choose the right product. There are many online resources to assist you with identification. The experts at Insect Protection Pest Control are also available to help you with identification and treatment options.

Herbicides should be applied only when environmental conditions are adequate for control.
Watch wind speeds to avoid drift.
Apply herbicides only when the temperature is between 65°F and 85°F.
Do not apply if rain is expected within 24 hours.
Don’t mow for a few days prior to or after applying.
When possible, make spot applications to avoid unnecessary herbicide use.

Finally, don’t ignore treatment in the fall when many perennial broadleaf weeds are actively growing.

Control of pests outdoors is the first step to controlling them indoors. Using environmentally-approved and pet-friendly methods and treatments, the professionals at Insect Protection Pest Control can develop a plan to control both weeds and other pests that’s right for you. Call them today for a FREE consultation.

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Subterranean Termites Common in Our Area

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 01:16:00 +0000

Recently we discussed Drywood Termites. The “good” news was that these colonies are slow to develop and advised you not to panic but, nonetheless, to be vigilant in monitoring for infestations.

Subterranean Termites More Aggressive

Subterranean Termites, which live underground in the soil, come in several different flavors and are the most widespread and destructive group of termites in the U.S. They are most common in the South and Southeast. The Eastern Subterranean Termite is the dominant termite

Formosan Termite alates are attracted to and will swarm around sources of light. Video by Chris Dunaway for LSU Ag Center.

species in the eastern half of the country and the most economically important for the destruction it causes. The Formosan Subterranean Termite is the most destructive and is found occasionally in most Southeast states, including Florida.

Subterranean Termites are social insects that live in colonies consisting of many individuals. The colonies consist of workers, soldiers and reproductives. The workers are about 1/8 inch long and have no wings. They are white to cream colored and very numerous. Soldiers defend the colony against other insects.

They are wingless, too, and white in color with large brown heads and jaws. King and queen termites, which are dark brown to black in color and have two pairs of wings about twice the length of their body, perform the reproductive functions.

The Formosan Subterranean Termite is characterized by large populations that share interconnected foraging tunnels in the soil. When these termites invade your home,tunnels from a quarter to half an inch in diameter may be found. As with other Subterranean Termites, the Formosan consists of workers, solders and reproductives. The majority of the nestmates are workers that are responsible for gathering food. A single colony may produce over 70,000 winged reproductives.

Fest on Cellulose

Subterranean termites feed on wood or other items that contain cellulose, such as paper, fiberboard and some fabrics derived from cotton or plant fibers. They have bacteria in their digestive tracts that convert cellulose into usable food. Formosans don’t consume more wood that other subterranean termites, but because of the larger size of the colony they can cause more structural damage in a shorter time.

Detection

Termites remain hidden in wood and are often hard to detect. However, Subterranean Termites may be detected by the presence of winged reproductives, mud tubes and wood damage.

Prevention and Control

The best control of Subterranean Termites is prevention. The best time to provide protection against termites is during the planning and construction of a building.

Wood that is pressure-treated with preservatives are required by building codes for use at the point of wood-soil contact. The Formosan doesn’t damage pressure-treated wood but is capable of by-passing it and infesting other untreated wood in structures.

Remove stumps, roots, wood and similar materials from the building site before work is begun.
Remove all form boards and grade stakes used in construction.
There should be no contact between the building woodwork and the soil.
Ventilation openings in foundations should be designed to prevent dead air pockets and of sufficient size to assure frequent changes of air.
Landscape plants and irrigation should not be placed within two feet of the foundation wall.
Any wood that contacts the soil, such as fence posts and general foundation structures, should be commercially pressure treated, and should not be attached to a house.

While the Florida Building Code requires treatment for Subterranean Termites for new construction, a thorough annual inspection should be made to discover evidence of wood damage or termite activity such as shelter tubes on foundation services, discarded wings or adult termites. This is especially important if your home was built after 1988.

Insect Protection and Pest Control Can Help

The specially trained professionals at Insect Protection and Pest Control can help you both pre- and post-construction, if you suspect termites. Please call us for a FREE inspection.

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Termites? No Need To Panic

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:08:00 +0000

In Florida, termites and wood decay cause up to $1 billion in property damage each year. Forty-five different species of termites live in the U.S. and a few other species not found in other states call Florida their home. These species fall into three types: subterranean, drywood and dampwood.

Drywood Termites

Today, we’ll look at drywood termites because they live in wood, such as the structural timber or hardwood floors of your home or dead trees around your property.

Late spring and summer months are the peak season for winged drywood termite swarming flights. These insects emerge in the evening and during the night and are attracted to lights or TV. This is just one sign of infestation.

Other signs of infestation include:

Discarded wings that have accumulated around window sills or in spider webs.

Wooden pellets accumulating on floors or under furniture. These six-sided pellets are about a quarter to a half-inch long, making them easily distinguishable from other wood-destroying organisms. Pellets usually fall into piles as the termites push them out of the infested wood.

Since drywood termites generally remain hidden in the wood or other material on which they feed, they are seldom seen other than the swarmers that fly from colonized wood in the spring and summer. While these termites occur in small colonies in isolated wood pieces, there may be multiple colonies that can infest a structure at the same time.

More Likely in This Area

Drywood termite invasions are more likely in coastal and southern areas of Florida, so it is important to be diligent in looking for possible infestations. Even though colonies are slow to develop, if left unchecked over an extended period of time, substantial damage can still occur.

Even if your home is new, you should still monitor it for termites. The Florida Building Code does not require a preventive treatment for drywood termites for new construction. It does require a treatment for subterranean termites.

Don’t Panic

In Florida, where termites are active and widespread, it is important to maintain an effective termite prevention and control program. Detection and elimination methods have come a long way since The Three Stooges tried their hand at pest control in their 1938 feature Termites. If it is determined that drywood termites have taken up residence in your home, don’t panic. Take the time to talk to a professionally trained Insect Protection and Pest Control technician who can help you make the right decision regarding the best course of action for your situation. Call now for your FREE consultation.

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Whiteflies Leave Wide Path of Defoliation

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:25:00 +0000

Don't let this happen to your landscaping investment

For the past five years, non-native ficus hedges and trees have been under attack by fig whiteflies. These nuisances, which are in the same family as aphids, scales and mealybugs, have left a wide path of defoliation along streets and property lines. According to researchers at the University of Florida, fig whiteflies injure plants by sucking juices from them that causes wilting, yellowing, stunting, leaf drop and even death.
Also known as the ficus whitefly, this insect resembles a small moth with a yellow body and white wings with a faint gray band in the middle of the wings. Although their lifecycle is only a month, they can cause extensive damage to your shrubbery. Eggs are laid on the underside of leaves and hatch into a crawler stage. The crawler wanders around the leaf until it begins to feed. From this point, until they become adults, they don’t move and remain in the same place on the plant.

It’s Only a Matter of Time

South Florida foresters agree that if your ficus shrubs and trees haven’t been infested yet, it’s only a matter of time before they will be. The first step is to determine if you already have fig whitefly. If the leaves of your ficus haven’t already started to fall, shake the plant to see if small, gnat-like whiteflies emerge. Also, look at the underside of the leaves for immature whiteflies that will appear as small tan to light green discs with red eyes.

Gumbo Limbo Whitefly Adds to Destruction

Whitefly

Adding to the destruction caused by the fig whitefly is the closely related Central American Gumbo Limbo spiraling whitefly. Named for the tree in which it was first found three years ago in Miami-Dade County, the Gumbo Limbo also has a voracious appetite that includes your palms, woody ornamentals and fruits. These whiteflies are about three times larger than other whiteflies at home in the U.S. and are more passive than other varieties, although just as destructive.
Females lay their eggs on the leaves and also deposit a white, waxy substance on the eggs. An abundance of this white, waxy materials is one of the most noticeable symptoms of an infestation of this whitefly in addition to excessive sooty mold, which comes from “honeydew” produced by the flies. According to the University of Florida, the actual effect of an infestation by these whiteflies is unknown, but, like whiteflies in general, can cause plant decline, defoliation and branch dieback.

New Whitefly Puts In Appearance

More than 75 different whiteflies have been reported in Florida. But according to a recent article in the South Florida Sun Sentinel, a new strain has joined that number turning leaves on ficus plants sticky and stained. Called the Bondar’s nesting whitefly, this is the third nuisance strain to hit our area. It’s been found “in pockets” throughout South Florida. Looking like white blotches on the tops of ficus leaves, these whiteflies excrete a sticky goo as they feed that leads to black discoloration from sooty mold fungus. Unlike other whiteflies, the Bondar’s is also noticeable on the top of the leaf. The newspaper says it’s too early to know the extent of local damage.

Call Now for a Free Inspection

While there are ways for the homeowner to control these pests, misuse or overuse of any insecticide could cause resistance, other pest problems, environmental contamination and harmful effects on other organisms. The technicians at Inspection Protection Pest Control are specially trained to help you identify and eliminate in a safe and effective manner these nuisances that can destroy your expensive landscaping. Call us today for a FREE inspection.

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Are Big Headed Ants at Home in Your Home?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 19:02:00 +0000

More than 220 species of ants call Florida home. They inhabit a wide variety of nesting locations, including tree limbs and twigs, grass stems, rotten logs, dead leaves, soils of all kinds, tree bark … and your home.

Watch for Piles of Sand

Piles of sand and other debris indoors may signal big-headed ants. These small, light brown to reddish brown to nearly black, dull ants come in two sizes: major workers, which measure about 1/7th of an inch, and minor workers, which are about 1/10th of an inch. The major’s head is disproportionately larger than its body.

Searching for food in trails of a few up to hundreds of workers, outdoors they feed on live and dead insects, seeds and the honeydew of other insects. In your home, they prefer protein foods but will also dine on greases and sweets. Inside, they trail along baseboards and are found foraging under the edges of carpets. You should attempt to follow the workers back to the site where the colony is located and if they are entering and exiting from under a wall, an inspection of the foundation should be made for cracks and holes.

Complete Inspection Should Be Made

Control begins with a complete inspection. Items in contact with the soil should be lifted to check for ant colonies. Along foundations, big-headed ants have a tendency to use the crack between the soil and the foundation to nest. Flooding the cracks with water will reveal a nest location. Since indoor infestations tend to originate outdoors, if possible a vegetation-free border should be installed around the foundation and items under which big-headed ants could nest should be removed. Nests are even common in potted plants that are carried indoors.

Before big-headed ants can be controlled indoors, they may be eradicated outdoors. For more than 25 years, Insect Protection and Pest Control has been helping Florida homeowners and businesses eliminate these nuisances. Our technicians are specially trained and use only chemicals that are proven safe for humans and their pets and that are environmentally friendly. Call us today for a free inspection.

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