Summertime in Florida is hot and humid, and pests are abundant. Some pests are looking for a way to escape the heat, and heading into your home is often a preferable way to do so. American cockroaches and other roach species are is search of moisture during the dry summer months and the dark, moist areas of your home often attract them. All species of flies are active during this time of year; the Fruit fly are attracted by fresh produced that has ripened during the spring; the House fly is abundant during the summer months and often make their presence known wherever humans are.

As flower blooms are in full force, so are honey bees and their close relatives the Africanized honey bee ( also known as the “killer bee”, which is a bit of a misnomer). Outdoor activities during the summer increase the chance of happening upon a beehive and possibly getting stung; wasps such as the Paper wasp is busy guarding its upside-down umbrella-shaped nest from intruders and can inflict a painful sting.

The Cicada killer wasp, which makes its nest by digging a hole into sand, especially the kind found in gold course sand traps, so those that are enjoying a sunny day of golf should be wary of these large wasps. Although they rarely sting unless disturbed, they should nevertheless be avoided, especially if you have a known allergy to bee or wasp stings. Beachgoers should keep an eye out for Stable flies, which are known to congregate on beaches around seaweed and can also cause a painful bite.

Florida summers are known for their hot, sunny days and cloudless skies, and although most types of insects are plentiful this time of year, professional pest control and proper maintenance will help you keep these pests from invading your home and landscape. FloridaBugs.com pest control providers only use the latest and most efficient pest control methods and top-of-the-line products- CLICK HERE to learn more about FloridaBugs.com's pest control service providers -and keep your home and landscape pest-free and worry-free!

Summertime is Fire Ant Time!

Fire ants, as well as Carpenter ants, Pyramid ants, Pharaoh ants, Crazy ants, and Thief ants, among others, are very active during the summer. As with flies, ants are attracted to human food and can be problematic. They can turn up outdoors if you’re having a picnic or BBQ, and indoors as well. Spillage of cold, sweet treats such as ice cream or popsicles can guarantee the presence of ants, especially if left overnight.

Cockroaches are also attracted to food crumbs that are left on tables or counters. Proper sanitation during the summer will lessen the chance of bugs inside the home.

Fire ants also pose a problem, since they tend to build their nests in open spaces such as lawns, fields, or parks. Those that are using these areas for recreational purposes should be careful not to disturb their dome-shaped mounds of sand. If these mounds are accidentally disturbed, you can be sure that thousands of angry fire ants will come rushing out to deal with the situation. Although it may seem reasonable to try and disperse of them by using a hose to destroy the mound and drown the ants, this method is essentially useless since Fire ants can actually float on water by forming a floating ball of swarming ants that will latch onto and attack the first thing they come in contact with! It’s best to leave a fire ant nest alone and let a professional pest control person take care of the situation.

Do you live in Florida and think fire ants or other ant species may be invading your lawn or your home? Floridabugs.com offers specifically designed pest control treatments to regulate and eliminate these pests!

Summer is Termite Swarming Season

Late spring and early summer is often ideal for termite swarms. Formosan and Subterranean termites tend to swarm during warm, humid summer evenings, and Drywood termite swarms often occur after summer showers.

After landing, they then make their way, depending on the species, to rotting wood or dry wood structures to begin new patterns of infestation. In Florida, it is common for substantial damage to have already occured before termites are even discovered and pest control systems are utilized.

Infestation warning signs:
A swarm of winged insects in or around your home
• Wood that sounds hollow when tapped
• Any cracked, bubbling paint or sawdust-like droppings (frass)
• Wings from swarmers
• Mud tubes on wooden beams, in crawl spaces, or on exterior walls.

Ant and termite swarmers, or alates, are often confused for one another. One way to tell is by the body shape: the ant alate has a thin, constricted ‘wasp’ waist between their thorax and abdomen. Termite waists are not narrow. Termite bodies are straight-sided with no constriction. Both their thorax and abdomen blend together.

Swarming termites are easy to exterminate and can be done so using any household cleaning product. However, termite colonies can be spread throughout the home and may contain hundreds of thousands of wood-munching termites.

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Lawn pests, Spiders, and Cockroaches

During the dry Florida summer months, it is common to water your lawn to keep it healthy. Healthy lawns keep lawn pests with a constant food source. Chinch bugs continue to feed during this time of year. Sod webworm larvae will feed on the upper root systems, stems, and blades of grass. Heavily infested turf can quickly appear moth-eaten, with irregular patches of brown grass or bare areas. Aphids may also be found on ornamentals and indoor plants. Caterpillars, slugs and snails are also visible at this time, especially after nighttime irrigation where they can often be seen on sidewalks and driveways.

Summer is also a popular time to clean out storage spaces such as attics, garages, and sheds. Spiders such as Black Widow and Brown Widow spiders favor these, dark, cool areas to spin their webs. Although neither species is aggressive, its venom is neurotoxic and can cause extreme pain. A telltale sign that you have been bitten is swelling and two faint red bite marks. If you have been bitten and feel it was by a Black Widow or Brown Widow spiders (usually from identifying the spider’s reddish-orange hourglass marking), you should seek immediate medical attention. However, deaths resulting from these spiders are very rare.

Cockroaches are seen more frequently indoors during summer because they are searching out more favorable conditions such as moisture and lower temperatures. Since it is common in Florida to leave doors and windows open during the evening, cockroaches such as the American cockroach and German cockroach can find its way into your home. Smokey brown cockroaches are attracted to lights such as those left on the porch overnight; Asian cockroaches have been known to crawl on an illuminated television or computer screens.

Cockroaches are also attracted to food crumbs or spills that have been left on tables or counters. Proper sanitation during the summer will lessen the chance of bugs inside the home. If doors and windows are left open, make sure to keep a tight-fitting screen over the opening to keep cockroaches, flies, and other bugs from coming indoors.

Do you live in Florida and think spiders and/or cockroaches are invading your home or business? FloridaBugs.com pest control providers offer specialty pest control treatments designed to control and eliminate these pests! FloridaBugs.com Connects you to the finest in Florida pest control.

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