FLORIDA PEST INDEX

A small insect, often with a sting, that usually lives in a complex social colony with one or more breeding queens. It is wingless except for fertile adults, which often form large mating swarms, and is proverbial for industriousness.

Florida ants love to come into your home to find food and water. The most effective way to prevent an ant infestation is to keep your home clean from all food crumbs and leftovers. Leaving food out can draw ants into your home in a matter of hours. Keep your floors swept and dishes clean as much as possible.

Crickets are insects related to bush crickets, and, more distantly, to grasshoppers. Crickets have mainly cylindrical bodies, round heads, and long antennae.

The easiest method for luring crickets from corners and crevices is to use cricket bait. Sticky glue traps are a great non-toxic way to catch crickets.

You can also use bug spray. Most bug sprays effectively get rid of crickets.

Earwigs are commonly known as “pincher bugs” and are identified by the forceps-like pincers on their abdomen. They are nocturnal and active mostly during the night.

These pests enjoy dark, moist areas and are often found in or around electrical boxes, power outlets, and yard equipment.

To prevent them, remove any moisture in areas in or around your home, garage, shed, etc.

A silverfish is a small, wingless insect, commonly recognized by it’s silvery light grey color, combined with the fish-like appearance of its movements.

Silverfish are nearly always found in or around areas where food is kept such as the pantry. Their diet consists of sugar or starches so they enjoy finding a nice pantry full of snacks.

The “palmetto bug” is another name for the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana). Adult American cockroaches are large and winged. Their coloration is dark brown with a cream-colored prothorax that has dark markings that resemble sunglasses.

Palmetto bugs are attracted to two main things: water and food. By keeping your home clean (especially the kitchen), you can discourage the presence of all roaches.

Both millipedes and centipedes are identified by their long torso and many legs.

Millipedes and Centipedes love moisture. To prevent these pest from nesting in and around your home:
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1. Remove moisture from the foundation or crawl space of your home.

2. Use properly functioning gutters, down spouts and splash blocks to keep water away from your foundation wall.

3.Repair leaky faucets, water pipes and air conditioning units.

4. Adjust your sprinkler system to prevent water pooling on your lawn.

The delightful Florida weather creates the perfect environment for airborne pests. These pests are not always dangerous but are certainly a nuisance.

While wasps and mud daubers can be treated by store-bought insecticide, we recommend leaving these treatments to a professional as they can be very dangerous.

Mosquitos require a specialty yard treatment to repel and maintain a barrier around your property. Contact us for more information on a mosquito treatment.

Palm rats, also known as roof rats, black rats, ship rats or house rats, are the leading rodent pest in Florida and in other tropical climates. They are climbers and prefer to nest off the ground in trees like palms, which is how they got their common name.

A clean yard is a very effective deterrent. Make sure to rake under your trees and shrubbery.

Prune fruit trees so the ground under them is open and visible. …Keep your palm trees trimmed. Roof rats nest in the skirts of old fronds, as well as in piles of debris and hollow trees.

Thin out bushes until you can see daylight through them.

A small, pale soft-bodied insect that lives in large colonies, typically within a mound of cemented earth. Many kinds feed on wood and can be highly destructive to trees and timber.

Termites can be recognized in several ways, they include:  pellets that look like coffee grounds in a pile deposited by Drywood termites, swarming termites that drop their wings and quickly die almost appearing to be ants, the deposited wings will commonly be found by sources of light such as, lamps, windows and light fixtures.

Subterranean termites can also be recognized by swarms in the late winter or early spring and also may be noticed by seeing mud tubes behind drywall and areas like the interior of garages where the mud shelter tubes go unnoticed.

Subterranean termites are particularly damaging to your home because of the large size of their colonies and their ability to stay hidden in areas behind drywall and other inaccessible areas.

Mosquitoes are common, flying insects that live in most parts of the world. Over 3,500 types of mosquitoes can be found worldwide. Some mosquitoes can be vectors. A vector is an animal, insect, or tick that spreads pathogens (germs) to people and animals. The germs (viruses and parasites) that mosquitoes spread can make you sick.

Some mosquitoes bite, but do not spread germs. These types of mosquitoes are called nuisance mosquitoes.

• Remove sources of standing water
• Clean out gutters
• Change out water sources weekly
• Drain water and fill up low areas
• Maintain pools and water features
• Replace outdoor lighting with “bug lights”
• Call the professionals, Prodigy Pest