Welcome to Florida, the land of fun in the sun...and bugs.
Some of the pest that you may experience are below. If you discover that you are having an issue with any pest and do not want to do it yourself, please contact Beucher & Son!
The information below is kept brief, enough information is provided so you will understand the basics. To gain a more in-depth knowledge of any of the following pest it is suggested that you search online.
Ghost and Pharaoh Ants
Ghost Ant Pharaoh Ant
I have grouped the ghost and pharaoh ants together since they basically share the same mannerisms. Both of the ants shown above are very difficult to get rid of by yourself and usually requires a professional. You will mostly observe either of these ants in your kitchen or bathroom first as they are drawn to water. They will travel within the wall voids by plumbing pipes or electrical wiring. It is not unusual to observe either one of these ants coming out of an electrical outlet.
The reason why either of these ants are so difficult to treat for is their "Budding" abilities Budding is defined as such:
Ghost Ant and Pharaoh Ant colonies tend to be moderate-to-large in size with multiple queens. New colonies are started by budding, where one or more reproductive females, several workers, and possibly some brood (larvae and pupae) migrate to a new nesting site.
Budding can occur by the homeowner attempting to treat the ant with the wrong product, this alerts the ant colony that they are under attack. Since the colony is a multiple queen colony, portions of the ant colony (with their new queen) will travel to another area of the residence and set up a new ant colony. This may take weeks to months to happen. The home owner thinks that the ants are gone due to the absence of the ants. Sometime later the ants when re-appear somewhere else in the home. The home owner thinking that their last treatment worked so well, they will repeat their same actions. By doing this, the home owner is spreading the ants all over their home and quite possibly in their neighbors home since other units are attached.
A few things to remember if you have either of these ants:
1. DO NOT spray them with anything such as bug spray or ANY other products. Treatment with liquid insecticides actually makes the infestation worse by causing the ants to "bud" or "split" into several smaller satellite colonies., some people will spray Windex (glass cleaner) and even that is a no-no. Again, it must be emphasized that spraying makes ghost & pharaoh ants worse. Spraying will not kill the queens but will increase the egg laying and will only compound the problem.
2. NO NOT crush them with your thumb, basically works the same way as it will cause the ants to "Bud"
3. The Ghost ant does not sting or cause any serious structural damage, and usually does not bite unless the mound is disturbed. If the Ghost ant does bite, it is typically not painful and does not exhibit any symptoms. If symptoms do occur, however, positive identification of the species should be done immediately. Apply an antibiotic ointment and apply ice to the affected area.
4. Most pharaoh ants do not bite or have such a small mouth that you won’t even feel the bite.
5. Both ants are very difficult to control. If you see only a small amount of either of these ants crawling on your walls or counter top, you more than likely have a hidden nest close by. DO NOT wait for this problem to get out of control
6. A monthly service is recommended for both the Ghost ant and the Pharaoh Ant.
Plaster Bag Worm
Plaster Bag Worm -
The larvae of bag worms live in the characteristic gray, seed-shaped case, which measures about one-half inch long. The case is constructed of silken fiber and sand particles, lint, paint fragments, and other debris that is found. This protective home has a slit-like opening at each end, and the tiny caterpillar is able to move around and feed from either end.
The larva is not usually seen by most people. The case that it carries around wherever it feeds is what is immediately recognized. It can be found under spiderwebs, in bathrooms, bedrooms and garages. Cases can be found on wool rugs and wool carpets, hanging on curtains, or underneath under buildings, hanging from sub-flooring, joists, sills and foundations; on the exterior of buildings in shaded places, under farm sheds, under lawn furniture, on stored farm machinery and on tree trunks.
The most common food of the plaster bag worm in Florida is old spider webs, which are consumed in large quantities. Webs of insects such as book lice and web spinners from tree trunks are also suitable food. Old larval cases of its own species are sometimes chewed as well. Even though small portions of dried insects are found attached to its case, this insect has not been observed to feed on dried insects. Plaster bag worm larvae do not eat cotton fiber products, but woolen threads are eagerly consumed by the larvae.
American Cockroach - American roaches are one of the most common found in America. The other is the German Roach. Not sure why it is called "American" since it
originated from Africa. Because of wide spread travel, it exists in most areas of the world. It is the largest of roaches in America reaching a length of 1 to 2 inches long. It has wings and unlike the German roach, it can fly short distances, albeit quite clumsily.
German Cockroach
German Roach - The German Cockroach is the most common of all roaches found in America. The German roach is most likely to infest your home. Unlike the American Roach, the German variety prefers to nest indoors. They cannot survive outside for prolonged periods. They are hitchhikers and are often introduced into homes in luggage, used clothing and second-hand furniture.
When neighbor homes are exterminated, they frequently will escape and move in with other neighbors. That's providing those neighbors give them easy access. German Cockroaches are hard to control because they breed at an amazingly rapid pace. The numbers produced over a short period can be mind-boggling.
A female German Cockroach will produce 5-6 egg capsules over her adult lifespan of 100 to 200 days. Each capsule contains 30 to 40 eggs. From egg to adulthood takes only 100 days. New females in the batch are then quite ready to reproduce. Four to five generations can be created in about a year. Go ahead. Hit your calculator. The result is an incredible number roaches spawned by just one female.
German Roaches are about half the size of the American Cockroach with an adult length of about 1/2 to 5/8 inches long. Primary color is light brown with touches of tan and pale yellow. They have darker brown bands running length-wise from the back of its head. Adults have wings but can't really fly, but can glide from short elevations.
Fleas - When pet owners are asked what they dread most about the summer months, the topic that invariably comes up most is fleas!
Fleas on dogs and cats! These small dark brown insects prefer temperatures of 65-80 degrees and humidity levels of 75-85 percent -- so for some areas of the country they are more than just a "summer" problem.
Dogs and cats often get infested with fleas through contact with other animals or contact with fleas in the environment. The strong back legs of this insect enable it to jump from host to host or from the environment onto the host. (Fleas do not have wings, so they cannot fly!) The flea’s bite can cause itching for the host but for a sensitive or flea-allergic animal, this itching can be quite severe and leads to hair-loss, inflammation and secondary skin infections. Some pets, hypersensitive to the flea's saliva, will itch all over from the bite of even a single flea!
IMPORTANT - If you have a flea issue, you MUST prepare your home for a successful treatment. Please click on the fleas prep list provided and follow the instructions -Flea Prep list here!
Drywood Temite
Drywood termites generally live, feed and nest in undecayed wood which has a very low moisture content. Unlike subterranean termites, they do not require any contact with the soil in order to live. Thus, they can seriously damage movable wooden objects such as furniture.
Signs of infestation include: • Winged insects emerging in evenings and night attracted to lights or TV. • Discarded wings accumulating around window sills or in spider webs • Wooden pellets (much smaller that rice grains) accumulating on floors or under furniture. These pellets are cream to reddish-brown or black. The color of the pellets is not related to the color of the wood. The pellets are about 1-2 mm long and distinctively six-sided, making them easily distinguishable from other wood destroying organisms. Pellets usually fall into piles as the termites push them out of the infested wood. • A sign of advanced infestation is surface blisters. These termites sometimes tunnel close to the surface giving the wood a blistered appearance. Infestations may be detected by tapping the wood every few inches with the handle of a screwdriver. Damaged wood sounds hollow - a papery rustling sound indicates tunnels just beneath the surface.
Leave the pellets where they lay!
The drywood termite pellets are pushed out of a very small hole. By leaving the pellets where they lay, we can usually find the exit hole quickly and perform a treatment that is needed. If you happen to see the exit hole, you can place a piece of blue tape over the hole to stop the pellets from falling out and then you can clean the area. Blue tape is easy to see but use what you have.
