If you are experiencing problems with fall pests, you are most likely dealing with rodents, ants, and cockroaches as they invade your property in search of food and shelter. If they can find a small crack or crevice in your foundation to exploit, they may just decide that your home is the perfect place for them to take up residence.
Mice and rats, being warm-blooded, seek out warm locations to survive during cooler weather. They will also enter buildings to escape extreme water events like the recent deluge of rain from Hurricane Matthew. Young mice are common invaders as they seek out new dwellings that offer warmth and a food source in order to mate and begin their own colony.
Like other pests, they sneak into homes through small cracks, openings, vents, holes, and damaged screens. They will wreak havoc in your ceilings, walls, attic, and basement. They not only destroy property, but they are also very dangerous to the health of humans and pets. They spread germs through their droppings (feces), causing serious illnesses. Illness can also occur when parasites such as mites, fleas, and ticks move in with them and go to work spreading their own host of diseases. You absolutely do not want to let these guys take over your home. A professional pest control service is often necessary in order to get rid of rodents and keep them away.
Ants can be seen in swarms, which can be large in number. They are all looking to colonize and find new mates. Ants in South Florida come in a variety of species such as carpenter ant, fire ant, ghost ant, rover ant, and white-footed ant. The different species of ant can look differently and will seek out varying types of food and shelter. Most are a nuisance year-round, but some appear in mild or rainy weather. The foods that they seek out are vast, ranging from dead insects to sweet, greasy or high protein foods; to honeydew produced by other insects. Most ants are just a nuisance, but some can be destructive.
Here is a list of a few species of ants in South Florida:
Caribbean Crazy Ants can travel in large groups numbering into the thousands.
Carpenter Ants nest inside wood; therefore, you will find small piles of sawdust, which is caused by their excavating. They can cause severe damage to structures.
Crazy Ants are foragers that enjoy greasy or sweet foods and like to live among mulch and rocks.
Ghost Ants are mostly attracted to sweets and high protein foods.
White Footed Ants are found during the rainy seasons. They live above ground and can cause structural damage.
Cockroaches are a problem year-round and are drawn to dark, warm, moist environments. They are most active at night and eat just about anything including garbage, sugar, meats, and pet food. Roaches carry disease and bacteria that can make the people in your home sick. The best way to be sure you do not have a cockroach infestation is to contact a professional pest control service.
Your home is not the only place that insects threaten in the fall. Your lawn and gardens can fall victim as well. Chinch bugs, armyworms, grubs, and crickets are common turf destroying insects here in South Florida that can be active during fall. They will eat and destroy all types of grass, and some will even invade your shrubs and other ornamentals. These insects will cause extensive damage to your lawn and yard requiring intervention and replacement costs. Moles can be active in the fall and will also cause substantial damage as they tunnel through lawns and destroy delicate root systems.
The best way to protect your home and your yard from damaging pests is with help from a pest specialist. Here in South Florida, many of your friends and neighbors trust Hoffer Pest Solutions for their pest control needs. Over the past 40 plus years, we have built a reputation that is synonymous with integrity, quality, and dedication. We not only offer effective solutions for South Florida pest pressures, but we offer them at a fair price and we back them with our pest-free guarantee. Don’t allow pests to ruin your fall and spend the cool winter months inside your home; let the trusted experts here at Hoffer Pest Solutions protect you, your home, and your yard from these destructive and harmful creatures.