6 Common Household Pests And How They Invade Florida Homes

The tropical climate of Florida is ideal for insect pests of all shapes and sizes. And when conditions are right, insect pests like ants, spiders, and ticks invade homes. Insect infestations can be difficult to eradicate indoors. The key to avoiding an infestation is to understand why insect pests invade homes in the first place.

The following list includes some of the most common and invasive pests in Florida.

  1. Ants

Florida is home to many species of ants. In your yard, you may have multiple species of ants, such as carpenter ants, fire ants, and big-headed ants.

Although ants tend to stay outdoors, they might invade your home if they discover a sweet or salty food source. Ants may also invade your home for water. If you seal all of your food in airtight containers and fix leaking faucets and pipes, ants will have no reason to enter your home.

  1. German Cockroaches

German cockroaches prefer to live indoors in restaurants, supermarkets, and homes. But you can also find them in your yard, infesting bins and compost heaps.

Because German cockroaches are not fussy about what they eat, if you see evidence of cockroaches in your home, you need to seal off access to anything that might serve as a food source. That includes bins, coffee, crumbs, cooking oil, and even bars of soap.

Cockroaches need a steady supply of water, so take care of any plumbing issues you have.

  1. Mosquitoes

Because Florida is humid and has plenty of water sources, mosquitoes thrive in this state. In fact, Florida has 80 species of mosquitoes, which is more than any other state in the US.

Although people are usually aware of mosquitoes at night, mosquitoes may actually breeding and live on your property during all hours of the day. Mosquitoes need a source of standing water, which could be a clogged gutter or birdbath for laying eggs. And mosquitoes like overgrown lawns with bushes and long grasses, because these areas give them somewhere to hide during the day.

  1. Spiders

Florida is home to many species of spiders, including wolf spiders, banana spiders, and the dreaded black widow spider. Spiders go where the food is, which, unfortunately, sometimes means your home.

If your property has an abundant source of food, in other words, insect pests, spiders will gravitate to your home. The key to keeping spiders away is to keep the insect population on your property low. A pest control service can help do that.

  1. Termites

Termites are a problem throughout the US, but Florida’s warm and humid climate is especially favorable to subterranean termites. A subterranean termite infestation can go undetected for years until the damage they cause becomes apparent.

Subterranean termites forage continuously, seeking out sources of moisture and moisture-damaged wood. If you use wood-chip mulch in your yard, wooden borders, or have plants or bushes against your home’s foundation, termites may soon invade.

  1. Ticks

Ticks are common in wooded areas or yards with lots of bushes and long grass. Although most species of tick don’t seek to enter buildings, the brown dog tick will make its way into a house and lay eggs if a food source is available.

If you keep your yard trimmed and free of debris and keep moisture sources away from your home, ticks will be less inclined to invade.

You can prevent these pests from entering your home by sealing all entry points. For instance, you can caulk door and window frames, add sweeps and thresholds to your doors, and seal the gaps around cables, as well as heating and plumbing pipes. But this won’t help you to control the insect population living on your doorstep. For that, consider hiring a professional pest control service.

With the assistance of a pest specialist, you can eradicate the population of insect pests on your property, inside and out. Call Highland Pest Control, Inc., today, and find out how our affordable, full-service pest control services can keep your property free of invasive creepy crawlies. With almost 40 years of experience in the pest control industry, no pest problem is too big for us.