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Rats

What’s the best rat bait to use when trying to trap rats? If you answered cheese or peanut butter, you’d be wrong—though a lot of people think so. While it is true that rats will eat just about anything, they do have preferences.

Rats are a major problem in our coastal towns of New Smyrna Beach, Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach, and Flagler Beach. Rats thrive in the scrub and mangroves along the Florida coastline.

The two main types of rats we find are roof rats (also called house rats) and Norway rats. Roof rats get their name from where they’re usually found, in attics and roofs.

It is in the rat’s nature to climb high up in palm trees to eat the berries. They also like to eat the fruit of citrus trees. Identifying which rat species you’re dealing with is a major factor in choosing the right kind of bait to use.

Since roof rats prefer citrusy food items, it would be unwise to try

to trap these rats using meat, cheese, or peanut butter. While it is true rats will eat anything, they prefer some foods over others. Using a candy fruit gummy does the job nicely.

Rats avoid anything new in their environment; when snap traps are placed where rats are feeding, they avoid the trap. At first, they will be very wary about going near the trap. Eventually the rat gets used to the trap’s presence.

The bait should be affixed to the rat trap in a manner so that it cannot be easily pulled off by the rat. Make sure to fix the beach of the trap strongly so that when the rat tugs on the bait it will spring and catch the rat.

Poison should never be used inside a home or business except in very extreme circumstances. The problem with using poison indoors is that the rat may live for a few hours after consuming the poisonous bait. In that time, it can travel a good distance before dying. If it dies in an area not accessible for removal, the smell of a decaying rat will stink up the residence for three weeks or more. In addition to the bad smell, flies will also become numerous causing a serious problem.

Call Dave’s Pest Control at the first indication of a rat problem. Our technicians know to rid the premises of rodents safely and effectively.

Boxelder Bugs

With summer arriving on the heels of spring, seasonal bugs are on the move. By early spring, overwintering boxelder bugs emerge from hibernation and return to their host trees. They can be seen crawling on trees and up the sides of homes. Their large numbers can be alarming if you haven’t seen them before—or maybe even if you have!

Boxelder bugs get their name from the boxelder trees where they are often found. They also may be found on maple, ash, and some fruit trees. The adult’s vibrant colors of red and black make them easy to identify, although sometimes they are mistaken for mites or ticks because they look slightly alike. The nymphs are all red and can be very small and can be seen on the trunks of trees.

If you see one boxelder bug, you’re sure to find more. Since they have zero interference from predators, they tend to congregate in very large numbers and are commonly found on the sunny side of homes and businesses. As they crawl, they gain entry to your home through small cracks or the sweep of an open door.

Boxelder bugs are only a nuisance pest; they are harmless to humans or pets. They have no stingers, nor venom or fangs.

They have no predators; all predators are repelled by the repulsive odor boxelders exude and their nasty taste when anything tries to eat them. If your dog or cat thinks they are about to chomp down a tasty treat, they will quickly discover that this is one bug best left alone. It is also because of their disgusting odor and taste that they can congregate undisturbed in very large numbers.

They mainly feed on the small seeds of boxelder, maple, and other similar trees. Although not a damaging pest, they are nonetheless a nuisance.

Earwigs

Many of us have seen these creepy looking bugs, perhaps crawling along your driveway, sidewalk, or inside your home. You can also find earwigs under rocks or tree logs. They prefer damp, moist soil where they live just under the soil hunting for and preying on small insects.

Earwigs get their name from the myth that these bugs will crawl into your ear while you are sleeping and eat your brain. This is most certainly not true. They are not harmful to humans. Earwigs belong to the biological order called Dermaptera. This basically means leathery wings. Although earwigs can fly, they are not so good at it and appear clumsy when doing so.

They have large pincers on their rear section. These pincers are modified legs called cerci. Cockroaches and crickets also have cerci, but theirs are much smaller. A male earwig’s pincers are curved while the females are straight. The pincers are used defensively to fight other earwigs. They use their pincers to grab the abdomen of the opposing earwig. Their pincers are also used to grab and eat prey.

Earwigs enter your home through small cracks, gaps, and small holes. They can also be brought inside on plants or between the pot and the bottom saucer containing a plant. Like most bugs, they are attracted to light; even a small nightlight can attract bugs.

Earwigs undergo an incomplete metamorphosis, going from egg to nymph to adult, lacking such stages as the larvae and pupa. The male and female mate in the fall and stay together in their nest to reproduce.

They have three body segments: the head, thorax, and abdomen. Like most bugs, earwigs have an exoskeleton to protect their soft internal organs. Their bodies are small and flat allowing them to fit into small spaces. Earwigs have a brain, eyes. and long bead-like antennae. They have chewing mouthparts. Attached to their thorax are six legs and four wings, two on each side. Earwigs are fast crawlers but are not good fliers, even though they do have wings that can unfold and expand over 10 times their size. The abdomen has 10 segments, and the large pincers give this bug its intimidating look. When in a defense position, earwigs will bend their abdomen over their head much like a scorpion. If you were to get pinched by an earwig, it might hurt, but it would not cause any major damage.

Paper wasps

Wasps are important pollinators just as bees are. Unfortunately, they often make their nests around and on our homes under soffits, patio furniture, and barbecue grills, to name a few places.

Disturbing their nest will cause a frenzied attack to protect their nest. Wasps are dangerous and aggressive. Their venom is a nerve toxin, and a sting can become a real emergency for allergic people.

Paper wasps do not have barbed stingers and can sting repeatedly. Some symptoms from paper wasp stings include swelling of the throat, lips, and tongue. You can have difficulty breathing and develop itchy hives and swelling at the site of the sting. In extreme cases, abdominal cramping, diarrhea, and vomiting can develop from the toxins contained in wasp venom.

Paper wasps are social insects with a caste system made up of workers, queens, and males. In the spring, wasps select a nesting sight and lay their eggs. Their nests are made of wood fibers from plants that they chew up and form into hexagonal shaped cells. Wasps forage during the day, preying on other insects, and then rest at night.

They are attracted to things resembling their preferred pollination flowers, trees, and shrubs. To help prevent getting stung, avoid wearing flowered shirts, brightly colored clothes, and jewelry. Also, perfumes and colognes can attract wasps as their scents somewhat mimic the smell of flowering plants.

If you are stung, do not swat, or smash a wasp; that action releases pheromones to other wasps, signaling them to attack you.

To prevent wasps from making nests around your home, call the professionals at Dave’s Pest Control for expert advice and removal of these dangerous pests.

No matter what kind of pests you may have, we can help. Whether it’s rats, paper wasps, earwigs, boxelder bugs, or other crawly things, trust the experts at Dave’s Pest Control.

Many people at some point in their lives have been stung by a wasp or bee. For most, the initial pain from a sting fades in a few hours. The stinger, if there is one, is removed and a topical analgesic like Benadryl or just plain ice can reduce the pain. For others, a sting is a life-threatening situation calling for immediate attention from a medical professional.

Then there are those that have the misfortune to be stung repeatedly by many wasps. Unfortunately, this happens frequently because stinging insects like wasps send attack pheromones to the others in their colony. This defense mechanism ensures the survival of the whole colony.

Africanized Honeybees

Of all stinging insects, the Africanized honeybee is probably the most feared by the American public largely due to the media’s sensationalized stories and videos.

Africanized bees, also called killer bees, were accidentally produced by crossbreeding African honeybees and western honeybees. One day in Brazil in 1957, as scientists were studying African bees, a few of the bees escaped. They successfully bred in their new habitat and these invading African bees decimated the more docile European bees. African bees will kill the European queen and replace her with their own queen.

This hybrid species of bees is extremely aggressive and sting at the slightest provocation. When one stings you, pheromones are sent to and detected by the other bees. In an attack by Africanized bees, the situation goes from bad to worse; they will not stop stinging until the perceived threat is gone. People can be stung well over 10,000 times, putting any such person at grave risk of death.

In Arizona in 1997, a 71-year-old man and his sons were cleaning up a property they owned for new tenets. The old man accidently caused a nest of killer bees to vibrate. The bees immediately went on the attack, stinging him on his face and eyes thousands of times. Hundreds of them went down his gasping throat and down his esophagus to his lungs. While he was still alive, he stumbled to find help but was not able to get to anyone. He fell to the ground, succumbing to the vicious attack.

Attacks such as this are rare; however, we should always be aware of our surroundings when working outdoors.

Carpenter Bees

Carpenter bees are a major nuisance and predominately more active in the spring than other months. They get their name from the nine-inch holes they bore in wood to nest in. Carpenter bees can cause significant damage to soffits, siding, or facia where they lay their eggs if left untreated for long periods of time. Additionally, they can fly aggressively around you, divebombing at your head and face. The males do not have stingers, and stings from carpenter bees are rare.

Wasps

The two main species of wasps we have in Volusia and Flagler Counties are the cicada killer wasps and paper wasps.

The sting from a paper wasp can be quite painful, and the swelling, redness, and itchiness can last up to three to five days after you’ve been stung.

Paper wasps make their nests under soffits, eaves, patio furniture, and barbecue grills. They are also commonly found in tool sheds or other outdoor areas where garden equipment is stored. Paper wasp nests are made from deadwood and plant stems mixed with their saliva and are a light brown to grey in color.

Cicada killer wasps have yellow and black bands around their bodies, similar to yellow jackets, but at two inches in length, are much larger. They are solitary wasps and are the largest wasps in the United States.

Expert hunters, these wasps hunt for cicadas in the trees. Using their large, barbed stingers, they stab and pump venom into hapless cicadas, paralyzing them instantly. A female wasp lays an egg on top of the cicada whereupon a male wasp fertilizes the egg.

Once fertilized, the wasps carry the paralyzed cicada down into their underground burrows. Once the egg hatches, the newly born pupa will feed on the still paralyzed cicada until it can build a cocoon and a new wasp flies out of the ground next season.

Cicadas emerging from their underground nests can be an alarming sight. Hundreds of giant wasps rise, seemingly out of nowhere, and fly low to the ground. This shocking image often prompts people to call pest control technicians or to lawn care professionals, seeking help from the apocalyptic-like wasp invasion.

I don’t encourage it, but the truth is, you can stand directly within a swarm of cicadas and not get stung. These wasps want nothing more to do than hunting down cicadas in the trees so they can mate and complete their life cycle.

Mud daubers

Mud daubers, sometimes called mud wasps or dirt daubers, are solitary wasps and do not live in large colonies as bees do. They are docile wasps that are more interested in pollinating flowers and paralyzing spiders than stinging humans.
Mud daubers build mud nests on the sides of brick walls, attics, crawl spaces, and any other flat surfaces like stucco, concrete, and cement.

As the name suggests, mud dauber nests are made up of mud and enzymes from the wasp’s saliva. The nest becomes rock hard and difficult to remove. The porous nature of stone and brick causes an unsightly stain after a mud dauber nest is removed. Nests resemble big, round blobs, while other species make organ pipe shapes nests. If you break open a nest, you often find either larvae cocoons or paralyzed spiders packed into small chambers.

The Butterfly Effect

At the heart of the chaos theory lies the butterfly effect. Created by Edward Lorenz, the small flapping of butterfly wings weeks earlier can bring about tornadoes and destruction elsewhere. This is a metaphorical example of how one seemingly unimportant event can have a tremendous impact somewhere else.

In February of 1996, Birgenair Flight 301 crashed into the sea taking 189 lives while en route to Germany from the Dominican Republic. After a long and painstaking investigation, it was determined that a mud dauber nest clogged one of the three pitot tubes—which are mounted on the outside of the aircraft—sending contradictory air speed information to the crew and autopilot system. Believing the airspeed was too high, the captain raised the nose of the plane and reduced power to the engines thereby setting off a disastrous string of events that culminated in the crash.

In the aftermath of the crash, the FAA issued directives to include a blocked pitot tube sequence as part of standard pilot training.

Luckily for us, instances like this are extremely rare and illustrate how a solitary wasp like a mud dauber, which is basically harmless to humans, indirectly caused an incredible amount of damage and loss of life somewhere else. In this case, it was not the butterfly effect, it was the mud dauber effect.

Getting stung

Most bees and wasps will not sting unless they feel threatened. Unfortunately for us, their perception of an attack on their lives, may just be us accidentally getting too close or vibrating their nest. This can happen by just knocking on a friend’s door or perhaps mowing your lawn.

Although bees and wasps are incredibly important to the environment and our own agricultural needs, when they get inside our homes and businesses, they become a threat to human safety.

Bees and wasps also pose a greater risk to those who are allergic to the venom in a sting. If an allergic person gets stung multiple times, an allergic reaction called anaphylaxis occurs. Anaphylaxis is life threatening, as it causes extreme swelling in the airways resulting in suffocation.

When outside doing yard work, be mindful of your surroundings. Especially if you do not have an expert pest control company like Dave’s Pest Control regularly treating your home.

Bugs like spiders make nests around exterior lighting fixtures because they are attracted to light. Mud daubers make nests close to spider nests because they hunt down and paralyze spiders. Paper wasps make nests under eaves and soffits to stay dry and protected from rain and strong winds.

Wasps and bees can be found pollinating fruits and flowers especially in the early morning hours. By knowing where wasps and bees are likely to make nests, you can avoid unpleasant interactions with them.

Although we sometimes cannot avoid getting stung, having Dave’s Pest Control providing regular service at your home or business will help protect you and your family from a painful experience from a venomous stinging insect.

Call us today for a free estimate for your home or business.

Lawns are actively growing again as we say goodbye to winter dormancy and say hello to the summer growing season. As the days grow longer, the time to apply pre-emergent herbicides grows shorter.

Dave’s Pest Control is a full-service provider with an excellent lawn care program tailored for lawns in Volusia and Flagler counties. When controlling weeds like crabgrass and dollar weed, it is important to get an early start to prevent them from growing.

We provide lawn fertilization along with weed, insect, and disease control. With our knowledge and expert advice, you can expect a healthy, green, weed-free lawn all year long.

Lawn care is a billion dollar a year business in the United States. Almost every home and business in America spends money on some facet of lawn care. Hundreds of thousands of hours are spent mowing and caring for lawns. The industry is extremely competitive and employs millions of people who work very hard at achieving lush, green lawns. Since it is warm year-round in Florida, lawn care is in high demand. In our area of Volusia and Flagler counties, Dave’s Pest Control has an army of highly trained lawn care technicians with years of experience ready to work for you.

Crabgrass

We are in a constant battle with broadleaf weeds like crabgrass.
It is one of the major weeds we’re up against in Volusia and Flagler Counties. Although the crabgrass plant is technically a grass type, it is nonetheless an invasive weed.

Crabgrass was originally brought to the United States in the early part of the 20th century. It provides excellent grazing for animals like cows, goats, and sheep. Crabgrass adapts well to almost any environment, including cracks in asphalt and concrete walkways.
Crabgrass is an annual plant, producing upwards of 150,000 seeds. Although not every seed takes root and grows, many seeds do become fully grown plants. It grows very quickly and multiplies exponentially when fertilized. Because of these qualities, crabgrass was cultivated and planted to feed farm animals.

Along with maintaining a thick healthy lawn, using a pre-emergent herbicide is key to preventing crabgrass. A healthy, thick, vigorously growing lawn chokes out weeds, keeping them from taking root in the first place.

Like all plants, crabgrass needs sunlight to grow, which is why it’s found growing in areas that get direct sunlight, such as along the edges of roads and walkways where there is a great amount of heat and sunlight.

Think of your lawn as a one giant plant with many leaves. Grass blades use the sun’s energy in a process called photosynthesis. Water and carbon within the plant are converted into glucose by trapping energy of the sun.

Pre-emergent herbicides work by disrupting cell development as crabgrass grows. Without photosynthesis, plants become so stressed, they die.

Crabgrass can be identified by the three seed pods growing from its center. It is often found in areas of thin lawn that are exposed to direct sunlight.

Mowing over an area of crabgrass plants sends thousands of seeds everywhere. It is wise to use a bag attached to your mower to catch grass clippings if you have crabgrass.

Pre-emergent herbicides should be applied in the winter or right before spring. The application leaves a small, thin layer of protection which prevents crabgrass seeds from growing. The drawback is that sunlight can break down this barrier. Often this happens in areas where it’s needed the most: thin or bare areas exposed to direct sunlight.

Dollar Weed

Dollar weed, also known as pennywort, is a warm weather perennial weed that thrives in hot, humid climates. It spreads above ground by seeds and underground by rhizomes. A rhizome is a fleshy, rootlike, and usually horizontal plant stem that forms shoots above and below ground. Dollar weed rhizomes are extremely hard to pull out of the ground for removal.

Dollar weed grows low to the ground in small bunches. The leaves are about one to two inches in diameter, about the size of a half dollar coin.

Dichondra is another low growing weed, often mistaken for dollar weed. You can spot the difference by looking at the leaf. Dollar weed’s leaf is round; dichondra has a cusp where the stem meets the leaf, resulting in a more kidney shaped leaf.

Both dollar weed and dichondra grow in moist, shaded areas of lawns. It can spread to thin areas of grass and will quickly take over, outcompeting Saint Augustine grass for vital nutrients.

Dollar weed and dichondra can be treated with an appropriate pre-emergent herbicide specifically made for warm climate grasses like Saint Augustine, Bermuda, and centipede.

Plant Science

Plants need four major components to grow: sunlight, air, water, and nutrients. Without these components, plants grow poorly and easily succumb to insects and diseases.

The root system of a plant draws water and mineral nutrients from the ground like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, and zinc.

The primary nutrients needed for plant growth are nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). Fertilizer bags containing these nutrients are labeled by the chemical symbols of N,P, and K. Other nutrients like lime help balance the pH level in the soil, keeping it less acidic and more alkaline, which aids lawns in nutrition availability. Lime is made from ground limestone and naturally contains calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate.

Iron is also an important nutrient for a healthy lawn. Lawns with an iron deficiency become spotty and yellow. Iron is important for making chlorophyll, which is a green pigment essential for photosynthesis.

Keeping a healthy, green, weed free lawn can be difficult. But with a little help and some basic knowledge, you can overcome many of these difficulties.

In Volusia and Flagler Counties, the most common grass type is Saint Augustine. This grass type spreads by stolon, a creeping horizontal plant stem or runner that takes root at points along its length to form new plants. Stolon spreads across the soil just above the surface and roots itself a few feet away. The new “daughter’’ plant grows and produces its own stolon. An entire lawn of Saint Augustine grass can be many interconnected plants.

Saint Augustine grass is somewhat drought tolerant and has large, wide blades. It is a very thick, coarse grass type and is good at keeping weeds out. When watered and fertilized, it has a nice green color.

Zoysia grass is another common type in Florida lawns. Like Saint Augustine, zoysia grass is coarse and thick. This grass does well in Florida’s hot climate.

The lawns of many Florida homes have a mixture of several different types of grass including Bermuda, Bahia, and centipede grasses.

Diseases

Diseases in St. Augustine grass are extremely common.

For a plant to have a disease, it needs a “disease triangle.” This triangle consists of a pathogen, the environment, and a host.

A common disease of St. Augustine grass is brown patch fungus. It can be easily recognized by large areas of dead turf and is caused by a fungus called rhizoctonia.

Dark brown to black patches form where the grass blade attaches to the stolon. As the pathogen spreads, larger and larger areas die off and turn brown.

Sometimes you can reduce the severity of brown patch fungus by changing mowing and watering practices. Mowing at a lower cutting height will increase air circulation, reducing moisture that promotes fungi.

Chinch Bugs

Chinch bugs are an ongoing problem in Saint Augustine lawns. Chinch bugs are small insects with sucking mouthparts. They extract nutrients from grass and stunt its growth. Large brown, dead areas will develop in turf grasses that have chinch bugs.

Our technicians at Dave’s pest control are highly trained and know how to tell the difference between brown patch, chinch bugs, and many other insects and diseases.

Watering

Watering your lawn is important, especially in times of prolonged drought. It is equally important not to overwater. If you have an irrigation system, be sure it is set to go off in the early morning hours. This way the The root system of a plant draws water and mineral nutrients from the ground like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, and zinc.
The root system of a plant draws water and mineral nutrients from the ground like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, and zinc.
grass has time to dry out before nightfall. Excessive watering can cause diseases to flourish. Turn off irrigation systems when rain is forecasted. Watering your lawn during a rainstorm is like clapping with one hand—useless!

Additionally, overwatering your lawn will drive your water bill sky-high. Many irrigation systems have rain sensors—a worthwhile tool.

Most towns in Florida have watering restrictions as to what days of the week, what time of day, and duration of watering are allowed. Make sure you are in compliance with your town’s restrictions.

To get an accurate measurement of how much water your lawn is getting, place tuna cans or small cups in various areas of your lawn. When the tuna can is full of water, you have watered enough. Watering for ½ an hour should yield half an inch of water. This is a great way to be sure of the amount of water you are using. This will also allow you to see what areas are getting either too much or too little water.

Dave’s pest control is committed to excellence in everything we do. As a vital part of our community, we strive to help our neighbors maintain their properties with safe, reliable services and products.

Call us today for a free consultation.

Termites, we know them, we fear them. Unseen bugs of destruction. Termites are responsible for over 5 billion dollars in property damage each year. Homeowners insurance does not cover termite damage to homes. The cost of repairing a home from extensive termite damage can run in the thousands. It is much more cost effective to prevent termites in the first place rather than wait until you have a major problem. Whether you live in a warm tropical environment, or live farther north in cooler climates, termites can strike when you least expect.

Subterranean termites

Subterranean termites are an unseen menace hardwired to seek and destroy any and all cellulose in your home. Drawn like a moth to flame, they go unnoticed, eating away at your most important asset you have, your home. Gradually, they eat away at the wooden studs within your walls. Like a ghost, they live within the walls, haunting the living. With millions of years of evolution in their corner, they wreak havoc in almost every corner of the globe.

Termites feed on cellulose which is found in all wood and paper products we use to build our homes and businesses. In nature, everything is recycled. A never ending cycle of death and rebirth. Termites have been feeding on the billions of trees, shrubs and branches that have fallen to the ground over the millennia.

Air conditioning units that have run-off moisture can give enough water to sustain a very large subterranean termite colony. Typical subterranean termite colonies can contain between 60,000 to 1 million termites.

Gutter downspouts can also be a source of a steady water supply for a large subterranean termite colony. In addition, any area of your home where water runoff from the roof can be an area where termites can be present.

The damage from subterranean termites can be more damaging than storms and fires combined. Damaged wood can sometimes be so bad that a home’s structural integrity can become compromised. Usually, the damage will go unseen for a long period of time, sometimes years, before it is noticeable. Having a swarm of termites inside your home is sure sign you have a termite colony somewhere within  your home.

It is estimated that 60% of homes in Florida have some evidence of termites. We see termite infestations not only in coastal towns like Flagler beach, Daytona Beach and New Smyrna beach, but also further inland in towns like Deltona, Orange city and Deland.

Houses built between 50 and 60 years ago have the highest chance from suffering termite damage. Almost every house built in the United States has wood construction. Wood has always been abundant and plentiful in the United States. Trees provided wood for the first settlement at Jamestown in 1607 and 90 percent of homes today are built with wood. It is faster, easier and more cost efficient than building with other materials like bricks and cement. Even brick and block homes use wood in their construction and are susceptible to termite damage.

Sentricon Bait Stations

Dave’s pest control is proud to now offer sentricon bait stations for complete subterranean termite control. These bait stations can be put around homes and businesses and are a great way to keep termites at bay. The bait stations are small green plastic units that house a specialized bait.

Subterranean termites are always looking for wood to feed on. Although unseen, they always pose a threat. Termites will move underground in all directions looking for a food source. Once termites have found a food source, they will use chemical pheromones to alert the rest of the colony where the food is.

Sentricon bait stations are installed around the perimeter of your home. The bait stations are placed 8 to 10 feet apart and the linear feet of your home will dictate how many stations are needed.  Each bait station is installed 12 -18 inches away from the homes or business foundation and are put 10 -12 inches deep. Before installing each bait station, we check for underground irrigation water lines and other obstructions.

The bait stations should also be placed in any area conducive to termites like high moisture around the homes foundations from air conditioning units, irrigation systems and gutter downspouts. Conducive areas are also found near tree stumps, woodpiles or any other area with a lot of wood or falling tree branches and limbs.

Inside each station is a circular block of a highly dense formulation of cellulose and an insecticide called noviflumuron. Noviflumuron is an insect growth regulator (IGR) that prevents successful molting and development of subterranean termites.

This disruption in the termites development will lead to an inevitable decline and death of the entire colony. In scientific studies, Recruit HD bait was placed side by side with normal wood. Termites would choose the Recruit HD bait matrix over the wood. Interestingly, the bait becomes more favorable the longer it is in the soil. The bait formulation remains effective for up to eight years.

The Sentricon baiting system is supported by Dow AgroSciences, a pioneering expert in the elimination of Subterranean Termites.

Termites are social insects which are closely related to cockroaches. They have an incomplete metamorphosis. A typical termite colony will have eggs, larvae, workers, soldiers, and a male king and female queen. A termite colony’s life cycle will start with eggs that hatch to larvae. These nymphs will turn into workers and soldiers which feed on cellulose. Cellulose is essentially plant fiber that is extracted from wood pulp. Termites have microorganisms in their gut called protozoa which breaks down the cellulose. Reproductive adult winged termites called, “Alates”, will turn into a new king and queen. They will lay eggs and start the life cycle again. This whole process can take from five to eight years. Overall swarming activity takes place in eastern Florida around late February to late May and June.

For years, termites were known as white ants until the use of microscopes helped distinguish different features between the two. Termites, just like cockroaches, have survived millions of years due to their social characteristics. Unseen, they can go undetected by most predators, and the division of labor is much like ants, bees, and wasps. One prominent difference is termites can be male or female. This ability to be any caste in the colony greatly increases the chance of survival.

Florida homes in suburban neighborhoods are often constructed quite closely to each other. Adjacent neighbors can share the same termite problems: active termite colonies swarming from home to home. Of course, it is beneficial for pest control companies to have many adjacent neighbors as customers, but more importantly, it’s easier for technicians to manage difficult termite colonies if several neighbors have their homes treated at the same time.

Termites have populated the Florida peninsula for thousands of years. Homes in coastal cities like New Smyrna Beach and Flagler Beach, have an abundance of termite activity as do centralized cities like Orange City, DeLand and Deltona, which also have substantial subterranean termite activity. Our dependence on wood for building material has provided termites with a good source of food for hundreds of years now.

Luckily, we have an enormous amount of research and knowledge in battling Subterranean termites. By providing Sentricon bait stations with Recruit HD with Noviflumuron, we are better able to help our customers control and prevent Subterranean termites.

Call us today for a free estimate for your home or business.