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Flying insects in Florida can be quite a nuisance when they get inside our homes. We swat and we swing, missing every time. Effortlessly zipping across the room, we curse their existence. There are many bugs that fly and their evolution has been studied for years.

How do invertebrates defy gravity and lift themselves into the air?

Many of us have dreamed about flying at some point in our lives. We might have imagined we had the power to soar and float high above the ground, flying like an eagle.

Dragonflies, bees, and wasps can fly to incredibly high altitudes. A scientific study found that some bumblebees can fly as high as 29,000 feet. They compensate for reduced air pressure by changing their wings to a more curved shape. This allows the bee to fly in much thinner air, just as many airplane propellers can change the angle of the blades to take a bigger bite of air. Have you ever put your hand out the window of a moving car? You will have noticed that if you curve your hand, it rises in the oncoming air.

Invertebrate fossils date back to the Carboniferous period, about 358 million years ago. During this period, the earth’s land was choked with thick forests and moss. The oxygen levels were much higher than they are today, and invertebrates grew to huge sizes. Dragonflies had two and a half foot wingspans!

Imagine trying to swat one of those away.

“How did you break your hand?”

“Oh, I swatted a dragonfly!”

After millions of years of evolution, insects grew wings and took to the air. Why this happened is much debated, but they did so—and how they did it

—is very much different than what you’d expect.

Animal and insect flight evolved separately four distinct times in history.

Insects, birds, bats, and a flying reptile called a pterosaur, each evolved separately. It is widely believed that each developed wings for survival. Having the ability to fly away just when something is about to eat you alive is an incredibly useful means of escape. The amazing ability to fly is an phenomenal trait to have developed for many insects.

From the earliest recorded history of mankind’s desire to fly, comes a story in Greek mythology. In the story, “The Flight of Daedalus and Icarus,” Daedalus made wings out of feathers and wax for Icarus his son and himself to escape from a labyrinth. Before they took off, Daedalus warned Icarus not to fly too low over the sea lest his wings get wet, or too high, lest the sun melt the wax. Icarus arrogantly ignored these instructions and flew too close to the sun. His wings melted, plummeting him to his death. Daedalus mourned his son’s death, naming the land where Icarus was buried Icaria, which is known today as Crete.

While the moral of this story is that arrogance has deadly consequences, it also reveals man’s earliest desire to fly.

In the 15 century, Leonardo Da Vinci dreamed of human flight. He drew sketches of flying machines which included drawings of wings modeled after bat wings. He also designed the first helicopter, calling it an “aerial screw.”

Archimedes, centuries earlier, is credited with inventing the screw—a simple machine—which is, in essence, an inclined plane wrapped around a cylinder. Using this principal in the design of this simple machine, Da Vinci’s concept had the potential to lift a man above the ground, defying gravity.

It wouldn’t be until hundreds of years later in 1903 that the Wright brothers successfully created the first machine allowing man to fly.

Dragonflies

Dragonflies are a common sight in Volusia and Flagler counties. Usually found near bodies of water, dragonflies eat hundreds of mosquitos daily.

Many of these predators can grow to between five and seven inches in length. Flying at speeds sometimes reaching 30 miles per hour, dragonflies are able to avoid being eaten by birds or other prey.

Although dragonflies look big and scary, they have no interest in biting or stinging humans. They may sometimes get stuck inside your screened-in porch, flying erratically, bouncing off the walls trying to get out.

Although dragonflies eat mosquitoes, they can’t completely rid your yard and home of them. Other measures are needed for complete eradication. Dave’s Pest Control provides mosquito control with our non-toxic products that effectively attract and kill all mosquito larvae and adults in an area.

We use In2 care mosquito traps, buckets as they are sometimes called. The effectiveness of the trap is not limited to the trap itself; it extends to the surrounding areas. By using a biological control method, long-lasting results are achieved without using harmful chemicals.

The traps lure mosquitoes in as they are ready to lay their eggs. When the female mosquito deposits its eggs, it gets the mosquito killing powder on its body. When this female flies to another location to lay eggs, it contaminates the new breeding site with the powder on its body, which in turn kills the new larvae at the new breeding site.

Bees

Bees are a very common sight this time of year in Volusia and Flagler counties. During the fall, bees ramp up their activities preparing for the coming winter. As the temperature drops, and the daylight grows shorter, nectar and pollen dry up. During the months of July through December, bees decrease in colony size. Competition for nectar and pollen grows stronger among all the pollinating insects.

Pollination by insects is called entomophily. The evolution of insects, and the evolution of plants on earth has been interlocked for millions of years.

Plants use the light from the sun for photosynthesis. Green pigment called chlorophyll turns the energy of sunlight into carbon dioxide and water. It is quite amazing how tiny photons from over ninety million miles away are used by living organisms here on earth for nutrients. Insects live and feed on the grasses, plants, and trees abundantly growing on earth.

Honeybees

The European honeybee, apis mellifera, are sometimes mistakenly called wasps or hornets. All of these stinging insects are great pollinators, but there are some differences between them.

Honeybees are fuzzy with yellow and black banding on their bodies. They are not as hostile as wasps and yellow jackets, and only sting if threatened.

They build hexagon shaped cells out of a wax produced in their glands. The cells are filled with honey forming what is called a comb. The honey is made from nectar which bees collect from flowers and plants.

Honeybees communicate by using pheromones and can tell the difference between hive members and intruders.

Bees are extremely important to our planet and its many diverse ecosystems. Over 90 percent of plants and flowers depend on cross pollination to survive. Our planet would look very different today without bees.

Bees can become a nuisance and a danger if they colonize within the walls

of your home or business. In some situations, they can pose an imminent threat to the safety of people and pets.

Sweat Bee

Another commonly seen flying invertebrate is the sweat bee, which is found all over Flagler and Volusia counties. They look like a hybrid between a metallic green fly and a wasp and are important pollinators of many flowers and crops. They zip back and forth erratically pollinating flowers and plants. These bees get their name because they like to lick human sweat. They are attracted to the salt, an essential nutrient in our sweat.

Sweat bees are not aggressive and only sting if threatened. Their sting is described as moderately painful. Generally, they are social insects living in hives either underground, or in hollowed out trees. Many homeowners accidentally run over an underground hive when mowing the grass or pulling weeds in a garden.

When bees take up residence in our living spaces, they become a nuisance and can pose a risk to the health and safety of humans, especially those who are allergic to bee stings.

Leaf Bugs

The eastern leaf-footed bug is a slow flying insect that feeds on the sap and plant juices from fruit trees. It is considered a pest to almonds, tomatoes, pistachios, and pomegranates. They inhabit most of the southern United States, Mexico, and Costa Rica.

A common pest from Deland, Deltona and Orange city to Flagler Beach and Palm Coast, leaf bugs can do extensive damage to your prized tomato plants. These alien-looking pests emit a stink if you pick one up. They are one of many so called “stink bugs” found in Florida year-round.

Flying insects and bugs can intrude on our lives, especially when they get into our homes through open doors and windows. Dave’s Pest Control can eliminate them for you, safely and effectively.

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

A closer look at unfamiliar pests we may see in our homes, condominiums and businesses.

Creepy crawly insects have been on earth for billions of years. Some bugs have continuously plagued mankind for centuries. Most of us know many of the common insects that get into our homes such as ants, spiders, and cockroaches, but there are many other pests that interrupt our daily lives that we may not recognize so easily thinking, “what’s that bug”. So this blog is going to answer your question.

Familiar bugs that invade our living spaces are seen as a minor inconvenience, but when we see insects we can’t identify, we may feel bewildered as to what to do about them. Fear and panic are natural responses to suddenly seeing an odd-looking bug.

Termite Swarms

A customer in New Smyrna Beach once told us that a large swarm of bugs had gotten into her home. In fear, she grabbed a can of insect spray and started spraying indiscriminately on everything in her home, including her husband. (Poor guy, but not to worry, he’s fine and bug free!)

Dave’s Pest Control came to the rescue and dealt safely with the termites.

Termites swarm twice a year to mate and to establish new colonies. When these wood eating bugs emerge and take flight, they are called Aletes. Aletes fly toward light. Their wings quickly break off and most don’t live very long. The few that do survive create new colonies.

Swarming termites are a favorite food for ants, birds, lizards, and geckos.

Rice Weevils

Pantry pests are a common sight in kitchens and pantries all over Volusia and Flagler counties. Rice Weevils can infest stored products like rice, flour, and pasta. These odd-looking bugs can appear suddenly in large numbers. Hundreds of bugs can be found all over a home infested with rice weevils. By nature, these pests fan out from their original nesting site and will even crawl up walls and ceilings.

To prevent pantry pests like weevils, keep items like rice, flour, pasta, and breadcrumbs in sealed containers, preferably in the refrigerator. Throw away any food that is past the expiration date.

Rice weevils are not dangerous to humans either in the larvae stage, or in the adult beetle stage. Accidentally consuming them will not harm you, but probably taste disgusting.

Moths

There are different types of moths commonly found in Florida.

Indian Meal Moths

The Indian meal moth is probably the most troublesome pest infestation in stored pantry products. They feed vigorously on cereals, rice, grains, dried fruits, crackers, nuts, and many processed foods. Moth larvae are even capable of chewing through plastic bags and cardboard.

As an extremely invasive pest, elimination can be expensive and time-consuming. Inspect as closely as possible all food bought from grocery stores and seal in airtight containers when you bring them home. Stored foods should be consumed within 6 months. Keeping food for long periods of time greatly increases the likelihood of having an infestation of pantry pests. Always throw away food that is past its expiration date.

As with all moths and butterflies, it is the larvae that do damage. Feeding on grains and wheat, moths can lay up to 400 eggs at a time and hatch in about seven days. Moths undergo a complete metamorphosis, starting their life as eggs, and then hatching into larvae. It is the larvae stage that causes the most degradation of food.

Feeding can last two to three months before they spin into cocoons. After 18 to 23 days, adult moths emerge. Females lay hundreds of eggs on nearby food and the life cycle continues.

Indian meal moths may be found inside infested products or flying around homes. The larvae look like white worms with shades of yellow, green, and brown, and grow up to half an inch long. A white silk webbing can be found on the surface of the infested product.

It is not uncommon to see caterpillars or cocoons on ceilings and walls, and adult moths can be found weeks after the infested products have been removed.

Moths may have lived thousands of years before recorded history. Although very few moth fossils exist, there are some that have been preserved in amber and some in fine sand and sediments. Most insects, like moths, have chitin exoskeletons rather than mineralized bones, so their decomposition isn’t like that of mammals.

It is interesting to note that both moths and butterflies share the same DNA and genetic sequences, only differing slightly in some cellular development. This results in small but notable differences.

Clothing Moths

The common clothes moth feeds on fabric containing animal fibers such as wool, fur, silk, feathers, and leather. These materials contain keratin, a fibrous protein forming the main structural constituent of nails, hair, feathers, hoofs, claws, horns, etc., that the larvae can digest.

Clothes moths are small, usually beige, and have narrow wings fringed with small hairs. They are seldom seen and avoid light, preferring dark, seldom disturbed areas like closets, basements, and attics.

Like pantry pests, the larvae stage of development causes the most damage. The creamy white larvae can be up to half an inch long and commonly infest:

• Sweaters
• Scarves
• Coats
• Blankets
• Rugs
• Pillows
• Comforters
• Upholstery
• Toys
• Animal toys
• Taxidermy mounts
• Furniture
• Lint
• Shed pet hair

Clothing and blankets that are in regular use are seldom infested with clothes moths.

Mothballs can be used to prevent and control moths. Mothballs are made from a chemical called naphthalene or dichlorobenzene, both of which have a strong, pungent odor and evaporate directly into a gas that is toxic to moth larvae and adult moths.

Using mothballs to control moths is effective in areas like attics and crawl spaces, but the strong odor makes their use in kitchens undesirable.

Carpet Beetles

Carpet beetles are attracted to natural animal fibers like wool, cotton, silk, fur, and feathers. Like clothes moths, they digest keratin and can be found in the same type of clothing, bedding, and furniture.

People often see small bugs crawling across their pillows, blankets, and walls, and wonder what they are. At first, most think they are bed bugs. Upon closer inspection, you will see these bugs are not like bed bugs at all.

Carpet beetles in their larvae stage look like small hairy worms or caterpillars. Adults are similar to bed bugs in size and appearance. Both can be small and flat, but carpet beetles are more striped or spotted and are white and brown in color.

Carpet beetles do not feed on blood as bed bugs do. They nest inside furniture and carpeting. Although these pests do not bite, allergic reactions can develop over time, causing red, itchy bumps on the skin.

An infestation can go unnoticed for months. Adult beetles feed on pollen outdoors and can fly inside your home through open doors or windows and lay eggs in carpeting and furniture.

Deathwatch Beetle

The Deathwatch beetle is a small wood boring beetle that lives in dead wood. The larvae tunnel through wood, causing great damage to wooden beams, trusses, and floors. Adult beetles emerge in the springtime from small holes they have chewed through to the wood’s surface. These holes are about an inch in diameter and can be numerous.

The Deathwatch beetle gets its name from the tapping noise this beetle makes. This tapping was often heard early in the morning. Before electricity, lying in bed in a dark, cold bedroom, and hearing strange noises coming from inside your walls, must have been spooky and scary. Superstitious people claimed it was the countdown to your death. Vivid imaginations created ghosts and superstitions to explain the eerie sounds emanating from the walls.

We now know that this tapping is a behavioral trait of the male beetles used for attracting a mate.

Deathwatch beetles are just one of many similar beetles belonging to the Anobiidae family of wood boring beetles. The frass from these pests is somewhat coarse like beach sand. Frass is the name given to the expelled digested wood from wood boring insects.

Powderpost Beetles

Powderpost beetles mainly infest hardwoods like oak, hickory, ash, walnut, and mahogany. Often infestation occurs in wood flooring, window, and door frames, furniture, tables, and chairs. These beetles can be carried inside via firewood, picture frames, or other wooden items used in the home.

As the name suggests, a fine powdery frass is ejected from the holes in wood infested with powderpost beetles as the adults emerge. The holes are small, averaging from a sixteenth to an eighth of an inch in diameter. Usually, there are many holes in infested wood.

Dave’s Pest Control provides wood destroying organism reports for real estate transactions. We specifically look for pests that infest wood by performing a detailed inspection of your home or business. These reports are mandatory for refinancing a loan through a credit union or the Veterans Administration. Even when these reports show no evidence of wood destroying organisms, we will make recommendations to help prevent any future problems.

You may not always recognize each of the plethora of bugs in our Sunshine State, but the expert technicians at Dave’s Pest Control can accurately identify any bug that dares to invade your home. Identifying uncommon pests that intrude upon our lives is just one of many services Dave’s Pest Control provides.

Whether you find bugs you know, or those you don’t recognize in your home or business, give us a call for a free, no obligation consultation.

The warm, humid environment of Florida that we live in has an abundance of insects ready and willing to invade our homes. Keeping bugs out of our homes has been an ongoing problem for hundreds of years. There are more remedies for pest control than there are for the common cold.

No one wants to live with bugs in their home, the place where we sleep, raise our children, and share cherished time with our family and friends. Home is where the memories are made that bond families and friends for a lifetime.

What if those precious memories were to be marred by a real-life nightmare come true?

Imagine it is the holidays, and you are eager to get back home after spending a fun-filled but stressful week at your in-laws. All you want to do is unwind and relax.

When you finally arrive at the front door of your home, you breathe a sigh of relief, relax your shoulders, and anticipating peace and quiet, you open the door to your castle.

Instead of relief, you gasp in bewilderment at the sight of cockroaches crawling on the ceiling. They are everywhere and on everything you see: the floors, the walls, the ceiling, and the lights. They are even floating in the coffee maker. (This type of cockroach is the German Cockroach, you later learn.)

In shock, you quickly call Dave’s Pest Control for fast, safe, and reliable service.

Unfortunately, there are all too many true stories like this one. Bed bugs can attack us in our sleep. Hunting spiders crawl out from their webs in search of prey. Ants march into the pantry and drown in the maple syrup. Biscuit beetles by the thousands litter the box of your favorite breadcrumbs. There is no shortage of pests that can get into our lives and invade our living spaces.

Customers ask, “What can I do?”

Ways to Pest Proof your Home

Fortunately, there are some basic steps we can take to keep invasive insects out of our homes.

The Windows

Windows are a part of every structure humans build. Having an opening to allow us to see the outside world is an important feature in homes and businesses.

Historically, the first windows ever built were just large holes to allow sunlight and air inside. Often paper or wooden shutters were used to block out or allow light inside.

There is evidence that glass was created thousands of years ago in ancient Egypt and was also used by the Romans in the first century.

This glass was made by superheating sand and ash together, forming a liquid paste. The molten glass was then continually flattened and allowed to slowly cool until a thin sheet was created.

This early glass was not smooth, contained many bubbles, and was not transparent. Looking out of these early windows, you would see a world that was blurry and distorted. Making glass evenly flat on both sides and without bubbles was extremely hard to do.

Today, machines produce large sheets of glass. Silica sand is mixed with sodium carbonate and calcium carbonate. This mixture is superheated to over 3000 degrees. The molten glass is then poured onto a liquid tin bath. Since the tin and the glass do not mix (like oil and water), the glass floats perfectly flat on top of the liquid tin. The glass cools and hardens before the tin does, allowing the glass to be removed. The glass is then ready to be cut into panes for windows.

Pests like ants often crawl through small cracks and crevices around windows. To prevent their entry, seal any cracks or spaces with mold resistant caulk. Fix or replace wooden window frames that are damaged or rotted.

Window screens should be fixed or replaced when they have tears or rips in them. Many swarming insects are attracted to light; if you have an open window with a defective screen, hundreds of swarming termites could fly toward that light and enter your home.

At Dave’s Pest Control, we can carefully use a chemical bait around your windows to eliminate pests like ants when they are crawling around on the inside of windows.

The Doors

Doors with small openings allow pests to enter homes and businesses. For a door to operate correctly, there has to be some

space under it to swing unimpeded. These gaps can allow ants, spiders, snakes, and roaches to crawl into a home or business.

To correct this problem, rubber seals are installed around the door frame. This has the added benefit of weatherproofing, as it keeps air conditioning or heat from leaking out and drafts or hot air from coming in. Specialized door sweeps can also be purchased to close the gap found underneath most doors.

Wooden trim around doors can become saturated with moisture and begin to rot. Replace water damaged wood around doors as soon as possible. It is always less expensive to remove and replace wet, rotted wood than it is to ignore it until many more expensive problems occur.

Be aware that heavily used doors pose more problems with insect entry than less used doors.

The Attic

The space above your home plays an important role in keeping the temperature in your home at a comfortable level. As warm air rises up into the attic, well placed vents move the warm air to the outside. This constant movement of air helps protect your roof from moisture buildup that can cause problems like wood rot and mold.

Most homes are constructed with asphalt roofing shingles and proper attic ventilation that keeps this type of roof in good condition. Homes and businesses in Volusia and Flagler counties exist in very warm and humid conditions. Extreme heat in an attic causes air conditioning units to work harder and increases energy costs. Without a properly vented attic, it would be very difficult to keep living spaces cool and comfortable.

Some attics get so hot that bugs don’t come in. But that’s not often the case. What usually happens is, pests like ants and spiders fall onto the roof from the trees and enter through small gaps and cracks. Attic heat vents and chimneys are also entry points.

Some homes have attic gables, which are vents installed on the exterior of attic walls. They allow air to pass through and vent heat to the outside. Metal screens are generally installed to prevent invasive pests like squirrels, bats, and birds from getting inside. These screens can rust and crack open, permitting wildlife life such as raccoons to break in like thieves in the night.

The Crawl Space

Homes with crawl spaces under them have an added level of difficulty for pest control exterminators. Since these homes sit up high on pillars, pests enter beneath the home virtually unimpeded. Once there, pests can crawl up plumbing lines or support pillars and into the home.

Leaks can develop in plumbing lines. Without regular inspections, a small, silent drip may go unnoticed for months, or even years. This slow, steady drip builds up and collects in the soil beneath it. Insects like cockroaches and termites are drawn to the steady and abundant supply of moisture.

Most crawl spaces have a vapor barrier placed under the home. This is usually a large plastic sheet a few millimeters thick. As the name implies, moisture from the soil is blocked from entering the home above it. Since this plastic is placed on top of the soil, the moisture is absorbed back into the earth.

Crawl spaces are also vented to allow warm air to rise and escape to the outside. This doesn’t work all of the time because the constant flow of warm, humid air can be absorbed by the wood and insulation under the home. As the air is being cooled inside the home, condensation can build up beneath the home, providing an adequate supply of moisture for insects, mold, and mildew.

The Human Transport

One of the most common ways that insects get into homes is by our accidentally bringing them inside. No matter how many measures we may take to keep bugs out, we can’t escape the need to bring stuff into our homes—anything from food and clothing to goods of all sorts. Creepy pests can hideaway in these things, waiting to secretly emerge and take over our home.

German cockroaches are usually brought in by hitchhiking inside microwaves, dishwashers, refrigerators, ovens, toasters, crockpots, heating plates, catering supplies, televisions, computers—just about anything electrical. Invertebrates like roaches are drawn to appliances because of the warmth created by the electrical currents flowing through them.

Pantry pests are brought into the home via grain products like breadcrumbs, crackers, pasta, rice, and similar items. Drugstore beetles, also known as bread beetles or biscuit beetles, are commonly seen by exterminators in Florida.

Bread weevils, also known as grain weevils or wheat weevils, also feed on stored grain products like cereals wheat, rice, pasta, spices and flour.

Infestations of pantry pests are usually in extremely large numbers. For example, the female drugstore beetle can lay up to 75 to 100 eggs in her lifetime. Eggs hatch in about 9-14 days as larvae. After about 30-40 days, they pupate into cocoons and remain in the cocoon for 8-10 days, after which, the adult beetle emerges.

Dave’s Pest Control, working for and with you, can achieve a safe pest-free environment so that you and your loved ones can enjoy treasured memories of your home and family time year after year.

Safety in the Workplace

When we leave home for work each day, we have a reasonable expectation that we will also return home. For some though, a workplace accident can send you to the hospital, or even end your life. Either way, you didn’t make it back home.

Do you think that you could be involved in an accident at work? Probably not. We think we are in control of our environments, and that accidents happen to “the other guy” who was not paying attention.

Having an accident at work affects many people including your family, friends and loved ones. Being unsafe is selfish.

There are too many instances of workers getting hurt on the job. In 2018, for an example, a truck carrying lawn care pesticides crashed on a rural road in Cambria, NY, close to Buffalo. The driver had lost control, spilling chemicals all over a grassy ditch.

Besides the injuries to the driver, the Department of Environmental Conservation had to be dispatched to the crash site. A clean up permit had to be issued, and a certified Hazmat team sent to clean up. The Hazmat crew had to dig up and remove two to three feet of soil contaminated by the spilled motor oil and diesel gas. Police, firefighters, and EMS personnel had to be present.

Later, it was discovered that the driver had been distracted by his cell phone, leading to the loss of control of his vehicle. His actions affected many people and had far reaching consequences.

When driving down the highway at 30 miles per hour, you are traveling at 44 feet per second. At 45 miles per hour, you are moving at 66 feet per second, which is why looking down at your phone is so dangerous while driving.

Driving at 45 miles per hour for three seconds, you will travel 198 feet. As an experiment, blind fold yourself and walk 198 feet. Even at walking speed, this would be dangerous.

When we divert our attention away from what we are doing, mistakes are bound to happen. This is obvious if you are using a hammer to drive a nail into wood. Look away from the nail, and you will probably miss the nail, and hit your thumb and/or your finger.

What may not be so obvious, are accidents that occur as a result of being stressed and rushing to complete work tasks quickly. Your mind becomes fixated on one task and you overlook everything else. At times, this could be of no consequence, but at other times, a small mistake could have huge consequences.

The same is true if you are using equipment contrary to the intended use or design of the manufacturer. For example, you could be simply using too little of an insect growth regulator; even though the lesser amount may be negligible, it would yield poor results.

Using gasoline to light a barbecue instead of a recommended lighter fluid, will have an explosively bad outcome.

The Need for Safety

Safety is a common practice in modern American businesses. We build safer cars, safer buildings, and safer airplanes.

Despite our best efforts to stay safe, accidents still happen. When they do, investigations are conducted to better learn how to prevent them.

Unfortunately, workplace injuries and sickness are common and cost billions of dollars each year. On average, there are over 20,000 on the job accidents each day. Before the creation of OSHA in 1970, workers had little guidance for safety besides what was provided by the employer.

American Manufacturing

Following the civil war, American businesses prospered. This post war boom saw major construction projects all over the still healing nation. Our country was still young, having gained independence only decades earlier.

In the decades that followed, millions of people immigrated to America and found jobs in the many factories producing everything from leather goods to horseless carriages. The work was often dangerous, paid little, and the hours long. With no labor regulations or agencies overseeing the labor force, workers were treated as disposable. There was a steady stream of laborers readily available as replacements for jobs, no matter how small the pay, how long the hours or how dangerous the working conditions. If you didn’t work, you and your family starved.

Thousands of men were either killed or seriously injured working in shipyards, coal mines, railways, and construction sites. Newspapers occasionally printed pictures of the deplorable working conditions after someone was killed or maimed. Men began to protest the harsh, unsafe environments they would labor and toil in. Some progress was made when workers would strike for better wages and conditions, but progress was sporadic, and safety was seldom incorporated.

After mounting pressure from workers, factories outlined voluntary guidelines and relied on voluntary participation in those safety guidelines. The prevailing theory on workplace accidents was that they were caused by careless workers. Propaganda movies were circulated depicting workers causing fires with careless cigarettes or falling off buildings because they were not looking down. In all such movies, it was the workers fault when they were hurt. Companies and employers assumed no responsibility.

The Safety Revolution

In 1913, President William H. Taft—just hours before he left office and Woodrow Wilson became president—established the Department of Labor, the first agency to protect the American worker. This was the first step toward safety in the workplace.

After the United States entered World War II on December 7, 1942, production of aircraft, tanks, land vehicles, and all equipment vital to fighting the war was top priority. Manufacturing plants were built and expanded in every major city as every American was called upon to help with the war effort.

Overseas, entire cities were bombed and lay in ruins, with many factories destroyed. America filled the need, and by the end of the war, American factories produced more than half of the world’s steel and iron.

As part of the postwar safety movement, the eight-hour workday and the 40-hour workweek became the norm. Americans found steady work in manufacturing, and this in turn brought stability to the American economy and way of life.

Factories in the United States had extremely high output, still at the expense of worker safety. Accidents were considered “cheap.” Although a worker had the right to sue his/her employer, litigation was expensive, and the courts generally sided with the employer. The argument was that the accident was the fault of the employee; his free will and actions caused the accident. In addition, it was commonly believed that employees assumed the risk of injury or death when they undertook the work.

OSHA, The Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Labor unions were formed when there was no other recourse to enact change to the working conditions and the pay Americans received for their labor. Unions were born out of the desperation of workers seeking better working conditions.

By the 1970s, in response to public outcry against the consistently rising injuries and deaths from workplace accidents, the United States Congress created OSHA.

OSHA’s main goal is to ensure safe working conditions for all men and women in the workplace, mandating strict rules and standards to keep employees safe. OSHA also provides training, assistance, and education for all employees.

Thanks to labor Unions, OSHA, and other labor organizations in the USA, harsh, dangerous working conditions, and needless accidents and deaths are mostly occurrences of the past.

Safety and Pesticides

Dave’s Pest Control implements safety in everything we do. Safety is one of our core values, along with dedication to our customers’ welfare.

When we mix our products for use in your home, we do not use what is called in our industry “the mix of the day,” and only mix what is needed for your home. We properly rinse out our spray equipment at the end of each day.

Since we are guests in a customer’s home, we wear masks, gloves, and shoe covers for everyone’s safety. While treating baseboards, we make sure that animal feeding and watering bowls are picked up and put safely away, as well as children’s and cat or dog toys. We make sure we do not get any spray on shoes or clothing. We treat every home like it was our own.

Safety is of utmost importance at Dave’s Pest Control. We provide our technicians with safe, reliable vehicles to drive, and enforce our policy of no cell phone activity while driving. The chemicals we use are transported safely and are always kept locked-up. Our technicians receive ongoing training all year long to stay current with the latest technology in our industry.

We all have families ourselves and will treat your home like it was ours. Servicing all of Volusia, Brevard, and Flagler counties, we will provide you with fast, timely service that is safe for you and your family.

We take ownership of our work and stand behind it.

Call us today for a free estimate.

Halloween makes us feel like we’ve rounded an invisible corner and are now on the straightaway to Christmas and the New Year. Before the chill of winter sets in, though, we enjoy the harvest season and the traditional happenings of this spooky holiday.

Creatures crawling around looking for blood, demons squealing, and ghouls out of their tombs are images meant to horrify us. Vincent Price’s bone-chilling narration in Thriller recreates all the spookiness of Halloween we feel every year when the end of October draws near.

Scary bugs, spiders, and wild creatures entering your home, however, can create a real Halloween nightmare.

Shorter days and changing temperatures bring insects and wildlife animals closer to your home. When we get cold temperatures in Brevard, Volusia, and Flagler counties, animals like raccoons and squirrels may break into attics seeking warmth.

Raccoons are notorious for breaking into attics to give birth. Most raccoon dens consist of a male and a female with two to five babies, often called kits.

Our wildlife experts have removed many of these mischievous raccoon bandits from many homes and attics.

Rodents like rats are a common problem especially in coastal towns like New Smyrna Beach, and Flagler Beach. The scrub brush and swampy mangroves are the perfect habitat for rats. They live and breed close to many homes and businesses, getting fresh drinking water from air conditioning run-off and food from garbage cans.

Barbecues often attract rats by the smoky smell of steak or chicken left lofting in the air hours after the coals are cold and grey. Dave’s Pest Control technicians have found and removed many rats nesting in barbecues.

October is a busy month for pest control exterminators due to many contributing factors. As Halloween approaches, and cool winds blow leaves from the trees, many bugs fall on roofs and the ground. They gain entry into houses and buildings, causing unexpected encounters that terrify humans.

Halloween Spiders

Spiders make surprise appearances in October leading up to Halloween. These eight-legged arachnids symbolize something scary and dangerous.

Many unsuspecting people put on a shoe or sneaker and get bitten by a spider lurking inside. Fortunately, most spiders we encounter are non-venomous and pose little threat to humans.

It is ironic that at this time of year when pest control technicians knock down real spiders and their webs, homeowners are spending money to decorate their homes with artificial spiders and webs. Halloween wouldn’t be official without spider web decorations—the artificial kind, of course.

However, real spiders can bite, and some can be quite painful.

Many different spiders spin webs. Why do spiders spin webs? Why are they so abundant in the fall? This unusual adaptation for catching prey has been continuously studied for hundreds of years.

When shortened daylight gives way to long, dark nights, spiders spin webs, mate, and lay eggs.

The Brown Recluse

No other spider causes more confusion than the brown recluse spider. They are about the size of a half dollar coin and are usually tan or brown in color with a distinctive violin shape on their backs. Many people who think they have them call for pest control. In fact, brown recluses are almost never seen and hide in spaces where humans seldom go. These spiders are found in stored firewood or in attics and cellars. Hollowed out tree trunks or under rocks are also favorite spots for a brown recluse spider.

The venom of the recluse spider is necrotizing which means it eats away the flesh. Muscle and nerve pain are also common; medical attention is critical when you are bitten. People react differently to different kinds of bite, but this is one spider that can kill you.

The Black Widow

The black widow exists everywhere in Florida. They are usually in dark, dry corners, hiding from predators like lizards and geckos. Other areas where these spiders are found are barns, basements, in stored firewood, and in dense vegetation. Black widow spiders get their name from a disturbing but common insect behavioral trait. The female black widow often cannibalizes and eats the male after sexual reproduction. Because of this, male black widow spiders are harder to find than the female spiders that are easily found.

Black widow spiders are identified by a red hourglass shape on their abdomens. This spider has been ranked as one of the most venomous spiders in the United States. Their venom is much stronger than that of a rattlesnake.

Similar to the black widow, the brown widow spider is very common in Florida. They look just like the black widow except they are slightly larger and are brown to tan in color. Brown widow spiders have the same red hourglass marking as black widows have.

A bite from a widow spider feels like a small pinprick at first, with very little pain. Within a few minutes after being bitten, pain and swelling set in, spreading rapidly to other parts of the body.

Fortunately, bites from widow spiders are rare and fatalities are low. Timely medical care can provide antivenom to stop the poison and reduce the reduce recovery time.

The Orb Weaver Spider

In our area of Volusia and Flagler counties, there are many spiders that spin webs. The Golden Orb Weaver is one of the most often seen and the most misunderstood. Weaver spiders can grow very large and spin enormous webs. Autumn brings out many orb weaver spiders as they reach reproductive maturity. They crawl out from their hiding places to spin webs, feed, and deposit eggs.

Orb weaver spiders, sometimes called banana spiders, are not dangerous to humans, but like black widows, orb weavers do contain a neurotoxic venom which attacks the nervous system of their prey. They are large spiders with large webs. If you can imagine yourself running through the South American jungle being chased by angry natives throwing spears at you, it’s this kind of web you would imagine plunging into as you try to escape.

It has been documented that in the past, Polynesian fishermen used the thread of golden orb weavers for fishing line. They would collect the silken webs and spin many strands together, forming a strong line.

More recently, studies have shown that the orb weaver’s silk is hundreds of times more durable and stronger than what can be made synthetically. In medical surgery for the repair of tendons and ligaments, orb weaver silk can be used that lasts much longer than traditional methods used in surgery.

As it is so strong, it is being researched for use in body armor and bulletproof vests for the military. The molecular structure of the orb weaver’s silk is tougher and lighter than Kevlar.

These spiders spin their webs on many manmade structures, often prompting a call to pest control. Although they are not deadly to humans, nor does their bite cause necrosis, a bite from a large orb weaver spider is very painful and causes cramping, stomach pain, and nausea. Since each person reacts differently to the toxins in a spider bite, one should always seek immediate care when bitten. Usually, these spiders choose to run away rather than confront you.

They only bite when they feel threatened, or when their body is pressed down so that they fear for their lives. Orb weavers cannot control the amount of venom they inject. Because of this, a bite either could contain a large amount of venom, or little to nothing which is a “dry bite.”

The Huntsman Spider

Another spooky spider is the huntsman spider, sometimes called wood spiders or crab spiders. These large, eight-eyed arachnids are often seen at night when they are out hunting for prey. They disable their prey with their neurotoxic venom and make a tasty meal of their catch.

This class of spiders are also called wandering spiders. They do not spin webs like orb weavers or black widows. They remain super-still when they sense danger, not moving a hair; then in a flash, they dart away and disappear.

The spooky, dark candlelit nights in homes during the seventeenth century and early eighteenth century lent an eerie atmosphere to many great works of gothic literature. In 1818, Mary Shelley wrote the still popular, fright-filled novel, Frankenstein, while sheltering from an unusually cold and rainy trip to Switzerland. It was a time of great famine and darkness. Many speculate that it was these dark, haunting cold nights which prompted and shaped the idea for the nameless monster created by Shelley’s protagonist, Dr. Victor Frankenstein.

The fall months leading up to the end of the year may bring many pests to terrorize your home and neighborhood. You can keep unwanted invaders and undesirable, scary, creepy, crawly spiders and bugs out of your home by calling Dave’s Pest Control.

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

Have a spooky and fun Halloween!

Our state has many kinds of wildlife sharing our living space. Some species can be harmful to our homes and businesses. Raccoons and squirrels can get into attics and crawl spaces, causing costly damage. Insects like bed bugs can invade our beds and inflict a great deal of misery. Incursions from Florida’s wildlife are inevitable. Removing these pests from your home or business is rarely in anyone’s budget. Our experts at Dave’s Pest Control can remove unwelcome wildlife safely and humanely, all at an affordable cost.

The Raccoon

Florida has an abundance of raccoons. These furry bandits live along riverbanks, close to water. Raccoons, like all mammals, cannot survive without water. They live in hidden burrows and forage for food at night. Like thieves in the night, they knock over garbage cans and steal your rotten four-day-old leftover egg salad—a delicious meal for scavenging raccoons.

Raccoons slowly migrated from the south to the north and are found today as far north as Alaska. They are omnivores, eating just about anything, and thrive in cities feeding off the steady supply of garbage that humans produce daily. Dumpster diving raccoons are quite common today, having adapted to living close to our homes and businesses.

They can carry rabies and may attack humans with little provocation. Raccoons, and all wild animals, should be admired and treated with respect, always at a safe distance. While some raccoons may be docile, others will bite if you try to feed or pet them.

Raccoons often break into attics by pushing their way under a home’s soffit. This happens more in the winter than the summer months because, as mammals, they seek a warm and protected environment, especially when nesting. Female raccoons often have two to five babies called kits. Protected in their nests from predators, the kits are about eight to nine weeks old before they venture out to explore their environment.

The Armadillo

Armadillos are in a class of animals called Xenarthra, closely related to anteaters and sloths. They are the oldest species of Xenarthra called Cingulata. Xenarthra means strange joints, distinguishing them from all other animals on Earth. This unusual adaptation allows Xenarthra to easily dig and burrow with their front legs, aided by their sharp claws.

Armadillos are believed to have evolved in South America millions of years ago. They have one of the lowest metabolisms of all the mammals on earth. From an evolutionary standpoint, this would be a disadvantage, but armadillos have survived millions of years. They do not need a lot of food to survive. What is not clear, is how they developed shells. While shells are quite common in cold blooded animals, for mammals, it is quite rare.

Nocturnal animals, armadillos forage for food in lawns and landscapes in the cover of darkness all over Flagler and Volusia counties. They feed on grubs and insects in the ground that they dig up with their sharp claws. Female armadillos give birth to four identical pups. They feed on soil dwelling insects like earthworms, grubs, and mole crickets. Armadillos often dig large holes to burrow in and can cause a lot of damage to landscaping.

Love Bugs

Every Floridian knows about love bugs, and to know them is to hate them. These insects fly up from the ground to vigorously mate twice a year. They attach themselves to each other and look like some sort of two-headed monster bug, flying and landing on people and objects.

Driving through a cloud of love bugs is like driving through a rainstorm, but instead of rain drops, it’s large black bugs. Loud splats of exploding bugs hit the vehicle and you keep trying to clean the windshield with washer fluid. Large smears of yellow streak across the windshield with each sweep of the wipers’ blades. Thousands of dead bugs are smashed onto the car, covering it with a nasty mess.

The acid from their juices will eat away at the car’s paint if it’s not cleaned off promptly. Large swarms can clog a car’s radiator, causing the engine to overheat. Cleaning love bugs off cars is difficult, especially once the scorching hot summer sun has baked them solid on the car’s surface. Although they only live about three or four days, love bugs are a major nuisance when they are swarming, which lasts about four weeks.

Love bugs are native to Central America. Entomologists agree they most likely migrated to Texas in the 1920’s. Since then, they have plagued the entire Gulf Coast. There are no pesticides currently available to control love bugs. They spend most of their lives as larvae in the ground. They feed on decaying organic matter in the soil and only emerge to mate twice a year.

Some of the myths surrounding love bugs are that they escaped from a lab, or that they were genetically made to eat mosquitoes. These myths are not true. While love bugs are a nuisance, they are harmless to humans and were not created by a botched scientific experiment in some lab.

Snakes

Snakes are another common sight in our state. The warm, wet weather is perfect for these cold-blooded reptiles. Although there are many kinds of snakes in Florida, only a few of them are harmful.

The Black Racer

Black Racer snakes are one of the most common snakes seen in urban areas. Fortunately, they are harmless and will quickly slither away if cornered. Juvenile black racers are light grey with maroon and black spots. Racers feed on animals like rats, so having them around your home or garden is beneficial. They often surprise homeowners by quietly slithering under their feet when they least expect it.

The Rat Snake

Rat snakes, or corn snakes, are also quite common in Florida. They can be seen along coastal towns like Flagler Beach and New Smyrna Beach. Corn snakes have markings on them that look like ears of corn, giving them their name. These snakes stay away from people and are only interested in finding a meal like a mouse or a rat. Occasionally, they get into homes through an open door or window. Rat snakes are not aggressive, nor are they poisonous. They kill their prey by constricting and suffocating it.

The Scarlet King Snake

Scarlet king snakes are often mistaken for the venomous coral snake. Scarlet king snakes have a ring pattern of red, black, and white and are not venomous or dangerous to humans. They feed on small lizards and other small invertebrates. There is a rhyme that goes “If red touches black, friend of Jack. If red touches yellow, kill a fellow.” Although somewhat helpful, this rhyme is not the best way to identify a snake. The rhyme can be confusing and may mislead to an incorrect identification. King snakes should be relocated if caught. Killing them because of an incorrect identification depletes a beneficial part of our fragile ecosystem.

Dave’s Pest Control can accurately identify many of the common snakes often found in our backyards.

Bats

Bats can be a nuisance when they roost in an attic. They excrete guano, which is fecal matter made up of thousands of digested mosquitoes. Guano is highly dangerous and filled with bacteria that can make you sick.

Bats are the only mammals that can fly. Their precision flying can outmaneuver birds, and their wings create more lift than a bird’s wings can. They use echolocation, just as dolphins do, to find food. They do this by sending and receiving sound waves that bounce off objects.

In the Middle Ages, bats were considered evil, so much so, that it was forbidden to eat bats as this was perceived as eating Satan himself. Bats were demonized and to be avoided at all costs. Satan and demons have long been depicted with bat-like wings.

In the late fifteenth century, Leonardo da Vinci searched for ways to enable man to fly. He studied birds and bats, and made many sketches of bat wings. Leonardo said if a man wanted to fly, he must create wings like that of a bat.

Today, bat colonies take up residence in our homes and businesses. In Florida, bats are protected and cannot be evicted during maternity season, April 15 through August 15. Exclusionary work for bat colonies must be completed before their maternity season starts. Exclusion of bats is accomplished by hanging a back screen over the place where they exit their roost at dusk. Special “bat cones” are also installed. Together the cones and the screen allow the bats to leave the roost as they normally do, but stops them from getting back inside when they return. The bats eventually give up and fly elsewhere.

Squirrels

Squirrels are found on almost every continent on earth. Along with humans, squirrels occupy every square mile of land. If you look out your window on any given day, you will probably see a squirrel or two scampering across the yard or jumping from tree to tree. Our urban areas are the perfect habitat for them.

Keeping them out of our living space is an ongoing struggle. Like little furry ninjas, they often break into attics to nest and give birth. Once inside, they are difficult to trap. Getting them out is challenging since squirrels are so fast and erratic. Squirrels are highly suspicious of traps. They shy away from traps with nuts as bait since they usually have a steady food source from the trees and shrubs nearby. They greedily raid bird feeders for a quick meal.

Dave’s Pest Control offers affordable wildlife removal for your home or business. Whether it’s Rocky Raccoon or ninja squirrels jumping from the rafters in your attic, we will safely trap and relocate them to a new home. Call us today for a free estimate.

 

Most people pay little attention to the ground beneath their feet. Why should they, it’s beneath them, right? The reality is our entire lives are built upon the ground. In the pest control industry, we have to know all about the foundations of our homes and businesses. To keep pests out, we must know how they get in. The better we understand how our homes and businesses are constructed, the better we can control pests.

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 DeLand and Daytona, which also have substantial subterranean termite activity. Our dependence on wood for building material has provided termites with a good source of food in addition to trees.

Knowing all about a home’s foundation is an important factor to consider when applying a termiticide for termite prevention. There are several types of foundations found in Florida today. Dave’s Pest Control’s termite technicians undergo extensive training to provide the highest level of service throughout Volusia and Flagler Counties.

Types of Foundations

There are two types of foundations commonly used across Florida and these should be kept in mind before applying a termiticide for termite control.

The Monolithic Slab

A monolithic slab is one piece of poured concrete. Concrete is 10% cement; the rest is air, water, sand, and gravel. Without an accurate amount of each ingredient in the mix, concrete will not support the heavy loads that it was meant to support. In June,1995, a department store mall in South Korea collapsed when the concrete supports cracked, killing over 500 people and injuring another 900.

There are five types of concrete mixes used in the United States today. Type 1 is the most common and is used in most construction projects. Type 3 is used in areas where freezing temperatures are anticipated. Additional types are utilized in Commercial and various other applications.

Monolithic concrete slabs typically work better in hot climates like Florida’s. These slabs are often less expensive and faster to construct than other foundations. They are more energy efficient than raised floors with crawl space and are stronger.

The first step in constructing a monolithic slab is preparing the soil by building a mound of earth or crushed stone that is then flattened with heavy machinery. Footers are dug to a minimum of 24 inches deeper than the slab as they will hold much of the weight of the walls and roofing. A plastic vapor barrier can be placed upon the soil or stone to prevent moisture from damaging the concrete from underneath.

Rebar is then placed over the plastic; without rebar, vertical loads could crack the foundation. The concrete is poured, usually four inches thick, over the steel rebar for added strength.

Monolithic slabs with stem walls have increased durability and are much stronger and stable than a simple monolithic slab foundation. A stem wall is a building technique whereby concrete is poured into a wooden mold around the perimeter of the foundation. The wooden form is usually about eight inches wide and is sprayed with water before the concrete is poured. After the concrete is dry, the form is pulled apart, leaving just the concrete wall.

Concrete blocks can also be used to form the stem wall.

The Crawl Space

A crawl space is also a common foundation type in Florida. You can think of a crawl space as a mix between a slab and a basement. The home is supported by columns or blocks of concrete. The major plumbing lines can be accessed easily as opposed to a slab where the plumbing lines are buried under the concrete. Since the main living area of the home is raised above the ground, damage from flooding is often avoided. Homes built in flood zones and along coastal areas often have a crawl space foundation. A big disadvantage of this type of foundation is that wildlife can enter underneath these types of homes. Keeping wildlife out with hardware cloth or other methods is highly recommended. A squirrel or raccoon taking up residence under your home can cause a lot of damage that can be expensive to repair.

Keeping The Foundation Dry

Water is the greatest enemy of any home’s foundation. Pooling water from air conditioner run-off can erode and deteriorate concrete until it becomes brittle. Small cracks can grow, cracking the whole foundation. Many homes with outside air conditioning units drain water too close to the home. PVC lines should be aimed away from the home and preferably extended far away from the home. Even a few feet extension is greatly beneficial.

Excessive water draws insects like termites and ants seeking water and the wood in a home. It also causes mold to grow. Mold spores can cause breathing problems and cause allergy issues. Wood rot is also caused by mold spores in wood that is constantly getting wet. Wood rot is a major issue in the warm, moist climate of Florida.

Many homes that are built in Florida have T1-11 siding. This is a textured wood made from compressed wood chips and other wood materials, and needs to be protected from the rain and humidity with regular painting. It was immensely popular in the early eighties because it was inexpensive and faster to install than brick and stucco.

Today, many of these homes with T1-11 siding have wood rot. The areas most prone to wood rot are the bottom trim around doors and garages. Any wood surface that is constantly hit by irrigation sprinklers will develop wood rot damage. Excessive run-off from rain or clogged gutters can also damage wood siding. Wood rot can be small at first, but grows over time.

Always keep water away from your home’s foundation. Fix leaking pipes and drains as quickly as possible. Roof drainage gutters should feed water away from the home. The soil grade should also drain water away from your home, not toward it. Keep a 24-inch barrier of stone around your home’s perimeter. Stone is a better choice than wood mulch because wet, rotting mulch draws insects and termites.

Keeping Bugs Out

Our professional pest control technicians are trained by industry experts, and are particularly good at finding the entry points in your home that can cause problems from termites. We inspect and examine your home’s foundation for all pest problems. Dave’s Pest Control offers termite protection by treating your homes perimeter with a chemical barrier.

Special attention is given to the type of foundation of your home.  Each type of foundation needs a different method to prevent termites.

For a monolithic slab, a termiticide is injected into the soil around your home’s perimeter. Any concrete slabs that adjoin the home’s wall must be drilled so that a continuous layer is formed around the home. The holes are 3/8” in diameter and are plugged after the treatment. The chemical is odorless and not harmful to children and pets. It will not leach into ground water as other chemicals did in the past. The treatment lasts 10 years, after which, booster treatments can be done every 10 years for continuous protection.

Crawl spaces are treated by entering the crawl space and treating the inner concrete walls underneath flooring. All the pillars touching the ground are also treated. Afterward, a yearly renewal fee is charged to keep the bond on the home current. Yearly termite inspections are provided to ensure termites are not active.

Other foundations like basements are not common in Florida due to our low elevation. If a basement is to be treated, it is approached much like a crawl except the basement slab must be drilled along the foundation wall.

Soil Pre-treats

When a home is remodeled, or if an extra room is added such as an enclosed porch, a soil pre-treat is often needed. The soil is treated with a termiticide like Termidor. Before concrete is poured in a new construction, the footers and dirt are also treated. A treatment after the construction is completed increases effectiveness.

Dave’s Pest Control uses Termidor brand insecticide. Its active ingredient is Fipronil, which chemically binds to soil particles. Termites foraging through the soil cannot detect it. By natural grooming, an entire termite colony can be eliminated in three months or less.

We are licensed and trained by the state of Florida, and all our technicians receive ongoing education and training. We have forged close bonds with local builders who trust and use Dave’s Pest Control regularly. Building inspectors in our service areas know that when we provide a service, it is always done right.

Call for a free estimate today.

Lawn care is a huge industry in the United States today. Almost every home and business in America spends money on lawn and landscaping materials. Hundreds of hours are spent daily in mowing and caring for lawns. The industry is extremely competitive and filled with great technicians who work very hard at achieving lush, green lawns. Since it is warm all year long in Florida, lawn care is in high demand. In our area of Volusia and Flagler counties, we have an army of highly trained lawn technicians with years of dedicated experience ready to work for you.

The Birth of Lawns

In Europe during the Middle Ages, grazing animals would clear grassy fields. The word “lawn” was used to describe an open field or opening in the woods. Having an open space around a structure most likely came from forts and castles. It was helpful to have a clear sight all around you so you could see if danger was headed your way. In contrast to castles with open lawn space, most homes at this time used all available land they could to grow crops and keep livestock.

By the seventeenth century, wealthy landowners would grow amazing gardens as part of their rich estates. The first landscaping tool was probably the scythe. It was a tool for cutting wild grasses and crops. It had a long, curved blade that was attached to a long wooden pole. At the end, two short handles would protrude for gripping with your hands. This was no doubt labor intensive if you were to cut large acres of land. Only the wealthy could afford a well-maintained lawn and landscape.

Keeping Grass Short with Technology

In 1830, Edwin Beard Budding filed a patent for a machine he invented. He described it as a new machine for cutting grasses and food crops. He got the idea from textiles that would use cutting cylinders to trim wool. He would later in life manufacture and sell thousands of his machines.

In the decades to follow, adjustments had made the machine lighter and by the end of the century, a gas-powered version was made by Briggs and Stratton. The gas-powered lawn mower had an immediate need in the suburban homes following World War 2.

The Modern Lawn

After World War Two, a builder, William Levitt constructed housing for returning veterans in Nassau county New York, specifically Levittown. New homes were being built on acres of potato farms in Long Island, New York. Assistance from the government’s “soldier bill” in 1944 gave returning soldiers affordable housing. Levittown was a carefully planned community with shopping centers, community swimming pools, gardens, and parks.

William Levitt’s model of suburban housing surrounded by green grass was the model that the rest of the country used in the post war housing boom. With the aid of the lawn cutting machine invented years ago, homeowners were able to cut and keep up with their lawns with ease.

Make Greener Lawns with Safe Chemicals

At the same time of the housing market boom of post-World War Two, we saw huge developments in the manufacturing of pesticides for residential use. The old ways of life were being challenged as more and more people embraced the new age of science and technology.

It had always been known that farming the same piece of land for crops year after year depleted the soil of nutrients. Eventually, crops would fail in the same plots that yielded good harvests years before.

In 1840, a German chemist named Justas Von Liebig was leading the way for organic chemistry. He is credited for the creation of the modern laboratory as we know it today. Many of his papers have helped our understanding of what nutrients are needed for plants and crops to grow. He revolutionized the field of chemistry with his inventions for analyzing chemical data.

Liebig found that all plants absorb nitrogen. They can do this both through the air and in the soil through their roots. Plants also need mineral nutrients such as phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron and sulfur. Healthy plant growth must have these nutrients, and if one nutrient is lacking, the plant could suffer.

After a few failed attempts, his experiment to deliver nitrogen into plants with mineral salts was successful. Nitrogen salts would dissipate and leach out quickly from the soil by rainwater. By 1858, he was able to develop a fertilizer that remained in the soil and could deliver nutrients to plants.

In the years to follow, the manufacturing of synthetic chemical fertilizers became a new and booming industry. Synthetic fertilizers paved the way for the future of farming.

In 1909, ammonia was obtained from hydrogen in the laboratory. This was an incredible achievement since nitrogen is in the air, and could not be exhausted. The first manufacturing plant that produced nitrogen fertilizer was in Germany in 1913. The use of fertilizer revolutionized agricultural farming across the globe.

In the 1950s, urea and formaldehyde were combined with nitrogen to produce slow releasing fertilizers. Sulfur coated urea replaced ammonia nitrates as it was less expensive to manufacture and was not as explosive as ammonium nitrate. This new formulation could now supply and hold nutrients in the soil for longer periods of time. This would give crops a slow but steady supply of nutrients. Additionally, the soil would remain fertile, allowing for a successful harvest on the same plot of land year after year.

The primary nutrients needed for plant growth are Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. Fertilizer bags indicate these nutrients by the chemical symbols of N, P and K. Other nutrients like Lime will help balance the PH level in the soil. Helping your soil to be less acidic and more alkaline will aid your lawn 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. A lawn with an iron deficiency will be spotty and yellow. Iron is important for making chlorophyll, which is a green pigment essential for photosynthesis.

Fertilizers helped farmers produce more crops and as a result, people had more access to food than ever before in history. Without fertilizers, we would not be able to feed the growing populations on our planet.

Increase in Suburban Living and Lawn Space

After the war, returning veterans moved to homes in the suburbs. Incentives drew thousands of war veterans away from the noisy and crowded cities, and into the quiet and safe neighborhoods of suburbia.

The new homes of the suburbs had lawns which needed care and maintenance. Homeowners were now able to purchase fertilizers to grow and keep their lawns green. Herbicides killed off unwanted weeds, and fungicides helped eliminate fungus diseases.

Lawn Care in Florida

In Volusia and Flagler counties, the most common grass type is Saint Augustine. This grass type spreads by stolons. Stolons spread across the soil just above the surface, and root itself a few feet away. This new “daughter” plant will grow and produce its own stolons. An entire lawn of St. Augustine grass can be many interconnected plants.

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

Zoysia grass is another common sight in Florida lawns. Like St. Augustine, Zoysia grass is also coarse and thick. This grass does well in Florida’s hot climate. Many homes have a mix of several different types of grass including Bahia grass and centipede grass.

The Chinch Bug

The southern chinch bug is an ongoing problem in St. Augustine lawns. They are small insects with sucking mouthparts. They will extract nutrients from the grass and stunt its growth. Large, brown spots will develop in a lawn with chinch bugs. Our technicians at Dave’s Pest Control battle chinch bugs all year long, especially along the coast in Flagler county. The cities of DeLand and Deltona, which are located more inland, also have a lot of chinch bug activity. They are best dealt with by using systemic insecticides over standard pyrethrin.

Diseases can also cause damage to southern lawn grass like St. Augustine and Zoysia. Brown patch disease, or sometimes called large patch, is a fungus that will grow in the turf. High humidity during the day and cool nights are perfect conditions for diseases like brown patch to develop.

Other diseases like Grey leaf spot, Dollar spot, Fairy ring fungus, and Rust can adversely affect your lawns health. If you have both a fungal disease and insects like chinch bugs or mole crickets, your lawn’s health will be severely stressed.

Today’s line of fertilizers, insecticides and fungicides are better and safer than ever. All the products we use at Dave’s Pest Control will provide excellent results, keeping your lawn healthy and green. It’s critical to have a Pest Control company with lawn techs who know how to properly mix appropriate chemicals to keep lawns green.

Crabgrass

Crabgrass is an especially important weed that invades lawns not only in Florida, but all over the United States.

Crabgrass is a summer annual. It was brought to the United States in 1849 as a foraging crop for livestock. It soon spread throughout the states and quickly became a nuisance.

Now classified as an invasive weed, crabgrass has become a difficult problem that plagues every lawn. At Dave’s Pest Control, we use a special blend of pre-emergent herbicides to prevent crabgrass. These work by adhering to soil to prevent growth. Regular fertilization will keep your lawn thick and full, also helping to prevent crabgrass.

Other weeds like nutsedge, spurge, and other broadleaf invasive weeds can spread quickly in turf grasses. Our specialty blended weed controls are applied by our highly trained technicians.

Today, lawn care is a billion dollar industry. It is estimated in 2019, 99 billion dollars, or about five hundred dollars per household, was spent caring for lawn care. In fact, the United States applies more water to irrigation of turf grass than to all of our food crops combined.

The modern home today with a perfectly cut and fertilized lawn is easier than ever to achieve. Our expert technicians at Dave’s Pest Control have a lawn care program tailored to your lawn’s specific needs. We know how to keep your lawn green and weed free. We can identify potential problems before they occur. We are constantly training and learning from industry experts to keep current with today’s lawn care best practices. If you want a green lawn, call us today for a free estimate for your home or business.

Imagine being able to jump 100 feet in the air with ease. Climb up a wall, and walk upside down on the ceiling without gravity pulling you down on your head. Imagine hearing a whisper from 50 feet across the room. These abilities seem ridiculous for a human to do, but for insects, they can do just these things and more. They defy gravity. They can hang upside down and climb up walls. They can they jump insane distances. They are small, but yet they pose a giant threat to the human race.

Insects have been on the Earth for millions of years. There is fossil evidence the first insects lived around 412 million years ago and have remained virtually unchanged today. Time travel to the Jurassic period, 150 million years ago, and we will see thousands of bugs that look exactly like they do today. Flies that landed on our Neanderthal ancestors’ food are very much the same flies that we swat away from our food today.

Two of these bugs that have plagued humans throughout time are fleas and spiders.

Fleas are a biting nuisance

Fleas are our worst nightmare. I couldn’t’ imagine living so close with animals for thousands of years without any pest control and medication for fleas. Fleas are not just bothersome, they are deadly. They multiply exponentially and feed on blood. They can detect the carbon dioxide we emit from our breath, then jump two feet in the air, landing on our legs. With sucking mouthparts, they will then feed on your blood.

In 1894, fleas were discovered to be responsible for some of the most devastating plagues throughout history. Millions and millions people died from being bitten by fleas that carried a bacteria called Yersinia pestis. Nobody knew what caused sickness before the nineteenth century. Most believed in evil spirits or other divine intervention that caused such pain and suffering. The discovery that an insect could cause so much suffering and death upon the entire known world was revolutionary. This knowledge paved the way for modern pest control today.

If a six-foot tall human were to jump as high as a flea, you would reach about 330 feet in the air. Fleas jump this distance by using a set of hind legs which are attached to a spring inside the flea’s body. Energy is stored in this internal spring and released by a latching mechanism that is not fully understood just yet. In a science experiment, a replica of the Empire State Building in New York City was used to show how high a flea can jump. In almost every jump, the flea almost cleared the top of the replica building.

In order to lay eggs, female fleas need a blood meal. They will lay their eggs usually about 48 hours after feeding on blood. Eggs are laid on almost any surface. After two to five days, the larvae will hatch. They will feed on dried blood or what’s called “flea dirt”.

In one week, the larvae will spin a cocoon in which the larvae will pupate. The flea will fully form in a week, but the flea will not emerge until the conditions are right and it senses a blood meal. Cocoons can remain unhatched for up to six months. The cocoon is a protective shell. Most atmospheric conditions and insecticides will not harm the flea inside. Once the flea hatches, it will jump on to a host for blood, and start the cycle again.

Fleas have piercing / sucking mouthparts to extract blood from a host mammal. Their saliva irritates the skin causing itching and rashes. If you scratch a flea bite with dirty fingernails, you can transfer bacteria into the bite causing a secondary infection, so be careful! In Florida, fleas are a common problem from Palm Coast to Titusville and every community in between. Our technicians at Dave’s Pest Control are experts in exterminating with fleas. Both our lawn spraying crew and pest control technicians exterminate fleas depending on whether the bug problem is inside your home or in your yard (or both).

Spiders in Florida

Spiders have been on Earth for over 400 million years. The largest spider fossil measured almost 14 inches in length. Forget killing that spider with a boot – you would need a bazooka!

Spiders are usually separated into two groups: hunting spiders and web spinning spiders. Hunting spiders do just that, they go out and hunt. These are the spiders that most people will see prompting a call for pest control. In Florida, the wolf spider and the huntsman spider are the most common spiders seen around homes and businesses. Hunting spiders have excellent sight, speed and agility. They will hide behind natural objects and pounce on their prey. Wolf spiders carry their babies on their backs and if you try to hit a wolf spider, all of her babies will quickly scatter away.

Spiders that spin webs are what most people think of when they think of spiders. They will make a sticky web which will catch unsuspecting prey. The most common of these spiders are funnel web spiders and orb weaver spiders. We also find garden spiders and spiny orb weavers that make webs. Spider webbing is incredibly strong. In fact, the silk-like threads from orb weaver spiders were used as fishing lines by Native Americans.

Many spiders can jump many times their body length. There are over 4000 species of jumping spiders in the world, two which call Florida home. The Grey Wall Jumper and the Pan Tropical Jumper. They both are usually found around homes and buildings, and can be seen around lights feeding on insects. They are considered a beneficial spider to have around.

Spiders usually have six to eight eyes. In fact, one of the best ways to identify spiders is through the eye pattern. Despite having so many eyes, most spiders are not believed to have good eyesight. They can see in color and have good depth perception, but cannot see beyond a few inches around themselves. They instead have sensors on their legs that can feel and taste the world around them. Spiders have a strong sense of smell. Not only can they smell prey, they can smell changes in the environment which helps them find shelter from the cold.

Black Widow Spiders in Florida

The black widow spider is a well-known and well feared spider. Found mostly in the southern United States, they are easily recognized by their small black bodies and bright red hour-glass on their abdomen. Although they can be deadly, humans usually get bit accidentally. For example, you would have to press up against one, say by laying down in bed or putting your shoe on, to get bitten. There are actually four kinds of widow spiders in Volusia county: The northern black widow, the southern black widow, the brown widow, and the red widow.

All widow spiders are venomous. Venomous and poisonous are two very different things. A venomous creature injects toxic compound into a body. Spiders, snakes, bees, and wasps are all venomous. Poisonous means toxic compounds are secreted, such as the poison secretions from the South American dart frog.

Venom is made of proteins, enzymes, and other substances that destroy cells and disrupt nerve impulses. Spiders inject their venom into their prey to disable them. After the prey has been injected, the enzymes break down the insides of the prey, making the meal able for the spider to consume. Since the development of anti-venom in 1895, cases of death resulting from venomous insect bites have steadily decreased. Most people who are bitten live to tell their tale. We have had many sightings of black widow spiders in the cities of Deland and Deltona.

Golden Orb Weaver – Beneficial Bugs

In Florida, the golden orb weaver (sometimes called banana spiders), are a large, brightly colored spider that hangs in the middle of a beautifully spun web. They are not aggressive, but can deliver a painful bite if provoked. Their venom is non-lethal to humans. Considered a beneficial spider, they eat mosquitos, flies and gnats. These are good spiders to have in your garden.

Daddy Long-leg spiders

The daddy long-leg spiders are Pholcid spiders. They are very thin and somewhat delicate. Also called cellar spiders, they will vibrate when a nest is disturbed. They do not pose a threat to humans, but are a major nuisance. They can be found collecting in large groups in dark corners like in closets and attics. These spiders are known to hunt and kill widow spiders giving an impression that there bite to a human is more potent than that of a widow spider. This is untrue – daddy long-leg spiders cannot bite a human.

Brown Recluse

This hermit favors dark, damp environments like crawl spaces and stored fire wood. Bites from a brown recluse are rare since these spiders hide in places humans seldom go. The venom from a brown recluse spider is extremely dangerous. It is a hemotoxin similar to snake venom from a pit viper or rattle snake. The venom can cause necrosis, which is when skin will turn black and die. A large open wound will form, and will require intense medical care. Contrary to folklore that we hear from customers around our Port Orange business, brown recluses are not native to Florida. You will not naturally see a brown recluse in Daytona Beach unless it was transplanted there via a shipment from somewhere else.

Wolf Spider

Even though these spiders are not deadly to humans, they can bite if they feel cornered or if they feel threatened. The bite can cause mild to moderate pain with localized swelling. This would be similar to a wasp or bee sting. They will eat cockroaches, small lizards and other small invertebrates. When they find a target, they will pounce and inject venom, liquefying their prey into meal. Wolf spiders are often mistaken for brown recluse spiders. The experts at Dave’s Pest Control know the difference and can make a proper identification; however, we recommend getting a good picture as we cannot ID a smashed bug on a paper towel!

Keeping Bugs Away

Knowing that bugs can cause harm to us, keeping pests away to protect our lives is an important part of living. Regular pest control treatments will help reduce your chances of seeing pests in your home or business.
These tiny organisms have sophisticated and complex lives that are dependent on the same things we need for survival: food, shelter and water. When bugs enter your homes and businesses, reach out to us and get a free estimate to schedule your appointment.