In Florida Autumn pests appear to shift their activities as subtly as the changes in the weather. Honestly, the pests never go away on their own as part of a seasonal shift. Our rainy season lasts long past the Autumn Equinox on September 21 and pests such as ants and roaches will continue to seek the warm, dry environment so easily found in your home.
As the temperature eases and the humidity drops, insect activity will not be as rampant as it was in summer, but problems may still arise. It is important to be sure your home is protected whether you are a do-it-yourselfer or have a professional pest control partner like Heath Pest Control.
What Can You Be on Guard for as Autumn Turns to Winter?
You will probably need to be equally on guard for Florida Autumn pests as you are the rest of the year. There will always be ants, roaches, and rodents scurrying about, but certainly less so if you are taking precautions.
Ants
Florida is home to a variety of ants that tend to go indoors in search of water. You may find ant trails in places like the driveway, walls or windows, as well as in your kitchen or bathroom. Tiny creepy crawlies such as ghost ants, white-footed ants, rover ants, Caribbean crazy ants, carpenter ants, fire ants, roaches, and rodents are common at this time of year.
Keep an eye out for heavy ant trails around the walls, driveways, windows, fences, and throughout the yard. Interior activity will probably be around the kitchen and bathrooms, or near any possible water source.
As plants grow out and touch the side of your house, ants are able to use the tree limbs as a bridge to your home. Trimming new tree limbs and foliage away from the house will help decrease the chance of these pests getting inside.
Roaches
Cockroaches are a problem year-round and are drawn to dark, warm, moist environments. They are most active at night and eat just about anything including garbage, sugar, meats, and pet food. Roaches carry disease and bacteria that can make the people in your home sick. The best way to be sure you do not have a cockroach infestation is to contact a professional pest control service.
Termites
Termite infestations can occur at any time of year; however it is the drywood and dampwood termites that tend to swarm during the fall. Even native subterranean termite swarms are still occurring during this time.
Rodents
A year-round problem, rodents tend to make their way indoors more as the weather cools. Like other pests, they sneak into homes through small cracks, openings, vents, holes, and damaged screens Check doors, windows, waterspouts, and roof edges for any holes. Rodents can get into your home from an opening as small as a quarter. If they get in, they can cause damage to ceilings, walls, attic, and basement (who has a basement in Florida?)
During a hurricane, tropical storm, or flooding, they will definitely seek a way into your home to escape the dangers that high waters pose.
More than being annoying and multiplying quickly, rodents may harbor transmittable diseases in their saliva, dander, fur, droppings, and urine. Such diseases include salmonella, Hantavirus and the plague. If you have or suspect rodents in your home, stay safe and call us right away.
Lawn pests
Your home is not the only place that insects threaten in the fall. Chinch bugs, armyworms, grubs, and crickets are common turf destroying insects here in Florida that can be active during fall. They will eat and destroy all types of grass, and some will even invade your shrubs and other ornamentals.
Think about the investment that many Florida homeowners make in their lawns and landscape. Insects like this can cause extensive damage requiring intervention and replacement costs.
Moles can be active in the fall and will also cause substantial damage as they tunnel through lawns and destroy delicate root systems.
Grubs are a common problem at this time of year. White grubs are actually small white larvae for a beetle. They live in the soil and feed on the roots of your grass. This thins out and loosens up your turf, and therefore it pulls up very easily. If you see birds in your yard picking at the grass, you may have an abundance of lawn grubs in it.
Spiders
Spiders are attracted to food sources—insects. If you have a spider infestation in your home, you may have an insect infestation of which you are not aware. In addition to controlling the insect population in your home, make your dwelling seem inhospitable to spiders by breaking webs when you see them and using a natural spider repellent, like water infused with mint.
If Florida Autumn pests have you down you can always check for the usual gaps and potential entry points, clean up clutter, lawn and leaf piles, puddles and other areas where water collects. And, never fear, one call to Heath Pest Control and we’ll be on our way provide a clean sweep and rescue!