Did you know that a rat can chew through various holes to get into your home?  So, how do you keep rodents out of your space?

In South Florida there are not many winter problems that homeowners face – there is no snow to shovel and no furnace to tend to.  However, there can be an increase of rodents invading your home looking for warmer areas and a food source.  At Florida Pest Control Center, we have the following recommendations to prepare for these little critters:

Outside

Top recommendation is to seal all your garbage inside either metal or closed trash cans. Then, get rid of anything in your yard that gives a rodent a place to stay – such as buckets and containers. These types of  ground cover can be attractive to rats since it provides shelter and warmth or shade when needed.  Next, consider your sheds and any outdoor storage areas.  A cluttered space can hold a large number of rodents. 

If the exterior of your home contains a garden of any sort, consider adding a type of decoy.  A plastic owl is a typical decoy; however, it is recommended to use something that is light in weight so it moves and floats in the breeze.

Inside

Remember to cover any open space that is connected to your home as it is an invitation to rats, mice and other outside critters that are looking for both warmth and food.  Cover any crack, hole, and opening into your house down to the smallest of gaps.

The best material that can be used to cover and fill in any open holes is copper wool as rodents dislike this texture.  Other options such as caulk or foam still can be chewed through and do not provide adequate coverage.

Worst-Case Scenario

It you do find the telltale rat or mouse droppings and you do not want to deal with the kill vs. trap-and-release dilemma —do not hesitate to call a professional. At Florida Pest Control Center we have specially trained and licensed pest control professionals that can provide the detection of the infestations, the treatment, as well as the prevention and extermination methods needed to eliminate these pests for good. The longer the rodents are in your house, the more droppings (that may carry disease), and the more damage they will likely do.

Let the professionals deal with the rodents for you.  Call us today at 954-945-5050.

Florida Pest Control Center (FPCC) employs comprehensive, state-of-the art technologies, chemical, and non-chemical treatments to eliminate pest problems in residential homes, businesses, hospitals, medical facilities, group homes, and apartment and condominium buildings.  Our highly trained professionals provide a fast, complete solution to your termites, ants, mosquitoes, termites, bed bugs, rodents, and other pest infestations. 

Safe.  We use the safest treatments available.

Easy.  We make it as easy as we can on you and your family.

Effective.  Our treatments will effectively remove bed bugs from your home.

Florida Pest Control Center (FPCC)

Local: 954-945-5050

When you think of winter problems, South Florida is probably the last place you would think of having any.  However, just because we don’t have to shovel our way out of our homes; we do have to worry about pests invading our homes and businesses.

South Florida is the perfect climate for numerous pests and bugs that often seek refuge indoors during cold fronts and temperature drops.  These colder temperature lead to pests not only seeking temporary relief from the cold but they often make themselves at home which can lead to a bigger problem for the homeowner or business.

Common pests that increase in the winter months include rodents, roaches, ticks, silverfish, lawn funguses, carpenter ants as well as ghost ants.  However, rodents and roaches are the pests that commonly invade homes and businesses for warmer climates.

Rats

Aside from the squeamish feeling you get from the thought of sharing your home with rats and rodents.  Rodents can also cause actual damage by chewing through electrical wires, insulation, drywall and even wood.

Rats or roof rat as they are sometimes referred to like to nest in roofs, attics and occasionally inside wall voids.  A single pair of rats can produce 15,000 offspring in just one year.

Another common rat is the Norway rat.  These rats burrow under foundations or into open exposed crawl spaces.

Roaches

Although roaches can be a year-round pest, they do become more active in the winter months as they search for warmer places to live.  Roaches are not only unpleasant to look at; they also carry many diseases that can be harmful to you, your family and your family pets.

Roaches love being in the kitchen, bathroom, cupboards, laundry room, and trash cans or as we like to say; just about anywhere.  The common types of roaches to keep any eye out for are German Cockroaches, American Cockroaches and Brown-banded Cockroaches.

Other Occasional Invaders

In addition to Roaches and Rats, South Florida is full of outside pests that can become unwanted house guests; from Racoons, Possums, Feral Cats, Armadillos, Bats, Foxes and Snakes, the pest professionals at Florida Pest Control Center are always here to help. If you have questions regarding your pest control needs our friendly and knowledgeable staff is here to answer your questions. We have a variety of full service and do it yourself pest products and services to help you maintain a safe, pest free home or business. Call us today at 954-945-5050

At Florida Pest Control Center we have specially trained and licensed pest control professionals that can provide the detection of the infestations, the treatment, as well as the prevention and extermination methods needed to eliminate these pests for good. Call us today at 954-945-5050

Florida Pest Control Center (FPCC) employs comprehensive, state-of-the art technologies, chemical, and non-chemical treatments to eliminate pest problems in residential homes, businesses, hospitals, medical facilities, group homes, and apartment and condominium buildings.  Our highly trained professionals provide a fast, complete solution to your termites, ants, mosquitoes, termites, bed bugs, rodents, and other pest infestations. 

Safe.  We use the safest treatments available.

Easy.  We make it as easy as we can on you and your family.

Effective.  Our treatments will effectively remove bed bugs from your home.

Florida Pest Control Center (FPCC)

Local: 954-945-5050

Carpenter Ants are a frequent pest in South Florida and commonly infest both interior and exterior environments around homes and other structures. Carpenter Ants are among the largest of the ant species; and take a minimum of two years to develop wings that give the swarming ant a greater range of infestation. These foraging workers can establish up to 20 satellite nests from one main colony.

Winged Carpenter Ants are most often noticed by homeowners and are also commonly mistaken for a species of termites. Unlike Termites, Carpenter Ants do not eat wood, but they can still do significant damage as well. Their colonies can be as large as 100,000 workers with multiple queens. They prefer to nest in wood, preferably dead and or moist wood, inside galleries they develop by chewing their way through the wood. This nesting process is what leads to costly repairs for South Florida homeowners.

We have outlined a few characteristics of the Carpenter Ant below to help you better identify these insects. We have also provided a few helpful tips to help avoid Carpenter Ant infestations around your property. If you feel that your home or business may have an infestation; we offer a variety of full service pest control solutions with the best services in the industry to help you maintain a safe, pest free home or business. Call us today at 954-945-5050.

Carpenter Ants Characteristics:

• 1/4 – 3/4 inches long
• Range in color: black, brown, and red, orange
• Carpenter Ants prefer to nest in logs, stumps or dead trees where wood contacts the soil and moisture is plentiful, they will infest structural wood of homes and buildings.
• Deadwood areas of living trees are susceptible to infestation.
• Carpenter Ants do not eat wood but nest with products consisting of cellulose. Their diet consists of protein, grease and sweets from a variety of both animal and plant foods.
• They prefer wood that has been damaged by termites or by decay but once established may invade sound wood.
• Gallery excavation creates “sawdust” like evidence near the nest. These piles consist of wood fragments, bits of soil and sand, portions of insects, dead ants and other debris.
• A typical nest will contain several thousand individuals and can exist for several years if not treated.
• Foraging ants will travel 300 feet or more from the nest in a trail and will set up satellite nest.
• These ants are mostly active at dawn and dusk.

At Florida Pest Control Center we have specially trained and licensed pest control professionals that can provide the detection of the infestations, the treatment, as well as the prevention and extermination methods needed to eliminate these pests for good. Call us today at 954-945-5050.

The month of October celebrates the spookiest holiday – Halloween. The famous song goes… “They’re creepy and they’re kooky, mysterious and spooky, they’re all together ooky.” They’re…ants, spiders, cockroaches and other pests that surround us.

Checkout some chilling bug facts that can really creep you out. Zombie Ants:  They do exist.  The fungus Ophiocordyceps infects ants, essentially making them zombies. It takes over an ant’s central nervous systems and blocks signals from its brain.

• Wasps:  Parent wasps feed meat to their young, mostly in the form of other insect larvae.  Yuck.

• Ants:  It is estimated that there are 1,000,000 ants for every person in the world.

• Fruit-fly:  The female fruit fly lays 30 to 50 eggs per day during her life. Wow.

• Spiders:  True fact – a spider uses hydraulic pressure to walk, pumping a liquid into its legs to extend them, like a terrifying, carnivorous machine.

• More on Spiders:  They don’t actually chew their food, they liquify it outside of their bodies, pre-digesting it so they can suck it up and slurp it down.

• Cockroaches: Did you know – they like to eat callused skin, fingernails, and eyelashes. Grose.

• More on cockroaches: Cockroaches can live for an entire week without its head.

• Mosquitos: Did you know that of the 4,000 species of mosquito in existence, 100 of them carry and transmit human disease.

• Mosquitos Suck:  Mosquitos will suck up to three times its weight in blood.

Forget the haunted house, for many homeowners, just the thought of spider’s web in their living room or bed bugs nesting under the covers can turn their home a haunted one. The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) informs homeowners that autumn is a typical season for pest infestations as insects and rodents are seeking shelter from the cooler weather that is rolling in.

At Florida Pest Control Center we have specially trained and licensed pest control professionals that can provide the detection of the infestations, the treatment, as well as the prevention and extermination methods needed to eliminate these pests for good. Call us today at 954-945-5050

Florida Pest Control Center (FPCC) employs comprehensive, state-of-the art technologies, chemical, and non-chemical treatments to eliminate pest problems in residential homes, businesses, hospitals, medical facilities, group homes, and apartment and condominium buildings.  Our highly trained professionals provide a fast, complete solution to your termites, ants, mosquitoes, termites, bed bugs, rodents, and other pest infestations. 

Safe.  We use the safest treatments available.

Easy.  We make it as easy as we can on you and your family.

Effective.  Our treatments will effectively remove bed bugs from your home.

Florida Pest Control Center (FPCC)

Local: 954-945-5050

Now offering Pest Control Plans to meet your pest control needs. Featuring One Time Service, Quarterly Service, Every Other Month Service as well as Monthly Service. Contact us today to learn more.

• One Time
  Service
• Roaches (American)
• Ants (excludes Carpenter)
• Wasps and Mud Daubers
• Spiders
• Crickets
• Scorpions
• Pantry Weevils
• Silverfish
• Earwigs
• Centipedes
• Carpenter Ants
• German Roaches
• Mice & Rats**
• Subterranean Termite Monitoring***
• Fleas/Ticks
• Bed Bug Monitoring***

• Quarterly
  Service
• Roaches (American)
• Ants (excludes Carpenter)
• Wasps and Mud Daubers
• Spiders
• Crickets
• Scorpions
• Pantry Weevils
• Silverfish
• Earwigs
• Centipedes
• Carpenter Ants
• German Roaches
• Mice & Rats**
• Subterranean Termite Monitoring***
• Fleas/Ticks
• Bed Bug Monitoring***

• Every Other Month Service
• Roaches (American)
• Ants
  –
• Wasps and Mud Daubers
• Spiders
• Crickets
• Scorpions
• Pantry Weevils
• Silverfish
• Earwigs
• Centipedes
• Carpenter Ants
• German Roaches
• Mice & Rats**
• Subterranean Termite Monitoring***
• Fleas/Ticks
• Bed Bug Monitoring***

• Monthly
  Service
• Roaches (American)
• Ants
  –
• Wasps and Mud Daubers
• Spiders
• Crickets
• Scorpions
• Pantry Weevils
• Silverfish
• Earwigs
• Centipedes
• Carpenter Ants
• German Roaches
• Mice & Rats**
• Subterranean Termite Monitoring***
• Fleas/Ticks
• Bed Bug Monitoring***

Additional charges may apply for homes above 3,500 square feet.
** Exclusion treatment can be provided with a separate quote. Exclusion treatment is the creation of a physical barrier to prevent entry of rodents.
*** Monitoring only. Treatment can be provided under a separate quote.

DON’T SEE EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT OR NEED IT SOONER? CALL 954-945-5050 AND WE WILL BE GLAD TO CUSTOMIZE A SERVICE AND SCHEDULE FOR YOU.

Florida Pest Control Center (FPCC)employs comprehensive, state-of-the art technologies, chemical, and non-chemical treatments to eliminate pest problems in residential homes, businesses, hospitals, medical facilities, group homes, and apartment and condominium buildings.  Our highly trained professionals provide a fast, complete solution to your termites, ants, mosquitoes, bed bugs, rodents, and other pest infestations. 

Safe.  We use the safest treatments available.

Easy.  We make it as easy as we can on you and your family.

Effective.  Our treatments will effectively remove bed bugs from your home.

Florida Pest Control Center (FPCC)

Local: 954-945-5050

According to Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, there are currently 80 species of mosquitoes known to have called South Florida home which is the more than any other state in the US. Of these identified species of mosquitoes, 33 are known to have health effects on humans and their pets; with 13 known to carry and transmit pathogens that cause disease in humans and animals.  Dengue fever, malaria and the Zika virus are commonly known diseases that can spread by mosquitoes.

Mosquito Life Cycle:

Mosquitoes go through four stages in their lifecycles egg, larva, pupa and adult. The first three stages are largely aquatic in areas that are most accommodating according to the specific species own ecological adaptations.

The average life spans can be as little as 24 hours to as long as several months depending upon species, etc. With this in mind, Florida Pest Control Center has found the best solution is the automatic No Mosquito Misting System , the key to this control is in the frequency of the pyrethrin insecticide misting, our typical misting is for only 59 second duration, but frequent schedules of 5 a.m. , 7 a.m. and then again 5 pm and 7 pm, and if you have a pool party or BBQ at 2 p.m. , no problem, it comes with a digital remote control where you hit mist now, and mister comes on at your command, within only 59 seconds you have the best solution in South Florida for mosquito control.

Diet:

Mosquitoes use a variety of ways to find their food sources including chemical, visual, and heat sensors. All mosquitoes feed on nectar and plant juices; however, in most species the females have adapted for piercing the skin of animals and humans and sucking their blood as another food source. In many species, the female needs the nutrients from a blood meal in order to produce eggs and others need it to produce more eggs than she would without a blood meal.

Mosquitoes are known to prefer type O blood, heavy breathers, as well as hosts with a lot of skin bacteria, people with a lot of body heat, and the pregnant females.

How to Defend Your Home from Mosquitoes:

The best way to protect yourself, your property and your perimeter from these pesky pests is to make sure there is no standing water around the property.  However, if you are looking to completely eliminate mosquitoes contact  Florida Pest Control Center where our specialists can help you kill the mosquitoes and protect your family.  At Florida Pest Control Center we have specially trained and licensed pest control professionals that can provide a variety of full service pest control solutions with the best services in the industry to help you maintain a safe, pest free home or business. Call us today at 954-945-5050.

Florida Pest Control Center (FPCC) employs comprehensive, state-of-the art technologies, chemical, and non-chemical treatments to eliminate pest problems in residential homes, businesses, hospitals, medical facilities, group homes, and apartment and condominium buildings.  Our highly trained professionals provide a fast, complete solution to your termites, ants, mosquitoes, termites, bed bugs, rodents, and other pest infestations. 

Safe.  We use the safest treatments available.

Easy.  We make it as easy as we can on you and your family.

Effective.  Our treatments will effectively remove bed bugs from your home.

Florida Pest Control Center (FPCC)

Local: 954-945-5050

When you think of summertime in South Florida you more than likely think of sunny beaches, warm weather and outdoor living. Living in paradise comes with numerous perks but the ideal climate that makes South Florida so enjoyable to most is also the same for numerous pests.

South Florida is the perfect tropical climate for pests to thrive. In fact, South Florida has seen an increase in the number of foreign pests over the last decade because the environment is extremely supportive for pests from other subtropical climates to live and breed. This perfect combination has contributed to numerous threats to Florida’s agriculture and overall economy.

However, with battle against these new species, we cannot lose focus on South Florida’s native pests. The most common pests include:

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are more than a nuisance to your outdoor activities. They can be a health risk to you and your family. Over the past few decades South Florida Mosquito-borne diseases have been on the rise. These diseases include West Nile Virus, Malaria, Encephalitis, Yellow Fever as well as Dengue Fever. South Florida is a perfect environment for mosquitoes to breed as there is plenty of standing water for them to breed, warmer weather for them to thrive and an abundance of food for them to survive.

The best way to protect yourself, your property and your perimeter from these pesky pests it to make sure there is no standing water around the property, utilize bug spray during dusk and dawn hours and consider a mosquito misting systems for your yard. At Florida Pest Control Center we have specially trained and licensed pest control professionals that can help to kill the mosquitoes and protect your family. Contact us today to find out how we can help.

Ants

South Florida has many species of ants that thrive in the warmer months of Spring and Summer. The most common species include Fire Ants, Ghost Ants, Pyramid Ants, Rover Ants and Pharaoh Ants. These ants all have different nesting and hunting patterns and can affect many areas of your home and or business.

The best way to protect your property from these various species of ants is to make sure you trim back plants, trees and other foliage from all structures and implement a comprehensive pest control treatment plan for both the interior and exterior of your home and business.

Termites

Many varieties of Subterranean and Drywood Termites remain active in the Summer months as a continuation to their prime swarming season in the Spring. South Florida is home to over 20 species of termites including the newly discovered “Super Termite” which is a hybrid between the Asian and the Formosan Subterranean termite. The warm days and humid environment of South Florida summers is ideal for most of these termite species to swarm to start new colonies.

Although the swarming termites are easy to exterminate, a comprehensive treatment and prevention plan is needed treat the infestation and protect your home or business from the damage the colony is inflicting on the property. The pest professionals at Florida Pest Control Center offer a variety of warranted termite treatment plans to ensure the property is termite free and remains that way.

Other Summer Invaders

Common pests that increase in the summer months include various whiteflies, fleas, ticks, caterpillars, roaches, chinch bugs, worms, fungus as well as rodents. If you have questions regarding your pest control needs our friendly and knowledgeable staff is here to answer your questions. We offer variety of full-service pest control solutions to help you maintain a safe, pest free home or business. Call us today at 954-945-5050.

Florida Pest Control Center (FPCC) employs comprehensive, state-of-the art technologies, chemical, and non-chemical treatments to eliminate pest problems in residential homes, businesses, hospitals, medical facilities, group homes, and apartment and condominium buildings.  Our highly trained professionals provide a fast, complete solution to your termites, ants, mosquitoes, termites, bed bugs, rodents, and other pest infestations. 

Safe.  We use the safest treatments available.

Easy.  We make it as easy as we can on you and your family.

Effective.  Our treatments will effectively remove bed bugs from your home.

Florida Pest Control Center (FPCC)

Local: 954-945-5050

The summer months are a busy season for our South Florida climate – it covers the rainy season, hurricane season and termite season.  According to an article in the Palm Beach Post, researchers at UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences published a study in the journal Florida Entomologist which predicts an increased risk in termite activity through 2040.  The study predicts that subterranean termite activity will expand in South Florida, placing half the structures in South Florida at risk of infestation by 2040.

Florida is currently home to six invasive species of termite: Dampwood Termite, Drywood Termite, Formosan Termite, Subterranean Termite, Conehead Termite, Desert Termite.  While South Florida is the only location in the continental U.S. where the spread of Asian and Formosan termites, the most destructive of the termite species, overlap.  Asian and Formosan subterranean termites are estimated to cause about $32 billion in damage annually, worldwide, including the harm to structures and the measures to control them.

As part of this study researches note the on-going concerns of a “Super Termite” which is a hybrid termite that results from the cross breeding of the Formosan and Asian species.  The greatest concerns regarding a hybrid termite risk are their ability to cause damage more rapidly than other traditional species as well as the ability to get them under control.

Terminate Different Species of Termites with Florida Pest Control Center (FPCC)

Florida Pest Control Center (FPCC) is the termite terminator, the Florida expert in treating all types of termites.  FPCC professionals analyze, evaluate, and identify each type of termite species infestation to determine the most effective treatment. 

Using the most advanced terminating technologies to safely eliminate termites, our pest experts may recommend heat treatment, foam termicide through pumps, liquid treatment through soil rods and injections, ground barriers, or a combination of these.  

Terminate your termites today! If you think your property might be infested with termites, contact Florida Pest Control Center today to schedule a Free Pest Control Audit! Call 954-945-5050.

Florida Pest Control Center (FPCC) employs comprehensive, state-of-the art technologies, chemical, and non-chemical treatments to eliminate pest problems in residential homes, businesses, hospitals, medical facilities, group homes, and apartment and condominium buildings.  Our highly trained professionals provide a fast, complete solution to your termites, ants, mosquitoes, termites, bed bugs, rodents, and other pest infestations. 

Safe.  We use the safest treatments available.

Easy.  We make it as easy as we can on you and your family.

Effective.  Our treatments will effectively remove bed bugs from your home.

Florida Pest Control Center (FPCC)

Local: 954-945-5050