Blog

The late spring termite swarming season has come to an end. The termite swarmers have found new locations for their colonies in structures where cellulose is plentiful. As new colonies grows, they will destroy the surrounding wood and fiber structures.

Do you have termites?
Check around your home, paying special attention to doorways, door frames, baseboards, walls and wood furniture in your home. Be on alert for classic termite wings, tube-shaped mud tunnels in the ground or near the house, portions of the wall hollowed out, tiny holes or a “bubbled” look on doors, frames or baseboards.

Professional Termite Treatment
Home treatment with topical sprays just aren’t effective since they don’t reach the colonies embedded in structures. While you wait for topical sprays to work, termites continue attacking the wood and fiber in their path.

Florida Pest Control Center (FPCC) is the Florida expert in treating all species of termites, using the most advanced technologies to safely eliminate termites. Our knowledgeable staff will assess your termite situation and discuss the optimal treatment options for your termite infestation.

Innovative No-Tent Heat Treatment
Using the newest and safest treatments available, FPCC can effectively treat termites in a matter of hours – without the need for tenting your home. Our treatments utilize a combination of pumps, injections, bait, soil rods, and forced heat.

One of our most innovative and effective approaches to eradicate termite colonies is using heat treatment. This one-service treatment strategy uses forced hot air technology to quickly eradicate termite colonies. Specialized radiators raise the ambient room temperature and remove moisture while the heated air is recirculated using dedicated fans. Infrared sensors placed in strategic locations allow our technicians to monitor and control the environment, maintaining specific temperatures to eliminate termites. Property owners and managers rave about our heat treatment because:

• The heat treatment is very effective – it kills adult insects, their young, and their eggs.
• Heat treatment is a one-service treatment strategy.
• There is no residue or chemicals that can harm pets.
• Heat can reach tiny, often overlooked crevices where termites may hide.
• The treatment won’t damage your home or furniture.

“Old School” Tenting
Other pest control companies use older methods that involve tenting the home for several days, requiring that you, your family and your pets evacuate during this time and find a hotel or another place to stay. The tenting method is invasive, intrusive, and expensive.

Florida Pest Control Center (FPCC)
The variety of innovative treatments we use not only eliminate termites rapidly without the need for tenting, but they also create a barrier between your building and the ground, effectively preventing new termites from entering to the ground for the moisture they need to survive. Moreover, FPCC treatments won’t break the bank nor require you to evacuate for days at a time.

For more information or for a free estimate, please visit us at Florida Pest Control Center (FPCC) or contact the Florida Pest Control Center (FPCC) at 866-697-3555 today. Florida Pest Control Center (FPCC) services are licensed, insured, and guaranteed.

Florida Pest Control Center (FPCC)
https://www.floridapestcontrolcenter.com/
Toll-Free:866-697‑3555
Local: 954-945-5050

It’s that time of year. School is coming to an end, summer plans are in gear, and subterranean termites are swarming.

Yes, these termites, commonly found in South Florida, swarm in the spring. And if you’re not familiar with swarming, stay tuned for a quick overview!

Swarming Season

Swarming is the process by which termites locate a new home near an available food source and begin a new colony. During swarming season in late spring, specific termites known as “swarmers” leave their colony in search of an ideal location for their next colony. The “swarmers” don’t cause damage to your home or other structures because they don’t have the ability to chew wood or fiber. But, they pave the way for their fellow termites to colonize and begin destruction of surrounding materials. Although disconcerting to humans, this is all part of the natural termite life cycle that allows termites to reproduce.

Subterranean Termites

The subterranean termite typically colonizes underground, creating mud tubes that protect them from predators. Mud tubes may be evident on the side of buildings or wood structures. During swarming season, thousands of termites fly through mud tubes seeking out new homes, typically attracted by large concentrations of available cellulose. Subterranean termites also can cause damage to anything made of fiber as well as insulation, paper, and infiltration systems.

Formosan Termites

Known as “super termites”, the subterranean Formosan Termites are the most aggressive species of termites. Like other subterranean species including Eastern Subterranean Termites, Formosan Termites colonize underground and create mud tubes. But, these termites consume cellulose and fiber so quickly that a colony can destroy the structure of a building in months. Significant termite damage to a home after only a few months of an infestation may require repairs upwards of $50,000.

Flying Ants or Termites?

Swarming termites build a colony quickly! So, if you see something that resembles flying ants, you may have found the beginning of a termite colony. Wondering if they are indeed flying ants or termites?

Take a close look – if the antennae are straight, wings are the same length, and they have a relatively straight body, they’re probably termites. If you think you may have termites, you need to act fast and potentially stop an infestation. The faster you can control the activity, the less damage you will have.

Home Treatments

Unfortunately, home treatments with topical sprays just cannot reach the colonies that are typically embedded in the building structure. Consequently, these treatments will allow the termites to continue attacking the wood and fiber in their path.
Whether they are Formosa Termites, Eastern Subterranean Termites or any other termite species, if you find “ants with wings”, it’s time to call in the professionals before the termites destroy your home or building.

Professional Termite Elimination

Florida Pest Control Center (FPCC) is the Florida expert in treating Formosan and Eastern Subterranean Termites, using the most advanced technologies to safely eliminate termites. The process of termite removal requires pest control professionals – technicians who are knowledgeable about termite behavior patterns, their food sources, breeding, and preferred habitats. Using this knowledge, we effectively treat the ground-based infestation using pumps, injections, bait, and soil rods. In addition, our newest subterranean termite truck is equipped with dual pumps and hoses to allow us to combine the strength of both liquid and foam termiticide treatments.

We also use innovative treatments to create a non-repellent barrier between your building and the ground, effectively preventing new termites from entering to the ground for the moisture they need to survive. Without blend of powerful treatments, termite infestations will be rapidly eradicated.

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 ants, mosquitoes, termites, bed bugs, rodents, and other pest infestations.

For more information or for a free estimate, please visit us at Florida Pest Control Center (FPCC) or contact the Florida Pest Control Center (FPCC) at 866-697-3555 today. Florida Pest Control Center (FPCC) services are licensed, insured, and guaranteed.

Florida Pest Control Center (FPCC)
https://www.floridapestcontrolcenter.com/
Toll-Free:866-697‑3555
Local: 954-945-5050

Finding ants in your kitchen, along the baseboards, and in the bathroom?

If you are finding even one ant in your bathroom, you can expect to find more. When ants move throughout your home, they leave tracks that are invisible to humans but ring loud and clear to their ant species.

Did you know that there are over 15 different ant species in Florida? Each of these species can be considered a household nuisance, but some ant species create more serious problems than others. Fire and red ants can deliver a painful sting to humans – and especially to young children playing outside in the yard. Carpenter ants are often found in decaying wood. These ants can wreak havoc in wood structures and even damage the structure of your home. It’s important to treat these ant colonies quickly before they compromise the integrity of wood structures.

Ants May Start Outside…
Most ant colonies start outside, but are driven indoors by their attraction to sugar, water, proteins, oils, and fragrances. It’s not uncommon to find several ant species in bathrooms, the nursery, or wherever scented products are used. Odorous ants and sugar ants are typically found in the kitchen and bathrooms, searching for water or food. Additionally, some species of ants invade air conditioning units.

Summertime draws even more ants, and home infestations can be traced to growing colonies ranging from dozens to millions of ants, originating outside your home.

As you can probably imagine, homes, offices, hospitals, and other commercial buildings are not limited to only one species of ants. You could have multiple ant species enjoying a fiesta in the underlying structure and inside your home. Ants don’t just invade homes; they infest businesses and wreak havoc in restaurants, offices and hotels.

While sweeping, mopping, and cleaning will help reduce the number of ants in your home, once they’ve made their way into your home, there are plenty more that will continue coming back. Keeping your bushes trimmed and your doors and windows caulked helps, as does eliminating standing water near your home. However, when you feel that the ants have stayed past curfew, it’s time to contact a reputable pest control service to inspect and remove the ants.

Ant Removal Services
The process of ant control and ant removal requires pest control professionals – technicians who are knowledgeable about ant behavior patterns, their food sources, breeding, and preferred habitats. Once our ant infestation control professionals identify the ant species, they can locate their nesting area to treat the ants quickly and effectively. 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 ants, mosquitoes, bed bugs, rodents, and other pest infestations.

For more information or for a free estimate, please visit us at Florida Pest Control Center (FPCC) or contact the Florida Pest Control Center (FPCC) at 866-697-3555 today. Florida Pest Control Center (FPCC) services are licensed, insured, and guaranteed.

Florida Pest Control Center (FPCC)
https://www.floridapestcontrolcenter.com/
Toll-Free:866-697‑3555
Local: 954-945-5050

Mosquitoes cause problems for everyone in their yards each year. They’re not only nuisances but also spreaders of various diseases such as the Zika virus. They silently land on both humans and animals, plunging their proboscis into the skin and draining enough blood to fill their bellies. If you’re the victim of a mosquito infestation, you can do a few things to stop them from taking over your yard.

4 Ways to Stop Mosquito Infestations

Remove any stagnant water from your yard.

Female mosquitoes are attracted to and lay their eggs in water. If you have water in a birdbath, a dog dish or a flowerpot, you’re increasing the risk of mosquito infestations. It’s best to drain any water from the objects in your yard to put an end to mosquito breeding sites.

Cut back the shrubs and weeds.

Mosquitoes hunt for food in the morning and evening. When they’re resting during the heat of the day, they spend their time on the leaves of shrubs and weeds. They may also rest on overgrown grasses in your yard. Maintaining your lawn will eliminate their resting spots and send them somewhere else.

Pick up the trash around your property.

Clutter and trash attract pests of all types, including mosquitoes. They can find water in old cans or crumpled plastic bags and use these sites to breed. You should remove any trash and clutter from your property to reduce the mosquito population.

Have a professional treat the yard.

Professional pest control technicians use the most effective treatments for mosquitoes. They know where to spray and how to treat infestations at the source. Professional technicians will also identify any troublesome spots in your yard and help you to keep mosquitoes away during the peak season.

Get Rid of Mosquitoes for Good

If mosquitoes continue to infiltrate your yard, seek assistance from the professionals. Florida Pest Control Center can help to kill mosquitoes on your property and to stop them from congregating on bushes, trees and the grass. Taking preventative steps and working with professional pest control technicians will give you a mosquito-free yard throughout the year.

Bedbugs are common pests that can get into anyone’s home regardless of how clean and careful you are. While there is no evidence to suggest that they transmit disease, they are still a source of stress and irritation.

If you are concerned that you might have a bedbug infestation, here are five common signs to look for.

1. Bite Marks

Bedbug bites can often be mistaken for other types of bug bites, especially in the warmer months when there are lots of biting insects around. However, bedbug bites do have their own distinct signs, so the next time you start scratching, take a closer look.

Most often, you will see and feel the following characteristics:

– Small, red and raised welts- Straight lines of identical, multiple bites- Burning and itching- Irritated rash around a bug bite

2. Physical Evidence

While they are not always easy to spot, you can often find physical evidence of their presence if you look closely.

The most common sign of a bedbug infestation is the telltale dark, period-sized marks on your mattress, bedding or pajamas. These are fecal stains from the bugs.

Another sign will be small blood stains on your bed sheets and clothing. Because bedbugs feed on blood, they always leave a bit of a mess behind.

3. Smell

Believe it or not, if the infestation is bad enough, you will actually be able to detect a distinct odor. If you notice an unusual, sickly sweet smell anywhere in your house, particularly in bedrooms, you should be on the lookout for bedbugs.

4. Live Bugs

Obviously, the easiest way to ascertain that you have a problem is by spotting the pests themselves. bedbugs are adept at hiding, and the young ones are small enough that they are difficult to spot with the naked eye. Adult bedbugs are rust-colored and fairly large, but they are able to fit almost anywhere.

5. Eggs and Exoskeletons

Bedbug eggs are extremely tiny and will appear glued to surfaces like mattress seams, upholstery, headboard joints, bed frame cracks and under loose wall hangings. You may also find exoskeletons, which are usually pale yellow.

If you are experiencing any of these signs of a bedbug infestation, you need to act quickly. While it is possible to treat an infestation on your own, it is usually best to call the professionals to ensure that they are completely eradicated.

Florida Pest Control Center has highly trained professionals who are able to use the latest pest control techniques to formulate a safe and effective treatment plan to rid your home of a bedbug infestation. Call or email us today for a consultation with one of our friendly, knowledgeable specialists.

You’ve worked hard to create an impressive menu to go with your next foray into the world of backyard dining. Unfortunately, your efforts haven’t just attracted the attentions of your guests and jealous next-door neighbors. You also have to contend with mosquitoes, and it seems like these buzzing pests fail to get the message no matter how many times you tell them that they’re not welcome.

Want to transform your next BBQ into a mosquito-free paradise? Try these integrated pest management, or IPM, tips.

Eliminate Breeding Spots

Mosquitoes require standing water to breed. Different Aedes and Culex species have distinct preferences on whether they prefer human-made pools, like puddles in trash bins, or organic spaces, like leaves that gather rainwater. No matter what type of infestation you’re at war with, however, getting rid of these spots can make your yard way more pleasant.

Experts recommend actions like plugging tree holes with insulating foam, cleaning gutters to keep them from backing up and storing tarps that might collect rainwater indoors. If you have birdbaths, flowerpots or outdoor trashcans, you should empty them out on a routine basis. In some cases, it may be necessary to repair cracked septic tanks, cover ventilation openings and install wire mesh around drainage piping or air conditioner outlets.

Is your yard full of containers, like buckets or wheelbarrows? If you must keep them outdoors, then store them upside-down so that they don’t collect water. Pruning dense vegetation and eliminating windbreaks to let the breeze pass through more often can also discourage adults from nesting nearby.

Introduce Mosquito Predators

In some cases, it’s impossible to eliminate standing water sources. For instance, you probably don’t want to drain your fancy backyard pond.

Fortunately, you can use many predatory species to your advantage. Introducing mosquito-eating fish into a pond, for instance, is a smart way to control larvae populations. Natural nematodes, bacteria and other species serve similar purposes.

Stop Settling for Mosquito Infestations

Mosquitoes love outdoor gatherings because they feed off of your blood. When you, your kids and your pets all gather together, it’s like you’re presenting these insects with a free feast. Since mosquitoes are attracted to your body heat and the carbon dioxide that you naturally exhale, preventing them from developing large populations in the first place is the most effective solution.

Controlling mosquitoes makes it much easier to enjoy the great outdoors. It also prevents the spread of the many diseases that these insects carry, like Zika Virus, malaria and dengue fever. To learn more about how to use comprehensive IPM techniques to keep your BBQs pest-free, talk to an expert at Florida Pest Control Center today.

If you run or manage a business, taking steps to keep bedbugs away is vital no matter your industry. According to some studies, a bedbug infestation can cost up to $23,560 to treat and contain. When people think of bedbug outbreaks, hotels are often the first thing that comes to mind, but any business can face this threat. You will want to know how bedbugs can impact your bottom line and what you can do about it.

Replacing Furniture and Other Assets

If a hotel has bedbugs and allows the problem to progress, the pests can cause lasting damage to towels, sheets, mattresses and furniture. Restaurants and other establishments that have furniture or softgoods will need to replace their items if a bedbug infestation gets out of control.

These parasites can leave fecal matter and blood stains behind after they feed, and you can’t allow your customers to use tainted supplies. You will need to replace everything that the bedbugs ruin when they invade your place of business, and doing so is not always cheap. If you can spot an outbreak in the early stages and get it under control, you can save a lot of money over the long run.

Lost Business

Your prospects know how hard it can be to manage and eliminate a bedbug infestation, and they won’t want to take any chances. If one of your guests spots a bedbug on your property and posts about it online, you will lose a lot of customers. Depending on the review site that your customer used, the negative comment could remain online and hurt your business for years.

Lawsuits

Failing to address a bedbug infestation properly could expose you to a range of lawsuits, and you won’t want to find yourself on the wrong side of a civil case. Since people can only sue your business if they can prove that you were negligent in protecting them from bedbugs, doing everything that you can to keep the pests away is your best option.

You can dispute allegations of negligence by showing receipts and reports of pest control services. Even if you win a lawsuit, you will still need to pay legal fees that can impact your budget in a negative way.

Florida Pest Control Center

The Florida Pest Control Center will have your back if you would like to protect your business from lawsuits and reputation damage, and we will dispatch a team of experts as soon as you need us. With our training, tools and dedication, we will find and destroy the bedbugs that have been harming your business and affecting your bottom line.

At Florida Pest Control Center, we feel privileged to serve our residential and commercial customers. We provide homes and businesses in Broward County and all of South Florida with safe, effective pest control treatments. We are a family-owned, independently operated company, and customer service is the cornerstone of our business.

Safe Pest Control

Our technicians are committed to eliminating pest problems without endangering the health or safety of people and animals. We treat the source, not the symptoms, using cutting-edge technology. Thorough training in the latest techniques is essential to our success. We are also lucky to have access to the knowledge of experts in modern pest control technology and urban pest management at the University of Florida.

Effective Custom Treatment Plans

We use a state-of-the-art blend of chemical and non-chemical components to eliminate invasive pest populations. We create custom plans that outperform DIY and chemical-only treatments to quickly and completely eliminate infestations. Many of our customers have thanked us for getting rid of ongoing pest issues when multiple other companies have failed to do so. Our treatments quickly eliminate bed bugs and other ongoing infestations and help our customers feel comfortable in their own homes and businesses again. Our treatments are developed with sustainability in mind, and most are organic or plant-based.

Guaranteed Service

All our services are insured, licensed and guaranteed. If a treatment doesn’t eradicate your pest problem, we’ll treat your property again at no extra cost. Our knowledgeable technicians are happy to answer all your questions and explain each phase of the treatment process. One advantage of using a professional pest control service instead of a cheap, ineffective DIY product is knowing how and why the treatment works. In addition, our well-trained techs arm customers with information on preventing future infestations.

Fast, Interruption-Free Service

We take pride in providing prompt response times and friendly, efficient service every time. We know you you’re busy, so our team’s goal is to arrive on time and do all we can to avoid interrupting your routine. Our customers appreciate our willingness to work with their schedules. Customers with regular treatment plans receive monthly calls from our friendly office staff to schedule appointments. And we promise to leave your property undamaged and mess-free.

From the safety and effectiveness of our eco-friendly treatments to the professional service provided by our courteous, dependable technicians and office staff, we strive to create a positive experience every step of the way. We know how unpleasant a pest infestation is, and we want you to feel at home again in your residence or business. Join our South Florida customers in safely experiencing a pest-free life. Contact Florida Pest Control Center today for a fast, free estimate.

As a proud homeowner, you’ll benefit from achieving and maintaining a beautiful lawn. However, don’t underestimate fire ants or any other landscape pest. They may be small, but they can easily wreak havoc on your lawn. You don’t have to worry because you’re not alone in your fight against pesky critters.

Gophers

Although gophers are cute and funny on TV shows, they have all the right tools to destroy your well-manicured lawn and garden. Since they travel quickly and live comfortably underground, it won’t take them long to carry out their destructive plans for your yard. The good news is that Florida Pest Control Center will have you covered. As well-trained pest exterminators, we know how to get rid of gophers, and our removal methods are among the safest kind.

Ground Squirrels

Ground squirrels live in colonies and are diurnal. Because these pests are quick on their feet, they are extremely good at taking what they want. Without proper intervention, they will continue to raid your garden and lawn. Keep in mind that sprinklers and irrigation lines are just as vulnerable as food-bearing trees and ornamental plants. Also, beware that ground squirrels can carry diseases that are harmful to humans and pets.

Insects

From sunup to sundown, insects make their presence known in one way or another. Florida has more than 12,000 species of bugs, including yellow fever mosquitoes and brown recluse spiders. Although most insects serve a useful purpose, it’s going to be in your best interest to let a professional exterminator treat your lawn because he or she is trained to combat foraging and invasive pests.

Moles

Moles are a force to be reckoned with. They have a high metabolism and strong front paws that can do substantial damage to your favorite plants and lush lawn. No matter the time of the year, moles will dig surface and deep tunnels, but they are mostly active during the summer, spring and fall. When these pests burrow, they indirectly kill plants because their sharp claws break up and scrape away the soil that nourishes them. You can save your precious bed of dandelions and roses by letting a pest exterminator hunt down the mole that’s living on your property.

Voles

During the daytime and nighttime, voles will carry out their duties. They create burrows near the surface, and unlike moles, they don’t leave mounds behind. Unfortunately for you, voles pose a threat to your garden because their digging habit damages the root systems of plants, and they enjoy gnawing on shrubs and blades of grass. As a property owner in Florida, you may be targeted by voles. These pests tend to breed quickly, so an infestation can develop before you know it.

Landscape pests are opportunists. If they find your lawn attractive, they will invade it and mar its beauty within a short amount of time. Thankfully, eradicating landscape pests is an easy task for a professional pest exterminator. Contact Florida Pest Control Center if you have pest control needs.