What You Need To Know About Pests In Tampa, FL
The pests you’re likely to find in your Tampa area home or business can range from nuisance pests to pests that are a serious threat to your home or health. Knowing which are which, as well as knowing what needs to be done to get them off your property, is valuable information that can all be found in our Pest Library.
Ants
Ants are insects that thrive in Tampa's hot, humid weather conditions. Most of the species in our area are relatively harmless, but others are dangerous and transmit diseases and cause structural damage. Ants are social insects that live in large colonies and maintain multiple nests, eliminating and controlling these pests is challenging without the help of a trained and experienced professional.
Our properties are attractive to ants because they provide them with food, and when you live with thousands or hundreds of thousands of roommates, easy access to food is a must! Things like gardens, trash cans, pet food, recycling bins, grill areas, and food in our kitchens can all be the root cause of an ant infestation. Ants may move in and out of your home for a while gathering food, but eventually, they may decide to stay.
Use the following tips to help stop ants from taking over your home.
- In addition to food, ants like moisture. Reduce moisture by repairing leaky pipes, fixtures, and hoses.
- Adequately ventilate and use dehumidifiers in damp areas of your home.
- Always keep lids on trash cans and recycling bins.
- Keep indoors and outdoor eating areas free of leftover food, spills, and crumbs.
The only way to eliminate ants and stop them from returning is to partner with a professional. Reach out to EcoSmart Pest Solutions today for home ant control in Tampa, FL!
Bed Bugs
Though nearly wiped out in the 1950s, the bed bug has made a gigantic comeback. Bed bugs travel best by hitchhiking with people or in our belongings. Therefore an area like Tampa where people or constantly coming and going is a hotbed for bed bug activity. Bed bugs have a broad, oval shape and are a reddish-mahogany color. Young bed bugs or bed bug nymphs look similar to adults but are smaller and, until they feed, are whitish-yellow or translucent.
A bed bug infestation can happen in any Tampa structure. All it takes is for a couple of bed bugs on things like furniture, electronics, suitcases, clothing, or backpacks to be moved from place to place for an infestation to begin. Once bed bugs have found a way into a home, they will find hiding spots near their preferred food source. Bed bugs feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals, with people being their favorite hosts. Bed bugs often infest the seams of mattresses, upholstered furniture, and cracks in wooden furniture.
The following tips can help keep you from accidentally introducing bed bugs into your home.
- Avoid purchasing secondhand mattresses and box springs for use in your home.
- After returning home from traveling, wash and dry all clothing and bags taken.
- When in public, avoid placing your personal belongings on the ground, giving bed bugs easy access to them.
- To help get rid of stray bed bugs from your home, regularly vacuum and routinely steam clean your rugs and upholstered furniture.
If you spot bed bugs in your home, immediately reach out to us at Ecosmart Pest Solutions for total bed bug control in Tampa.
Cockroaches
Cockroaches are ancient insects that have adapted repeatedly to ensure their success. Though most cockroaches live outside and away from humans, some have adapted to living with people and are regular visitors to our Tampa area homes. Cockroaches are typically dark in color and have flat oval bodies; both features help them to hide in dark cracks and crevices. Cockroaches are prolific breeders, so just a few finding their way into your home can lead to a big problem in a short time.
Most cockroaches in Florida can live quite successfully outside in the damp vegetation and debris found in our yards. When hanging out close to our homes, it is easy for them to move inside while searching for food. While cockroaches can move into your home on their own, they also hitchhike. They move into a house in boxes, deliveries, and secondhand items like furniture and appliances. Once inside, they hang out in areas near food sources like kitchens, pantries, and bathrooms.
Use the following tips to control cockroaches and prevent them from taking over your home.
- Reduce moisture around the perimeter of your home; repair leaky pipes, make sure gutters are working, and make sure your yard has good drainage.
- Keep landscaping cut back to keep the soil around your home dry.
- Inspect your home's exterior and seal any openings you discover that could allow cockroaches to get inside.
- Always inspect boxes and secondhand items for cockroaches before bringing them into your home.
Don't let cockroaches take over your home, partner with Ecosmart Pest Solutions to solve your property's pest problems with our comprehensive cockroach control services!
Fleas
Fleas are pests that thrive in the Tampa area. Our hot, humid weather conditions allow these tiny pests to live, feed, and breed in large populations. Most people associate biting, blood-feeding fleas with pet owners, and while homeowners with pets are susceptible to flea problems, so are homeowners without pets. Fleas are parasitic pests that live on the bodies of their animal hosts. Animals like mice, rats, squirrels, skunks, raccoons, and stray pets can introduce fleas into any of our yards. When you, your kids, or pets come into contact with those fleas, you, in turn, introduce them into your home.
Fleas are tiny wingless insects with reddish-brown bodies flattened from side to side. They have six legs, with the last pair being bigger and more robust than the rest providing them with the ability to jump onto a host or out of the way of danger. Dealing with a flea infestation on your property is not only annoying but can be dangerous. They can drive pets mad by peppering them with their itchy bites. Heavy fleas infestation on pets can lead to hair loss, scabbing, and anemia. While we aren't a flea's primary host, they also pose a threat to people; plus, their bites are itchy and can pass diseases.
Avoid problems with fleas with the help of the following prevention tips.
- If you own pets, regularly groom and bathe them. Place them on a year-round flea preventative.
- Remove leaf piles, fallen trees, and other yard debris from your property.
- Regularly vacuum your home to pick up stray fleas.
- Regularly wash and dry your family's bedding and pet bedding.
At first sight of fleas in your Tampa yard or home, contact us at Ecosmart Pest Solutions.
Rodents
Rodents are types of mammals. Mice and rats are two rodent groups that most Florida residents are familiar with. All rodents constantly gnaw to prevent their constantly growing front incisors from overgrowing. Mice and rats are considered commensal rodents, which means they want to "share our table," both species have adapted to living with people and the food, water, and shelter we provide them.
Tampa is a place where rodents feel at home; our warm weather allows them to stay active throughout the year, and the food stored in our homes and its temperature-controlled environment is just too much for them to pass up. When rodents find a way into a house, they cause many problems, including structural damage, food contamination, wire, and electrical equipment damage, and disease transmission. Rodents are prolific breeders, and when nesting and living in our homes, the damage they cause is dangerous and costly. You need to get rid of rodents from your home as quickly as possible!
Partner with EcoSmart Pest Solutions to solve your property's rodent problems!
- Seal entry points in your foundation, roof, and around windows and doors to keep rodents out.
- Keep lids on trash cans, keep outdoor eating areas picked up, and regularly harvest fruit trees and gardens.
- Store food in the fridge or the pantry in hard-sided, airtight containers.
- Remove standing water, repair leaky houses, and keep gutters free of debris.
Avoid rodent problems by partnering with us at EcoSmart Pest Solutions and receive the rodent control service you deserve!
Termites
Termites are insects that homeowners fear. These insects feed on the cellulose found in wood and other organic material, and in nature, they help get rid of decaying wood debris. But in our homes, they are destructive. When termites enter a home to gather food to bring back to the nest, the damage they cause by feeding on a home's structural wood is costly.
The biggest thing to know about termites is that their damage doesn't happen overnight; termites can be moving in and out of a Tampa home for years without notice. Termites move through the soil and into homes unnoticed to feed on structural wood behind walls and under floors, and the damage is already done by the time most termites infestations are discovered. A termite colony works together like a well-oiled machine, and preventing problems with these pests is very tricky without the help of an experienced professional.
The following tips can help you guard your Tampa home against these destructive pests.
- Remove wood to soil contact on your property.
- Repair defects in your foundation.
- Repair leaky fixtures and hoses located inside or outside your home.
- Make sure basements, crawl spaces, and spaces under decks are free of wood debris.
The best way to eliminate and prevent problems with termites is to partner with a professional. Call Ecosmart Pest Solutions today for home or commercial termite management solutions!
