Bee & Stinging Insect Control
Typical pests include wasps, hornets, yellow jackets, and killer bees. We will remove hives and nests and treat the area. Organic treatment is available for this service.
Mosquito Control
The mosquitoes are repelled from the area by the treatment. Mosquito larvae in standing water will be suffocated by the spray. The treatment also chases away the ticks, fleas and gnats. It becomes odorless to humans, but not to the insects. Organic treatment for this service is available.
Bed Bugs & Specialty Pests
Specialty pests like bed bugs, carpenter ants (wood-destroying organisms), pharaoh ants, German cockroaches, fleas, ticks and tawny ants require target-specific treatments not included with regular pest control treatments.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are bed bugs?
Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are small, flat, parasitic insects that feed solely on the blood of people and animals while they sleep. They are reddish-brown in color, wingless, range from 1mm to 7mm (roughly the size of Lincoln’s head on a penny), and can live several months without a blood meal.
Where are bed bugs found?
They are found across the globe from North and South America, to Africa, Asia and Europe. Although it has traditionally been seen as a problem in developing countries, it has recently been spreading rapidly in parts of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and other parts of Europe. They have been found in five-star hotels and resorts and their presence is not determined by the cleanliness of the living conditions where they are found. Bed bug infestations usually occur around or near the areas where people sleep. These areas include apartments, shelters, rooming houses, hotels, cruise ships, buses, trains, and dorm rooms. They hide during the day in places such as seams of mattresses, box springs, bed frames, headboards, dresser tables, inside cracks or crevices, behind wallpaper, or any other clutter or objects around a bed. Bed bugs have been shown to be able to travel over 100 feet in a night but tend to live within 8 feet of where people sleep.
Do bed bugs spread disease?
They should not be considered as a medical or public health hazard. They are not known to spread disease. They can be an annoyance because their presence may cause itching and loss of sleep. Sometimes the itching can lead to excessive scratching that can sometimes increase the chance of a secondary skin infection.
What health risks do bed bugs pose?
A bed bug bite affects each person differently. Bite responses can range from an absence of any physical signs of the bite, to a small bite mark, to a serious allergic reaction. Bed bugs are not considered to be dangerous; however, an allergic reaction to several bites may need medical attention.
What are the signs and symptoms of a bed bug infestation?
One of the easiest ways to identify a bed bug infestation is by the tell-tale bite marks on the face, neck, arms, hands, or any other body parts while sleeping. However, these bite marks may take as long as 14 days to develop in some people so it is important to look for other clues when determining if they have infested an area. These signs include: the exoskeletons after molting, bed bugs in the fold of mattresses and sheets, rusty–colored blood spots due to their blood-filled fecal material that they excrete on the mattress or nearby furniture, and a sweet musty odor.
How do I know if I’ve been bitten by a bed bug?
It is hard to tell if you’ve been bitten unless you find the bodies or signs of infestation. When they bite, they inject an anesthetic and an anticoagulant that prevents a person from realizing they are being bitten. Most people do not realize they have been bitten until bite marks appear anywhere from one to several days after the initial bite. The bite marks are similar to that of a mosquito or a flea — a slightly swollen and red area that may itch and be irritating. The bite marks may be random or appear in a straight line. Other symptoms of bed bug bites include insomnia, anxiety, and skin problems that arise from profuse scratching of the bites. Because the bites affect everyone differently, some people may have no reaction and will not develop bite marks or any other visible signs of being bitten. Other people may be allergic to them and can react adversely to the bites. These allergic symptoms can include enlarged bite marks, painful swellings at the bite site, and, on rare occasions, anaphylaxis.
How did I get bed bugs?
They are experts at hiding. Their slim flat bodies allow them to fit into the smallest of spaces and stay there for long periods of time, even without a blood meal. Bed bugs are usually transported from place to place as people travel. They travel in the seams and folds of luggage, overnight bags, folded clothes, bedding, furniture, and anywhere else where they can hide. Most people do not realize they are transporting stow-aways as they travel from location to location, infecting areas as they travel.
Who is at risk for getting bed bugs?
Everyone is at risk for getting them when visiting an infected area. However, anyone who travels frequently and shares living and sleeping quarters where other people have previously slept has a higher risk of being bitten and or spreading an infestation.
How are bed bugs treated and prevented?
The bites usually do not pose a serious medical threat. The best way to treat a bite is to avoid scratching the area and apply antiseptic creams or lotions and take an antihistamine. Bed bug infestations are commonly treated by insecticide spraying. If you suspect that you have an infestation, contact your landlord or professional pest control company that is experienced with treating bed bugs. The best way to prevent bed bugs is regular inspection for the signs of an infestation.
Termites
The main threats in Tampa Bay are southeastern subterranean, drywood and formosan termites. Organic and no-tent treatments this service are available for drywood termites.
Tampa Bay is ranked #3 in the United States for termite infestation. If you live in the Tampa Bay area, you are at risk for damage to your biggest investment, your home. They can enter your home through various entry points such as windows, plumbing, cracks in the slab and wood to ground contact and other conducive conditions. Listed below are a few of the most common termites in the Tampa Bay area.
SUBTERRANEAN TERMITES
Subterranean termites are one of the most destructive wood destroying pests in Florida. They cause more than $2 billion in damage each year in the United State. That is more than the cost of damage by fire and windstorm combined. They generally swarm the end of February to the beginning of May.
Some of the locations that they build mud tubes are around the base of your home, in bathroom traps, in your garage, and around hot water heaters. Anywhere that there is wood to ground contact is conducive to subterranean termites. Wood chip mulch is perfect example of wood to ground contact. When the mulch touches your home, they gain entry into your home via the cracks in the foundation. They thrive on wood to ground contact and conducive moisture conditions.
DRYWOOD TERMITES
Most people associate drywood termites with tent fumigation. Tent fumigation involves placing a tent over the entire building and then pumping a poisonous gas into the structure. There is a great deal of preparation involved in the fumigation of a structure. This preparation must be discussed with you by a licensed professional. They are difficult to detect. They can leave behind wings and pellet-like droppings. If you suspect that you have drywood termites, you need to have your home inspected immediately. Swarm season is usually from May-August. Swarms generally occur at night. They are attracted to light, therefore you should put your outside lights on a motion detector during these months. They can swarm from your neighbor’s house to yours simply because you leave your outside lights on. They can be carried from one place to another in furniture. As a precaution, it is a good idea to turn off exterior lights so that if your neighbor has drywood termites, they don’t swarm over to your home.
FORMOSAN TERMITES
The Formosan subterranean termite (Coptotermes formosanus) is one of the most destructive termites. It’s originally from Asia but due to worldwide trade it can be found in Africa, Hawaii and the United States. The Formosan termite colony can be 10 times the size of other subterranean species and can forage up to 300 feet. A mature Formosan colony can consume as much as 13 ounces of wood a day can severely damage a structure in as little as three months time. Treatment for these termites can be very difficult due to their ability to live above ground in cartons. Cartons are made of saliva, mud, and fecal matter that have an outside shell like a coconut. Many times to complete treatment one must fumigate, complete a soil treatment, and remove the carton to gain control of this nasty termite.
