If you were asked to name a common household pest, you might name the cockroach or termite first. Mice, bed bugs and ants also come readily to mind. Grasshoppers might not make your top 5 list or even top 10. That is, unless you’ve has a grasshopper pest control problem in the past.

Once you’ve experienced and infestation of grasshoppers, they will certainly move into the top ranks of most annoying household pests. They are highly mobile and very hard to catch, smash, squish or otherwise kill. Their ability to leap helps them avoid many typical indoor and outdoor pest control products. They can be a persistent and problematic insect.

There are numerous species of grasshopper. They number in the hundreds. Some are rather innocuous, feeding largely on weed plants and not causing much damage. Other varieties can decimate back yard garden plots and even commercially planted crops with ease. They will migrate from one place to another, following food sources. They will travel large distances leaving a trail of damaged landscapes behind.

Grasshoppers feed on broad-leafed plants and grasses. They will also eat grains, fruits and vegetables. They aren’t very particular about their menu. For homeowners, this means your lawn, lettuces, beans, berries, roses and shrubs are all at equal risk for becoming a grasshopper’s dinner.

Most varieties of grasshopper overwinter in the ground as eggs. Once they hatch as nymphs, they will undergo several periods of molting before emerging as a fully adult, winged grasshopper. The adults will alternate periods of heavy feeding with cycles of egg laying.

One green pest control method for controlling grasshoppers is to till the soil in both the late autumn and the spring. This will bring the overwintering eggs to the surface where predators can take care of your grasshopper problem. As a bonus, spring tilling helps cut down on weed seedlings too!

You can also encourage other predators to take up residence and eat their fill. Birds like kestrels, larks and bluebirds relish a meal of grasshoppers. Put up a feeder to lure them to your yard and provide good nesting spots.

Your lawn care service or Brevard County pest control services company may also have some control measures for you. A spore called nosema locustae can be applied when grasshoppers are in the nymph stage (It is only effective at this life stage) which will infect the nymphs with a type of blood poisoning. Once dead, live grasshopper nymphs will feed on the carcasses and also become infected and die. This biological control method is fairly effective if applied properly.

The keyword in grasshopper pest management is “control”, not eradication. Even if you manage to get rid of every grasshopper in your yard, another group could migrate in the next day. On-going maintenance is the secret to keeping these bugs at bay.

Source: http://www.slugabug.com/2013/05/28/got-grasshoppers-what-you-need-to-know/

-For more information on Pest Control, visit: http://www.slugabug.com

With the number of bed bug reports circulating through the media on an almost daily basis, most people are concerned with the increase in bed bug infestation and whether it can happen to them. These disgusting bugs were almost eradicated in the 1940’s but in the past 15 years, the number of reported cases has steadily been increasing.

Why? How? What do we do about them? Bed bugs are small light-brown to reddish-brown, flat-bodied insects that grossly and exclusively feed off the blood of humans, although some species are animal specific. Since they are nocturnal and come out to feed generally at night, their prey is usually asleep and unaware they are being bitten. The signs that there is an infestation usually happen when a human has a reaction to the bites and develops small, red bumps that are sometimes on the arms, legs but more often around the neck and face area.

Although bed bugs are visible to the naked eye they hide during the day along and inside mattresses, other bedding, and in cracks and crevices in headboards and other areas. Other signs of infestation are small fecal droppings and blood smears when the droppings are smeared on fabric or other areas. They tend to congregate in groups but can be found individually. 

Once bed bugs are found, there are various ways to control and eliminate them with practical methods, pesticides and non-pesticides. 

1. Various practical methods of eradicating bed bugs is to vacuum the entire area, washing or disposing of all linens and mattresses, heat treating the headboard and other bed structure and wrapping mattresses or placing a plastic mattress cover over them after heat treating.   


2. Insect Growth Regulators (IGR’s) are chemical sprays that inhibit the growth or development of a bed bug. They essentially do not kill the bed bugs but prevent normal reproduction of the eggs and larvae and thus decreasing their numbers.   


3. Diatomaceous earth or otherwise known as bed bug dust is very effective in killing bed bugs.  The dust has razor sharp particles in it that when the bed bug walks through it they get cuts on their body. Slowly they become dehydrated and die but this method does take time and are not instantaneous.   


4. Other chemical methods are available through your professional pest control expert and can be very effective in killing and preventing bed bugs.   

Your home can become infested with bed bugs from transfer from a human or pet visitor to your home, from your visiting another location on vacation, bringing used furniture or bedding home or any other method of human or pet transfer.  Bed bug eggs take approximately 2 weeks to hatch and even the adult bugs can live in these items and on person so they can be easily transferred from one place to another. Keep in mind that bed bugs do not live strictly in messy or dirty places and can be found just as easily in clean homes.  

Prevention and awareness of these disruptive bugs and common sense precautions can help keep the dreaded bed bug from making your home their place of residence any time soon.

Source: http://www.slugabug.com/2013/05/24/bothered-by-bed-bugs/

-For more information on Pest Control, visit: http://www.slugabug.com

Almost any Brevard County pest control service will tell you that beetles can be a real problem throughout the state of Florida, and while you may notice them in your yard, you’re likely to notice them in your home too. Understanding what you may be dealing with is the first step to prevention.

While there are literally thousands of beetle species in the world, here are three of the most common in Florida:

• Powderpost Beetles: Like termites, these can do serious damage to your home. The larvae consume dry wood, and that can mean thousands of dollars in damage. It’s important to note, though, that they will only lay eggs in bare, unfinished wood, so painting or varnishing can prevent them. You can typically replace the infested wood and use a surface treatment to keep them away. 


• Flour Beetles: These can often be found in your pantry or your cabinet where you store dry food. They’re one of the most abundant pests in the U.S. , and they can contaminate every dry good in your house if you’re not careful. To get rid of them, you need to eliminate any infested packages. Vacuum your pantry and cabinet shelves, and store any new products in a sealed container.


• Cigarette Beetles: These oval shaped beetles are most known for infesting stored tobacco, but they can also infest processed foods. They’re very small, and the only way to get rid of them is by carefully inspecting your food. You’ll need to carefully clean everywhere you store food, and make certain everything in your home is well sealed. 

Beetles of all kinds can be very problematic, and contacting a Brevard County pest control service is the best first step to make certain you eliminate any pest control problems you may have

Source: http://www.slugabug.com/2013/05/06/have-beetle-problems-florida-plays-host-to-many/

-For more information on Pest Control, visit: http://www.slugabug.com

Ants can be a real problem, but once you have them, you can bet that there are going to be more. Your best bet is to simply prevent the problem at the outset. Here are a few tips that may help.

Keep it clean. Ants are looking for a buffet. Any little crumb you leave out or any food that is easily accessible is perfect for an ant. Keep in mind that your toddler dropping Cheerios under the couch will feed a good portion of the ants for some time. Also, don’t forget that your sink may have food in it as well so be sure that you clean it out on a regular basis. 

1. Eliminate potential entry points. Ants can be very tiny, so that makes all kinds of access points for them. The general rule of thumb is that insects can get access through any space that’s big enough to allow the light to shine through it. Doors that don’t seal are, but far, the most common entry point, but there are other spots that may serve as an invitation too. If there’s a gap around the pipes or conduit or you have poorly sealed ventilation ducts, ants may easily find a way in. In many cases, caulk will help keep the pests out. 


2. Create a moat around pet food. Pet food often also serves as an invitation to pests. If you have cats or dogs in the house, though, you can’t exactly not have food out for them. Instead, put a small bowl of pet food inside a larger bowl of water. It creates a moat around the pet food that insects won’t want to cross. 

If, despite your efforts, you still discover an infestation, contact pest control experts at Slug-A-Bug immediately. Dealing with it on your own can only mean further infestation.

Source: http://www.slugabug.com/2013/04/30/deal-with-potential-ant-problems-before-they-happen/

-For more information on Pest Control, visit: http://www.slugabug.com

Florida is home to a lot of bats.  The climate is just right for them, and there are many food sources and places to roost.  However, this also means that bats and people may interact on a fairly regular basis, especially when someone’s home provides everything that the bat is looking for.   

Here in Florida, bats will happily eat insects as well as fruit and nectar.  Many people are happy to have fruit bearing trees in their yards as well as flowers that produce pollen and nectar.  Insects are everywhere, so there are a lot of places that bats can get their food.  If you start to see a lot of fruit that looks as though it has been eaten, bats may be the culprits.  This may not bother you initially, but it may mean the bats decide to start roosting nearby, in that very tree, or unfortunately, in your home if they can discover a way inside.  

Are Bats in My House?  
If you happen to see one bat flapping around in a room in your house, chances are that somehow it got in by accident and now wants nothing more than to get back outside. Simply open a door and the bat will eventually find its way out – don’t chase it because that will frighten it and it will take longer to leave since it will be attempting to avoid you rather than discover an exit.   

But if you notice two or more bats hanging around your home, hear noises coming from your attic or roof area, and notice increasing amounts of guano around your home or even when investigating your attic, chances are there are bats living in your home.  This is even more likely if there are food and water resources nearby.  

What Do I Do?  
First, never try to handle a bat yourself and never use bare hands.  Bats do carry diseases like rabies, but even a bat that is not infected with rabies will still bite if it feels threatened.  If you suspect that bats are living in your home, you should contact a wildlife control company and let them examine your property to find out if bats are indeed living there, how many, and what can be done to move them out.   

Professional pest control companies in Florida deal with bats all the time so they will know the best methods to use for your home and the bats in your area.  When they have moved them out, they can also provide you with information on how to exclude bats from your location in the future so you don’t have to worry about dealing with them again.  This can mean blocking holes and gaps in your home, cleaning up any standing water that might attract them, as well as other measures.  If you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask your pest control technician as they can help you save a lot of money in the future when it comes to bat issues.

Source: http://www.slugabug.com/2013/04/25/clues-that-bats-have-moved-into-the-area/

-For more information on Pest Control, visit: http://www.slugabug.com

Yellow Grass?  
It can be frustrating when you look out of your window and see not a lush green lawn, but a lawn with dying yellow patches.  What is causing this?  Sometimes people think that the lawn issues they see are due to drought or too much heat.  Cutting a lawn too short and leaving it without enough water may mean it goes yellow as well.  But when certain swaths of lawn go downhill and the rest of the lawn seems unaffected, the truth isn’t in heat or water, but is much closer than you think.   

Chinch bugs are well-known pests that hide within grass.  They have mouthparts that pierce through the grass and then suck out the nutrients from the blades.  Eventually the grass can no longer sustain itself because all of its food is being eaten by something else.  That’s when it begins to yellow and die. 

Finding Chinch Bugs  
It is possible to discover these little insects right where they live.  While one or two chinch bugs can’t do a lot of damage, eventually they reproduce and create enough bugs so that many can do great damage to larger parts of the lawn.  Chinch bugs like hot, sunny days, which means that these days are perfect for taking a look at them.  

When a hot day rolls around, head out to your lawn, treading carefully.  Aim for a patch that isn’t completely yellow, but is beginning to get a little worse for wear.  Spread the grasses with your hands and take a look.  Chances are you will see dozens of little insects moving about on the grass and along the ground.  They are in the process of doing what they do best – destroying grasses.  

Clearing Out Chinch Bugs
Places that have to have pristine lawns and grass like sports fields and golf courses have a definite interest in keeping chinch bugs out of their grass.  You too can get rid of chinch bugs.  Do it yourself methods are possible, but typically people don’t have access to some of the excellent resources that professional pest control companies do.  Contact a company that has experience with chinch bugs and let them know what is happening.  They can use eco-friendly products to help get rid of chinch bugs.  What’s more, when you contact the right company they can even help you with lawn services to get your lawn back on track. Get a free evaluation or dive straight into treatment – after all, the sooner you take care of chinch bugs, the better.

Source: http://www.slugabug.com/2013/04/23/chinch-bugs-munching-your-grass/

-For more information on Pest Control, visit: http://www.slugabug.com

As warmer weather approaches, so too do the flea problems that often plague so many households. While you certainly don’t have to have a pet to deal with fleas, most households that do have flea problems have some kind of pet in or near the house. Even houses with outdoor dogs and cats may end up infested with fleas. Wondering how to prevent this problem? These tips can help.

• Treat Your Pet – The most important step you can take is to make certain your pets get treated for fleas. Regular treatment using some of the best flea medicines available can help to make certain your pet doesn’t track fleas in or near your house. 


• Clean Pet Bedding – If your pet sleeps in the house, you’ll need to carefully clean your pet’s bedding. If your dog or cat doesn’t have any bedding, make sure you carefully clean there area where he or she sleeps on a regular basis. This can include the cushions of the couch, carpets, and more. If possible, throw the bedding in the washer on the warmest setting. If that’s not an option, you may want to try using a topical cleaner.


• Sweep and Vacuum – Keeping your floor clean is also an important part of the program. You need to sweep tile and wood floors or vacuum carpeted floors every day if you can. If you can’t, at least do it three days a week. 

Fleas can be very difficult to eliminate on your own, so if you end up with an infestation, your best bet is to contact a Brevard County pest control service. Whether they specialize in green pest control or more traditional methods, they should be able to help you come up with a  plan to eliminate problem pests like fleas. Remember, though, a bit of outdoor pest control may be necessary in addition to indoor treatments.

Source: http://www.slugabug.com/2013/04/16/flea-season-is-almost-here-are-you-ready/

-For more information on Pest Control, visit: http://www.slugabug.com

Keeping a pest free home certainly isn’t an uncommon goal for many these days. In Florida, though, that’s often easier said than done. This is particularly true when it comes to palmetto bugs. Also known as the American Cockroach, these menaces have a serious “Yuck!” factor and they’re more than willing to come inside your home.

Creating the Perfect Environment
Almost any pest control expert will tell you that it’s not actually hard to create the ideal environment for palmetto bugs. While they love to be outdoors, they also crave warm, moist environments. They want easy access to water, and they need a temperature between 70 and 80 degrees. Easy access to food is usually on their list too, and many will move indoors as the temperature drops in the cooler months of the year. There are lots of places in your home that these little menaces would love to live, and you could actually be creating the ideal environment for them. Have a leaky pipe you haven’t bothered to fix? Do your kids seem to spill food and drinks wherever they go? Do you have an older home that’s poorly sealed? All of these factors may mean you’re putting out an engraved invitation to these pests, and once they’re inside, they can be tough to get rid of. 

Proactive Steps You May Want to Take
Even if you haven’t seen a palmetto bug yet, you may want to take a couple of extra steps so you don’t ever see one inside your home. Any Brevard County pest control service will tell you that first, you should engage in a bit of outdoor pest control. If you have wet wood, or other cool, damp places near your home, eliminate them. If the grass in your lawn is high, have it mowed.  

Move them as far away from your house as possible. Second, you need to take a good look at the house itself. Seal off any entry points you can see. You want to go with screen mesh or another good breathable barrier, and be sure to check your doors and windows for potential leakage. You may also want to remind everyone in your household to keep screen doors shut during the warmer months of the year so they can’t just come barging into your home. 

Getting Help
If you’re not sure where the palmetto bugs are coming from, your best bet is to get professional pest control help immediately. DIY methods may seem to work initially, but the chances are good that your infestation will come back with a vengeance.

Source: http://www.slugabug.com/2013/04/11/guarding-your-home-against-palmetto-bugs/

-For more information on Pest Control, visit: http://www.slugabug.com

Ask any Brevard County pest control service what their most commonly treated pest is, and ants will always come up at the top of the list. To say that ants are a nuisance is nothing short of an understatement, and thanks to the fact that there are so many different kinds of ants Brevard County residents must deal with, you may not even know what to tell a pest control expert on the phone.

Which Ants are Infesting My House?
With eighteen different species of ants infesting the state of Florida, it can be difficult to tell which ants you’re dealing with. While you won’t always be able to tell what you’re dealing with, here are three of the most common. 

Pharaoh Ants – These little pests are problematic because they can nest almost anywhere within a home. They can nest inside walls, boxes of food, or any possible crevice in the home. Unfortunately, they can get into hospitals and nursing homes, too, where they may feed off of dressings on wounds. The real problem this type of ant is that the colonies can actually have a number of different queens, allowing them to break up and spread fairly rapidly. Outdoors, they can nest in leaf debris, so it’s essential to keep your yard clean if you don’t want to deal with these pests.

Ghost Ants – You’re not going to think you’re dealing with a ghost if these guys invade. They’re very tiny, but they can create real chaos in the kitchen and the bathroom. As with Pharaoh ants, there are many queens, which makes spreading out fairly easy. They can nest almost anywhere because they’re so small, including the tiny spaces between books in your house. Inside your house, they’ll look for sweets and proteins.

Fire Ants – There are two different kinds of fire ants in Florida. There’s the native fire ant, but there’s also the red imported fire ant. Also called RIFA, they initially landed in Alabama in the 1930s. Since that time, they’ve spread out extensively. They have a horrible sting. It can cause a serious blister and become infected. They do have large colonies, which may be fairly noticeable. They’re usually large mounds. The queen can lay up to five thousand eggs each day.

Dealing with the Problem
No matter which type of any you’re dealing with, contacting a Brevard County pest control service is an absolute must. Ants aren’t a DIY pest. Get outdoor pest control professionals involved now, and stop dealing with ants.

Source: http://www.slugabug.com/2013/04/09/got-ants-you%e2%80%99re-not-alone/

-For more information on Pest Control, visit: http://www.slugabug.com

Get Termites Before They Eat Your Home - http://is.gd/XRU9tn -For more information on Pest Control, visit: http://www.slugabug.com