ANTS & PALMETTO BUGS

Hurricane Irma is the strongest Atlantic basin hurricane ever recorded outside of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. According to recent statistics, Irma has been responsible for at least 50 deaths across the state of Florida. Once the hurricane crossed the Straits of Florida, after being upgraded to a Category 4 hurricane, it caused major damage to homes, commercial buildings, boats, roads, trailer parks, and more. Areas like Key West, Sugarloaf Key, Little Torch Key, Big Pine Key, and Marathon were also flooded from the storm surge. The second landfall of this devastating hurricane occurred at Marco Island, passing across Naples and part of Tampa Bay.

In the days following this devastating natural disaster, numerous rivers started to flood, putting the public health at risk for mosquito-borne illnesses and diarrheal infections. In addition to these risks, post-hurricane ants and palmetto bugs have started to find their way into Florida homes and businesses. At Palm Coast Pest Control, we’re here to help Florida residents during this time of need by providing the best pest control services available. If you need assistance ridding your home of ants, palmetto bugs, or termites after Hurricane Irma, contact our pest control specialists today.

Fire Ants in Florida

If you’ve been keeping a keen eye on the news since Hurricane Irma, you’ve probably seen videos of fire ants clinging together in an attempt to survive the damaging floods. A popular ABC Action News video shows hundreds of fire ants clinging together to form a floating mat. The ants were spotted in an apartment complex off of Fletcher Avenue in Hillsborough County. According to Dr. Grzesiek Buczkowski, an ant specialist at Purdue University, "This is a common behavior with fire ants when their colonies are flooded.The ants will interlink their legs and form mats, which can float on top of water."

After the ants link together and float to dry land, they will begin rebuilding their new colony. If you notice fire ants floating in nearby standing water, be careful not to disturb them in the water. These little critters can cause painful, stinging bites, which can be deadly to people who are allergic to them.

If you’ve started to notice ants or fire ants around your Florida home or commercial business, it’s critical to hire a professional pest control company to effectively remedy the problem. At Palm Coast Pest Control, we understand how difficult it can be to try and eliminate ants all by yourself. That’s why we’ve been providing Florida residents with the highest quality pest and rodent control solutions since 1990. When you call our pest control experts, we’ll schedule a convenient time to come to your home or business to conduct a detailed inspection of your building.

Palmetto Bugs in Florida

After the devastating effects of Hurricane Irma, many Floridians have found their homes infested with palmetto bugs looking to relocate. Also known as the ‘American cockroach,’ palmetto bugs are the largest of the domestic cockroaches, averaging around four centimeters in length. These little critters are extremely popular in Florida due to the warm and humid climate, and a pest control specialist will be able to effectively remove them from the interior and exterior of your home.

A female palmetto bug lays her eggs in a brown egg case which can be roughly eight millimeters long and five millimeters tall. This solid, purse-shaped case is known as an ootheca. The ootheca contains the water that the eggs need in order to properly develop. Female palmetto bugs have the ability to lay up to two oothecae a week, and each case can contain about 16 eggs. Most of the time, the female palmetto bug will place the ootheca near a food source until the eggs hatch. When an American cockroach is first born, it has a white and cloudy color. After the molting process, these roaches can change from a reddish brown color to a dark brown color.

Full-grown palmetto bugs usually live up to a year or so after the nymph stage, and a female palmetto bug can produce around 150 offspring in her lifetime. If you start to notice the presence of nymphs or eggs around your home, this may be a sign that your home is infested. Palmetto bugs can multiply very fast, and homeowners usually find it very challenging to control these Florida pests on their own.

If you’re looking for an experience and trusted pest control technician to come to your home and diagnose the source of your roach problem, contact the professionals at Palm Coast Pest Control today. Our pest control specialists have the knowledge and tools necessary to effectively exterminate common household pests like palmetto bugs and fire ants from your home. All of our pest control treatments are environmentally friendly, so you never have to worry about harmful chemicals being used in your home.