Pest Library

Bed bugs excel at their sole mode of transportation—hitchhiking. Hitchhiking is how bed bugs are able to move with ease across cities, states, and beyond. These prolific pests live indoors and are a problem for people throughout the year, moving from place to place on us and our belongings. Bed bugs live and hide wherever there is access to their preferred hosts—people.

Like other pests, bed bugs want to be near their favorite food source, and since we are it, it stands to reason that these pests often pop-up in our homes and public places. Avoiding and preventing bed bugs is difficult but necessary to protect you and your family from becoming a food source for biting bed bugs.
 
Bed bugs get into our homes on our belongings, on the clothing of visitors, or in things like upholstered furniture, mattresses, or rugs. Once inside, they hide, coming out at night to feed while you and your family are sleeping. If you know some of the signs they leave behind, it is easier to identify an infestation sooner rather than later. If bed bugs are in your home, you may discover small itchy bug bites on exposed areas of skin after sleeping, droplets of blood or streaks of dark excrement on sheets and mattresses, or their shed skins under your mattress or on the floor. Also, the presence of bed bugs often causes a sweet, musty odor to develop. At the first sign of bed bugs, it's important to contact a professional who understands bed bugs and knows how to eliminate the infestation and prevent them from returning!
 
For the elimination and prevention of bed bugs, turn to the professional pest control experts at Pest Ref Services. In addition to our professional services, the following prevention tips will help you avoid problems with bed bugs. Public places are where bed bugs often hang around waiting for a host to happen by that they can crawl on. Avoid setting down bags, coats, and other personal belongings on the floor of any public place. If possible, do not purchase used mattresses and furniture for your home. After buying new or used clothing, immediately bring the items home and wash them on the highest heat settings the fabrics can handle. Vacuum your home's floors and upholstered furniture. Also, use bed bug-proof covers on mattresses and box springs to eliminate their favorite hiding spots. For more information about our bed bugs control services, reach out to Pest Ref Services today.

Cockroaches will take advantage of any dark and humid area, or one that provides easy access to food. Cockroach infestations in Florida homes and businesses are common, but something you should avoid. These filthy pests spread disease, damage property, multiply with ease, and are difficult to control.

Species of cockroaches that are most common in our area include the small, mainly indoor German cockroach and the larger American cockroach. Their flat bodies allow them to squeeze into tight spaces and hide out of sight during the day. At night they emerge to scavenge for food. If you are seeing cockroaches meandering around your home, a large infestation has likely developed.
 
There are three likely scenarios as to why you are dealing with a cockroach infestation in your home or business. The first is that they have entered inside through spaces they discover while foraging for food. Cockroaches are attracted to trash cans, outdoor eating areas, and other sources of food. As they wander around your yard, it is only a matter of time before they move inside. The second reason why cockroaches are in your home is that they have hitchhiked their way in inside things like boxes, food containers, appliances, or electronics. The third scenario is that there is a moisture problem present in or around your home or business. Things like leaky pipes, humid basements, clogged gutters, and downspouts attract moisture-loving roaches. After cockroaches find their way into a home, they usually move to the wettest areas, such as crawl spaces, bathrooms, and kitchens.
 
To eliminate and prevent cockroaches, turn to the professional pest control experts at Pest Ref Services. In addition to our professional services, the following prevention tips will help you to avoid problems with cockroaches. Inspect your home's exterior and seal any points of entry that cockroaches could take advantage of. Reduce excess moisture by repairing leaky pipes, keeping gutters clear, and using vent fans in the kitchen and bathrooms. Eliminate as much access to food as possible by having locking lids on trash cans, removing trash from your home regularly, picking up leftover food, and maintaining garden areas. For more information about our cockroach control services, reach out to us.

Mosquitoes are flying, biting pest that belongs to the order Diptera (true flies). Like other flies, they have two wings, but their wings are covered in scales. Other identifying features include feathery antennae, long legs dangling down when flying, and an elongated mouthpart (proboscis) that they use to feed on liquids. Mosquitoes thrive in the warm, humid weather that Florida provides and can make enjoying any outdoor space impossible! No one wants to spend their time outside swatting away buzzing, biting mosquitoes, and nobody wants to be covered in raised red, itchy mosquito bites.

Living and breeding outside, mosquitoes are difficult to control, and their ability to fly from location to location only exasperates the problem. However, controlling mosquito numbers is important because, as they feed on people and animals, they pick up many diseases that they then spread. West Nile virus, chikungunya virus, and encephalitis are spread by mosquitoes in the United States. They also spread parasitic heartworm to dogs, which, if not treated, can be fatal. Female mosquitoes require blood meals in order to create viable eggs, which they then lay on areas of standing water. Properties with or near standing water and lots of vegetation for them to rest in are most attractive to mosquitoes.

To control mosquito numbers on your property, turn to the professional pest control experts at Pest Ref Services. In addition to our professional services, the following prevention tips will help you to avoid problems with mosquitoes. The first and most effective step to preventing problems with mosquitoes is to eliminate as much standing water from your property as possible. Store any containers that collect water upside down, fill in low-lying areas, keep gutters clear of debris, and don't overwater garden areas. If you own a pool, make sure that the water is being treated and circulating as much as possible, and rain barrels should have lids on them at all times. Keep grass cut short, cut back overgrown vegetation, and remove leaf or brush piles from your property. Stop mosquitoes from flying into your home by ensuring that screens are intact and keeping doors and windows closed as much as possible. For more information about our mosquito control services in Eustis, reach out to Pest Ref Services today.

Rodents are a pest problem that home and business owners in Florida have to deal with regularly. Knowing what type of rodent has invaded your property is important. Although they have some things in common, like continuously growing front incisors, they do vary in appearance and behavior. For instance, the Norway rat is a heavy-bodied rat and lives at ground level. In contrast, the roof rat has a thin body and is very agile; they are excellent climbers and gain entry into buildings above the ground and at the roofline. Mice are much smaller and more adventurous than rats and can squeeze their small bodies through a variety of openings and into homes and other buildings. Knowing what rodent species you are up against is important so that proper treatment measures can be implemented.

Protecting your home from invading rodents is important not only because they are annoying but also because they can cause a lot of damage and spread many diseases that make people ill. They are also hosts for fleas and ticks, which they introduce into homes where they nest or forage for food. Rodents constantly chew to keep their front incisors from overgrowing, causing a lot of damage inside of homes. They will chew on cabinets, flooring, and furniture. Their sharp teeth easily cut through wires and pipes, which can trigger fires and cause water damage. Also, as rodents move along the floors, counters, and other surfaces, they leave a trail of urine and feces behind them. Rodents are unwanted for good reason! At the first sign of these pests, contact a professional to eliminate them and put the services in place needed to prevent them from returning as quickly as possible.

For the elimination and prevention of rodents, turn to the professional pest control experts at Pest Ref Services. In addition to our professional services, the following prevention tips will help you avoid problems with rodents. Rodents like to stay out of view of people and predators. Remove hiding spots in your yard by keeping shrubbery, weeds, and tall grass cut back from your home's foundation and exterior walls. Make sure to cut back tree branches from your roofline. Remove tasty food sources by keeping locking lids on trash cans and recycling bins, picking up uneaten pet food, and removing bird feeders. Never leave food sitting out in your home; always store it in airtight containers or the refrigerator. Limit eating to the kitchen and dining room. Stop rodents from moving into your house by sealing cracks in the foundation and exterior walls, making sure screens are intact, and placing covers over vents. For more information about our rodent control services, reach out to Pest Ref Services today.

Termites are terrible pests to deal with; they work and live without people noticing them, and, over time, can cause extensive and expensive damage to both homes and businesses. There are two species of termites in our area that property owners have to worry about—subterranean termites and drywood termites. Subterranean termites nest outside under the ground in moist soil. They feed on wood, preferring wood damaged by water. After wandering into our homes in search of food, they feed on, and damage the structural wood found below floors, behind walls, and eventually above ceilings. Drywood termites don't require soil or moisture to live; they gain all the moisture they need from the wood they are nesting in and feeding on. Drywood termites live in wood trim, sound structural wood, and wood furniture.

Subterranean termites are among the most widespread termites that live across the country and cause the most damage each year. As a whole, termites cause more than five billion dollars in damages each year. A termite infestation starts innocent enough, but over time, and as millions of termites feed on your home's structure, that damage becomes more and more serious and costly to repair. The cost of repairing termite damage is high because most homeowners' insurance does not cover the costs. Also, more times than not, termite damage is not noticed until the damage is done. The most common way people discover termites is after seeing winged termites or swarmers emerging from their nest in the spring. People often see piles of their wings on walkways, in doorways, and around window sills. After emerging from the nest, winged termites find a mate, drop their wings, and start a new colony.

For the elimination and prevention of termites, turn to the professional pest control experts here at Pest Ref Services. In addition to our professional services, the following prevention tips will help you to avoid problems with termites. Subterranean termites are attracted to excess moisture; deter them by repairing roof damage, placing weather stripping around windows and doors, fixing leaky pipes, and raking back any damp mulch from your foundation. Reduce humidity levels in your home by using air conditioners, vent fans, and keeping crawl spaces ventilated. Keep subterranean termites from finding their way into your home by repairing cracks in the foundation and avoiding soil-to-wood contact on your property. Avoid problems with drywood termites by inspecting wood furniture, wood beams, and other wooden items for termites before bringing the items into your home. For more information about our termite control services in Eustis, reach out to Pest Ref Services today.