Author: Wendy Holtz

Should Pest Control Come Before or After Cleaning My House?

Many homeowners have lots of questions when they hire a pest control service. Whether you’ve spotted a few creepy crawlies around the house or you’re dealing with a full-blown infestation, one of the first questions homeowners ask about pest control is: “Should pest control come before or after I clean my house?”

At Evergreen Lawn and Pest Control, we recommend every homeowner perform a thorough cleaning of their home (and yard, in some cases) before scheduling pest control service. Read on to learn how to prepare your property for pest control.

Perform a Thorough Clean—Inside and Out

When you have a pest problem at home, pest control technicians need to access all areas of the property where pests may be hiding. You should dust, vacuum, and keep your home’s interior tidy so it’s easier for your pest specialist to move around and perform all necessary treatments.

If your pest control issue is relegated to the exterior of your property, spend some time tidying up your yard, too. By keeping your grass mowed and trimming any shrubs or hedges, technicians will be able to access the areas they need to perform treatments, and you’ll also keep the infestation from getting worse before your technician arrives.

Learn More: Pests Every Central Florida Homeowner Should Recognize

Remove All Paper Goods

All sorts of bugs love hiding in paper and cardboard. As you’re cleaning up around the house, in the garage, and in your yard, dispose of all paper goods and boxes so that your pest control treatment will kill any insects that would otherwise be hiding inside.

Remove Food

Insects and other pests stay inside homes not only for shelter but also for food. If you’re receiving certain pest control treatments, it’s wise to remove all food from the home if it isn’t stored in sealed containers. It’s always wise to consult your expert pest control technician to determine which items are safe to leave in the home and which ones must be removed during treatment.

Learn More: 4 Tips for Keeping Ants Out of the Kitchen

Keep People and Pets Away

While Evergreen Lawn and Pest Control uses eco-friendly, family-friendly pest control treatments that are safe for adults, kids, and pets to be around, always listen to your pest control technician’s directions about occupancy before treatments begin. They may tell you to remove all people and pets from the premises, and if treatments are done on the home’s exterior, they may recommend keeping people and pets indoors until your technician says it’s safe to interact with grass or plants again.

Trust Evergreen Lawn and Pest Control for All Your Pest Control Needs

If you want your home to be completely pest-free, Evergreen Lawn and Pest Control – Apopka is the only name to call. Our expert pest control technicians are ready to provide a customized treatment plan that eliminates problem pests and keeps them from coming back, all while putting the health and safety of your family first. Call us today at (407) 880-6655 for your free consultation!

How Quickly Can Termites Cause Damage to My House?

When termites make their way into your home, it’s nothing like a typical pest infestation—it’s more like a ticking time bomb. Termites multiply quickly and can cause serious damage to homes and other structures, eating away at the wood and causing thousands of dollars in repair costs. But how quickly can termites cause damage to your house? The answer may surprise you—read on to learn more.

Termites Can Destroy a Home in As Little as 1 Year

Termites are silent invaders, causing damage to homes by breaking down and eating anything that contains cellulose. While their favorite snack is wood, they also eat clothing, dung, mold, soil, and more.

How fast do termites eat wood? Often—especially in a place like Florida—termites make themselves at home in your yard. As they slowly expand their nest by digging tunnels, they move closer to your home, often entering by building mud tubes. Once inside, they’ll travel to all the wooden portions, eating away at the structure of your home. Most homeowners don’t notice the infestation until the damage has been done and fixing the problem costs thousands of dollars—if you’re lucky.

So, how long does it take for termites to do damage to your home? It partly depends on the colony’s size. The larger the colony, the more damage they can do. Here’s a rundown of the different types of termites that can infest your home, and how quickly they can do damage:

  • Subterranean: The most destructive type of termite—and one of the most common throughout Florida—the subterranean termites typically live underground. As the colony matures, they can do significant damage, destroying a home’s structure in five to 6 years. The Formosan termite is one type of problematic subterranean termite, and they reproduce so rapidly that they can destroy a home in as little as one year.
  • Drywood: Although drywood termites damage much more slowly than their subterranean counterparts, but they’re still a problem for many Florida homeowners. They have smaller colonies and like to infest dry wood in attics, walls, furniture, floors, supporting beams, and more.

Signs of a Termite Infestation

Every property owner should be vigilant against termites. Often, the early signs of termite damage are subtle or unnoticeable to start. Often, homeowners don’t notice the presence of termites until it’s too late and major damage has occurred. By being proactive and inspecting your property, you can catch a termite infestation early. If you’re seeing any of the following early signs of a termite infestation in your house, call the termite control experts at Evergreen Lawn and Pest Control – Debary right away:

  • Discolored or drooping drywall
  • Mud tubes leading to/on your home
  • Peeling paint when no water damage has occurred
  • Swarmer termites and discarded wings
  • Tiny pinpoint holes in drywall

Call Evergreen Lawn and Pest Control at the First Sign of Termites

If you suspect termites have invaded your home, time is not on your side. The longer you wait to deal with a termite problem, the more damage can be done to your home. Call the termite control experts at Evergreen Lawn and Pest Control – Debary right away at (407) 880-6655. Our industry-leading termite control treatments are non-toxic to humans and pets while protecting your property for a minimum of five years. Call today!

4 Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing a Pest Control Service

Whether you’ve spotted some creepy crawlies in your home or you’ve noticed that nuisance pests have set up shop in your lawn and garden, working with a reliable pest control service is the only way to handle the problem for good. Not all pest control companies are created equal, so it’s up to you to do your research to determine who will do the best possible job of dealing with the pest problem at your home. Here are the top four mistakes to avoid when choosing a pest control service.

1. Not Checking Credentials

First and foremost, you should consider every potential candidate’s credentials. The pest control experts who service your home should be state-certified and insured. This shows that they’ve completed hours of training and continual education, so you can have peace of mind that the technician you work with has the experience and knowledge to tackle the pest problem you’re having—safely and effectively.

2. Not Checking References and Reviews

Before partnering with a pest control service, do your due diligence and ask your friends and family for recommendations. You can also read online reviews from different companies in your area.

Remember, most customers only write reviews if they’re very satisfied or very disappointed. Look at how many reviews are provided and if there are any common themes in the comments. A reliable pest control company will have a long list of glowing reviews from happy customers. If you’re noticing several unhappy comments, it’s a good sign to keep looking.

3. Not Asking About the Pest Control Methods Used

No matter what type of infestation you’re dealing with, you need to make sure the pest control service you work with puts your family’s health and safety first. Rather than working with traditional exterminators, who typically spray harmful chemicals to kill pests in your home, it’s better to partner with pest control experts who take an eco-friendly approach to their services.

The pest control pros at Evergreen Lawn and Pest Control only use human- and pet-safe treatments to deal with pest infestations, so you can rest assured you’re doing what’s right—not only for your family but also for the environment.

Read More: Evergreen VIP Service

4. Not Scheduling Follow-Up Treatments

Most pest control issues don’t go away with one treatment. Once any nuisance pests are out of sight, it can be easy to forget about them. Before you know it, you may find yourself living with some unwanted guests once again. The Evergreen Lawn and Pest Control approach includes follow-up inspections and treatments, so you can enjoy a pest-free home, once and for all.

Read More: At What Point Should I Call a Termite Control Professional?

Noticing Pests Around Your Home? Call the Experts at Evergreen Lawn and Pest Control Right Away

If you’re having pest problems at your home, the pest control experts at Evergreen Lawn and Pest Control – Leesburg are ready to help. We’ll create a customized treatment plan to remove nuisance pests and keep your family safe. Give us a call today at (407) 880-6655 to schedule your free consultation.

What’s The Best Way to Get Rid of American Roaches?

Spotted an oversized roach in your home? American cockroaches are a nuisance pest found in homes throughout Florida—and around the world—at any time of year. Often mistakenly called a water bug or palmetto bug, these resilient pests can carry diseases and pose health hazards to humans and pets. In short, seeing even one of these creepy-crawly bugs in your home is one too many. Read on to learn how to identify and get rid of American cockroaches in your home.

Identifying the Problem

Before you can deal with any infestation in your home, you need to know what kind of pest you’re dealing with. Misidentification can lead to improper treatment methods, which means you’ll be living with pests for much longer than you need to. While it’s best to call your local pest control experts for professional identification, here are some traits about the American cockroach to help you identify them:

  • Size: The easiest way to identify an American cockroach is by considering its size. American cockroaches are big. Measuring an average of 1.5 inches long, this species is the largest cockroach species in the world.
  • Color: American cockroaches are typically reddish-brown to dark brown in color, with yellow or light brown portions behind the head.
  • Body: American cockroaches have a flat, oval body, which is why they can make their way inside your home so They also have long, spiny legs for running and antennae that measure close to the length of their bodies. You’ll also spot well-developed wings on adult American cockroaches, even though this species of roach doesn’t actually fly.
  • Eggs: Noticing eggs or nymph roaches inside your home? It’s a good indication you’re dealing with an American cockroach infestation since females lay capsules that contain around 16 eggs in warm, humid areas. When the eggs hatch, you’ll see nymphs coming out of the capsule, shedding their skins, and searching your home for food.

If you see one American cockroach in your home, it’s very likely that there are more nearby. It’s important to act fast and reach out to your trusted pest control experts to intervene immediately and prevent an infestation.

Read More: Pests Every Central Florida Homeowner Should Recognize

Getting Rid of American Cockroaches and Preventing Infestation

While you could resort to DIY methods to remove American cockroaches from your home, these treatments are often unsafe for your family, and they also just provide a temporary solution. It’s best to rely on the pest control experts at Evergreen Lawn and Pest Control to tackle any American cockroach problem. Using an Integrated Pest Management approach and eco-friendly treatments, we’ll eliminate any American cockroaches—and their eggs—from your home and keep them from coming back.

Read More: 5 Times to Avoid DIY Pest Control and Call a Professional

At the First Sign of Infestation, Call Evergreen Lawn and Pest Control

If you’ve seen one American cockroach in your home, chances are there are many more. Protect the health of your family by reaching out to the pest control experts at Evergreen Lawn and Pest Control – Orlando immediately. We’ll create a customized treatment plan that keeps your home free from American cockroaches and any other nuisance pests. Call us today at (407) 880-6655 for your free consultation!

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