Unless you live inside an air-conditioned bubble, you’re likely to find yourself scratching your skin at some point throughout the year as you come into contact with different varieties of biting insects. Both indoors and outdoors, and especially during the summer, you might have run-ins with fleas, mosquitoes, horse flies, black flies, or even—shudder—bed bugs. Bed bugs can be very difficult to get rid of, so finding suspicious, itchy welts on your skin can cause momentary panic as you try to figure out the culprit. Fortunately, it’s relatively easy to tell the difference between bed bug bites and mosquito bites or the bites of other insects, as long as you know what to look for. Read on to learn about various insect bites and the signs and symptoms indicating which pesky pest has taken a chomp out of you.

Mosquito Bites Vs. Flea Bites

Here’s the good news: Most common insect bites … Read Full Post »

In areas of the country where Muscovy duck populations have moved in and taken over, homeowners are polarized over these odd-looking fowl. Some people love them for what they consider their friendly personalities, their usefulness in controlling insect populations, and their unique markings and appearance. Other people, however, can’t stand them. They consider Muscovies a severe nuisance and want them gone from their properties and neighborhoods.

It’s undeniable that feral Muscovy ducks have become a real problem for homeowners living in some urban regions, including some neighborhoods of Houston and other areas of Texas, as well as in many regions in Florida. Muscovies leave their waste droppings everywhere, including all over homeowners’ porches, front walks, and cars, and even in their pools. These ducks have been known to destroy flower beds and other landscaping features as they forage for food. They can also be a hazard to drivers, many of whom … Read Full Post »

See if this sounds familiar.

You decide to fire up the grill for dinner. Everything is going great—until you feel the familiar bite of a bug. Then it happens again. Suddenly, you think of another twinge. Each time, you can’t see what could be attacking you.

At first, you assume it must be mosquitoes, but none seem to be around. Then you see the swarm. Dozens of tiny, flying insects hovering nearby in a cloud. Sandflies. Biting midges, or sometimes more commonly called “no see ‘us.”

You think they’re annoying, but at least they’re not dangerous. Or are they? What can you do if you don’t want to deal with these pesky pests?

Many Florida residents wonder if there is anything they can do to deal with midges. Why? First off, they’re everywhere. They can be incredibly annoying if you’re trying to enjoy the outdoors around sunrise or sunset.

Because most people have just seen … Read Full Post »

You were walking around your property like on any typical day when you noticed something odd: a streak of dirt against a wall. Unsure what you were looking at, you went closer and found chew marks in the wood. Then, you spotted what looked like dark brown grains of rice about half an inch long. All signs of a very unwelcome visitor: rats.

Now, no one wants rats or mice invading their home. These rodents cause destruction. Worse, they bring disease. They can even attack if startled.

At the same time, you don’t want to resort to chemical solutions unless you absolutely must. Your next thought might be whether there are any natural ways to deal with your rat problem. Which predators might take care of the rats? Stepping back, your more significant question is probably: what eats rats?

In this comprehensive post, we cover all of the most common animals we might … Read Full Post »

You wake up in the middle of the night. Thirsty, you head to the restroom to get a drink of water.

Then it happens—you feel something skitter over your foot. Immediately you kick it off and flip on the light, only to see a creature out of your nightmares speed across the bathroom floor and disappear into a pile of clothing.

It was long and flat but with long legs—almost like a spider. It had way more than just eight legs. There were dozens, at least. They were everywhere.

A centipede, you guess, but not like any centipede you’ve ever seen before. You want it out. But is it dangerous? Poisonous? Will it bite you? Infect you with something? Is there a nest of hundreds of them somewhere in your home?

Unlike ants, spiders, roaches, mosquitoes, and many other types of insects, most people don’t have run-ins with centipedes regularly. Because of this, it … Read Full Post »

As a homeowner in Florida, you realize that you share your property with several ant species. Ranging from the ghost ant to the carpenter ant to the red fire ant, more than 50 ant species live in the Sunshine State. Our subtropical climate provides a home to 65 exotic species as well, the most significant exotic and fauna, or wildlife, in the country.

Included in that list of species are many different types of tiny ants, with a list that consists of the pharaoh ant, sugar ant, black ant, and, most recently, the little yellow ant. While their size might make them seem harmless, some tiny ant species can cause notable damage or even leave us with painful bites.

If you’re curious to learn more about a few species of tiny ants in Florida, including what attracts them and what impact it can have, keep reading—this blog post is for you.

Yellow Ants

While … Read Full Post »

Dogs are often said to be man’s best friend, and many people love having dogs as live-in companions. Indeed, these animals are a savvy homeowner’s dream: With their protective instincts and loud barking at strangers, dogs can scare off intruders and help keep your home and family safer. And what can beat that wagging tail and welcoming canine grin when you return home after a long day?

But if there’s one thing homeowners can’t stand about their furry friends, they tend to host thriving bands of tiny, bloodsucking pests. That’s right, fleas! These irritating insects aren’t just annoying—they can be dangerous since they can carry diseases and cause serious health problems for animals and humans alike. Fortunately, home remedies for dog fleas can help keep fleas and ticks at bay.

In this post, we will explore low-impact ways to manage flea infestations in your home or pet. If you are safety conscious … Read Full Post »

There are things you worry about when buying your home in Florida. For example, you knew you’d have to protect against hurricane and flood damage. Maybe you had a passing thought about crossing paths with an alligator.

No one told you about the scorpions, though. You also never got the memo about how many of them have venom in their stingers that can be poisonous. Even when there’s no venom, those stings hurt like crazy.

Just looking at a scorpion, you can tell that they’re formidable, at least as far as bugs are concerned. If you’ve heard stories about how painful the stings can be, the encounter will likely scare you, even if the scorpion doesn’t do much of anything.

In this post, we will give you an overview of scorpions in Florida, including how to identify them, which types are most common here, why more people have been seeing them in their … Read Full Post »

Bed bugs and dryer sheets aren’t two things we usually hear together. But with endless household hacks flooding our inboxes and social media feeds, could they be connected somehow? The short answer is that although dryer sheets are on a list of home remedies to combat bed bugs, many of these tactics are ineffective in controlling this persistent pest.

Despite our insistence that our home could never have bed bugs, these pesky critters sometimes find their way in. And when they do, many of us wonder how we can efficiently extinguish these bugs. You might wonder if bed bugs could survive a round in the washing machine. Are there products and methods that can kill bed bugs and their eggs? If bed bugs are living in my home, what are the chances they are hiding in the folds of my clothes?

Let’s separate fact from fiction to answer some of the most … Read Full Post »