OK, Southerners ... a question about pest control (of the insectivorous kind)?

Question

I'm a Yankee transplanted to Dixie a little over two years ago. Up north we heard all about the foot-long cockroaches, house-eating termites, and ant mounds the size of pup tents. So one of the first things we did was contracted with a pest control service to come every quarter and save us from the 6-legged beasties.

Now it's been over 2 years and I haven't seen a single bug except for the occasional palmetto bug. I'm uncomfortable with the thought of insecticide overuse. So my questions (and I do have some....) are:

Can we cut back on the pest control schedule? Is there some minimum treatment (quantity, timing, target bugs) you recommend? What do you do at your house?

Answer 1

I live in Texas where cockroaches are the size of small dogs, termites eat entire apartment complexes for a snack, and fire ants can consume small children in a matter of minutes. As a result pest control companies are only too happy to use use FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) to sell you multi-year contracts in which they come out every so often and deposit a heaping load of toxic goo in your living quarters.



Fortunately, there are also several environmentally friendly pest control companies in my area as well who make their market niche by treating with the least toxic methods necessary to take care of the problem, plus they offer solid warranties on their work.



For fire ants and termites, consider a baiting system. Basically the workers carry the bait back to the queen and it sterilizes her, thus killing the colony. For fire ants you can spread the bait directly on the mounds. For termites there are little bait traps that can ring the perimeter of your home. For my home I haven't had to resort to the termite bait traps, but around a decade ago I did have a place where the plumbing comes up into a bathroom spot treated because of an infestation and have not had a problem since.



For roaches, the roach motel traps work pretty good around here. Also, I know it sounds kind of weird, but one of the most effective controls for roaches and spiders is to simply let a green annoli lizard or gecko roam your house. The are very unobtrusive (you probably will never see them) and are excellent roach and spider hunters.



Hope this helps.

Answer 2

I know, I know... when you look at my profile, you’re going to say how would a Delawarian (is that a word?) know anything about bugs in the south.... Trust me, Sharon, I know.



I lived in the Phoenix area for 9 years. Our house was sprayed every month. We saw very few insects, but they were there -- lurking just outside, waiting to pounce. In the course of time, I made friends with someone at church who had a pest control business. I figured, why not support someone who is a friend and a fellow church member with my business rather than paying a stranger to do the job. So I decided to change companies.



Through a series of poor communications, the "old company" stopped service one month (I don’t remember the exact timing, but let’s say it was March) and my friend didn’t start until May. By the end of April, it was painfully obvious we needed monthly service. Painfully meaning.... we were infested by a swarm of Africanized (aka KILLER) bees in one of the attic vents. WOW!!! That was a mess. Fortunately, nobody got hurt... although I came close.



After we had a specialist come to take care of the bees (to the tune of a couple hundred bucks), my buddy started spraying the next day and kept refreshing the bee-killing stuff as well. Those things just keep coming back apparently if you don’t discourage them.



I never let the spraying go for more than a month again. I would imagine the difference in climate (being more humid in the SE compared to AZ) would mean a bigger insect population which requires regular spraying -- maybe even more, but if quarterly is working, then I’d stick to that.



Cheers!

Answer 3

Five years ago was my first introduction to Palmetto bugs and spiders the size of Texas.



Oh sure, years ago, when I was just a kid, we lived in an apartment block that had roaches...little roaches that would run to the peremeter of the room when you turned on the lights. Spiders only had the body half the size of a pea.. .we hardley ever saw them... .just the evidence of their webs...



Then we bought a log home in Florida.. .at a great price, 'cause it needed a lot of finish work. The seller told us that the house had 'natural protection' that would kill any bugs that came in.. .the oils in the cyprus and cedar.. .ya, right <:O(



We started renovation, being hit in the leg by flying Palmettos.. .with huge spiders dropping onto company from the cathedral ceilings.. .and we exterminated.



Since then, we've exterminated every 3 months. One company comes inside and sprays every nook and cranny as well as the foundation. Another company comes and does the entire lawn for fire ants and termites.



A couple of weeks ago, we were attacked by Carpenter Bees. Ah, they decided they wanted to eat our house. I noticed all of these little holes in the sand under our front porch.. .and decided to fight back. Baby bees were hatching and coming out of all these holes...while dozens of adults were boring holes in the house. We bought Spectracide pump spray...I cleaned all the growth and leaves away from the house and sprayed those little buggers, saturated the foundation and soil.. .then, screened in the area. No more bees...(They were NOT honey bees, they don't sting.. .they just eat wood)



Back to the extermination question... .were you peeping in my window tonight? I just asked my hubby if he thought we could do without the expense of the interior exterminator... .who's due to come soon. We have had no adverse reactions to the spraying.. .the cats and dog seem perfectly healthy.. .and any Palmetto bug we do see is on its' back.. .and not one spider in the house any more...



I do think we'll keep the exterminator. I'm kind of a 'clean freak' and find the bugs running through the house disgusting.. .like the sign of a dirty house.. .Ugh...



If you want to handle the pest control on your own...A gallon of Spectracide was only $ 6 .50 at Dollar General... .it sure did a good job on the bee problem. Then you can control the amount of pesticide that you apply. It says it can last up to 9 months on the container.

Answer 4

You probably don't need to worry that much. I've lived in the south all my life and have only recently met an exterminator (ants and rats, you have those up north, don't you?) And most of my family lives out in the country, and they too have had no problem with it. You can probably move it back to twice a year. It really depends on where you live, though. Termites are a lot less likely to pop up if you're in down town Birmingham, than if you're out in Southern Georgia. Our urban places aren't that different from the North.



If you do live out in a small, wooden farm house, You'd probably want an exterminator like you have now. But if you live in the city or suburbs, you don't need to worry that much. I hope this has helped.

Answer 5

Hi Sharon! I too, am a transplanted Yankee! Other than you, I've been transplanted to the Midwest. I just posted a question early today about a concoction to get rid of bugs! My neighbors says this works. They take the laundry detergent (Gain) and put it in a spray bottle with water (50/50). They swear it works on everything! In fact, I stopped at the store on the way home and have yet to try it. The lady bugs are coming into the house even though the windows are still shut up north here. I'll have to drop you a note and see if it works. If you try it before me, let me know how it works!!!



Good luck!

Answer 6

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Answer 7

Yes you can cut back on your scheduled pest control.

Im not certain what its called but its a spray that you spray on your yard, i would do that every two months.

We also do the spray and occasionally go to wal-mart once we like a bee's nest, wasp nest, and big ant beds.