There’s no shortage of termite myths in the Valley of the Sun since termites are one of the most dreaded insects in this region. Sorting fact from fiction will give you a basis for knowing when to call. For the best Orlando Termite Treatment in Orlando Florida, contact All American Pest Control. Acting quickly is the fastest and easiest way to prevent the substantial damage these insects do.

1. TERMITES DON’T INVADE BLOCK HOMES.

Anyone who tells you that a block home isn’t vulnerable to termites is perpetuating one of the oldest termite myths. These insects can enter through tiny exterior cracks. They’ll eat the wall and floor studs just as easily as they can in a wood-frame home.

2. THEY ARE SOLITARY CREATURES.

Like their distant cockroach cousins, if you’ve seen one, you’ve barely seen any. The subterranean termites that populate the Valley live in colonies whose numbers range from 60,000 to 1 million members. Drywood termites, another species living here, favor smaller groups that rarely exceed 4,800.

3. THEY LEAVE NO SIGNS.

Don’t fall for the termite myths about being hard to spot. You’ll have to be alert, but subterranean termite signs are plentiful outdoors, while drywood termites are much more discreet. Mud tunnels about the width of a pencil indicate the presence of subterranean termites in the soil. You may see these tunnels on trees, cacti, home foundations, or exterior walls.

Other signs of a subterranean or drywood invasion include piles of wings that occur after a rain during the monsoon. Piles of frass inside your home are sure signs of a termite invasion.

4. TERMITES HAVE NO ENEMIES.

If you’ve heard that having ants in your yard will keep the termites away, you haven’t heard a termite myth. It’s a fact. Ants are ferociously territorial and do not willingly coexist with termites. Ants usually win and the termites that survive move on.

While ants won’t necessarily eat the termites they sting, plenty of other animals, including humans, do. In some places around the world, they’re eaten as delicacies that pack a protein punch.

5. TERMITES ARE RELATIVELY RARE.

The only places on the planet where you won’t find termites are at the North or South Pole. It’s simply too cold.

6. TERMITES HELP THE PLANET.

It’s not a termite myth that these insects are clean and well organized, but that doesn’t mean they’re good for the planet. As termites digest wood, they produce more of their share of intestinal gas which they release as methane. This gas holds 84 times more heat than carbon dioxide. Besides saving your home, getting rid of termites will slow global warming.

7. THEY DON’T EAT MUCH.

It doesn’t take a colony of subterranean termites long to chew through your home, considering their numbers and the fact that they don’t sleep.

8. THEY’RE EASY TO GET RID OF.

Because they live inside walls, termites are among the hardest insects to vanquish. Finding them is challenging, and accessing them is even more so. Orlando Pest Control have the know-how and access to the most effective treatments that require a license to use.

9. I DON’T HAVE MUCH TO WORRY ABOUT.

For each person on the planet, there are 1,000 pounds of termites. Because Phoenix is a hospitable environment for termites, the ratio of termites to people is probably much higher, since they need water (think golf courses, greenbelts, irrigated yards), mild temperatures, and plenty of food (like your home).

10. TERMITES ARE USELESS.

Unlike flies and mosquitoes that don’t seem to have any other purpose than annoying people and spreading diseases, termites do benefit the ecosystem. They eat cellulose in the form of downed trees and dead vegetation, which helps provide valuable mulch to regenerate mountain, desert, and prairie soils.

SUBTERRANEAN TERMITES AND TERMITE TUBES

There are two types of termites that can damage your home. One of the most common in Florida is the subterranean termite. These termites can quickly infest and begin eating away at your home from the ground up. They leave behind termite tubes which they use to protect themselves as they travel termite tubes coming in all over. Fortunately, there is help available if you suspect that subterranean termite tubes and their makers are a risk to your home.

WHAT SUBTERRANEAN TERMITES LOOK LIKE

Termite tubes are one telltale sign of termite infestation, but subterranean termites are distinct in several ways. Like all termites, they have thicker waists than ants, with no visible waistline. As well, their antennae are straight and their wings are all the same length. Further, subterranean termites are pale yellowish brown in most cases, with a rectangle-shaped head and a flat body. The entire termite is only .375 inch in length. While their heads are the widest part of this type of termite, the rest of the body is very close in size.

TERMITE TUBES: ENTERING YOUR HOME

Unlike drywood termites, the second most common type in Florida, the subterranean termite uses termite tubes to enter your home. The use of termite tubes to access your home is partially due to the fact that termites require moisture to survive, and they need to adapt to Florida’s above-ground climate in order to live in this environment. The termite tubes are filled with mud made from dirt and saliva. Moisture is crucial to termite existence and these tubes need to be structurally stable to be usable.

WHERE TERMITE TUBES LIKELY ARE

Termite tubes can be virtually anywhere, though they naturally tend to be located lower to the ground. While drywood termites are the type to “kick out” feces and other waste, subterranean termites are easier to locate because they tend to spread in a more visible and predictable pattern. Often, termite tubes or mud tubes will seem like a length of mud that seems as if it had flowed downward. You may even see piles in a corner. As well, termite tubes may be seen hanging from a piece of wood or running across brick. Looking for termite tubes around your home is your best bet for identifying their presence.

To get a Orlando Bed Bug Treatment call Orlando Pest Control.

Bed bugs only bite in the dark.

False
Although bed bugs tend to be more active at night, they can bite at any time.

Only dirty, cluttered homes get bed bugs.

False
Anyone can get bed bugs. Bed bugs have been found in the homes of the wealthy and poor. Unsanitary conditions will not cause bed bugs but getting rid of clutter will help to reduce the number of places bed bugs can live and hide.

Bed bugs cannot be seen with the naked eye.

False
Bed bugs are small but can be seen with the naked eye. A magnifying glass will help. Young bed bugs are about the size of a poppy seed and mature ones are about the size of an apple seed.

If I see bite marks I have bed bugs.

False
Other insect bites may resemble that of bed bugs. Presence of live bed bugs or their eggs will confirm their infestation in an area.

If you have bed bugs you need to get rid of infested clothing and furniture.

False
Clothing can be laundered to get rid of bed bugs. In most cases furniture can be treated and should only be discarded if there are no acceptable treatments that can rid them of bed bugs.

Bed bugs are not known to cause or spread diseases.

True
Bed bugs have not been shown to cause or spread diseases. Some people will react to bed bugs bites and excessive scratching can lead to secondary infections.

Bed bugs cannot fly and will not jump from the floor to the bed.

True
Bed bugs have no wings and cannot fly, jump or hop.

Bed bugs are only found on the bed.

False
Although they are called bed bugs they are not only confined to the bed. Bed bugs are commonly found in beds, on sofas, in chairs and areas near where people sleep or lounge.

Some people are not affected by bed bugs.

True
Some people do not have a reaction to bed bug bites and may be unaware that bed bugs are in their home until they actually see them.

Bed bugs can live for many months without feeding.

True
Bed bugs can live for many months without feeding.

A bed bug inspection needs scent detecting dogs to really tell where bed bugs are.

False
Bed bug scent dogs can be helpful, but are rarely necessary. Some bed bug scent dogs can signal the presence of a bed bug even when there is none, and may even miss some, with results varying according to the training the dog receives, the experience of the handler, and other factors.

Encasing a mattress and box spring will prevent future bed bug infestations in your home.

False
Encasements will help prevent a mattress or box spring from becoming infested or being a reservoir for bed bugs, but bed bugs can still find their way onto a bed to bite. And if bed bugs cannot live in a mattress or box springs, they will live somewhere else. Encasements are a good tool, but are not sufficient to prevent or treat an infestation.

Products can claim to be effective for bed bugs without proof.

True
Pesticides registered with the Environmental Protection Agency do have to have data to back their claims. But products without pesticides, or with pesticides that are exempt from registration requirements may make exaggerated claims without proof. Use common sense. If it sounds like a miracle product, it probably isn’t.

Insect foggers provide very little control of bed bugs and may even cause the bed bug population to disperse, making control more difficult.

True
Insect foggers do not effectively control bed bugs. Insect foggers are dangerous in that they can leave unwanted residue throughout the treated area. Most insect foggers contain a flammable propellant and some have been associated with a number of fires.

Call Orlando Pest Control for your Orlando Bed Bug treatment

Bed bugs are blood feeding insects that feed on humans, usually during night hours when people are sleeping. Since we do not often observe bed bugs biting, it is easy to mistake the itchy, swollen areas on the skin for other insect bites. While the bites can become infected from scratching, bed bugs are not known to transmit any diseases; however, they are still a nuisance and serious pest problem.

Despite their name, bed bugs can infest areas other than beds. They tend to locate in cracks and crevices, such as behinds baseboards, wall outlets, and wallpaper; between bed joints, slats, and dresser drawers; and along mattress seams and in linens and clothes. Most bed bug infestations occur in the home, along with hotels, dormitories, and cruise ships.

Bed bugs easily transfer from one site to another through infested belongings like clothes, suitcases, second-hand furniture, beds, and bedding.

Adult bed bugs can survive 6-7 months without feeding, and have been known to live in abandoned houses for 1 year. This, combined with the fact that females lay 2-5 eggs a day (and 200-500 eggs in her lifetime), means that bed bug infestations will not go away without proper treatment.

Detection

Bed bugs are difficult to detect because of their elusive behavior, but here are some key things to look for:

The bugs themselves, as well as light-brown, molted skins.

Itchy welts (can be mistaken for flea or insect bites).

Small spots of blood on sheets and mattress covers.

Dark spotting and staining with a sweetish foul odor around sites where they are located.

Control

There are several ways to get rid of bed bugs, though combining methods usually gives the best result. Since the bugs often hide in small cracks, treatment can be difficult, making it worth hiring a pest control specialist. Even if you hire a professional to inspect and treat your home, there are important steps for you to take as well.

Removal

Physically remove as many bed bugs as possible:

Vacuum all carpets and visible bed bugs on furniture. Seal the vacuum bag in a ziploc and throw away. Steam clean carpets to kill eggs and bugs that have been missed.

Place bed posts in glass dishes. Bed bugs cannot climb smooth surfaces and this will prevent further infestation in the mattress, as long as the bed or bedding doesn’t touch the walls or floor.

Wash all bedding and clothes with soap and borax additive, dry at a high temperature. Dry clean pillows and drapery.

Reduce clutter, and empty out contents of drawers in preparation for treatment.

Treatment

Sometimes treatment will require the use of insecticides. Dusts are preferred over sprays for bed bug treatments because dusts transfer from surfaces easier, are lighter, and penetrate further than sprays. Insecticides are used and classified according to four categories: Mattress, Crack, and Crevice; Indoor Surface; Indoor Space; and Fumigation.

Methods for non-chemical treatment involve physical removal and heat. In addition to the removal guidelines outlined above, mattresses, pillows, and box springs can be put in bed bug proof encasements. Make sure the labels say “bite proof” as well as “escape proof.”

Bed bugs begin to die at temperatures above 113ºF, so using high temperature when laundering or steaming infested items is another way for non-chemical control. Pest control companies also offer heat treatment for bed bugs. Methods can involve using polystyrene board insulation around items to be treated and heating these boxes to the appropriate temperatures with space heaters, or using commercial heaters to heat the entire room and its contents.

Bed bugs are not often removed with one treatment, and continued inspections and treatment follow ups are key for eliminating an infestation.

Prevention

Awareness of bed bugs and their habits is the most important way to avoid infestations. When traveling or exchanging belongings, know what to look for to assure bed bugs are not present.

Be wary of second hand beds, bedding, and furniture, and examine closely before bringing them into the home.

Examine sheets, bed, and headboard in hotels and travel accommodations.

Inspect your luggage when you return from a trip. Leave belongings in a hot car for 24 hours and run clothing through the dryer.

Visit the Florida Bed Bug Workgroup website to view articles, videos, and links about bed bugs and their prevention and treatment.

Adapted and excerpted from:

1. Koehler, R.M. Pereira, et al, Bed Bugs and Blood-Sucking Conenose (ENY-227), Entomology and Nematology Department (rev. 11/2008).
2. Potter, “Your Guide to Bed Bugs: Understanding and Control” (pdf), Pest Control Technology (08/2004).
3. UF Website