EnSec Pest & Lawn Blog

Summer is right around the corner, which means more time outside with friends and family members. Summer is also a time of increased pest activity; bugs like fire ants and termites can turn even the best day into one that you might want to forget. What are the top five bugs to watch out for this year? Read on for more information on Florida’s most notorious pests.  Fire Ants Fire ants are more common in Florida than you would think. Typically, they don’t interact with humans at all. However, if they are worried that their nest is in jeopardy, they swarm and attack the perceived threat. Their bites hurt and are often itchy; you may be dealing with the effects of the bites for several days. If you see a fire ant mound, it is best to stay away. For best results, call in a pest control company to deal...

Termite damage is a major concern to homeowners. In fact, every state except Alaska has termites. Here in the south with our warm weather and humidity, we are even more prone to termite infestations . The Subterranean, Drywood and Dampwood termites are the three main types in the United States. Most geographical regions have one or more of these termites in the area. The different termites have both shared and particular preferences. So what are termites attracted to, and are there reasons your home might be more vulnerable? In general, termites are attracted to wood, moisture, wood in contact with foundations and cracks in foundations. Wood Termites eat constantly and need wood or other types of plant-based cellulose to survive. As a homeowner, you may be unknowingly attracting termites Keeping a firewood pile close to the house may be convenient, but is also a tempting meal for termites. Likewise, fallen...

Are fruit flies taking over your kitchen? These little pests reproduce rapidly and can get into your home in a variety of ways. It does not take long for them to reach maturity after hatching from their eggs, which means that a full blown infestation can occur in almost no time at all. Many people battle with fruit flies in the spring and summer, but there are several things you can do to control the problem and hopefully keep fruit flies from coming back. Clear The Counters Your counters and sinks should be as clean as possible; when you allow anything sticky to remain on the surface, or if there are fruit/vegetable drippings, fruit flies can flourish. In addition, it is a good idea to take out the trash whenever it becomes full, rather than allowing it to sit in the house. Be careful with the recycling as well. Get...

Unfortunately, ticks are a common occurrence during the spring and summer. They are ugly little creatures that gravitate toward pets; they are hard to take off, and the entire process of getting rid of them can be extremely frustrating. How can you protect your dog from ticks? There are a few different methods of success. Do A Check Each time you take your dog outside, particularly if they have been in the woods or in tall grass, make sure you look over your dog to see if any ticks are present. In particular, it is important to look between the toes, around the ears, on the neck and around the legs. Ticks can nestle down deep in the fur, so make sure you look through all the hair carefully. If you check diligently, you may be able to find and remove ticks before they are too firmly embedded in the...

A home is one of the more significant investments you will make in your lifetime. Knowing how to keep your home free of pests is the goal of every homeowner. So what happens when suddenly you are covered in bug bites you cannot identify? Chances are the culprit is closer than you think. Bed bugs are a nuisance pest that need to be eradicated from your home or else they will continue to breed and spread. Here are four signs that you may have a bed bug problem . What Do Bed Bug Bites Look Like Most bug bites appear immediately however bed bug bites may take a few days to appear. This makes them easy to spread from one home to another because the person does not know that they may have inadvertently brought them into their residence. These tiny creatures feed on blood and while it can cause...

Snakes aren’t as bad as they seem. They play a crucial role in the ecosystem, because they help keep other pest populations under control. However, most people don’t want to see snakes in their yard. This is particularly true if poisonous snakes happen to be common in your area. Snakes don’t want to see humans, either. They make their way into your yard because they are looking for food and trying to explore. By thinking about what is attracting them to your space, and by taking simple measures to keep them at bay, you can encourage these pests to stay out of your yard this summer. 1. Take Care Of The Clutter Snakes like to stay out of sight. If there is anything in your yard that provides them with a “safe” spot to hide, like wood piles, toys, or debris, make sure to pick it up and find a...

There are a lot of fun things to do in the summer, and many of the best activities involve spending time outside. Unfortunately, the warmer weather also draws out a host of bugs, making it difficult to enjoy your yard regardless of how nice it is outside. If you want to avoid seeing pests this summer, the following tips will help. 1. Cut Your Grass There are several things about your yard that may be attracting bugs, and the grass is one of them. Tall foliage gives pests a place to hide. It also gives them the shade they are looking for when it gets hot outside. Therefore, make sure you keep the grass cut on a regular basis. Also, make sure you keep your yard tidy by removing leaves and other debris. This helps cut back on the number of places that bugs can seek shelter, and they are...

Summers in Florida are hot and humid, and in an attempt to beat the heat, many bugs make their way indoors. The good news is that you don’t have to accept these tiny invaders as a fact of life; there are steps you can take to keep them out of your home and away from your property. You may not be able to get rid of them altogether, but you can certainly reduce the amount you see inside your living space.The following tips will get you started! Make Your Property Less Desirable Bugs are attracted to certain natural elements. For example, they like both wood and standing water, so if you have either of these on your property, it is a good idea to get rid of them. Mosquitoes, for example, are a huge problem in Florida, and they need water to reproduce. Shrubs and vegetation also attract insects, particularly...

House flies are a very common problem, particularly in the United States. Not only are these pests unsightly and annoying, but some of them also carry diseases. While house flies do not live for a very long time, they do reproduce quickly. Therefore, an infestation can quickly get out of control unless the problem is dealt with efficiently. The following steps will help you address a fly issue in your home. Get Rid Of Breeding Grounds Your first priority when dealing with a fly infestation is to figure out where they are laying their eggs. It is then important to get rid of these breeding grounds as quickly as possible. For example, the flies might be targeting a trash can. Sometimes it is easy to find the breeding sites and sometimes it is quite difficult. No matter what, you have to deal with these areas if you hope to make...

Pests are aptly named, as people do not want them lurking around their homes. Whether the pest is winged, like a fly or mosquito; fat and fury like a mouse or something in between, no one wants these uninvited and unwelcome visitors in their homes. Thankfully, there are some steps you can take to ensure your home is pest free . Here are five of the best tips for keeping your home safe from pests. Keep Your Garage and Crawl Space Dry Many insects and rodents are attracted to places that are damp and offer a source of water. So, making sure easy entry points for rodents like the garage and crawl space are completely dry is an easy way to keep bothersome pests away. Seal Cracks Even the smallest cracks are big enough for pests to sneak through. So, do a thorough inspection of the outside of your house...

The main problem homeowners face when it comes to termites is detecting them before they’ve done enough damage to be noticeable. Termites are industrious little insects with voracious appetites that can silently destroy a home in short order. Here’s your guide to identifying early signs of a termite invasion in your home. Wings and Swarms One of the first signs you might notice before any damage is evident is the insects themselves. Especially in early spring, scouts from the colony known as swarmers take flight to look for new areas to nest. Finding discarded wings around the windowsills or caught in spiderwebs around your home may signal that you have uninvited guests. It’s possible to see the insects themselves as well as they take off from and return to the nest, but swarmers are often mistaken for flying ants. There are numerous ways to tell the two insects apart, but...

Mice and other rodents can be a problem year round, but in both Florida and Alabama, they tend to be more visible in the winter months. Mice move inside as the weather turns cooler looking for food and shelter. You may not be concerned the first time you spot one of these little creatures, but since they multiply rapidly, it is important to address a potential infestation as soon as possible. Not only are mice a nuisance, but they can carry disease as well. If you find a mouse in your house, it is important to take the following steps in order to address it. Target Their Nest Mice aren’t very creative. Once they establish a route to and from their nest, they normally stick to it. First, look for droppings. Place traps or bait stations in the areas where the droppings seem to be the most prolific. You can...

Often, when people think of pest control , they think of the pests inside the house; the ones found crawling across the kitchen counter. However, there is another aspect of pest control, equally important, yet less frequently considered, and that is the pest control of lawns and yards. Here are some reasons why taking care of pests is one of the most important ways to take care of your yard in general, as well as a few methods for keeping the pests in your yard at bay. How Pests Can Harm Your Lawn It’s important to keep pests off your lawn for the same reasons that it’s important to keep them out of your house: They spread diseases, destroy property and make life generally unpleasant. Pests like aphids, chinch bugs, grubs, mealybugs, and sod webworms, can make your lawn look burnt and unkempt. As the grass is the first thing...

As a homeowner, you sometimes have to spend money to help keep your house in its best shape. This is true for things like repairs and furnishings, and it’s also true for pest management. Unfortunately, many homeowners balk when it comes to spending money on pest control . While it only makes sense to treat an infestation as it ravages your home, it’s much harder to spend your hard-earned money on a problem that hasn’t happened yet. However, spending money on pest management is an investment that can pay off in spades in the long run. How is it an investment? Well, if an investment can be defined as “spending money for future gain,” there are several reasons why pest control is an excellent investment in your home’s future. Protect Against Future Damage If you think about pest management as a money-saving service, then it becomes easy to see why...

Ensec Pest and Lawn control knows that homeowners like to take an active role in preventing pests from infesting their home. While some jobs are best left to the professionals, we want to help our customers in the Southeast regions of Alabama and Florida by providing tips that can prevent an infestation from occurring. Steps to help prevent infestation It’s important to note that DIY pest control is more about preventing pests, rather than treating an active problem. Once established in your building, pests are small and can reach areas that the average homeowner can’t treat. Don’t neglect the yard. No one likes their grass to be unattended, but the problem goes deeper than just an unattractive yard. Tall grasses, weeds, fallen limbs and piles of leaves are the perfect hosts for a variety of pests, from termites to beetles and snakes. Help protect your home by maintaining the landscaping...

As you are cooking dinner in your apartment, you notice that you have some new roommates. There are ants crawling across your floor. It’s not like you can split the rent with them, so they need to be evicted. You need to take steps to give these little guys a reason to leave and stay away. If you take away their feeding ground, they will put in their change of address. There are several steps you can take to help get rid of these little pests . These steps can be simple things like cleaning up the kitchen right away or making sure the sink is dry. Cutting off the pests’ food and water supply will deter them from staying around. Curious as to why roaches infest your home? Take a look here: Why Do Roaches Infest Homes? Pests and Your Kitchen The kitchen is the biggest buffet for pests....

The idea of having a rodent in the house is enough to strike fear in the hearts of most homeowners. Not only do rats and mice cause damage and spoil food, but they can carry some particularly nasty diseases, too. Rodents also reproduce quickly, so it doesn’t take long for a relatively minor situation to get out of control. If you want to save yourself a lot of time and money, it is important to recognize the signs of a mice or rat infestation so that you can take steps to address it as soon as possible. Bite Marks Rodents typically gnaw on either the packaging of your food or the walls and baseboards of your home. You can figure out if a mark is fresh by the color; if it is lighter, it is newer and you likely have a current infestation. In addition, the bite marks help you...

Some people like insects, while others would be happy if they never saw any bugs at all. However, whether you like them or not, you probably don’t want them to invade your home. Roaches, ants, fleas and more cause problems for homeowners that can be frustrating and unsanitary. Still, keeping them out of your home is often easier said than done. The good news is that there are steps you can take to discourage bugs from taking up residence in your home. The sooner you get started, the easier it will be to get a handle on your situation. Deal With The Doors Examine your doors while they are closed. You don’t want to see light coming in anywhere; if you do see it peeking through, that means that bugs have a way to get into the house. In addition, you are letting air escape from the home as well,...

Rodents are challenging pests to manage because they tend to hide in unusual places. Homeowners can sometimes spend days searching for rodents before finding nests in an unexpected area. If you have found rodents in your home, it is important to recognize that these pests are unlikely to leave on their own. Rodents can carry food to their nests, so you might not see them for several days while they wait for a safe opportunity to search for nourishment. Finding the rodents in your home is an important initial step toward returning to living free of pests.  Under Couches Couches are a favorite hiding spot for rodents looking to establish a nest. Most couches are made with soft materials that are ideal for burrowing. Rodents are also able to eat some of the materials that are used to build couches. Worst of all, many homeowners consume food while sitting on...

Most mosquito bites are just itchy and annoying. Sometimes, though, they can lead to illness. While there's no reason to panic, you should know that the list of diseases that mosquitoes carry includes the following. 1. Dengue Fever Four different viruses can bring about the infection known as dengue fever. Common in tropical regions, these viruses enter people's bodies through mosquito bites and reproduce rapidly. Eventually, an afflicted person will experience acute symptoms like back pain and an extreme fever. 2. Encephalitis Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain. Patients who suffer from this disease may experience seizures, brain damage, high fevers, and other major problems. There are various types of encephalitis, including Western Equine and Eastern Equine. St. Louis encephalitis poses the greatest danger to residents of Florida and Alabama. 3. Malaria Malaria generally affects people who live in or travel to places near the equator. It attacks blood...