Pest Control Archives - East Coast Sprayers

Posted on December 22, 2022July 13, 2023 by East Coast Sprayers

Being proactive rather than reactive when it comes to a pest control plan includes all facets of your home – interior and exterior, and is more beneficial than you think. Pests, especially in Florida, are active year round. These pests can result in damage such as structural damage from burrows in foundation, chewed electrical wires, and even diseases such as Lyme disease. But, if caught early enough can save you time, money, and the damage caused. So what’s the general process of pest control? What does it include? And finally, what are the benefits of maintaining both consistently? Let’s break it down!

Interior Pest Control

Interior pest control is the act of treating an indoor environment, typically a home and all its rooms including basements and attics. This is what comes to mind the most when you think about getting those bugs and critters out the door. Pests that invade the home are typically bugs and small rodents wanting food, water, and shelter. The process usually includes pesticides to help eliminate the problem pest that is already in the home. A licensed technician will inspect each area and crevice of home to ensure proper service is provided. Ultimately, this is a proactive and reactive treatment that is used to not only protect the home itself, but also the items in your home (fleas love that comfy couch you have and roaches thrive in warm electronics) and the health of your family.

Exterior Pest Control

Exterior pest control is performed around the perimeter of your home or building/structure providing a protective barrier with pesticides. Think invisible force field for all critters to keep out of the area. This process might also involve filling any breaches in the home’s exterior with caulk, sealants, etc. Typically a proactive treatment, it protects the foundation of your home and potential interior infestations. One extra step in ensuring you don’t have to deal with problems caused by bugs, rodents, etc. inside. Exterior pest control eradicates specific kinds of pests that originate outside of the home, like mosquitoes, ticks, fire ants, and even small creatures.

So, Why Both?

Pest control maintenance has several short term and long term benefits. Creating a tailored, regular treatment with a pest control specialist can ensure protection of your lawn, garden, and home.

Saves Time

Experts know what bugs are around the area, how to treat them, and ultimately how to solve your pest problem. Don’t spend your time worrying about investigating and understanding the insects/rodents involved and the chemicals needed to treat them when you can lean on a licensed expert for support.

Saves Money

Regular pest management services proactively cut pests off at the pass and prevent a small issue from blowing up into a big one.

Healthier Home

Pest control services reduce the risk of exposure to pest-borne disease pathogens. With these services, you have no worry of potential allergic reactions to pests.

Healthier Landscaping

Not only does interior pest control help save your furniture, but also exterior pest control helps save your plants and trees. It protects plants, grass, shrubs, trees, and flowers for a noticeably greener, lusher landscape by keeping the harmful bugs away. Keeping harmful bugs away also make room for beneficial bugs and plants like pollinators.

Protect Your Home, Lawn, and Garden with East Coast Sprayers!

Pests can destroy your grass, shrubs, trees, flowers, and garden plants. We protect against bugs such as chinch bugs, grubs, sod webworms, ficus whitefly, fire ants, mole crickets, ground moles, weevil beetles, scale, snails, slugs, mites, fleas, ticks, centipedes, roaches, and more! With over 30 years of industry experience, let East Coast Sprayers help you get and maintain both an exterior and interior pest control solution. Our services start at $55 a month, non-contract, and are guaranteed to make your lawn, garden, and home healthier. Call us today for a free consultation!

Posted on September 27, 2021July 16, 2023 by East Coast Sprayers

Slugs are a significant problem in non-arid climates, as they thrive in hot and humid environments. Many people underestimate the damage that these slimy nuisances can cause. If a growing number of slugs raise concerns, contact East Coast Sprayers for lawn pest services in Palm Beach.

Why Slugs Are a Lawn Pest

You’ll most likely find them in areas covered in greenery. Bushes, shrubs, and flowers are all food sources for hungry slugs. No matter the plant they choose to eat, they can severely damage it in the process. If you don’t treat your slugs quickly, you may need lawn care services as well.

Distinguishing slug damage from other critters can prove to be a difficult assignment for those untrained. Here are a few common signs that your garden or landscaping is under the affliction of slugs or snails:

Large, ragged holes in leaves or flowers
Springtime damage
Slime trails in grass or mulch
Plants with only the stems remaining
Holes chewed into vegetables

When they aren’t consuming your vegetation, you may find slime trails across your tiles or carpeting. If this happens, you’re likely to ask how they came into your Palm Beach home and will they affect your health?

How and Why Slugs Enter Homes

Slugs are looking for the same things spiders, cockroaches, and other infestations look for food, water, and a break from the elements. Common household attractants include pet food and pantries.

Slugs can enter your household in a variety of ways, such as:

Entering through gaps, tiny holes, pipes, or vents
Squeezed through a crack in one of your doors or windows
You or a pet could trap them in

Professional Slug Removal Services

Before we take action, we will thoroughly inspect your property. We’ll begin where you’ve already seen them and then check potential hiding places. After seeing the scope of the problem, we’ll start to treat your infestation.

If slugs are hanging out in your garden or flowerbeds, we’ll spray for them. Our professional-grade sprays will quickly and effectively end your troublesome slug invasion. Along with slugs, we offer a solution for many lawn invaders.

For indoor slugs, the tactics are very different. Since slugs are nocturnal, you’ll only notice their presence from hardened slime trails in the morning after they’ve retreated. For this reason, you may not be able to find them unless you really look.

If it’s possible to plug their entry, that will help tremendously. After, the careful placement of traps in the seemingly high-traffic areas should take care of them. Once the slimy critter crawls inside, it has no chance of escape.

Are You Looking for Lawn Pest Services in Palm Beach?

Since slugs are a major problem, you must act quickly. We can put an end to the infestation before it swells into a larger problem. Contact us today for all you’re your lawn care and pest removal needs!

Posted on August 15, 2021July 16, 2023 by East Coast Sprayers

While South Floridians enjoy lots of sunshine and warm weather, many of them are also trying to prevent those pesky iguanas from destroying their landscape plants, flowers, and shrubs. When these creatures threaten to invade your commercial property, you wouldn’t want to wait until they wreak havoc on your lawn. Do yourself a favor by enlisting the help of the most reliable pest control service providers in Lantana, FL – East Coast Sprayers.

What You Should Know About Iguanas

Behavior

Since iguanas are herbivores, they feast on decorative plants, vegetable gardens, fruit trees, and shrubs. Additionally, they can easily tear up well-manicured lawns and create eyesores by creating burrows. Besides eating, destroying landscaping, and stinking up swimming pools, they can also cause damage to seawalls and foundations.

Due to their excellent digging abilities and superior climbing skills, commercial property owners find it extremely challenging to get rid of them. What’s more, iguanas are territorial creatures that won’t leave on their own.

Health and Safety Risks

If you catch an iguana eating your flowers, don’t even think about picking them up by hand for relocation. These large lizards carry infectious bacteria called Salmonella that can be passed to humans via contact with the iguana or their fecal matter.

Some of the most severe symptoms of this illness include fever, vomiting, and debilitating diarrhea. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly if you have any contact with an iguana or their droppings.

When iguanas sunbathe on sidewalks or commercial patios and seawalls, they tend to get in the way of passing pedestrians. When these pests feel threatened, they won’t hesitate to scratch, bite, or use their muscular tail to deliver powerful scratches.

How to Rid Your Commercial Property of Iguanas

Never Leave Food Out Unattended

You shouldn’t allow leftovers to sit outside. Unless you clean up your mess right away, iguanas won’t think twice before they try to eat the bowl of fruit left unattended.

Dispose of Any Dropped Fruit

Since iguanas won’t be able to resist fruit that’s easy to get to, be sure to rid your lawn of low-hanging or dropped fruit. While you’re at it, don’t forget to discard them in a closed garbage bin. Put a cinder block on the lid to prevent smart iguanas from lifting the lid, sliding in, and digging through your garbage looking for food.

Fill Iguana Holes

The best time to fill iguana holes is when they’re out roaming during the day. Before you fill the holes with dirt and top them with sod, be sure to stuff large rocks in them first.

Returning iguanas won’t dig through the rocks. Filling iguana holes with rocks and dirt can also prevent their eggs from hatching.

Hire Pest Control Service in Lantana, FL!

Unfortunately, iguana populations show no signs of decline because these creatures face only a few competitors or natural predators in the wild. While some people can choose to coexist with these pests, this isn’t an option for most business owners. If you need help in controlling the iguana problem plaguing your commercial property, get in touch with East Coast Sprayers to schedule an inspection.

Posted on May 15, 2021July 16, 2023 by East Coast Sprayers

Chinch bugs may be tiny, but they’re responsible for millions of dollars in lawn damage annually. If these grass-killing insects are threatening to take over your commercial property, you should reach out to the team of experts at East Coast Sprayers. With their personalized lawn spraying treatments in West Palm Beach, FL, you can finally say goodbye to all of your turf troubles.

What Is a Southern Chinch Bug?

Unlike other insects, the Southern Chinch Bug (Blissus insularis Barber) undergoes incomplete metamorphosis. This means that it goes through gradual changes throughout its three life stages – egg, nymph, and adult.

What Does It Look Like?

Depending on its host plant and environmental conditions, a female chinch bug can produce up to 300 eggs within the course of its life with an average of four eggs per day. Its oval-shaped eggs measure about 1 mm in length and are usually deposited in the thatch layer, on the surfaces of leaves, and within the leaf sheath.

These eggs hatch into yellow larvae before they morph as nymphs. Although nymphs look a lot like adults, they’re smaller, they have bright red or orange bodies with white bands on their abdomens, and they don’t have wings.

On the other hand, adult southern chinch bugs are flying insects with white patches on their wings and measure about 0.2 inches (4.7 mm) long. While those that have long and full-length wings are called macropterous, those that have short and reduced wings are called brachypterous. Depending on the temperature and food supply, adult chinch bug lifespans can range between ten to as many as 70 days.

Are They Hardy Species?

If you think that southern chinch bug colonies die off with seasonal changes, think again. These are hardy creatures that can manage to survive cool weather. Since South Florida’s winter weather is extremely milk, these bugs won’t stop populating and recolonizing as they spread across your entire lawn.

What Does It Feed On?

Although these insects love to feast on St. Augustine grass, they also feed on other turfgrasses including the following:

Bahiagrass
Bermudagrass
Kentucky bluegrass
Fescues
Perennial ryegrass
Crabgrass
Zoysiagrass
Centipedegrass.

Both juvenile and mature southern chinch bugs live in the thatch and feed on grass stems, stolons, and crowns by piercing these parts with their needle-like mouthparts and sucking the plant juices. To facilitate easy feeding, their bodies automatically release enzymes that continue to cause damage to the grass even after feeding.

Furthermore, these insects tend to feed in clusters or groups. Once they exhaust a food supply in one area, they move in a mass migration to another spot within the lawn area.

What Are the Signs of a Southern Chinch Bug Lawn Infestation?

You may be dealing with a southern chinch bug infestation if your lawn displays circular, sunken patches of yellowish-brown grass. In most cases, these infected areas occur first along the water-stressed edges of the lawn or areas where the grass is growing in full sunlight.

When the infestation is at its worst, you’ll see these insects running over the grass blades. In South Florida, severe lawn damage typically becomes more evident in the months of March through November.

Are You In Need of Pest Control Lawn Spraying Treatment in West Palm Beach, FL?

If left unchecked, southern chinch bug colonies will continue to multiply until they kill your once-healthy lawn. Luckily, the lawn care professionals at East Coast Sprayers can help you eliminate these pests and bring your dying lawn back to life. Contact us today to schedule an inspection.

Posted on April 20, 2021July 16, 2023 by East Coast Sprayers

Even if you say you love animals, no one likes pests. Pesky pests like termites, bugs, and rodents will create major damage in your home if you don’t get rid of them. According to surveys, in America alone, it is estimated that pest infestation has resulted in five billion dollars worth of damage each year. Rodents can destroy your home’s electrical wirings and compromise your electrical system. Pests are also notorious for damaging sewage systems, internal plumbing, and much more. When dealing with pests, you should consult with a pest control service in Jupiter, FL. This is a job that must only be handled by experts.

How Do You Keep Pests Away?

#1 Reduce Plants and Mulch

Check the surroundings of your home and if you can find shrubbery or tree branches that reach your home, trim them. Cut off all potential bridges that pests can use to get to your home. The same principle applies to mulch found in garden beds. Remove them as these offer a good shelter for pesky pests. You may use rocks as an alternative. Remember, when there are fewer pests outside the chances of them getting inside your home is lesser too!

#2 Check Your Windows and Doors and Keep Them Sealed

If you leave tiny cracks and gaps, unsealed pests nearby can wiggle their way into your house. Even if you’re confident your house is safe, it doesn’t hurt to double-check windows and doors regularly. Make sure the doors fit the frames well.

Check windows for tears or rips in the screens and address them promptly. For homes with screen meshes, choose one that has two hundred holes per square inch to keep pests away because once they get inside, it can be difficult to get rid of them unless you hire a professional pest control service.

#3 Inspect For Gaps and Cracks

You might think pests only access your home through typical doors and windows but sadly, these aren’t the only routes they take. Houses that have crevices, gaps, and cracks from the exterior can invite annoying pests in. Therefore, make sure you check loose siding, gaps in pipes and electrical wirings, foundation cracks, and lost roof shingles.

#4 Keep Litter Away

Garbage may not look harmful but it does invite pests. Pests such as rodents, cockroaches, and ants are drawn to garbage. These pests may think there’s food in your garbage or they may consider it as shelter. To keep pests at bay, ensure that all your trash bins have tightly sealed lids. Also, make sure you clear cans and other potential areas where pests can live and thrive.

#5 Clean Your Home Regularly

A clean home is a safe home. When your house is clean you won’t have areas for pests to consider using for shelter. We recommend you regularly vacuum, mop, and sweet your home. Sweep away food crumbs on the floor ASAP. Regular cleaning also allows you to check your home for possible cracks and crevices where pests can use to get inside.

Do You Need Pest Control Service in Jupiter FL?

If pests have started wreaking havoc in your home, don’t attempt to handle it yourself because not only is it unsafe, you’ll likely end up frustrated and disappointed by the results. At East Coast Sprayers, we provide exceptional pest control services in both residential and commercial properties. With three decades of experience in helping people live comfortably and peacefully in pest-free homes, we can guarantee that our services work! Call us today for free estimates.

Posted on January 16, 2021July 16, 2023 by East Coast Sprayers

Sunny, warm weather and beautiful beaches make South Florida one of the top destinations to live, but with this climate comes an array of household bugs that can invade our homes. As one of the top pest control companies in Palm Beach County, our team at East Coast Sprayers has seen (and treated) it all so we are sharing the 5 most common household bugs you may encounter.

1. ROACHES

We are sure we can speak for everyone when we say roaches are our least-welcome house guests. Just the sight of one in our home can send us into a frenzy. Roaches not only spread diseases as they move around searching for food, they shed skin, feces, and body parts that can cause serious allergic reactions. The most common types found in Palm Beach County households include the German cockroach, brown-banded cockroach and the Asian cockroach.

2. ANTS

Ants are a pest that never seem to go away. Our South Florida area is a playground for numerous species of indoor and outdoor ants, but the household bugs in the ant family we see regularly in Palm Beach County are the pharaoh ant, the ghost ant and the pavement ant. These ants feed on the sweet and greasy food we leave behind. With all the nooks and crannies our kitchens have for crumbs to hide, it’s almost impossible to not experience an ant infestation in your lifetime.

3. FLEAS

Animals are usually the main carriers of fleas into our homes. While we love our pets, their frequent exposure to the outdoors makes them a prime subject to acquiring fleas. Once inside your home, fleas feed off their host and reproduce at a rapid rate. Once they reproduce, eggs can fall off their original host and make their way to you, your family and other pets in the house.

4. SPIDERS

It’s typical to walk into a home and find at least one spider hidden away in a perfectly webbed corner. While spiders usually cause us no harm, there are still the few species that can bite and/or are venomous. The harmless household spiders include the domestic house spider, wolf spider and funnel weaver spider. The most common poisonous spiders in the Palm Beach County region may come as no shock to residents; the brown recluse and widows.

5. SILVERFISH

Acclaimed across the industry as one of the top household bugs, silverfish are one of those pests that simply aim to annoy. While they don’t bite or carry disease, they can cause damage to your possessions, such as clothing, carpet, paper (that includes books) or anything that stands in their way of food. Silverfish get their name from the coloring and unique movement. If you happen upon one, you will notice how their fast-moving bodies curve as they crawl, almost like a swimming fish. They are mostly attracted to warm, damp, cluttered spaces (think bathrooms, garages and attics) with plenty of areas to hide and sources of food.

CALL THE PROS AT EAST COAST SPRAYERS

If you are experiencing any of the household bugs described above, give our team a call. We are expertly trained with over 30 years of combined experience in the pest control industry. Our team of licensed professionals know how to quickly eradicate these pests from your home… and keep them from coming back. Call East Coast Sprayers today for your free estimate!

Posted on December 6, 2020July 16, 2023 by East Coast Sprayers

If you are an avid grower in Palm Beach County, you know of (or proudly grow) a rare fruit tree called the lychee tree. Originating in China, this delicious fruit-bearing tree isn’t grown commercially in the United States, besides a few small farms here in Florida. Favorable tropical conditions in South Florida allow us the unique opportunity to grow this tree. But with every great opportunity comes unique threats in pest control. Introducing: The lychee erinose mite.

Lychee Erinose Mite Treatment, East Coast Sprayers — East Coast Sprayers treating a lychee erinose mite infestation.

First discovered in Florida in 2018, the lychee erinose mite itself is undetectable without a microscope, but it leaves a path of destruction that cannot be ignored. Like other varieties of mites, they pierce the fleshy leaves and feed on the moisture inside of your plants. The Lychee erinose mite specifically attacks the lychee trees, creating a dense, wool-like erinose on the underside of leaves where they live, feed, and reproduce.

Heavy infestations of lychee erinose mites can cause severe damage to your lychee tree, including:

Blistering, curled and disformed leaves
Reduced photosynthesis
Decline in tree growth
Reduced flowering/fruit production

If you have a lychee tree and notice an orange-brown velvety growth on the underside of your leaves, blisters on the leaf tops and a decline in your tree’s flowering/fruit production, we can help.

East Coast Sprayers is the top lychee erinose mite eradicator in Palm Beach County and has successfully treated infestations from Jupiter, FL to Boca Raton, FL. With eradication methods perfected by our team in conjunction with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, your tree can be on its way back to health in a few short months. East Coast Sprayers will evaluate your lychee trees and provide a free treatment estimate – Call us today and let our team of licensed professionals help bring your landscape back to health!

Posted on December 14, 2019July 16, 2023 by East Coast Sprayers

As you drive around Palm Beach County, you’re more likely than not to see large groups of iguanas lounging around our local lakes and waterways. These invasive iguanas have become a nuisance to our homes and neighborhoods, businesses, local parks, and commercial properties. Researches aren’t sure exactly how many of these pests roam wildly in South Florida, but estimate the numbers can be well into the hundreds of thousands. If you don’t already know the destruction these reptiles can do, here’s some of the damaging effects of iguanas on our local landscape.

Iguanas Can Damage Your Property

You’ve spent countless hours and dollars keeping your home or business looking its best. When an iguana moves in to your landscape, you will encounter damage in many ways. Iguanas live in burrows deep in the ground that can uproot and undermine seawalls, foundations, and bulkheads. Living on your property, their feces can be a source of salmonella and containment your pools. In addition to their burrows, there have been more and more reports of iguanas causing power outages and internet black-outs by climbing electrical poles and eating wires. Finally, while iguanas are mostly vegetarian, they feed on your beautiful flowers, shrubs, and vegetable gardens, causing expansive damage to your landscape.

Iguanas Can Injure You and Your Pets

For the most part, iguanas are going to run from any imminent danger. As you approach one, they will either run into their burrow or dive into the nearest body of water. While they aren’t a relatively aggressive pest, if you happen to corner an iguana, they will defend themselves. Iguanas have sharp teeth, used for foraging on plants, and will bite to protect themselves. They also have the ability to use their long tails like whips and will snap their tails in the face of a predator.

Iguana Removal and Control

If you’re looking to deter or scare off iguanas in your yard, you may want to avoid planting iguana-preferred vegetation, spray them with the water hose and make noises so their atmosphere is unwelcoming. Most importantly, NEVER feed them. If you find a burrow in your yard, collapse the hole and fill it in with dirt. Doing your part to make them feel unwelcome will help to keep them at bay.

If your property is overrun with iguanas and you need them removed, the professionals at East Coast Sprayers are here to help. We will evaluate your iguana population and determine the best removal method. Contact us today for your estimate to help remove these pests from your landscape.

Posted on August 17, 2019July 16, 2023 by East Coast Sprayers

We live in South Florida for a number of reasons: warm climate all year round, beautiful beaches, and plenty of activities and things to do. But we can’t escape the pests that habitat our area. Whiteflies are a big concern here in Palm Beach County and they are so good at camouflage, you may not even know you have them until it’s too late.

What are Whiteflies?

Whiteflies are tiny, white, winged insects that suck on the nutrients in your plants. They damage your plants by not only draining its fluids and causing it to wilt but also by secreting honeydew onto its leaves. This honeydew form into fungal diseases that can severely damage or kill off your precious ornamentals or vegetable plants (their favorite!). Whiteflies are also very attracted to ficus hedges, which are prominent in our Palm Beach County landscapes.

How to Identify Whiteflies

As mentioned, whiteflies are so small and easily camouflaged, it may take a little work to identify them. You can check your plants by shaking the leaves, as they will all fly off in swarm when disturbed. Turn over your leaves and you may find sticky honeydew left behind. Whiteflies are also quick reproducers, laying up to 400 eggs at one time. You can identify whitefly eggs by their extremely tiny size and pale yellow color laid in a circular pattern. Larvae are little white ovals and you can find them sucking on your plants nutrients on the underside of your leaves.

How to Prevent and Treat Whitefly

It’s always best to prevent an infestation before it can happen to you. The professionals at East Coast Sprayers know whitefly like the backs of their hands and can easily identify if you’re susceptible or if you need treatment for an existing whitefly breakout. We will tailor an insect control treatment plan specifically for you to ensure a beautiful, lush landscape for years to come. Contact us today for your free evaluation!

Posted on August 3, 2019July 16, 2023 by East Coast Sprayers

Living in Palm Beach County comes with its perks, but it also comes with the insects and pests that make their home in your landscape. Aphids and scales are two of the common found insects that invade and cause destruction in South Florida plants. East Coast Sprayers know how important curb appeal is to our customers, and we are here to help keep aphids and scales away with pest control treatments and programs designed for you.

Aphids in Palm Beach County

Aphids can primarily be found in your flowering plants, feeding on the juices from the stems, leaves and flower buds. Their feeding causes your flower petals to curl and hinders the overall growth of the plant. These pests reproduce quickly and aphid larvae feed on the roots of the plant.

Luckily, aphids can be easy to eradicate as their bodies don’t offer much protection. In addition to treating the live insects with a pesticide, the professionals at East Coast Sprayers can apply a treatment during their dormant season to kill any wintering eggs.

Scales in Palm Beach County

While scales have a different appearance than aphids, they have almost identical destructive behaviors. They suck the juices from your plants, leaving them discolored and damaged. In addition, they secrete honeydew, which quickly forms into a sooty mold which can reduce photosynthesis. This mold can remain on your foliage long after killing them off and cause extreme damage or death of the plant. Preventative treatments can help reduce the odds of scales ever harming your plants, while our specialists can help eradicate their presence if you currently have an infestation.

Aphids and Scales Treatment in Palm Beach County

If you’re experiencing issues with your landscape similar to what we’ve described above, it may be time to call East Coast Sprayers. We are professionals who understand the ins and outs of your landscape, as well as how to control pests and insects that invade it. Contact us today for a free evaluation of your aphid and scale epidemic and let us create a custom treatment just for you.