Paying for pest control
 

What are some of the more common bugs/pests in The Villages?

Is pest control something that is easy for a homeowner to take care of rather than paying someone to do it for you?

Lotsa big ugly "palm bugs" AKA Florida cockroaches, noseeums and other annoyances.. I was tired of paying those guys every time one of those huge suckers scared the hell out of my wife so on someone else's advice on this forum I bought a bottle of Talstar P and a sprayer and followed the online instructions and haven't seen ANY bugs in 2 years. 30 minutes of spraying around the outside every 3-4 months. Been using the same quart for 2 years and have probably another 2 years left in the bottle.

Talstar P (Pro) Insecticide | Fast, Free Shipping - DoMyOwn.com

That's what I use.

Or if you don't mind the cost(not that much)then you just call someone when there's an issue with bugs and they come over and take care of it.

I diy. Talstar is Bifenthrin, nothing special.

I use Tarus sc which also has the advantage of killing termites and is extremely effective with ants.

I diy because the only time that I hired someone I had ants after treatment. Doing pest control myself has been pest free. I have a vested interest in doing the job correctly.

Been using Massey for the four months we have been here and very happy with their service

Do you spray it inside garage, lanai, or house or only outside perimeter? How many times a year apply - and do you reapply after a heavy extended rain?

We use Florida Pest. They come regularly and spray outside along the eaves and the ground around the house. They spray inside the garage. They will come inside and treat if we request and/or have an issue. They apparently do a very good job as we don't have any issues with bugs inside. Occasionally we'll find a dead one near the front door inside...usually after a cold snap when they want to get where it's warm...so the treatment works. I'm told they don't like to cross the barrier, and if they do, they're history.

garage
 

I have them spray in the garage. I'm surprised how much can get there. I also use Catch Master strips in the garage.

Used a service, not better that what I do
 

I use Spectrazide sold at Lowe’s gallon bottle with pump do the perimeter of the house once per quarter, no bugs come inside, have screens in the garage and a electronic pest unit (came with the house)

Pest Control
 

I use Village Pest Service. They come every three months and spray outside along the eaves and the ground around the house. They spray inside the garage and the lanai. They come inside and treat around the baseboards in all rooms, baths and closets. I have used Village Pest Service since 2008. They do a great job as I don't have any issues with bugs inside. I also use Village Pest Service for termite inspections and irrigation maintenance.

Try to avoid those "Catch Master Strips". They catch harmless critters and it is a horrible way to die.

Every three months. When your house was built it was treated for termites with a product that is good for ten years. That product is Taurus sc. For some reason that application is good for ten years but the home exterior application for pests is a three month application.

I don't reapply after a heavy rain. Because of the lifespan Taurus sc is not rated for indoor use. Taurus sc is the generic name.

I use Massey $60 a quarter, he sweeps the eves and puts down several bug killing chemicals OUTSIDE the house. It was explained to me by the super who walked me thru my new home that you don't want chemicals sprayed inside your home. Seems to work for me.

I diy with Ortho house defense once a year on the outside ground level and eaves; also inside on the floor on all exterior walls and in the garage. When you do inside you should leave the house for 3 to 4 hrs until the spray dries. Safe for pets after it is dry.

Toymeister, I'm confused? If our homes were treated with Taurus SC, and it was supposed to last 10yrs, then why do you have to apply the same thing quarterly??? I'm asking, because I'm about to trench around my house, and apply this(based upon research I did last year). What am I missing? Thanks.

Check with the Sumter County Master Gardeners (University of Florida IFAS) - see talks and zoom clinic in Wednesday’s garden section of Daily Sun. Have many beneficial bugs and many pesticides kill pollinating butterflies and bees!

We were using a pest control service for a few years after we moved it. It worked fine. But I realized I could buy a bag of triazicide for $20 to sprinkle around the perimeter of my house and a spray insecticide to use inside of $20. Takes no time at all to do this every 3-4 months and the savings is nice. The bag and spray will give you a couple of years or more of applications. Was paying $80 for a quartet treatment which comes to $360 annually or $760 over two years. Doing it myself costs me $80 over two years. The savings are appreciable.

Ditto for us only we use Superior. Great service.

We use Lee Pest Control. They respect my interest in avoiding chemicals that can kill birds, dogs, and other "non-pests" that wander around our lawn. The chemicals they use are also safe for herb gardens, and that's important to me since I use a lot of those herbs I grow in my cooking. They also allow me to work cooperatively with them. If there are specific spots I feel need extra care, I can call them any time and they'll take care of it next time they're in the area even if it's not my scheduled day. They also apply "critter-friendly" weedkiller to spots that are prone to overgrowth. For $50 every other month I'm fine with it.

I can assure you of one thing. If you get "German cockroaches" into your home you will pay to get them out. They are tiny, short, very fast cockroaches and they are almost impossible to get rid of by yourself. I never bring boxes either empty or full inside. They nest in the cardboard and are a pain to get rid of. It took several treatments by Dean's and the roaches are so bad they have a treatment specialist for them. The home was only a year or so old and they got into our kitchen counter and nested. :ohdear:

This is how I see it. The Taurus sc is in the soil for termites while I am applying above ground for above ground pests.

More speculation:. Taurus sc is more expensive than most pesticides, so a commercial firm opts for cheaper alternatives.

I used to have several roaches a week inside the house despite extra trips by Massey to try to eliminate them. Last year I covered up the shower drains and have not had any inside since, although I do still see dead ones occasionally in the garage.

I bought my vinyl sided courtyard villa back in 2005. It came with a sticker on the breaker box that said Massey services applied the termite treatment to the under foundation and structure. While I was out riding around, I saw a Massey truck with a crew in one of the new neighborhoods being built. So, I decided to be nosey and stopped near the Massey truck. I watched as one of the Massey workers was spraying a green liquid on the particle board that the house that was being built. When he was done and came walking up to the truck, I greeted him and asked what he was spraying on the side of the house. He said it was termite control. I asked him how long it would last, and he said that once it was covered it would last for about 40 years. I asked if it was the same thing that was used under the foundation and he said yes and that it was good under there for 40 years too.
I said "40 years? It has to be really strong stuff! What is it?" His reply: BORAX and WATER! I said "20 Mule Team Borax? No way!" He confirmed it again... he said you mix it with water and it becomes part Orthoboric Acid, and humidity will keep the remainder active gradually over the years. I asked him why there was an inspection every year for termites. He said the roof eaves are not treated and any ground termites will build a mud tunnel up the wall to reach them. That is all they are looking for. Mud tunnels.
He said that alterations to the foundation, untreated additions, changes in landscaping that alter the foundation barrier or plant roots growing under the foundation are what causes the problems. Some of those alterations can actually void the contract.
So, there is one big secret out of the way!
I do my own pest control. I never spray inside the house. Never had cockroaches or bed bugs. Cardboard and suit cases stay in the garage. No Pest Strips take care of everything out there (including Bed Bugs on suitcases!) I use glue strips inside the house only as a monitor to see what does get in. Not much!!! I make it a point to spray the foundation, soffits and eaves when I spray once a year (cost: $20.00 / time: 1hour). I always spray the insect control AFTER doing a power wash with bleach. Why? The bleach may neutralize the insect control product. What do I use? Ortho Home Defense concentrate (Bifenthrin). Why? I can dilute it and use it on the plants too!

It's simple to do your own if you don't mind small effort. I use the termite/carpenter ant killer from home depot and spray the perimeter each spring. Costs about $10 (1/2 of the concentrate, which usually gets 2 applications out of a bottle). I especially spray door entrances, window sills too. It's no big deal. I sure wouldn't pay Massey $60 a quarter. I get maybe one or two live bugs a year indoors after 10 years. Just use Raid. This is a very simple thing to do.

Thank you
 

Thank you! You just saved me hundreds of dollars!

I use the granular Telstar on the grass and gardens. I use boric acid inside the lanai and inside the house every 3 or 4 months. Works great. Much much cheaper than hiring a service.
$40 bucks for Telstar gets me 4 applications
5lbs of boric acid from amazon will last many many years. It cost about $10

Tarus sc Application needs to be trenched Around the foundation to be effective
It may help with termites but
A topical treatment is not recommended

One reason to consider a professional service is that some come with a warranty for termite damage.

My policy with Dean's covers three types of termites. At the time I checked with Masseys it only covered two types.

That is simply not true.

Here are the instructions from the manufacturer: APPLICATIONS TO OUTSIDE SURFACES OF LISTED STRUCTURES AND INTO WALL VOIDS Apply 0.06% of finished Taurus SC dilution as a low-pressure spray to the exterior of the structure where listed pests enter, trail around the structure or where they crawl and hide. Treat using a low-pressure coarse banded surface spray up to 18 inches in width around doors, windows, vents, pipes, foundation cracks, drilled holes or around any exterior openings where listed pests could enter the structure. Make sure to treat the joint where exterior siding (wood, vinyl, aluminum or other similar materials) meets the cement, brick or block foundation. Treat anywhere electrical, cable or telephone wires enter the house. This treatment should be made as a general surface spray, crack and crevice spray, or a wall void application. Taurus SC may be applied as a foam treatment into wall voids to kill and / or control the above listed pests.

I hope this dispells the errors on Taurus sc.

You can find negative information on all pest control companies so I went with the cheapest and have had them for over 10 years with only a few complaints and lots of compliments. We went with superior services.

I use bugs be gone. It works. Has motorize sprayer. For ants I use boric acid. Save $

I've lived here 20 years and always do my own spraying using Ortho Home Defense. One poster wrote that Massey costs them 60.00 a quarter. At that price over the years I've saved $4,800 doing my own which is only walking around the house once a quarter and spraying the foundation, very easy to do. That's a lot of money to waste on something so easy to do yourself in 10 minutes every 4 months. Lots of more fun things to use the money on, like plane tickets home to visit friends and family, eating out more, 3 day weekend trips around Florida, buying more shoes or fun clothes, gifts for kids or grandkids. Why pay someone for something so easy to do yourself. My house is and has been bug free all these years, maybe one palmetto bug makes it inside a year and is found dead. Do it yourself and save your money.

Although the savings is nice there are other factors for one to consider. Applying pesticides or hazardous chemicals could potentially be dangerous to one's health from ingesting or inhaling the vapors.

Thank you for educating me. I will start spraying my property soon
I was looking for a company to do this now I can do it myself
Thank you

WoW
 

"palm bugs" noseeums and other annoyances..

A million thanks for sharing this site. I immediately bought the small jug of the juice, and expect my unwelcome grass residents to "drink the KoolAid".:bigbow: