Question about insect control
 

Hello. We are new to the Villages and wanted to know if the Villages itself has their own insect control measures. In other words, do they take care of treating all the common areas/rec centers/etc? Do residents have their own home insect control companies, or are the comminities so well sprayed (for lack of a better term) that individual houses really don't need it unless they develop a problem? Thanks.

Surprised that you moved here without knowing that before.

The developer kills everything before building…but its florida…the bugs from hell will come back and eat you at night

We use Superior services for bug control…there are other companies here tht do it.

Better get it fast…….you will not survive long without ir

TV (or Sumter county) spray periodically for mosquitoes, they have some form of insect control and invasive species control for water features in coordination South West Florida water district(?).

If you are asking about the area directly around your house, this is your responsibility, I would suggest one of the larger pest control companies, we use Deans.

Get a pest control company. Went without for a bit. Huge mistake

We switched from one of the biggies to Green Smiths and are very pleased.

Do it your self. Both inside and outside.
Consider a professional for termite since they have insurance to cover any damage.

There are very few insects that are actually out to get you.

Mosquitoes are one and, while The Villages does spray occasionally, you should empty any standing water around the house.

Unless you plan to sunbathe naked in the garden slathered in honey, you will probably have very little interaction with insects. You just need to tackle the entry points into the house. For us, that means spraying every month around each external door (front door, sliding door to the lanai and door to the garage) to deter cockroaches and ants from coming in.

Leave the garden untouched - don't waste your money on having alarmist pest control companies spraying poisons into the air you breathe.

You can do your own
 

Everything said so far is right on.

I do my own by spraying around the perimeter of the house about once a month with a hand pump sprayer, and I spread granuals on the grass with the fertilizer spreader now and then.

I buy my supplies online at Do My Own - Do It Yourself Pest Control, Lawn Care, Gardening, Equipment & Animal Care Products & Supplies. Great source of products and information. You can talk to their experts and get factual information and advice.

I have used spray products containing Cypermethrin here, in Arizona and our place in Nicaragua for years with great results (lots of nasty bugs in all three). The landscaper for the public land in our village also uses a product containing Bifenthrin. Both of these products can be bought in liquid concentrate and granuals from domyown.com. The liquid appears expensive, but you only use about an ounce for a 1ga spayer which goes a long way. Maybe up to three treatments.

Most people use a service, we see fewer insects here than up north.

Beware of fireants, they like grassy areas and quickly swarm in mass if you step on their mounds. Their stings are painful.

Fire ant bites: Treatment, symptoms, what they look like

TV seems to do a great job keeping the six-legged critters to a minimum in the common areas. Mosquitoes, biting flies, etc. seem pretty much nonexistent. I do a fair amount of stargazing and bought a can of Off especially for that. Haven't needed it even once. I do a lot of walking and see an ant from time to time but no anthills. I'm assuming that TV takes care of those too.

As far as my home and yard go, we use Florida Pest Control: pricey but good. Other than our first month here I've seen maybe three cockroaches: all three were dead, two on my garage floor and one in the driveway. They take care of things like wasp nests too: $100 if you don't have service from them $0 if you do. More than happy with them.

I had Massey for pest control for 5 years and never saw any insects in my house. I started to do my own treatment 2 years ago and still have not seen any insects, except some tiny ants on my countertop. A few drops of Terro got rid of them in a few days. When I get a wasp nest under my eaves, I zap it with one of those long range spray cans, and that takes care of it.

My 1st house I saw maybe 1-2 palmetto bugs over a 21 month period (no treatment). My 2nd house was a courtyard villa and had many palmetto bugs in the garage and several got in the house after I moved in. I treated the garage with an insect spray and my home also which seemed to help. One night one crawled up the wall next to my bed. That was it! I read about how to control them and the article suggested "boric acid" which is a white powder specifically for that. I went to Walmart and the worker there told me it is the #1 seller in that aisle! I believed it. I sprinkled it behind all my furniture and in closets and garage, problem solved. After my 6 month trip north I would come back to maybe 1 dead bug, maybe not. My third home which is a bigger court yard villa I have seen only 1 since 2018. I treat myself successfully. You can do it!

Along with the answers to your question you will also hire to have your home power-washed at least once a year (some have it done twice). Any maintenance for your home is your responsibility unless it's brand-new it's under ONE year warranty for anything that needs fixing. It's not too much different than where you lived up north. When we moved here our real estate person had left and we'd closed online a few months prior. We asked our neighbors about most things we didn't know already. I'd suggest reading the paper-work you signed upon closing! Hope this helps!!

I forgot to say that when you hire pest control people they will put you on a schedule for once a year checking and maintenance. IF you have any issues with bugs etc. in between, you give them a call and they come out and take care of it.

Have Deans at 2 houses for lawn, pest, termite. New house Massey was the original company. Will be switching to deans.

Whether you do it yourself, or hire a service, it needs to be done. We use Superior Services, and have been happy with them. It is a very rare occasion that we see an insect inside the house.

The yard is another matter. Certain areas in the Villages are known to have issues with chinch bugs and/or sod webworms. If you don't get on them quickly, and effectively, your lawn can be trashed in no time.