Fire ants don’t bite; they will sting; similar to a wasp. They hold on with their mouth parts and inject venom into skin through a stinger on their abdomen. It is possible to be stung hundreds of times if you unknowingly disturb a mound.

When stung by Red Imported Fire Ants a strong stinging and burning sensation will immediately erupt near the spot you were stung. After the Fire Ants stings, the area will swell to a red bump and become itchy. Some people may have an allergic reaction to the stings and might require medical attention. The venom is called solenopsin composed of alkaloids.

These insects are also known as the “red imported fire ants”. This is considered to be a more appropriate name because they were introduced originally in Alabama by a South American cargo ship in the 1930s. A few other names known worldwide for the Fire Ant is ginger ants and tropical fire ants. There are over 280 known stinging species of ants. Fire Ants are classified in this group.

Red Imported Fire Ant mounds are not hard to come by in Cape Coral, Fort Myers and the surrounding Southwest Florida areas. Mounds may be found almost anywhere in Southwest Florida: grass, sidewalk cracks, under objects like rocks, on beaches or near water. Fire ant colonies have been found inside cars or trucks. Fire ants are known to be attracted to electrical currents. The best description of a mound is that it looks like a sand pile. Beware if you see a mound with no movement, they sometimes tend to be buried under the sand. Once you cause activity in their mound they will swarm out by the hundreds. Fire ants are vigorous and aggressive creatures here in Southwest Florida. They will instantaneously swarm over anyone or anything that disturbs their mound such as: animals, birds, livestock, pets, or people.  They have been found to cause considerable damage to air conditioners, telephone junction boxes, transformers, traffic lights, and even gasoline pumps.

Fire Ants can be controlled by a two different methods.  Lenny’s Pest Control is an expert in preventing, controlling and exterminating fire ants from your personal living space and surrounding areas. We have specific treatments that we apply to problem areas that work every time! If you have a fire ant or other pest control problem please call us at 239-945-6543 or click here to visit our site.

We want to take this time to say THANK YOU for reading our blogs, liking us on Facebook, following us on twitter and connecting with us on LinkedIn. Please subscribe to our newsletter if you haven’t already done so. We also appreciate our many loyal clients for all their years of patronage!

Lenny’s Pest Control

Subterranean Termites require some moisture to survive, so their nests usually contact the soil. If there’s enough moisture in a wall or other wood structure, though, termites may nest right in the wood.

Subterranean termites live in the ground, unlike other termites which living inside the wood they eat. The ground provides the moisture needed by the subterranean termites. When they find a food source above ground they build a safe pathway or “mud tube” to create a connection from their home to the food.

Subterranean termites are among the most destructive to wood, which they consume for food. In nature, termites are beneficial to ecosystems as they break down dead trees, but they are damaging to wood structures such as houses and barns. Three main types of adult termites live within a colony: reproducer (also known as alates or swarmers), soldiers and workers. Subterranean termites get their name from the underground, interconnected tunnels they create. 

Subterranean Termites Swarmers- Soft-bodied insects with straight antennas, broad  waists approximately ¼ inch in length and two pair of wings of equal length. In Florida, the major swarm normally occurs in early spring, between February through May. Swarming can occur mid morning through late afternoon, most often right after a rain shower and warm sunny conditions are present. The environmental conditions (Humidity) will allow the Swarmers to take flight, mate and find their way back to a soil and/or moisture environment to start colonization. Swarming Termites are normally attracted to light and after flight will shed their wing. Swarmer bodies with and without wings are found near windows, bathrooms, vents, light fixtures and doors Subterranean Termites. Swarmers can only survive in the open environment less than 24 hours depending on the humidity levels. Swarmers do not eat wood/cellulose material and their sole purpose is to successfully mate and colonize at a suitable protective environment.  

Exit holes- Swarming termites will normally swarm from an exist hole that was created by the Subterranean Termite (worker), the only cast member that eats and damages the wood. The exit holes

Termites are highly social insects with one of the most sophisticated family structures in the animal kingdom. There are approximately 2,700 species of termites found worldwide. 

Mud Tunnels / Tubes – Foraging Subterranean Termite workers construct mud tunnels, size of a drinking straw that are environmentally controlled and as a protective highway from one location to the next. 

All Termites

• Are social insects (have overlapping generations, reproductive division of labor, and brood care)
• Have different family members with different colony roles
• Consume wood along with other plant material containing cellulose (main component in plant cell walls)
• Prefer to live in the dark
• Need food, water, and shelter in order to survive

In natural areas, termites are essential organisms in the environment. Termites decompose cellulose, the main component of plant cell walls and recycle nutrients back into the soil for use by other living organisms. Termites are also an important food source for many amphibians, reptiles and birds. Unfortunately, termites receive a bad reputation because they are unable to distinguish between the dead wood in the forest and the dead wood used in our homes.

We want to take this time to say THANK  YOU for reading our blogs, liking us on Facebook, following us on twitter and connecting with us on LinkedIn. Please subscribe to our newsletter if you haven’t already done so. We also appreciate our many loyal clients for all their years of patronage and we hope you have a wonderful 2012!

Lenny’s Pest Control has a team of experts that specialize in Southwest Florida Pest Control inside and outside of your home. We are experienced in tackling Termites and any other insects in your living space. Don’t try to fix it yourself, let the experts handle all of your pest control problems! We proudly service the Lee, Charlotte and Collier Counties.  Call us at 239-945-6543 or visit our website at http://www.lennyspestcontrol.com/to get a quote today!

It’s winter in Southwest Florida and everyone knows it. Does this mean the pests are at rest? Of course not. You’ve worked hard to create a Home Sweet Home retreat away from the world and perfect for all your specific needs. Our home is usually our biggest financial investment and we spend a large amount of time there. So shouldn’t your home be protected from unwanted bugs and creatures looking to protect themselves from nippy cold winter days? Here’s where we can help! Lenny’s Pest Control is here to keep your home safe and bug free all winter long!

Because the current rash of cold weather the termites are hard at work. Probably eating at the walls that are keeping you warm now. I bet you didn’t know that termites and their swarm are commonly mistaken as “flying ants”. Turning on your heat on a cold day can cause these termites to immediately start flying out of your walls. We have a blog post coming soon with all the details on Subterranean Termites in Southwest Florida so stay tuned and subscribe to our blog if you haven’t already! Fire ants, Argentine ants and other ant species, as well as American cockroaches, try to move indoors during this time as well, seeking warmth from the colder temperatures.

We want to take this time to say THANK  YOU for reading our blogs, liking us on Facebook, following us on twitter and connecting with us on LinkedIn. Please subscribe to our newsletter if you haven’t already done so. We also appreciate our many loyal clients for all their years of patronage and we hope you have a wonderful 2012!

Lenny’s Pest Control has a team of experts that specialize in Southwest Florida Pest Control inside and outside of your home. We are experienced in tackling Termites and any other insects in your living space. Don’t try to fix it yourself, let the experts handle all of your pest control problems! We proudly service the Lee, Charlotte and Collier Counties.  Call us at 239-945-6543 or visit our website at http://www.lennyspestcontrol.com/to get a quote today!

So you think Joe should just save up for this time of year and suck it up right? Well that’s kinda what I was thinking but he said the worst of his problems wasn’t really the gifts or the spending… he did, after all, fight the nightmare shopping on black Friday and got most of it out of the way. So I ask, what’s all the Bah Humbug! and sour face about Joe? His response was actually one I hear a lot this time of year, so I should have guessed what was really bothering him.

Well, it’s the in-laws coming in from out of town and staying for a whole two weeks! Yikes and this year aunt Pat and uncle Gene are coming down with them and you know how grumpy she is. Double Yikes! Lenny you know I love family, but the next two weeks of my life will be the most challenging… can I just come over and camp out in your living room?

At this point, I’m wondering… they can’t be that bad, can they? So I ask – What’s the worst that can happen? He sighs, well last year the family left and went to a hotel because Spot, the dog, had fleas and my mother-in-law is allergic. Needless to say, that didn’t go over to well and I heard about it for the next six months! The year before that she swore we had bed bugs and she complained the entire two weeks! Honestly, I’m just afraid of what she’s going to find this year.  You know with all the rain and what not, I’ve seen an American Cockroach or two and the last thing I need is to hear her and aunt Pat scaring the living daylights out of Pops and uncle Gene with all the yelling and screaming over a tiny bug. I sprayed that bug spray from the hardware store but I don’t know if I got them all.

And you know how they get to baking and what not this time of year. Well, Suzy found some tiny black bugs in the flour the other day so we had to throw it out and clean out the pantry. I can just imagine the fit they’re going to throw if there’s more where that one came from! What do you call those? Pantry Pests!? Lenny! What am I gonna do? Hide me please!

Joe, really? Is that all your stressing about? Aren’t you the luckiest guy in Cape Coral to have a neighbor that just happens to be a pest control expert? I’ll come over tomorrow and give you a complete interior and exterior pest control home protection! We’ll make sure you don’t have any roaches, pantry pests, ticks, fleas, grubs, mice or termites! Don’t worry my friend, I got you covered! We’ll make sure your home is guest ready and bug free… can’t help you with the other pest problems though – I have my own in-laws to deal with you know! Call us at 239-945-6543 to get your home guest ready and pest free today!

We want to take this time to say THANK  YOU for reading our blogs, liking us on Facebook, following us on twitter and connecting with us on LinkedIn. Please subscribe to our newsletter if you haven’t already done so. We also appreciate our many loyal clients for all their years of patronage and we wish you and everyone a Very Happy Holiday season!

Happy Holiday’s from Lenny’s Pest Control. We wish you a joyous and bug free, love filled Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

Good night, sleep tight,
Don’t let the bedbugs bite.
And if they do
Then take your shoe
And knock ‘em ‘til
They’re black and blue!

Well we certainly know what bed bugs are, but do you? If you’re not familiar and don’t have all the details, you’re definitely in the right place today! Every now and then we’ll get a call about a bed bug infestation and it’s never pretty! I believe that if more people had the knowledge and information about bed bugs, how they pick ‘em up, what the signs are and how to treat them… maybe they wouldn’t wait so long to call. Bed bugs are like any other pest you can come across – the longer you have them, the more time they have to reproduce and that only increases the treatments level of difficulty.

Bed bugs bite and suck blood from humans. Bed bugs are most active at night and bite any exposed areas of skin while an individual is sleeping. The face, neck, hands, and arms are common sites for bed bug bites. The bite itself is painless and is not noticed. Small, flat, or raised bumps on the skin are the most common sign; redness, swelling, and itching commonly occur. If scratched, the bite areas can become infected. A peculiarity of bed bug bites is the tendency to find several bites lined up in a row. Infectious-disease specialists refer to this as the “breakfast, lunch, and dinner” sign, signifying the sequential feeding that occurs from site to site.

Basically if you or your family: babies, children, elderly have bites or what looks like a rash on your skin – you need to check for bed bugs! Infestations of Bed Bugs are up 5000 percent as are the number of reported attacks! The nightmare begins when a Bed Bug finds its way into your clothing; it usually happens at a hotel but can start anywhere.

Hospitals, businesses, homes, buses, apartments and hotels are just a few places where bed bugs are being reported. It is said that bed bugs don’t transmit disease from feeding on your blood; however, an engorged bedbug can burst at the slightest bit of pressure exposing you to human blood. If that blood is infected, then you run a risk of infection as well.

Finding bed bugs in your home has nothing to do with poor hygiene! It takes only one bed bug to hitch a ride on your clothing (furniture, suitcase, etc) and infest your residence. What’s worse is that they can live up to one year without drinking a drop of your blood. Feeding takes about 10 to 15 minutes for adults and less for the nymphs; they feed about every three days. Depending on the conditions, bed bug nymphs can survive for months without feeding.

The eggs are white and about 1mm long. The nymphs look like adults but are smaller. Complete development from egg to adult takes from four weeks to several months depending on the temperature and amount of feed available. Bedbugs have been known by a variety of names including wall louse, mahogany flat, crimson rambler, heavy dragoon, chinche, and redcoat.

Bed Bugs Quick Facts:

• Bed Bugs are flat, brown, wingless and about 1/4 of an inch
• They have 6 legs, shiny reddish-brown but after a good serving of your blood, they appear dark brown and swollen as in the picture below.
• They can be seen with the human eye, but do a great job at hiding
• Bed bugs are not known to carry diseases as of yet
• They feed on human blood preferring to do it in the dark when you’re sleeping
• Simply using chemical treatments will not remove the infestation
• These bugs love to hide in the seams of your mattress including:
• Sofa seams
• Cracks in the bad frame and or head-board
• Under chairs, couched, beds and dust covers
• Under rugs, edges of carpets, drawers, baseboards and window casings
• Behind light switches, electrical outlet plates, cracks in plaster
• Televisions, radio clocks and phones
• Backpacks, Sleeping bags, Cloths
• Behind wallpaper, picture frames and other dark areas

If you suspect you have an infestation, you should contact us or a licensed exterminator. You can try to do it yourself , but your odds are a lot better letting a licensed professional handle it. We’ve been exterminating bed bugs for years and we know exactly what works and what doesn’t. We tested, tried and researched it all and our methods are the safest, quickest and best way to get your home bed bug free at a price you can actually afford!

A few ways to prevent bed bugs from getting into your home include:

• Hang clothing in the closet farthest from the bed
• Place luggage on the folding rack found in most hotels
• Place luggage in the dry cleaning bag found in the hotel.
• Most important, don’t bring home a mattress that has been used by unknown sources.

We want to take this time to say THANK YOU for reading our blogs, liking us on Facebook, following us on twitter and connecting with us on LinkedIn. Please subscribe to our newsletter if you haven’t already done so. We also appreciate our many loyal clients for all their years of patronage and we wish you and everyone a Very Happy Holiday season!

How about reaching for the flour for that amazing banana nut bread recipe that grandma left you on her last visit… you got the eggs out, bananas mushed – all the ingredients ready to go and as soon as you open up the flour bag you see tons of black tiny bugs having a wild party in your flour bag! Woah! Where did these critters come from and why are they everywhere? Yup, go check – if you have one you probably have a whole lot more because apperently they like to reproduce more than rabbits do and they’re quicker about it too! Check the pasta, cereal, crackers, spices, etc… anything you have in there sitting too long should be checked and immediately thrown out. Don’t try to salvage any of it and don’t just leave it in the kitchen garbage – get those suckers outside of your house immediately and then call me! 239-945-6543

What you have is a common case of Pantry Pests and they are about as “pesty” as bugs can  possibly get… unless you have termites but that’s a totally different blog post! Collectively as a group they’re called pantry pests but they really do have individual names and they look different too. We get calls from homeowners all the time, mostly women, after they called the take out guy they usually call us and we come right over to clean it up and get things back in order! Fortunately for you we have years of experience and we know just what to do to make your home a bug free one and we do it all with a smile!

So we did some digging on the internet to get you the scoop on these lovely critters and here’s what we found… please keep in mind that the best prevention to any pests is to have your home or office sprayed on a regular basis. (at least once a year)

PANTRY PESTS QUICK FACTS

Discovering “bugs” in your breakfast cereal may be disgusting, but it isn’t unusual, because many insects like to eat what we do. Stored foods commonly infested include flour, cereals, cracked grains, baking mixes and processed foods, crackers, macaroni, cured meats, powdered milk, dried fruits, nuts, popcorn and spices. Insects that feed on these products may also infest other grain-based items such as pet foods, birdseed and ornamental corn. Dried flower arrangements may also be attacked.

Insect pests most often encountered in stored food products are:

• Indian meal moths
• dermestid beetles
• sawtoothed grain beetles
• cigarette and drugstore beetles
• flour beetles
• granary, rice and maize weevils
• bean weevils
• spider beetles

Several stages (egg, larva, pupa and adult) of these insects may be present at the same time in infested products. Because we keep our houses warm, these insects may continually reproduce and many stored product infestations can be found nearly any time of the year.

The first indication of an infestation is often presence of small brown beetles, moths or worms in cupboards or on counters. Upon closer inspection, insects may also be found in opened packages or containers of food and in the cracks and crevices of cupboards. Unopened packages may also become infested because some of these insects can readily chew into cardboard and foil packaging. Insects can be brought into the home along with infested food products. They can multiply and spread to other stored foods.

Once an infestation is suspected, identify the pest and try to locate the source. Occasionally, the source of an infestation can be very hard to find. It may be in an unopened package from the store. Consider the possibility food may have been spilled next to or behind hard-to-move appliances. Mice will sometimes collect seeds or dry pet food and hoard them in walls, under cupboards or dishwashers where the infestations are nearly impossible to find.

Pantry Pest Prevention: (after calling us of course!)

The following tips may be useful:

**Purchase food in package sizes that can be used up in a short time. Do not store food products more than two to four months, if possible. Use older packages before newer ones and opened packages before unopened ones.

**When purchasing packaged foods, be certain containers are not damaged and seals are intact.

**Store dried foods in insect-proof containers such as screw-top glass, heavy plastic or metal containers. This will prevent entry or escape of insects. Cardboard, paper or plastic wrapping will not prevent insect infestations.

**Keep food storage areas clean and do not allow crumbs or food particles to accumulate, as exposed food will attract insects. Cleanliness is especially important in areas where pet foods and birdseed are stored.

We want to take this time to say THANK YOU for reading our blogs, liking us on facebook, following us on twitter and connecting with us on linkedin. Please subscribe to our newsletter if you haven’t already done so. We also appreciate our many loyal clients for all their years of patronage and we wish you and everyone a Very Happy Thanksgiving Holiday season!

We proudly service the Lee, Charlotte and Collier Counties.  Call us at 239-945-6543 or visit our website at http://www.lennyspestcontrol.com/ to get a quote today!

So are YOU ready for Thanksgiving this year? Where did the days go? I can’t believe it’s that time of the year again! This Holiday is a favorite in our home! We love the family, fun, friends and the freedom to eat a little more of the good stuff without any of the guilt. I read a post recently on facebook that said “Holiday Calories Don’t Count!” I chuckled a little before I responded “Yeah, wouldn’t that be the perfect Holiday gift?!”

So, are you planning a fabulous family get together with all the relatives over for turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie and all the fixings? Is everyone invited? Even the bugs? Did you do know that Holiday Bugs are the happiest bugs in the world? Do you know why? Guess! Maybe it’s because they get lots of yummy sticky, gooey, ooey, sweet stuff everywhere! This is the time of year when the leftovers can’t fit in the fridge so they get left over on the counter over night! It’s when your lovely nieces and nephews leave sticky handprints all over places you didn’t even know they could reach! And it’s when your neighbor drops by to say hi and her not so cute kids leave cookie crumbs all over the floor, the couch, the counter and who knows where else! Oh them kitchen critters just love this time of year!

We just came out of a pretty wet rainy season and if you haven’t called me to come visit you yet you just might have a nice collection of bugs hidden in those secret hiding places in your kitchen, pantry, laundry, bathroom and anywhere else they find comfy enough. Those pantry bugs just love to get into your flour, pasta, cereal and spices. Those suckers reproduce faster than you can blink and if you have one you better bet you have a good fifty or more! The last thing you need is crazy aunt Rita screaming and carrying on like it’s the end o the world in front of all the family while nearly giving grandma a heart attack all because she found bugs in the flour when she went to make the biscuits!

You have Thanksgiving next week and Christmas shortly after that with New Years on their trail and each event is more food and happier bugs. Now we’re all for happy and have nothing against bugs but we really like making our clients happy and keeping the bugs out of their living space so holiday life can be a little more enjoyable. So right about now is the PERFECT time to call Lenny’s Pest Control so we can come by and spray your place just to make sure all your guests are the ones you really invited this year!

We want to take this time to say THANK YOU for reading our blogs, liking us on facebook, following us on twitter and connecting with us on linkedin. Please subscribe to our newsletter if you haven’t already done so. We also appreciate our many loyal clients for all their years of patronage and we wish you and everyone a Very Happy Thanksgiving Holiday season!