7 Household Pests to Watch Out for This Fall in Tallahassee

If you’re excited about the upcoming holidays, pumpkin patches and fall foods and drinks, keep thinking about that for a moment, because I’m about to put a damper on it unfortunately. This post is a friendly reminder that a new season of weather means a new season of pests. 

Keep reading to learn about the 7 most common household pests you might find in your home this fall season. 

Spiders 

Uh oh, probably not the one you wanted to start with! While they hide quite a bit, everyone sees a spider in their home from time to time. 

And as temperatures gradually cool down, they may slowly flock more from outside to inside, but it’s not because they’re cold, it’s because this is the time of year they mate.

While that doesn’t mean you’ll find ten black widows in your home one day in November, it’s good to get a basic understanding of the most common spiders in Tallahassee and their behavior. 

Spiders in Tallahassee: 

• Black widow spider

• Brown recluse spider

• Common house spider

• Jumping spider

• Southern house spider 

• Yellow sac spider

• American house spider

The spiders on this list that are venomous are the black widow and brown recluse spiders, but neither of those are a danger toward humans, and only bite when threatened. 

How to Prevent Spiders 

• Remove webs from your home.

• Sprinkle diatomaceous earth around windows or in cracks and gaps around your exterior.

• Turn outdoor lights off when not needed.

• Plant or spray natural repellents like eucalyptus, lavender, mint, and citronella.

Centipedes & Millipedes

Centipedes and millipedes are technically not insects because they have more than 6 legs (strict criteria, I know). They fit under the arthropod class. 

What’s the Difference Between Centipedes and Millipedes? 

• A centipede has a flattened body, while a millipede is more rounded. 

• Millipedes have about twice the number of legs that centipedes have.

• Centipedes have venom (can be painful but not harmful) to attack threats or prey, millipedes are scavengers and tend to coil up when threatened.

• Both are typically about 6 inches long.

What About Caterpillars vs. Centipedes?

• Caterpillars are insects, centipedes are arthropods.

• Caterpillars are herbivores, centipedes are carnivores.

• Caterpillars turn into either butterflies or moths as adults, centipedes stay as centipedes.

Earwigs 

Earwigs are a common nocturnal pest in Tallahassee. Be careful while you’re sleeping, they’ll crawl right into your ears and suck on your brain! 

Just kidding, that’s just a superstition. But it’s no wonder that people believed it once considering they look like tiny nightmares. 

Earwigs are found in Florida, other southern states, Hawaii, northern states and areas of southern Canada. While you may be scared of them, they’re simply nuisance pests. 

Usually an infestation doesn’t reach high numbers, so if you’ve seen one or two around your home, there’s no need to worry. 

But you probably don’t want them around at all and we totally get that. 

Ants

Living in Florida, I’m sure you know ants all too well. In Tallahassee, you’ll see all kinds of ants from ghost ants to fire ants, and especially in the fall. 

You might know ants well enough to have too many questions except this one: Why ants in the fall? 

Ants are active in the fall because of a lack of honeydew, which they will search and search for, going at great depths until they find it. This leads more ants to flock into yards and homes to get their precious honeydew. 

Ants look for honeydew because it is a good source of sugar and protein for them. So as long as the insects producing honeydew are around, the ants will be around with them. That’s why having a good ant control plan in place for fall is a good start. You can choose DIY methods like extra cleaning or baits, or you can try professional ant control in Tallahassee.

Silverfish

Like earwigs, silverfish are nocturnal so you might never see one unless you’re looking for it. They’re tiny silver bugs that move kind of like a fish. 

While they won’t bite, they can be a nuisance from the damage they cause. Glue is one of their favorite snacks, so they go after anything that contains it. 

This includes books, wallpaper, magazines, newspapers, and furniture. They also like starchy foods like cereal, rice, and bread. Confusing as it seems, silverfish like the carbohydrates and sugar in those items.  

They’re not too much to worry about, but if you start to see damage in your home, that’s when you might want to act. Cleaning, decluttering, and setting sticky traps are a few ways you can control a silverfish infestation in your home. 

Cockroaches

Cockroaches can cause quite a fuss in the house, whether it’s an infestation or just one. It’s important to be prepared on how to address them, so you have something to think about beyond how gross they are. 

And this depends on the species. Some of the most common cockroaches in Florida are American cockroaches and German cockroaches. 

American cockroaches are what you most likely think of when I mention cockroaches. They’re also known as “Palmetto Bugs” and are about the size of your palm. 

These cockroaches usually don’t come to your home in large infestations because they prefer to live outside. However, they may pop in by accident or in cases of severe weather. 

German cockroaches, however, can be more of a problem. These tiny roaches like to live inside and will often infest your home when there’s a plumbing issue. 

They can be difficult to control, so we recommend that you get in touch with Native Pest Management for professional cockroach control. 

Pantry pests

Pantry pests are a category of tiny insects that like being in your pantry because of the starchy foods, such as grains, cereals, and spices. 

The pests that will be drawn to these foods are mostly moths and beetles. The Indian meal moth and merchant grain beetle are two examples of common pantry pests. 

These pests can transmit viruses such as salmonella and E. coli, so it’s important to not ignore them. Keeping these foods sealed and regularly cleaning up your pantry are some of the best ways to prevent them. 

It’s also important to check expiration dates. Pantry pests are likely to be drawn to the bacteria found on expired pantry items.

Rodents

If it sounds like an uninvited guest has moved into your attic, you might be dealing with a rodent infestation. Rodents like mice and rats are common in Florida, and may start congregating in your home as it cools down a bit. 

In Tallahassee, that usually begins in October. This means it’s a good time to keep an ear out for any squeaking and scurrying. 

It is possible to trap rodents on your own, but rodent control is a multi-step process. You also have to close off rodent entry points. 

The most common rodent entry points are through cracks that are in your foundation or around windows, and through utility lines, pipes, wires, or vents. If you close these off, this may keep rodents from getting back into your home.

We have plenty of content about how to do rodent control, such as how to catch a rat and how to prevent mice, so you might find these resources useful. Besides that, we recommend help from professionals to trap rodents in your home and perform exclusion services. 

Termites 

Termites are some of the most difficult pests to control, considering they can take over your entire home. And unfortunately, they require professional intervention to eliminate. 

The most common termites in Tallahassee are subterranean termites and drywood termites. 

If you have drywood termites, some service options you have are tent fumigation and No-Tent termite control. While No-Tent termite control is the less costly option, tent fumigation is necessary for more severe infestations. 

Subterranean termites live underground, so tent fumigation does not suffice. The services that can eliminate these termites are termite bait stations and trenching. 

We provide complimentary inspections for every customer, where we can provide a free quote. If you have any questions or if you’re ready to schedule your free inspection, call us today! 

Home Pest Control in Tallahassee 

If you’re worried about keeping track of all the possible pests that can land in your home, you don’t have to be. We offer a quarterly home pest control plan that includes ants, millipedes, cockroaches, silverfish, earwigs, spiders, and pantry pests. 

Every quarter, we will come to your home to implement preventative pest control. Through this, we won’t just kill the pests in your home, but we will use strategies that keep them out for good. 

Rodent Control in Tallahassee

An additional service we provide is professional rodent control. Since we’re at the beginning of rodent season, we recommend exclusion services to all homeowners, even if your home is currently rodent free. 

At Native Pest Management, we use steel, copper mesh, steel hardware cloth, concrete, and caulk to seal your home from rodents. 

And if you have rodents in your home, you can combine rodent exclusion with rodent trapping to receive full service rodent control. 

Our technicians are experts at rodent control, so we guarantee our services are effective. However, if you end up being unsatisfied with your service, we encourage you to let us know so we can re-service your home for free. 

Termite Control in Tallahassee

Termites can be costly and frustrating. Without termite control, your home can become severely damaged. 

So if your home in Tallahassee is affected by drywood or subterranean termites, we provide termite control services including tent fumigation, No-Tent termite control, termite bait stations and termite trenching. 

Pest Control Near Me in Tallahassee

The best part of Native Pest Management is that we’re a local, top rated company. Finding pest control can be difficult, and finding the best company can be even more difficult. 

If you live in Tallahassee, the best thing you can do for your home in the fall is to set up a regular pest control plan, make sure rodents are sealed out of your home as it cools down and get your home inspected for termites. 

With over 3,000 five star reviews across Google, Yelp, Angie’s List, and Nextdoor, our customers can vouch that we’re a reliable, experienced company that can give your home the best quality service. 

If you’re ready to set up home pest control, rodent control, or termite control in Tallahassee, give us a call today!