Rainy season is here in Florida, and we can all but set our watches by the daily afternoon thundershowers.  Along with the excessive amounts of rain during the early summer months, Florida is also known for our wide array of insect species, and they tend to show up most around the beginning of summer.  So, what exactly happens to these insects when the rain falls?

Truthfully, different insects respond differently to rainy weather; however, there are some common traits in their wet-weather behavior that we can use to group them.

The majority of bugs tend to fall under this category and do not prefer rainy weather.  In part, this is because rain can sometimes mean cooler temperatures, and since insects depend on their outside environment to maintain their body heat, cool weather means they move slower, and therefore become more vulnerable to predators and other threats. Additionally, falling rain can collect on insects of the winged variety, and can weigh them down, cause their wings to stick, etc.  That means they could end up being pulled from the air, and consequently drowning or being taken by a predator.  Butterflies, bees, moths, and even certain types of ants and beetles will take cover and ride out the storm when rain comes their way.

Certain types of insects are so small, that falling rain neither bothers nor affects them. Mosquitoes are a great examples of this category.  They are so small, and move so quickly, that rain isn't able to hit them.  If  by chance they do get nailed by a drop of rain, they let it encompass them, and then fall with it, escaping before they hit the ground by using specialized water-resistant hairs on their bodies.  A benefit of being able to dodge the rain is less competition for food and resources.  Mosquitoes can enjoy a full buffet of human or animal hosts without other insects honing in thanks to rainfall.

A select few insect species actually wait for rainfall to complete reproduction.  Rainfall is the "trigger" that lets them know it's time to mate, and they then complete the cycle to ensure the next generation of  their insect family.

Next time you see it clouding up outside, you'll notice that the insects probably took a hike and went undercover.  If you notice that your house became the place of  refuge from the rain when you get back inside, give us a call! 

PEYTON'S PEST PREVENTION

772-321-4023 (Call or Text)

So if you think that you may have this type of problem or any other pest issue please contact Peyton's Pest Prevention.

When the weather turns colder and the holiday season approaches, many opt to stay indoors and bake treats for friends and family. When digging through your cabinets and storage for baking necessities, like cookie cutters and containers of flour, make sure you are leaving unwanted “pantry pests” out of the mix. Peyton's Pest Prevention offers consumers tips for keeping these pesky pests from spoiling your holiday baking traditions.

“Pantry pests” are insects that tend to gather around food often stored in pantries and cabinets such as flour, dry cereals, spices, candies and chocolate. Common pantry pests include Indian Meal Moths and Merchant Grain Beetles. 

Many families enjoy baking during the holiday season, and spotting a pest in your ingredients or supplies is a surefire way to ruin the fun. By following a few helpful tips, homeowners can feel comfortable in their kitchens and safe when enjoying their fresh baked treats.

Peyton's Pest Prevention suggests the following steps to avoid pantry pests:

If you suspect a pest infestation, contact Peyton's Pest Prevention to inspect, identify and treat the problem.

The movement of rats and mice is usually related to food, water, or harborage. Knowing where they are likely to go is important to controlling them.

Rats use any method to get to food, water or harborage. Their excellent sense of balance enables them to run on pipes, narrow ledges, and utility wires. Rats, especially roof rats, will climb anything their claws will hold on to, including wires, pipes, and rough walls. Because rats are excellent swimmers, they often live in sewers and occasionally enter homes through toilets.

Rats like to use regular paths or runways along walls or behind debris. To get food in the open, they will run behind things to get as close to the food as possible. They are afraid of strange objects or strange food and may avoid both.

Norway and roof rats are both aggressive species. The Norways are usually more aggressive, driving roofs from the territory. Both species are seldom found in the same building.

Rats and mice frequently gnaw on their surroundings. Their teeth grow 4½ to 5½ inches per year and only gnawing keeps them short and sharp.

Rats and mice are active mostly at night. Rats show greatest activity the first half of the night, if food is abundant. Mice usually are active at night both right after dark and between midnight and dawn. Both rats and mice will be active during daytime hours when food is scarce, when there is an overpopulation of rats, or when a poison has been used and the population is sick.

Rats and mice are entering Florida homes and warehouses for food and harborage . These rodents eat any kind of food that people eat. They also contaminate 10 times as much food as they eat, with urine, droppings and hair. They can carry at least 10 different kinds of diseases including bubonic plague, murine typhus, spirochetal jaundice, Leptospirosis, rabies, rat bite fever, and bacterial food poisoning. Many times rats bite sleeping children while trying to get bits of food on the child that were not washed off before going to bed. Rats and mice also start fires by gnawing matches and electrical wires in homes. The Norway rat, roof rat and house mouse are the most persistent rodent populations in need of control.

In Florida, Norway rats are most common along the sea coasts and canals. They thrive particularly in areas where garbage is not properly stored. Although Norway rats generally prefer to eat fresh meat, fish, and grain, they can survive quite well on an ounce per day of garbage or decayed food along with an ounce of water. Frequently they range 100-150 feet from harborages in search of food or water.

Norway rats are burrowers and often dig in rubbish and under buildings or concrete slabs. Burrowing can cause damage by undermining the foundations of buildings, eroding banks of levees, disfiguring landscape plantings, and blocking sewer lines.

They are reddish-brown and heavy-set with a blunt muzzle. The tail is about as long as the combined head and body. Adults weigh 3/4 to 1 pound. Their droppings are 3/4 inches long and capsule-shaped. Norway rats live about 1 year and reach sexual maturity in 3-5 months. They have 8-12 young per litter and up to 7 litters per year.

Roof rats thrive in attics, roof spaces, palm trees, and ornamental shrubbery. They are climbers and prefer to nest off the ground. Roof rats are destructive to citrus groves, since they live in citrus trees and gnaw on the fruit. They can be quite destructive in attics, gnawing on electrical wires and rafters.

Roof rats generally prefer vegetables, fruits and grain; but they consume ½ to 1 ounce per day of food from various sources. Because they must have water to survive, roof rats also consume an ounce per day and will range 100-150 feet from harborages in search of water or food.

Color ranges from black to grizzled gray to tan with a light belly. The tail is longer than the combined head and body. Adults weight from ½ to pound. Their droppings are up to 1/2 inch long and spindle-shaped. Roof rats live about 1 year and reach sexual maturity in 3-5 months. They have 6-8 young per litter and up to 6 litters per year.

House mice normally live outdoors in fields, occasionally migrating into structures. In houses, they live behind walls and in cabinets and furniture.

They prefer to feed on grains but usually nibble at a wide variety of foods. House mice require only 1/10 ounce of food and 1/20 ounce of water daily, surviving on food alone if it has high moisture. Frequently house mice range 10-30 feet from harborages.

House mice are brown to gray in color with the tail as long as the body. Adults weigh about 1/2 ounce. Their droppings are 1/8 inch long and rod-shaped. House mice live about 1 year and reach sexual maturity in 6 weeks. They have 5-6 young per litter and up to 8 litters per year.

Welcome to our new website!

My name is Peyton Jones, and I am the owner/operator for Peyton's Pest Prevention. This post is just to tell you about myself so that you are familiar with who will be protecting your family and your home from those pesky bugs. I am a long time resident of Indian River County. I am a Fighting Indian Alum class of '89.  I have a wonderful and supporting wife of two years, but we have known eachother for what has to be forever, who is also a Fighting Indian Alum. We have two brilliant boys, PJ 17 and Kyle 11.

I have worked in this industry for over 10 years, most of which was done in this county. This  became a passion for me almost immediately. And after years of working for others and learning what the client expects, I have chosen my own path and started this company. I am certified with The Department of Agriculture for the state of Florida, and I am licensed and insured.

I feel that in this industry its not just my job to show up and spray, but also to educate the homeowner so that they have an understanding of what is being done around their home. Sometimes the problem may not need a treatment, but instead it  just needs a "preventative adjustment" by the home owner. So by building a trust and a bond with my clients, together, we can give you a more bug free home.

I look forward to hearing from you!