FAQ

Ticks are external parasites in the arachnid class, meaning they're related to spiders, scorpions, and mites. Ticks sustain themselves by feeding on the blood of animals. Unlike mosquitoes, fleas, and many other external parasites, ticks cannot just hop on and off after a quick bite. Ticks must embed themselves for up to several days to obtain a full meal, making them particularly dangerous because it creates opportunities for bacteria to pass to you. 

Ticks in Florida are quite dangerous. Several kinds of ticks endemic throughout the state spread severe and deadly infections; one of the most common and dangerous diseases carried by ticks is Lyme disease. This bacterial infection attacks many systems in the body, including the cardiovascular, nervous, and musculoskeletal systems. If left untreated, this will lead to permanent damage to the heart, brain, nerves, and joints. It can even be deadly. 

There are lots of ways you can wind up with a tick infestation, but one of the most common ways is a wildlife problem. When you have rodents, raccoons, opossums, or other animals commonly infested with ticks sniffing around your property, they can introduce breeding populations of ticks. You and your pets can do the same thing if you spend a lot of time in the wilderness, so it's vital to have extensive tick protection for yourself and your pets and take measures against wildlife infestations.

Ticks have a couple of different strategies for grabbing a meal. They may drop onto you from above when you pass underneath tree branches, and they can climb onto you from tall grass and bushes. You're more likely to find ticks in the wilderness, such as meadows and deep woods, but if you have a population of breeding ticks on your property, you may find them in your shrubs and lawn grass.

It's never easy to get rid of ticks once you have a breeding population of these sneaky blood-feeders. There are very few products on the market meant to deal with tick infestations – and even fewer that actually work. In fact, there's really nothing you can buy at a store that will eliminate your entire tick infestation.

Tick extermination services are the only way to protect yourself once you have an active infestation of ticks on your property. Professional pest control companies have access to more effective tick control products and techniques to ensure the elimination of an infestation in its entirety. That's why you should call Westfall's Lawn and Pest if you notice ticks on your property. Our lawn and pest experts know where ticks love to hide and how to get rid of them. So don't risk exposure to deadly diseases; pick up the phone or go online to get started today.

There may not be a whole lot you can do once you have a tick infestation on your property, but there are several ways you can avoid tick bites and breeding populations of ticks in the first place:

• Wear long clothing and insect repellent when going out into wilderness areas. 
• Check yourself and any family members for ticks when returning from wilderness areas. Remove any ticks you find from your body and dispose of them. 
• Keep dogs and cats on appropriate flea and tick prophylactic medication.
• Take measures to prevent or eliminate wildlife infestations on your property.

The last item on this list applies to everyone. You may not go out into the wilderness or have pets, but everyone can wind up with a wildlife infestation if they're not careful.

Remember, no matter how ticks got introduced to your property, we can take care of the problem here at Westfall's Lawn and Pest. So please don't wait until it's too late to avoid Lyme disease exposure; click or call now to get the ticks off your property and move on with your life. 

Termites are wood-eating insects that thrive in Florida. When you call Florida home, it is never a question of whether termites will find their way to your property but when!

Termites are fascinating insects that have lived on earth for millennia. To help you learn more about these pests, we have compiled a list of interesting termite facts.

• There are approximately 45 species of termites in the U.S. and more than 2,300 species worldwide.
• Termites are social insects that live in colonies with caste systems, which means termites have different social classes based on their roles and responsibilities.
• The termite caste system has three levels — reproductives, workers, and soldiers.
• Worker and soldier termites are blind. Only termites that have become fully mature and reproductive termites develop eyes.
• Since termites live in dark places and many of them are blind, termites communicate through pheromones (chemical signals) and vibrations caused by head-banging.
• Termites build the largest nests of any insect.
• Termites cannot "eat" wood without help from single-cell organisms in their guts that aid them in digesting cellulose (wood).
• Ants are the termite's main predators. Ants can attack termite colonies or termite workers looking for food.
• In the U.S., subterranean termites cause more damage than drywood and dampwood termites. Formosan termites, a subterranean termite species, are responsible for the most significant amount of damage in the U.S.
• Very large and architecturally impressive termite mounds in Australia and Africa have become tourist attractions.

Florida is home to several types of termites; subterranean, drywood, dampwood, and Formosan. Working with a professional to identify the termites on your property is key to effective termite removal. Each termite species has unique behaviors, nesting habits, and preferred food sources. 

Termites are not a pest that causes direct harm to people, but they do cause costly damage to our properties. They are known as "silent destroyers" because of their ability to chew through wood, flooring, and even wallpaper and remain undetected. Each year, termites cause more than five billion in property damage repairs – costs not covered by homeowners' insurance.

Avoiding termite damage is best accomplished by proactively partnering with a local pest control company. Through regular termite inspections, professionals can identify a termite problem and eliminate the infestation before they cause extensive damage. 

Termites generally become a problem on our properties after they build a new colony there or on a neighboring property. When the worker termites leave the nest to forage for food, wooden structures in your yard or home could become their new foraging sites. Once termites find an appropriate food source, they will return daily.

Termite swarms occur when winged reproductive termites swarm from a mature termite colony. They will look for a mate, drop their wings, and find a suitable place to build a new nest. Unfortunately, their new nest could be in your yard or house.

Termite swarms are most likely to occur in the early spring. Finding winged termites crawling around your home's exterior or interior walls or finding piles of their wings on your property are signs you need to reach out for immediate help.

Subterranean Termites

Subterranean termites have high moisture needs. They live and feed in areas with damp soil. They prefer to invade and feed on pieces of wood inside and outside our homes damaged by water or decaying.

Wood in our homes near windowsills, water pipes, air conditioners, or other areas where there is moisture present is most likely to be invaded by these termites. Subterranean termites are the most widespread group in the country and the most likely species to discover inside our homes.

Formosan Termites

Formosan termites are subterranean termites that can nest either in the ground or above the ground. They maintain their high moisture needs when nesting above the ground by building unique carton nests. Formosan termites usually build carton nests on flat roofs or between wall voids. Their ability to nest in multiple locations makes controlling these termites difficult. 

Drywood Termites

Drywood termites are efficient feeders that, despite living in smaller colonies than other species of termites, can cause significant damage due to their feeding habits. They will feed on a piece of wood until nothing is left but a thin exterior shell. These termites prefer to nest in dry pieces of wood.

Unlike other species of termites, drywood termites nest within the wood they are feeding on. Wooden furniture, lumber, wood flooring, and wood trim can provide drywood termites with nesting sites and food sources.

Dampwood Termites

Dampwood termites prefer to live and feed outside; these termites are less likely to wind up in our homes. Dampwood termites have extremely high moisture needs and like to nest and feed on wet and decaying wood. Logs, tree stumps, dead trees, old fence posts, and utility poles commonly become infested with dampwood termites. 

If termites have found their way to your Bradenton property, don't try to tackle the infestation on your own. Termites are challenging pests to control and eliminate and require the experience of a professional.

Contact Westfall's Lawn and Pest for termite control near you to address the infestation; we can recommend a course of action for proper termite control. We are a local pest control company serving customers in the Bradenton area since 2001.

Termites in Florida live all around us, and preventing problems with these pests can be tricky. In conjunction with professional pest control services, try making the following changes around your property to make it less inviting to termites:

• Create a crushed stone barrier between mulch or soil in your foundation.
• If possible, replace wood mulch with rubber mulch or another non-organic material.
• Make sure your yard has good drainage and remove areas of excess moisture. 
• Remove old fencing, construction debris, woodpiles, and fallen trees from your property.
• Inspect your home's exterior and use silicone caulk to seal any cracks you discover, and place mesh screens over vents and chimneys.

For more information about termite control in Florida, please reach out to us at Westfall's Lawn and Pest today!

The simplest definition of stinging insects would be that they are insects that sting. Stinging insects are either social or solitary. Social stinging insects live in large groups and work together as a team to care for the nest, colony members, and the queen. Solitary stinging insects have females who create individual nests and care for their young themselves. Bees, wasps, and hornets are types of stinging insects that regularly find their way to our Florida yards.

Below is a brief description of the most common stinging insects in Florida:

Africanized Bees

Africanized "killer" bees look so much like regular honey bees that you can only tell the two apart by measuring their bodies. Africanized bees are dangerous and known to chase people for over a quarter of a mile once they get excited and aggressive.

Bald-Faced Hornets

The bald-faced hornet is a relative of the yellow jacket and gets its common name from its largely black color and mostly white face. This stinging insect is named a hornet because of its large size and aerial nests.

Bumble Bees

Bumble bees are beneficial insects because they pollinate crops and plants. However, they can sting.

Honey Bees

Honey bees are social insects found all over the world. They are beneficial because of their role in pollination. Honey bees pollinate more than 100 crops in the United States.

Mud Daubers

Mud daubers are a group of wasps that got their name because they constructed their nests of mud. Mud daubers are considered nuisance pests and rarely sting.

Paper Wasps

Paper wasps get their common name from the paper-like material they make their nests. Paper wasps are sometimes called umbrella wasps after the shape of their distinctive nests. 

Yellow Jackets

There are several species of yellow jackets. These flying insects typically have a yellow and black head/face and a patterned abdomen.

Despite being a vital part of the ecosystem, stinging insects are dangerous pests when they decide to share our Florida yards. When stinging insects buzz around our yards foraging for food or they choose to build a nest in a high-traffic area, you and your family will have daily contact with these pests. 

Doing things like mowing your lawn, gardening, grilling, or just walking across your property could put you in their "territory," They will retaliate and try to drive you away by delivering painful stings. Not only do bee, wasp, and hornet stings hurt, but their venom is potent enough to trigger an allergic reaction that, in some people, can be life-threatening. 

The following will most likely attract stinging insects to your Florida yard:

• Bare spots in your lawn
• Lots of trees
• Utility poles and fences
• Dense landscaping
• Flowering plants
• Foraging places like trash cans, outdoor eating areas, gardens
• Areas of standing water

If your yard can offer stinging insects food, water, and sheltered nesting spots, they won't hesitate to take advantage. The closer to your house that stinging insects build a nest or in a high-traffic area of your yard (walkway, deck, garden, or entrance), the more problematic they become. 

Stinging insects in Florida are most active in the spring, summer, and early fall when food sources are plentiful, and they are out and about gathering food to bring back to the nest.

Where a stinging insect prefers to build a nest greatly depends on the species. The following places are where we most often discover stinging insect nests: 

• Grills
• Under tables, deck rails, fencing, or pieces of outdoor furniture
• Under roof eaves
• Tree branches
• Tree hollows
• Ground holes or the abandoned nests of small animals
• Shrubbery
• Under fallen trees

Stinging insects prefer to nest in locations that shelter them from unsuitable weather and hide them from the view of predators. While these pests primarily nest outside, they can invade our homes and nest in the safe shelter of wall voids, chimneys, vents, crawl spaces, and attics.

If you are spotting stinging insects swarming around a particular area of your yard or home, you have likely discovered a nesting site. After finding a nest, stay away from the area and immediately call for help. Let the certified stinging insect removal experts at Westfall's Lawn and Pest provide the quick action necessary to remove the nest from your property! We are fully certified by the state of Florida and offer same-day services. For more information about stinging insect control in Bradenton, reach out now!

Though you can't completely avoid stinging insects, there are steps you can take to help prevent problems with these pests. We have compiled a list of our most helpful stinging insect prevention tips.

• Bees, hornets, and wasps often forage for proteins and sweets from our trash cans and recycling bins; make sure they always have tight-fitting lids on them. 
• Reduce the number of flowering plants near walkways, doorways, and windows.
• Cut back tree branches from your roof and exterior walls.
• Fill in bare spots and holes in your lawn.
• Limit their access to water by repairing leaky outdoor fixtures and hoses. Keep gutters clear of debris and store containers that collect water upside down.

Despite best efforts stinging insects will still find their way to your property. To guard your home or family against these stinging pests, partner with Westfall's Lawn and Pest- we are a local home pest control professional you can trust!

Spiders belong to the classification of arachnids and are air-breathing arthropods. These pests have eight legs, fangs that produce venom in varying intensities, six to eight pairs of eyes, and a spinneret that makes silk. Spiders are a highly diverse species, and there are many different types of spiders around today; they have varying colors, patterns, and distinctive markings.

That said, a few types of spiders in our area are commonly known for invading human structures. These include wolf spiders, house spiders, brown recluse spiders, and black widow spiders. Westfall's Lawn and Pest can help you identify which pests are invading your property.

While most common house spiders appear more frightening than harmful, all spider infestations present certain risks. Spider bites can trigger allergic reactions in certain individuals, introduce bacteria, and may introduce a medical threat, depending on the spider delivering the bite.

Medically dangerous spiders you need to keep an eye out for include the brown recluse and black widow spider; these species present serious health consequences should you receive a bite. Pain, swelling, nausea, fatigue, rash, or difficulty breathing and swallowing after a spider bite should warrant immediate medical attention.

You will typically find spiders hiding outdoors in long grass, near piles of debris or woodpiles, around holes in the ground, or behind plant pots and underneath porches or decks. Once inside, spiders often lurk around bathrooms, basements, attics, garages, and other secluded, dark spaces.

Get rid of spiders the easy way by contacting Westfall's Lawn and Pest at the first sign of these eight-legged pests on your property. Our pest professionals will help you eliminate all traces of spiders from interior and exterior areas so that you don't need to worry about frightening encounters or bites. Contact us today for your free evaluation.

Keep spiders away in the future by following the below expert spider prevention tips.

• Eliminate pest prey infestations from around your property with the help of Westfall's Lawn and Pest in order to remove easy spider food sources.
• Seal up cracks around windows and doors and repair window and door screens so that spiders can't slip inside.
• Cut back long grass in outdoor areas and remove piles of debris or woodpiles from your property so that spiders don't have easy hiding spots.
• Address moisture issues or leaks that contribute to puddles of excess water that might attract both spiders and their pest prey.
• Declutter interior areas often and sweep or dust around stored items to deter spiders from settling there.
• Carefully sweep away any spider webs you come across to make sure your property shows as inhospitable to these pests.

Reach out to Westfall's Lawn and Pest if you need more advice on spider prevention or if you want assistance safely and reliably removing an active infestation of spiders or other pests from your home or business.

Silverfish are small insects that belong to the scientific order of Zygentoma. They are distinctive due to their silvery-grey, almost metallic color and their fish-like zig-zagging movements. Silverfish have long antennae and a tapered, teardrop-shaped body, and while they look frightening, they aren't the most dangerous pest you could host around your property. Still, silverfish are a nuisance pest, and proper silverfish treatment is necessary if you want to defeat infestations.

Silverfish are small insects that belong to the scientific order of Zygentoma. They are distinctive due to their silvery-grey, almost metallic color and their fish-like zig-zagging movements. Silverfish have long antennae and a tapered, teardrop-shaped body, and while they look frightening, they aren't the most dangerous pest you could host around your property. Still, silverfish are a nuisance pest, and proper silverfish treatment is necessary if you want to defeat infestations.

Silverfish aren't the most dangerous pests you can find around your property, but there is a small chance of contracting an illness as this insect leaves behind droppings while scavenging. Silverfish seek out starchy items to eat, and any food storage or pantry area is susceptible to an invasion. Furthermore, silverfish love to chew through things such as fabrics, books, clothing, and paper, which leads to them destroying your upholstery and ruining stored items.

Proper professional silverfish repellent is a necessity to defeat these pests.

Silverfish love properties with plenty of moisture, humid hiding spaces, and easy access to food such as stored items, cardboard boxes, and well-stocked pantries. It's important to evaluate your property for potential silverfish attractants if you want to stand a chance at preventing infestations of these pests.

Silverfish most often hide out near moist, damp, and humid areas. Areas with piles of organic debris, vegetable gardens, and under decks or patios are favorite hiding spots outside. Indoors, you will most likely find silverfish around kitchens, bathrooms, basements, crawl spaces, and laundry rooms.

Getting rid of silverfish is difficult when you undertake this task alone, but with the help of Westfall's Lawn and Pest, you can eliminate any size silverfish infestation with ease. Our expert team will help identify the root causes of your silverfish problem and work with you to tailor treatment plans to meet your property's specific needs. 

With our help, you won't need to invest in hit-or-miss DIY silverfish control products. Simply reach out and request your free evaluation today to get started.

Prevent silverfish from invading your commercial property or home in the future by following our expert tips below. These steps help make your space less hospitable to silverfish.

• Clean out outdoor areas of long grass, piles of organic debris, and overgrown foliage to eliminate easy silverfish hiding spots.
• Address moisture issues and leaks that might leave standing water or excess moisture around your property.
• Make sure interior areas are ventilated properly, and invest in a dehumidifier as needed to keep moisture out of bathrooms, kitchens, and basements.
• Seal up potential silverfish entry points, such as the gaps around windows, doors, and the foundation of your property, to keep these pests out.
• Fully silverfish-proof your property by installing weatherstripping, door sweeps, and sturdy window and door screens.
• Store all leftover food properly, and consider using airtight storage containers in food pantries or kitchen areas to make it harder for silverfish to scavenge.

If you have any questions about silverfish prevention or need assistance defeating an invasion of these insects, reach out to Westfall's Lawn and Pest.

Rodents are a group of mammals that all share one characteristic; they have continuously growing front incisors. To prevent their teeth from overgrowing, these animals constantly gnaw on almost anything they can wrap their teeth around. When rodents and their sharp teeth find their way to our yards and homes, they can quickly cause a lot of damage. 

Rodents come in all shapes and sizes, display different behaviors, and have different nesting habits depending on the species. The most common rodents to find their way onto our Bradenton yards and into our homes are the field mouse, house mouse, Norway rat, and roof rat. 

• Field mice have light to dark reddish-brown fur on the top of their body. The fur on their undersides, legs, and feet is white. They prefer to live outside and thrive in Florida’s warm temperatures. 
• House mice are small oval-shaped brown or black rodents and are the most common mouse species to invade our homes.
• Norway rats are large, heavy-bodied brown rats that nest primarily at ground level. 
• The roof rat is a small, slender black rat. These rats are agile and exceptional climbers; they prefer to live and nest off the ground.

If you are ever concerned that rodents have found their way onto your Bradenton property, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Westfall’s Lawn and Pest so we can quickly resolve the infestation. 

There are many reasons why we consider rodents dangerous and never want to share our spaces with them. Dangers associated with rodents include the following:

• Rodents spread around 35 different diseases to humans worldwide. They transmit these diseases through direct contact with either the rodent or their feces, urine, or saliva.
• Rodents carry and spread parasites like fleas, ticks, and mites.
• When rodents are in our homes, they will chew through food containers and contaminate stored foods. 
• Rodent infestation can be the root cause of short circuits, fires, and water damage.
• Rodents gnaw through floors, furniture, walls, clothing, and other things stored within your home. 

While there are many examples of rodents that people choose to keep as pets, wild rodents are a different story. Sharing your home with wild rodents is never ideal, and you should reach out to a local pest control professional at the first notice of them on your property. 

Rodents live in large populations throughout Florida. Some live outside, deep in wooded areas, marshes, fields, and other uninhabited areas. Others have learned that where people live, they will have easy access to their basic needs. 

Many rodents have come to live quite successfully with people. Rodents in Bradenton live successfully in suburban and urban areas. 

Anywhere there are trash cans, outdoor eating areas, garden areas, fruit trees, and bird feeders or pet feeding areas, there is likely to be rodent activity. Rodents are omnivores and eat most of the same foods we do, making our yards and homes places that attract the attention of these animals.

Where rodents prefer to live in our yards and homes depends on the specific species. Most rodents in Florida like to live outside but will move indoors to escape harsh weather conditions, lack of food, or to have a safe space to nest. 

Roof rats like to nest up off the ground. Places they nest in our yards include fruit trees, woodpiles, dense shrubbery, and construction debris. They usually inhabit roof eaves, ceiling rafters, chimneys, and attic spaces if they decide to move indoors to nest.

Norway rats nest and forage for food in fields, farmlands, riverbanks, docks, and under concrete slabs and woodpiles. When Norway rats decide to move into our homes to nest, they usually find entry and exit points at the ground level. Common entry points include gaps in foundations, vents, and cracks under doors or around windows. Inside our homes, Norway rats nest in crawl spaces, clutter, and behind wall voids.

House mice nest outside anywhere that offers protection from predators. Common outdoor nesting sites and resting spots for house mice include tall grass, tree stumps, woodpiles, yard debris, playhouses, sheds, and garages. Mice are agile climbers who move inside our homes through any opening. Once inside, they will live in any space that provides them with quiet shelter.

Field mice like to live in open grassy areas. Homes near parks, fields, and other open spaces tend to have the most problems with these rodents. Though they prefer to live outside; however, sometimes they will move into our homes and, like house mice, will take advantage of any dark, quiet nesting spot they come across.

Rodents want to live near people and take advantage of the food, water, and shelter our properties offer them. Keeping these pests away from your home is a year-round commitment. 

The easiest way to maintain a rodent-free property is to partner with a local company that offers quality pest control. Here at Westfall’s Lawn and Pest, we customize our pest control services to meet the unique needs of each family and home we serve.

Our quarterly pest control services will provide you with the regular, guaranteed services necessary to solve your rodent problem and prevent a future infestation. If you are concerned about rodents living in or around your home, call today to schedule a free inspection and to learn more about rodent control in Bradenton!

We have put together a helpful list of rodent prevention tips. Use the following information to make your property less attractive to these problematic pests.

• Remove construction and yard debris like fallen trees, leaf piles, and the like from your yard.
• Cut back shrubbery and bushes from your home’s exterior that offers hiding spots for rodents.
• Remove their easy access to food by keeping lids on trash cans, harvesting gardens, and fruit trees, and maintaining indoor and outdoor eating areas. Store your family’s food in the fridge or airtight containers out of the reach of rodents. 
• Eliminate water sources by repairing leaky fixtures and air conditioners. 
• Remove clutter from your home where rodents nest.
• Inspect your home for possible entry points and make any necessary repairs. 

For more rodent prevention tips or to learn how to partner to maintain a home free of rodents and other common household pests, please reach out to Westfall’s Lawn and Pest today. 

“Pantry pest” refers to a category of insects that invade human structures and attack stored food, such as cereals, grains, spices, chocolates, flours, and other starchy items. These pests are most commonly moths or beetles, with specific pantry-invading species including the Indian meal moth, mealworms, saw-toothed grain beetle, and the cigarette beetle. 

DIY Pantry pest control products and pantry pest repellents often are hit or miss, making infestations of this pest problematic once they start up. It’s important to contact Westfall's Lawn and Pest at the first sign of pantry pests to quickly eradicate these insects and rescue your food storage spaces from invasion.

While pantry pests don’t bite humans and are unlikely to spread serious diseases, they do create problems such as food waste and the contamination of stored food items. Pantry pests like your food storage areas and will chew their way through cardboard or plastic in order to feed on the grains and lay their eggs in these areas. Over time, this prolific pest brings significant destruction to food and may continually ruin stored food items until you treat the source of the pantry pest infestation.

Pantry pest problems occasionally start when an adult moth, beetle, or other pantry pest species finds its way in through an open window or door and invades food storage spaces. However, the more likely culprit behind a pantry pest problem on your property is purchasing food items already infested and then storing them in your pantry or kitchen.

Signs of infestations of pantry pests in food items like flours, grains, dried pastas, and other starchy items include damaged packaging, sticky webbing inside or outside food packaging, and all stages of pantry pests seen inside or outside of food items.

You most often find pantry pests in food pantries, which is how they get their name. However, they may also be found in food storage areas like cupboards, kitchens, and drawers, as they love dry, secluded, and food-filled areas.

Get rid of pantry pests the easy way by contacting Westfall's Lawn and Pest at the first signs of these insects. With professional help, you can eliminate these pests at the source, saving you from continued food damage and prolonged pantry pest problems.

Contact us today for your free evaluation.

Stop pantry pest invasions in the future by following these expert prevention tips to keep this pest out:

• Utilize window and door screens, door sweeps, and weather stripping to fully protect interior areas from pantry pest invaders.
• Keep windows and doors closed when possible to keep pantry pests outside.
• Double-check items in grocery stores for signs of damaged packaging or pantry pest invasion before purchasing the item.
• Use airtight, sealable containers in food pantry areas to make it harder for pantry pests to reach food sources. These containers also ensure that an infestation doesn’t spread if you accidentally purchase an infested item.
• Clean food pantries often and use older items first to decrease your chances of an infestation starting unnoticed.

Contact Westfall's Lawn and Pest today for more prevention advice or assistance in defeating a pantry pest infestation in your home.

Grubs are the larvae of beetles. We can easily identify grubs by their plump white or cream-colored bodies, brown heads, and "C"-shape. They are most active in the spring and summer, and their presence quickly causes damage to our Bradenton, Florida, lawns.

Grubs are destructive pests; left to their own devices, they can destroy our lawns. Guarding your lawn against grubs is essential to help keep it healthy and green.

Grubs live just underneath the soil and feed on the root systems of grass and other plants. If your lawn suddenly has patches of brown or wilted grass, and you don't think it is because of drought conditions, the likely culprit is grubs.

Many wild animals love to feed on plump grubs. To get to the grubs in your lawn, wildlife will dig up your grass. This damages your lawn even further and causes unsightly holes.

When it comes to grubs, the unfortunate truth is that the healthier your lawn is, the more attractive it is to these pests. Lawns with moist, easy-to-dig soil are the perfect environment for grubs to thrive. Healthy plants and grass provide grubs with the nutrition necessary to complete their life cycles and develop into large, difficult-to-control populations. 

The largest populations of grubs are in large, grassy, open spaces. Our Bradenton yards, parks, golf courses, and athletic fields regularly become infested with these pests.

Signs that grubs have taken over your yard include:

• Yellowing grass
• Brown, patchy grass 
• A yard that feels spongy as you walk across it
• Birds, skunks, and other types of wildlifehave become regular visitors and are digging up your lawn

Because grubs damage the lawn's root system, it makes it easy for you to "peel" back a piece of your lawn to check for grubs. If you spot white, "C"-shaped grubs in your yard, don't hesitate to contact a professional for assistance.

If grubs take over your yard, our team is here to help you remove these destructive pests. Controlling grubs and eliminating their presence in your yard will help prevent attracting dangerous wildlife to your property. For the best grub control in Bradenton, turn to the experts at Westfall's Lawn and Pest. Don't share your lawn with grubs for a day longer than necessary; reach out today so we can help you rid your lawn of these unwanted, destructive pests.

Grubs are tricky pests to prevent. Proactively partnering with a professional to implement regular pest control services is the best way to avoid issues with grubs. As a homeowner, one of the best steps you can take to prevent problems with grubs is not to overwater your lawn. Grubs have high moisture needs and need continuous access to moisture to survive. Another preventative step you can take is to mow your lawn a little higher than you usually would. Adult beetles don't like laying their eggs in areas of tall grass.

If you are ready to prevent problems with grubs, reach out to us at Westfall's Lawn and Pest today; we are here to help you with your Bradenton pest control needs.

Flies belong to the scientific order of Diptera, and you can commonly recognize them by their single pair of wings that allow them to buzz around human structures. They tend to be drawn to rotting food and decaying organic matter, and infestations of flies may be substantial, easily taking over your property.

Several different types of flies are notorious for invading human structures. You need to keep an eye out for species that include house flies, horseflies, fruit flies, drain flies, and fungus gnats. Westfall's Lawn and Pest can help you identify these species if they invade your property.

Flies are well-known as nuisance pests but are more dangerous than many people think. Flies spread over 60 different types of diseases to humans through their scavenging activities and surface contamination. These illnesses include serious conditions like dysentery, cholera, tuberculous, typhoid fever, and tularemia. Fly contamination may also lead to gastrointestinal problems and food-borne illnesses.

Some fly species may bite humans, leaving behind a painful swollen area or introducing bacteria that lead to infections or diseases; not to mention, infestations of flies are unpleasant to encounter and difficult to remove completely without professional help.

Flies are often attracted to food, moisture, and areas where they can lay their eggs. Easy access to these areas around your property encourages a fly problem to take place in the area and leaves you dealing with large infestations of these pests. It's important to remove or reduce fly-attracting factors when possible to deter these pests from invading in the first place.

Outside, you'll find flies buzzing around trash cans, compost piles, pet waste, and pet food. They may also hide near moist or overgrown areas. Once they get into your property, you'll spot flies in kitchens, trash cans, food storage areas, bathrooms, and drains.

The best way to get rid of flies is to trust our pest professionals at Westfall's Lawn and Pest. We can easily remove all types of flies invading your property and prevent infestations from reoccurring so that you can reclaim your peace and safety from these pests. Contact us today for a free evaluation.

Prevent fly infestations in the future by following these easy fly deterrent tips.

• Install sturdy window and door screens in addition to weatherstripping so that flies can't easily slip inside the interior areas of your property.
• Seal cracks around windows, doors, the foundation, and utility areas to ensure your property is totally fly-proof.
• Make sure to seal up trash bags tightly and dispose of waste promptly in trash cans with tight-fitting lids that prevent fly scavenging.
• Cover compost piles and reduce or remove access to outdoor pet food as a way to reduce fly food sources.
• Store leftover food properly, clean up food or drink spills quickly, and dispose of food waste promptly before the aroma attracts flies.
• Keep drains clean and free of organic waste buildup, as flies love to lay their eggs and feed there.

If you need more help keeping flies away or assistance defeating an active fly infestation, contact Westfall's Lawn and Pest today.

Fleas are pesky parasitic insects known for their impressive jumping ability, small size, and preference to live in the fur of animals, feeding off their blood. Fleas are prolific, and infestations of these pests often grow out of control very quickly, especially if you don't take proper precautions. The best way to get rid of fleas and prevent them from taking over your property is to contact Westfall's Lawn and Pest the moment you suspect fleas are invading.

Even though fleas are small, they bring major problems with them. Flea bites are itchy and annoying and can trigger allergy issues in certain individuals. Fleas also transmit a number of unpleasant illnesses with their bites, including cat-scratch fever and murine typhus. Humans may pick up tapeworms from fleas, and animals that receive flea bites run the risk of heartworms, tapeworms, allergic reactions, and anemia, which can lead to fatal consequences when untreated.

Flea problems typically start when they find their way to your property on the back of your pets or a wildlife critter that invades your property. Once a few fleas make their way to your outdoor or indoor areas, they quickly locate hosts to feed off of and start reproducing, resulting in a major infestation in no time. Flea prevention is the best way to stop a flea problem from occurring.

In exterior areas, fleas tend to hide in long grass, around piles of debris, or on any wild animal that might be hiding on your property. Inside, fleas tend to live in the fur of animals like cats and dogs or invade fabrics, carpets, and clothing.

Get rid of fleas by reaching out to Westfall's Lawn and Pest at the first sign of these insects on your property. We'll help you address areas that might encourage flea infestations and effectively eliminate active flea infestations from your property so you, your pets, and your loved ones can reclaim peace from these pests.

Stop flea infestations from reoccurring in the future by following our expert flea prevention tips below:

• Take steps to ensure wildlife can't easily enter your property and drop off fleas, starting an infestation. Fences and prevention tactics help with this.
• Cut down long grass around your property and remove piles of organic debris or abandoned woodpiles around exterior areas.
• Make sure any pets on your property use a veterinarian-approved flea prevention medication.
• Check cats and dogs regularly for signs of fleas by combing and bathing them, and take steps to ensure they don't pick up fleas from outdoor areas.
• Wash pet bedding frequently to eliminate any fleas that might have made their way inside unnoticed.
• Vacuum, dust, sweep, and clean upholstery often, as this helps to remove any fleas or flea eggs that might be left.

If you have more questions about flea prevention or need assistance eliminating infestations of fleas from your property, contact Westfall's Lawn and Pest. Our team of pest professionals will keep fleas far away from your home or business, so you don't need to worry about combating these pests all by yourself.

Earwigs are frightening-looking insects recognized by their elongated dark brown to black bodies, long antennae, and pincer-like appendages at the back of their bodies. They belong to the scientific order of Dermaptera. Many individuals are familiar with the myths surrounding these insects, such as their supposed habit of crawling into ears and laying eggs or feeding off a person's brain. These myths are untrue, and while earwigs aren't that dangerous, they are a major nuisance to deal with around your home.

Earwigs are not particularly dangerous, but they are frightening to encounter, and large infestations of earwigs might cause fear and anxiety or destroy property as they leave behind their droppings. Earwigs are unlikely to pinch a human with their pincers, but even if they do, their pincers rarely break the skin. 

That said, a widespread infestation of earwigs on your property is a serious nuisance and may result in serious stress. Professional earwig repellent tactics are the best way to deal with an earwig infestation in your home or business.

Earwigs, like many other pests in the area, are attracted to moist areas. If your property has a lot of moist, rotting wood, humid spaces, and standing water, you may see an increase in earwigs. These pests also love hiding in vegetable gardens, around piles of organic debris, or near woodpiles and abandoned tree stumps. Removing these earwig attractants is an essential step in getting rid of earwigs for good.

Outdoors, you are most likely to find earwigs hiding around vegetable gardens, in long grass or overgrown foliage, or inside piles of debris and woodpiles. Once they infiltrate interior areas, you may see earwigs around kitchens, bathrooms, basements, garages, or any other humid area with secluded hiding spots.

If you want to get rid of earwigs the easy way, your first step is to contact Westfall's Lawn and Pest. Our team will work with you to understand your pest control concerns and provide you with essential earwig removal solutions that keep this pest gone for good. We will remove earwigs in a safe and reliable manner.

Contact us today to learn more about how professional earwig control can help, or request your free evaluation.

Stop earwigs from invading your property in the future by following our expert prevention tips.

• Seal up potential earwig entry points around your property, such as the gaps near windows, doors, and the foundation.
• Take steps to totally pest-proof the inside of your property by installing door sweeps, window and door screens, and weatherstripping.
• Address moisture issues and leaks that lead to puddles of excess water and humid conditions both inside and outside your property.
• Cut back long grass, remove piles of organic debris, and store woodpiles in elevated areas to reduce easy earwig hiding spots.
• Clean out gutters and drains frequently to stop excess water from gathering and leaking all around your outdoor areas.
• Take steps to attract birds to your property that will feed on earwigs and help keep populations of these insects to a minimum.

For more information on preventing earwigs or assistance defeating infestations of these pests, contact Westfall's Lawn and Pest today.

Cockroaches are insects that belong to the scientific order of Blattodea. They have flat, typically oval-shaped bodies, six legs, and a pair of antennae, and some species have wings that enable them to fly for short distances. Cockroaches grow between 1/2 and 2 inches long depending on species, and their color typically ranges from light brown and tan to dark, reddish-brown, and black.

There are many types of cockroaches around today, but only a handful of species are known for the destruction they cause in human structures. Keep an eye out for American, German, oriental, and brown-banded cockroaches, as all of these species cause serious damage. Westfall's Lawn and Pest can help you with proper identification.

Cockroaches are well-known as unhygienic pest invaders, and hosting infestations of roaches around your property can be dangerous. Cockroaches introduce several serious illnesses to properties while scavenging and tracking the bacteria and pathogens that cause salmonella, cholera, and dysentery across surfaces or food storage areas.

In addition to health risks, cockroaches also present allergy risks. The shed skins, egg cases, saliva, and droppings that they leave behind around properties are known for triggering asthma and breathing issues, and large infestations may contribute to serious allergic reactions.

Professional cockroach control is the best way to avoid these dangers. 

A cockroach problem on your property most likely occurs because your property has many of the factors on display that attract these pests. Easy access to food, water, and cluttered spaces indoors or outdoors for hiding are all major cockroach attractants.

Outside, cockroaches are most commonly found around piles of debris, near trash cans and compost piles, and hiding in spots that are cluttered, secluded, or moist. Once they infiltrate interior areas, cockroaches will gather in kitchens, bathrooms, food storage areas, trash cans, and other moist, damp hiding spots.

Get rid of cockroaches as fast as possible by contacting Westfall's Lawn and Pest. Our team will work with you to identify your major cockroach problem areas and eliminate the root cause of these pests, along with eradicating active cockroach infestations, so your property is safe in the long term from roach invaders. Contact us today for your free evaluation.

Prevent future cockroach problems by following our expert tips below that can help make your property less hospitable to this pest.

• Remove access to outdoor pet food and composting areas in addition to ensuring outdoor trash cans have tight-fitting lids that prevent scavenging.
• Seal cracks around windows, doors, and the foundation of your property to stop cockroaches from slipping inside.
• Cockroach-proof your home by repairing window and door screens and adding weatherstripping where possible.
• Store all leftover food properly and never leave food and drink spills or dirty dishes, as the aroma of these items often attracts roaches.
• Declutter interior areas often and dispose of stacks of cardboard and plastic bags that might provide hiding spots for roaches.

Reach out to Westfall's Lawn and Pest the moment you suspect roaches are on your property for expert removal and further prevention advice.

Chinch bugs are small insects that feed on plant matter. Adults of this species overwinter in any warm shelter that they can find. In the spring, they emerge to start their breeding season, and this is where your problems with this pest begin. Once the eggs laid by the females begin hatching in your lawn, the tiny chinch bug larvae will start sucking the sap out of your grass. This kills the leaves and stems of the grass and leaves big brown patches in your lawn.

Chinch bugs in your lawn are not dangerous to you. They aren’t known to spread any diseases, and they cannot sting or bite. This means if you actually see adult chinch bugs, you have nothing to be afraid of. However, the same cannot be said for your lawn.

Female chinch bugs can lay hundreds of eggs at a time. This means if you have hundreds of chinch bug females laying eggs in your grass, you’ll soon have thousands upon thousands of larvae all sucking the sap out of your grass. If you don't take care of this problem, chinch bug damage can leave your entire lawn decimated in just a few weeks.

Chinch bugs will always be attracted to healthy grass with lots of sap for their offspring to feed on. If you’ve had a healthy lawn for years and never had this problem, your infestation may just be a case of bad luck. The weather may also have something to do with it. Most of the time, chinch bug numbers are kept down by the predatory insects that feed on them. However, a drought or hard winter can sometimes reduce the number of these predators, which allows chinch bugs to thrive.

If your home has a particularly warm exterior (think a large, southern-facing wall or a big, sunny driveway), chinch bugs may also be attracted to your property because they want to overwinter near your warm home.

If you have a chinch bug infestation, you'll mostly find these pests out in your lawn. They are particularly fond of warm-weather species of grass, such as Kentucky bluegrass and bermudagrass. In the spring, you may notice brown or yellow patches of grass spreading from the warmer parts of your lawn, such as areas closest to your foundation or patios, which radiate warmth through the winter.

Unfortunately, chinch bug treatment isn’t all that easy once you have an infestation. Once these little bugs are sucking the life out of your grass, there are usually so many of them that you can’t use store-bought treatment products like granules or sprays to deal with them.

If you have chinch bugs, the best thing you can do is contact the pest experts here at Westfall's Lawn and Pest. We might have rodents in our name, but all pests are our game. Our team has access to professional tools and techniques that can help eliminate the chinch bugs in your yard and make your grass healthy again. So don't wait until your whole lawn is just one big brown spot. Call us as soon as you notice signs of chinch bugs.

The good news is that chinch bug control is a whole lot easier if you get started on it before you get an infestation. A great way to prevent chinch bugs is to cultivate a healthy lawn with a healthy predator population. For instance, encouraging a healthy population of ladybugs in your yard can help protect it from a host of lawn-destroying insects without putting you at risk for an infestation of potentially dangerous chinch bug predators, like wasps and spiders.

Keeping your grass healthy can also help prevent chinch bugs. To do this:

• Water your lawn often, as chinch bugs do not like wet grass.
• Keep your grass at the maximum recommended height.
• Aerate your soil in the spring.
• Avoid over-fertilizing because excess nitrogen may attract chinch bugs.

Remember, if even these measures do not protect your lawn from these destructive pests, the experts here at Westfall's Lawn and Pest are just a click or call away!

Centipedes and millipedes are arthropods that look pretty similar to one another at first glance. Indeed, they have a lot of things in common. They're both long and flexible, with sectional bodies and pairs of legs in each section.

However, you'll notice a few big differences when comparing centipedes versus millipedes. Centipedes are flat, while millipedes have a round body shape that allows them to roll onto a tight ball. Millipedes have two pairs of legs per main body section, while centipedes only have one. Centipede legs are also usually longer and sturdier than millipede legs, which look like tiny hairs or threads underneath their bodies.

Neither centipedes nor millipedes are all that dangerous. It's true that centipedes are venomous, and they use their sharp forelegs to poke holes through your skin before injecting their stinging venom. However, centipede bites are not deadly and rarely do much more than cause localized swelling and moderate burning pain. The only exception to this rule will be if you're allergic to insect venom. If you have an allergy to bee stings, then there's a good chance you'll react to centipede venom as well and could even end up in anaphylactic shock.

Meanwhile, Millipedes don't even have venom and are not physically dangerous; they're more of a nuisance. Your house might wind up with a millipede smell if you have a severe infestation, but you don't have to worry about being bitten, stung, or given a horrible disease. 

Different things can attract a centipede or millipede infestation. In fact, if you have a millipede infestation, it may attract centipedes because centipedes are predators. These venomous arthropods hunt like spiders and scorpions, capturing prey alive and using their venom to subdue it.

Millipedes, on the other hand, are scavengers that look for decaying plant material and other organic matter to eat. If you have a lot of rotting leaves or plant litter in your yard, it could attract millipedes, but centipedes will be more interested in another pest infestation. Common pests that attract centipedes include roaches, silverfish, crickets, and even other centipedes. 

You'll find centipedes and millipedes both crawling along out of the way of people. Millipedes like warmth and moisture, so you're more likely to find them outside crawling through wet leaf litter or underneath debris in your yard. Centipedes are more likely to be in places where their favorite prey is, such as under appliances or in basements and crawl spaces. You may also find them in cabinets or dark closets.

The reality is once you have a centipede or millipede infestation, it can be very hard to get rid of them. Millipedes and centipedes in Florida are some of the most stubborn pests around, and these many-legged bugs have a hard time taking no for an answer. Sending them packing can be tough.

Fortunately, we have all the tools and tricks to get rid of your centipede or millipede problem here at Westfall's Lawn and Pest. If you need to step up your centipede or millipede pest control game, give us a call or visit our contact page.

In order to deter centipedes and millipedes, you'll need to take different steps to keep them away. The best thing you can do to keep centipedes away is to get rid of infestations of pests that could be attracting them. If you have a lot of their prey on your property or in your house, centipedes will come running. To prevent this:

• Cover all indoor and outdoor trash cans.
• Fix moisture problems like poor drainage or condensation.
• Store pantry foods in airtight containers. 
• Clean frequently to reduce food smells.

Taking these measures can help prevent centipede infestations by making your house less attractive to the prey that draws them in. To prevent millipedes, just focus on keeping moisture and decaying organic matter like leaf litter off your property. And remember, if you end up with an infestation of either of these annoying pests, just contact us here at Westfall's Lawn and Pest!

Bill bugs are a type of weevil that is well-known for their behavior of destroying lawns. There are dozens of different bill bug species, and around ten of these species are particularly known for invading lawns and munching away on the plants they find there both as adults and in their immature stages.

Adult bill bugs grow to be around 1/4 of an inch long and have black or grey bodies. They have long snouts and a broad thorax, plus six legs. Larval bill bugs are also referred to as grubs, and they are plump, cream, or white in color, and curved or C-shaped.

Westfall's Lawn and Pest will help you with identification issues and provide you with effective bill bug removal solutions.

Bill bugs are relatively harmless to humans, as they don’t bite, nor do they transmit bacteria and pathogens to human properties. However, an infestation of bill bugs is dangerous for your outdoor areas as these insects chew away at the roots of your grass and other vegetation. Over time, a bill bug infestation will completely destroy the health of your outdoor plants and leave your lawn looking brown, patchy, and parched.

Another major problem with widespread bill bug infestation is the predators that will come looking to eat these insects. Having an infestation of bill bugs often leads to a plethora of birds, skunks, and wasps on your property causing their own serious issues.

Bill bugs are attracted to properties where they have lots of food in the form of grass and leaves to chew. In most cases, untreated lawns, overgrown grasses, and trees that are not protected by pest repellents will be prime attractants to bill bugs looking to feed and lay their eggs. These pests are most active in summer as they move from yard to yard searching for food.

Bill bugs are almost always found outside, as they prefer to inhabit long grasses, trees, leaf piles, and other areas of overgrown foliage. You may see bill bugs occasionally gathering on the siding of your home, and they may accidentally find their way indoors, but these insects will die if they are away from lawns and garden spaces for too long.

If you want to get rid of bill bugs around your Bradenton home the easy way, contact Westfall's Lawn and Pest at the first signs of this insect infesting your property. Dry grasses, brown patches, and parched-looking lawns are all indicators that it's time to turn to the professionals.

Our team will work with you to identify your lawn’s bill bug and pest control needs before providing you with tailored solutions that effectively eradicate all traces of this pest from your property.

Contact us today for an evaluation.

Prevent bill bugs from returning to your property in the future by following our expert tips below:

• Ensure your lawn is properly watered and fertilized, as this helps it withstand bill bug infestations and recover from any damage faster.
• Clear outdoor spaces of overgrown grasses and piles of debris in addition to pruning trees in order to reduce bill bug attractants.
• Utilize window and door screens to keep bill bugs from accidentally moving into interior spaces.
• Mow your lawn regularly to ensure it stays in good condition.

Contact Westfall's Lawn and Pest to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Bradenton, and for more bill bug prevention advice.

Aphids are a type of sap-feeding insect that cause significant damage to the plants that they infest and feed on. You may identify aphids by their small size (they grow approximately 1/8 of an inch in length), soft, pear-shaped bodies, and furry or woolly appearance. Aphids vary in color depending on specific species, so they may be green, yellow, red, and even black or brown. If you look closely, you may see a small tube-like structure at the end of an aphid’s abdomen called a cornicle.

Noticing aphids on plants in your yard is an indication that an infestation might be developing; it’s important to break the aphid life cycle and eliminate all traces of this pest if you want to reclaim your foliage.

A few aphids alone likely aren’t a problem, but a widespread aphid infestation often results in serious destruction to your prized plants. Aphids feed on plants and drain them, leaving them yellowing and withering and stunting their growth. Aphids may feed on the roots of plants or the plant leaves, and if a plant happens to be infected with an illness, they will carry this to the other plants they feed on. Over time, an aphid infestation causes serious costly destruction to the plants around your outdoor areas.

Avoid aphid damage by contacting Westfall’s Lawn and Pest at the first signs of this insect around your property.

Aphids are primarily attracted to nitrogen, and plants that are improperly cared for may have an excess of nitrogen in their soil. Aphids will seek this out and begin feeding on the plants around your property. Another common way to pick up an aphid problem is by accidentally introducing an already-infested plant into your outdoor areas.

Aphids are most commonly found outdoors on the plants where they feed. You may see them around the soil of crowded plants, on the exposed roots of plants, or around plant leaves. In particular, aphids prefer to hide on the underside of leaves and plant stems.

Get rid of aphidsthe right way by reaching out to Westfall’s Lawn and Pest the moment you notice this insect on your property. Our team will help evaluate the root causes of your problem and provide you with reliable treatment solutions tailored to your property’s aphid removal needs.

Contact us today for a free evaluation and to learn more about our residential pest control services.

An essential part of prolonged aphid control is taking steps to prevent future aphid problems and make your property less hospitable to this pest. Our expert tips below help you achieve this:

• Taking proper care of your plants is the best way to prevent aphids, as you won't be providing these pests with excess nitrogen, overwatered soil, or crowded plants that make it easy to move from one food source to the next.
• Spray your plants down with a steady stream of water every few days to knock aphids off and dislodge any hiding aphids that you might not be able to easily see.
• Make an effort to attract ladybugs to your yard with plants like marigolds, as ladybugs are highly effective at praying on aphids and keeping populations to a minimum.

Contact Westfall's Lawn and Pest today for assistance defeating aphids and for more information about our pest control services in Bradenton, FL.

Ants are social insects that typically live in underground colonies, made up of workers and a queen. Ants eat practically any food but are especially attracted to sweets.

Ant identification is relatively simple due to their three distinct body regions; head, thorax, and abdomen, and their antennae. Despite similar construction, ants vary in overall appearance. The best way to accurately identify the specific species of ants crawling around your property is to reach out to a local professional.

Below is a brief description of the ants most likely to invade our Bradenton, FL, properties.

Ghost Ant

Ghost ants are among the smallest ants found in Florida. Their head and thorax will be dark brown, and their legs will be pale in color, almost transparent. Their trails move slowly, but when disturbed, they scatter quickly and erratically. These ants are attracted to sweets. You'll generally find them in potted plants and under moist wooden structures.

Carpenter Ant

Carpenter ants are structural pests generally found inside wall voids and in attics. You will normally see carpenter ants active at dusk. They do not eat wood but excavate it to build their nests with wood particles.

Argentine Ant

Argentine ants produce the largest colonies, each of which can comprise thousands of ants. They are attracted to sweets. These ants are most common in shrubbery, where they protect and farm aphids, which produce honeydew, their main food source. Argentine ants will forage long distances, often traveling from one property to another.

Pyramid Ant

Pyramid ants are commonly outdoors. They nest in cracks in pavement, driveways, and walkways. They differ from fire ants in that their nests are volcano-shaped with one entry/exit instead of multiple entries/exits, as with fire ant mounds. Pyramid ants are beneficial insects preying on other pests such as fire ants, wasps, roaches, etc.

Red Imported Fire Ant

Fire ants are not commonly indoors; however, outside, they are pretty much anywhere, including shrub beds, the middle of the lawn, inside potted plants, and along sidewalks and driveways. A fire ant mound has multiple entries and exits.

If you've spotted ants crawling around your house, contact the experts at Westfall's Lawn and Pest right away.

There are ants living in Florida that are dangerous. Dangerous ants are those that pose threats to people or can damage the structures of our homes. In our region, the most dangerous ants to find their way to our properties are fire ants and carpenter ants. 

Fire ants pose health risks to people. They have painful stings that can cause anaphylaxis, which can be life-threatening to older adults and infants.

Carpenter ants are ants whose nesting habits can cause structural damage. Carpenter ant damage does not happen overnight, but an untreated infestation will result in costly and extensive structural damage. 

Though not all ants are dangerous, no species should be allowed to feel welcome in your home. Ants contaminate food, spread bacteria, produce foul odors, and are a nuisance to contend with daily.

Fire ants typically nest in the ground, and large colonies can have up to 250,000 workers. Very active and aggressive, they will sting any intruding animal repeatedly. Fire ants are omnivores, meaning they feed on animal or vegetable food sources. 

Fire ant larvae are fed by the worker adults and eat only a liquid diet until their third larval instar is complete. Fourth instar larvae are capable of digesting solid foods. The total time it takes to develop from egg to adult averages 30 days. Workers may live up to 180 days. Queens live two to six years.

The red imported fire ant builds mounds in almost any type of soil but prefers open, sunny areas such as pastures, parks, lawns, meadows, and cultivated fields. You can also find colonies in or under buildings. Mounds containing colonies can reach 18 inches in height, depending on the type of soil.

Many times, mounds are located in rotting logs and around stumps and trees. Their mounds have no opening in the center like most ant mounds; red imported fire ants enter and exit the mound through underground tunnels. When their mounds are disturbed, the workers will come out of the ground and sting the intruder.

Fire ant activity ranges from the spring through the fall months. During the spring and summer months, the active mounds send out winged swarmer ants whose sole job is to start new colonies.

Sometimes the red imported fire ant will nest inside buildings during the winter months under bathtubs, when on a slab, or next to hot water heaters. The southern fire ant usually nests in loose soil, but sometimes you may find them in woodwork or masonry. Their nests are like crevices in the ground that spread out two to four feet. You'll find southern fire ant nests under houses, under boards or stones, or in cracks in the concrete.

Colonies frequently migrate from one site to another. The queen only needs a few workers to start a new colony. They can develop a new mound several hundred feet away from their previous location in a matter of hours. Flooding causes colonies to leave their mounds and float until they can reach land to establish a new mound.

If you notice fire ant mounds, please contact Westfall's Lawn and Pest.

If you've ever found ants crawling across the kitchen counter or noticed a trail of little black ants on the bathroom floor, you're probably not alone. Ants are the number one nuisance pest in America.

A recent survey of pest professionals across the country conducted by the National Pest Management Association found kitchens (96%) and bathrooms (89%) particularly vulnerable to ants. 

Kitchen: It's probably not surprising that the kitchen is considered a favorite ant hangout. In addition to food access, the sink provides a water source that ants need to survive. If you're lax about cleaning up crumbs and spills immediately, you may be inviting ants into your house.  

Bathroom: Areas around the house with excess moisture are known to attract ants, so bathrooms are highly susceptible to infestations. Carpenter ants, for example, often build nests in damp areas, like behind bathroom tiles or under sinks.  

The NPMA survey revealed that ants also invade the following areas:

• 73% - Inside walls
• 61% - Bedrooms
• 60% - Living rooms
• 54% - Basements
• 73% - Inside walls

Ants are small pests motivated to ensure their colony's success. If your home offers them what they want, ants will take advantage of any tiny crack or opening to get inside. When it comes down to it, any part of our Bradenton homes could become home to invading ants.

Here are a few tips to keep ants out of your home's kitchens and bathrooms. 

Kitchens:

• Store sweet staples like sugar, syrup, and honey in plastic containers that snap shut, and wipe them down to remove any sticky residue. 
• Place a bay leaf inside canisters of dry goods like flour to keep ants out. The herb's pungent scent repels ants and other common pantry pests.
• Clean up grease spills from countertops and floors as soon as they happen.
• Rinse out any empty juice or soda containers before recycling them or throwing them away. Make sure to take the trash out regularly.
• Keep an eye out for water buildup in the sink or leaks around the faucet.
• If you have pets, pick up any leftover food and wash the bowls regularly.

Bathrooms:

• Occasionally, inspect sinks, toilets, and tubs for leaks or drips.
• Give the bathroom a thorough cleaning by scrubbing the floors with disinfectant cleaner and wiping down the inside of drawers with warm soapy water.
• Make sure shampoo, lotion, and soap bottles are secure and that no contents have spilled out of their containers.

To keep ants from easily entering your home, experts recommend the following:

• Seal cracks in your foundation with silicone caulk.
• Repair holes in window and door screens.
• Replace weatherstripping.
• Fix loose mortar around the basement foundation and windows.

Another way to keep ants out is by keeping tree branches trimmed back and away from the house so they can't use them to climb over onto your home.

Most of Western Florida experiences termite activity from one of three species; the drywood termite, the dampwood termite, or the subterranean termite. Drywood termites, like the West Indian drywood termite, exclusively infest human structures and are major household pests requiring immediate attention. Dampwood termites, like the Florida dampwood termite, on the other hand, only infest moist wood and rarely pose problems in the home. The final species, subterranean termites, are perhaps the most destructive of all. The Formosan subterranean termite, Asian subterranean termite, and eastern subterranean termite often infest homes and businesses and attack properties with heightened soil-to-wood contact.

If you think any termite species may be active around your Bradenton home, don't hesitate to contact Westfall's Lawn and Pest immediately. 

A bed bug infestation around your Bradenton home can feel overwhelming, uncontrollable, and even scary. Thankfully, Westfall's Lawn and Pest professionals can help you take back your property with stress-free treatments and step-by-step prep sheets. Our science-backed solutions have helped hundreds of property owners in the Bradenton area and assisted property owners in resolving their problems within 30 days or less.

Contact Westfall's Lawn and Pest for a quote today. We will be happy to answer any questions and schedule a bed bug treatment at your earliest convenience.

It's not a good idea to try removing bats on your own. Bats in Bradenton, FL, are protected year-round and are subject to multiple conservation laws. Plus, attempting to remove bats on your own may result in a bite, which could lead to rabies in both humans and pets.

The team at Westfall's Lawn and Pest is more than capable of removing bats on your behalf. We can safely exclude bats from your Bradenton home without risking legal snafus. You can get in touch with us today to discuss our netting and abatement methods in greater detail. 

Bat pest control requires a careful balance of caring for customers while protecting our pollinators. Thankfully, the professionals at Westfall's Lawn and Pest have years of experience accomplishing just such a task. We are Bradenton's trusted professional bat control service provider and are available to serve your home or business anytime.

Get bat removal services for your property today. Just contact our team today to schedule an appointment and to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Bradenton.

There are four major benefits to fertilizing your Bradenton lawn:

• Improved growth: Fertilization improves the growth of your grass and other plants by providing key nutrients that your lawn needs to grow.
• Better curb appeal: With your grass now growing more effectively, you can expect your lawn to look better and boost your home's curb appeal.
• Reduced weeds: A healthier lawn means fewer weeds, leading to less maintenance for yourself down the line.
• Resistance to pests: Lawn fertilization keeps insects off your property so your grass can grow strong and healthy.

Call now to take advantage of these benefits today.

Westfall's Lawn and Pest offers two unique lawn fertilization programs:

1. Ornamental Program - 3 Fertilizer Applications Per Year: We inspect and treat your ornamental plants for insects or fungus to maximize their health.
2. Platinum Program - 12 Applications Per Year: This is our highest-tiered program and offers all the bells and whistles.

Give us a call today to learn more about our fertilization programs in greater detail.