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O’Hara Pest Control’s diligent approach to spider control in West Palm Beach is guaranteed to solve your pest problems. Our technicians will sweep and clean your home, removing all the spider webs and ensuring that your screened-in enclosures look brand new after we are done. O’Hara Pest Control guarantees your spider problems will be solved!

Anatomy of the Spider

Spiders have eight legs which make them arachnids and not insects. Spiders don’t have wings or antenna, and their fangs have openings on the ends through which they inject venom into their prey. Spinnerets are located at the tip end of the abdomen; they are connected to glands from which silk is created for web-making.

What are Spiders’ Preferred Environment?

In most cases, spiders keep outside but they can create unsightly webs all over your home. Some spiders prefer damp places like basements and others like warm dry places like attics. All spiders prefer a dark place to hide in their webbing.

Are Spiders Friends or Foes?

You might be surprised to know that most spiders pose no danger to you. In fact, certain species can be beneficial in keeping away other common pests, such as whiteflies, roaches, and mosquitoes. However, other species, like the black widow, do have poisonous bites that can be dangerous to children and adults alike. When encountering a spider with an unfamiliar shape, it’s safest to call professional spider control in West Palm Beach.

How do Spiders Get Inside the Home?

Outside spiders tend to stay outside. As with most insects, spiders are attracted to their food source so if you find one inside the house, it’s likely because they found a bountiful hunting ground. Open windows, cracks that lead outdoors, or branches that create an overhang leading to an opening are the most common methods used by spiders to find their way indoors.

FAQ

What Spiders are Common in West Palm Beach?

As you’d expect, the most common spiders in South Florida are those that thrive in warm and humid climates. The most common include:

Spiny Orb Weaver

These easily recognized spiders are tiny (1/8th to 1/4th inches) and easily recognizable by their oval white shell with rid and black markings. Spiny orb weavers not dangerous and are active year-round, but especially between October and January. They can be found in citrus groves and woodlands.

Banana Spiders

These are one of the largest American spiders (1/4th to 1-½ inches in length) and have a distinct flat brown and white body. You can find banana spiders year-round, but they are most active at night. Banana spiders are not particularly dangerous, but they do possess a painful bite. They are most commonly found in forests, along trails, and heavy shrubbery.

Southern Black Widow Spider

The black widow is one of the most easily recognizable poisonous spiders, they are roughly 1-1/2” in length and have a distinct jet-black color and red hourglass marking. Black widows are nocturnal hunters most commonly found in dark outdoor secluded areas, indoors they can be found in crawlspaces, basements, and attics. These spiders are very dangerous, and their bite carries poison that can cause great pain and illness. If you find a black widow, DO NOT attempt to catch it on your own and instead call professional spider control in West Palm Beach.

How Can I Prevent Spiders from Entering My Home?

There are several natural and low-cost methods to prevent spiders from entering your home that work by taking advantage of substances to which spiders are naturally averse:

Filling a spray bottle with half vinegar and half water, then spraying the mixture on cracks, corners, and small openings can help deter spiders
Spiders dislike the smell of eucalyptus. Consider planting a eucalyptus tree in your garden or near areas where you’ve frequently seen spiders
Spiders avoid strong scents, which makes peppermint oil in spider-prone areas a popular and effective method of keeping spiders out

Why Do I Have Spiders?

Spiders look for shelter and reliable sources of food. If you live in an area that is closed to forestry or trails, spiders might be finding their way into your home through cracks or loosely sealed windows. Spiders might also be in search of prey, so if your house has an insect problem, that might be causing these arachnids to settle in.

Why Should I Hire Professional Spider Control in West Palm Beach?

Most spiders cause no harm to humans and can prove to be beneficial in curving the population of other pests. However, some spider species like the black widow or the brown recluse pack a dangerous bite and should not be removed by untrained hands. If you encounter some of the more dangerous species around your home, you need to call professional spider control in West Palm Beach right away.

How Soon Can I Expect Results?

This common question does not have an all-encompassing answer. If you encounter a dangerous breed of spider, removal is usually immediate. But if you call for professional spider control in West Palm Beach to combat and prevent a pervasive spider problem, chemical or trap treatments can take as long as fourteen days to take effect.

The O’Hara Approach to Ant Control

There are 12,000 know ant species worldwide but only 40 in the United States.  Ant control in West Palm Beach is particularly challenging because ants enter homes through cracks and quickly establish new colonies. Homes make perfect shelters for ants because they have all the resources needed to support colony expansion.

The key to control is prevention and the O’Hara Pest Control perimeter system. Regularly scheduled treatments around the exterior of the structure by trained professional helps control ants and keep them out. We’ll even contact you the day before and 30 minutes prior to the visit to ensure that you’re ready.

We’ll leave a tag on your door showing that the technician has completed the premium service. Indoor visits are scheduled separately and carried out safely by trained techs. No smelly sprays and no danger to pets or people. We guarantee our treatment or your money back!

Can Ants Cause a Health Hazard?

Yes! Although many ants don’t bite or are inherent carriers of diseases themselves, they tend to travel over bacteria they carry with them when the march over food sources. This type of contamination often leads to allergies and diseases.

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Like with all insects, ants are found where they have readily available food and shelter. The best way to stop an ant problem before it starts is by minimizing the amount of exposed food around the house. You can do this by putting away or tightly storing pet food, keep all eating to a single room in the house so it’s easy to clean, and just being thorough in your cleaning routine. Ants like to hide and enter the house through small cracks and holes, identifying these entry points and sealing them will go a long way in preventing an infestation.

FAQ

Why Do I Have Ants?

Ants, like all insects, are attracted to locations where they can find nutrition and shelter. If ants have invaded your home, it’s likely that they’ve found a reliable source of exposed food and water. The key to effective ant control in West Palm Beach is eliminating their food sources quickly.

How Do I Get Rid of Ants?

If a massive ant colony has settled in, you’ll likely need professional ant control in West Palm Beach. For smaller colonies, household remedies like ant traps or store-bought sprays can do the trick. Keep in mind there is no better way to stop an ant infestation than by taking preventative measures. Thoroughly cleaning any food crumbs and making sure pet food is covered will save you from having an ant problem in the first place.

What Types of Ants Do I Have?

There are thousands of species of ants but the most common house invaders in the United States are carpenter ants, odorous house ants, and pavement ants. When our professionals visit your home for ant control in West Palm Beach, they’ll tailor the treatment depending on the species they find.

Carpenter Ants

One of the larger species of house ants (ranging from ¼ to ½ an inch in length), carpenter ants, true to their namesake, like to eat their way through wood. Large infestations have been known to destroy wooden structures and cause substantial damage to homes.

Odorous House Ants

These ants are quite small (1/8th to 1/6th of an inch) and tend to be either black or dark brown in color. They get their name due to the distinct rotten coconut smell they emit when they’re harmed.

Pavement Ants

These ants are slightly bigger than odorous house ants (about 3/8th of an inch in length) but have a similar dark brown to black coloration. They like to burrow in cracks in the pavement, along sidewalks, under foundations, and walls.

Where Do Ants Come From?

Space! Specifically, outside spaces or the tiny spaces of small cracks and other crevices around your house that are perfectly suited for ant colonies. This is why we commonly recommend sealing small cracks around with house with some caulk, as it prevents ants from getting into the home.

How Much Does Ant Control in West Palm Beach Cost?

The price for ant control varies depending on many factors, including the type of and frequency of treatment. Contact us to discuss the details of your needs and concerns!

Why Are Cockroaches Such a Persistent Problem?

With over 4,500 species worldwide and 70 found in the United States, cockroaches are a very common insect found inside homes. Throughout history, they have survived many changing environments and are one of the most adaptable and successful insects to ever inhabit the earth. From commercial kitchens to residential homes, we are prepared to bring you industry-leading cockroach control in West Palm Beach.

This presents a unique challenge to pest management professionals. How do you control something that’s had millions of years of success? O’Hara Pest Control’s trained technicians have the safe solutions to rid your home of these pests and prevent future infestations.

What You Need to Know About Cockroaches

What Are Their Feeding Habits?

Cockroaches are omnivorous scavengers, capable of consuming any organic food source. Although they have a preference for meat and sweets, they frequently eat wood, paper, and decaying matter. Cockroaches are not a social insect and commonly forage on their own.

Where do Cockroaches Like to Live?

Roaches prefer damp and dark areas around the home such as bathrooms, behind fridges, and in cabinetry. They also have a habit of living in unsanitary places like sewers, trash cans, and garbage disposals.

How Can Cockroaches Damage My Home?

Roaches can cause significant damage to kitchen cabinetry with their frass and fecal-matter deposits. New kitchen installations cost thousands of dollars, making roach control an investment that pays for itself.

Why Are Roaches Dangerous?

Cockroaches tend to contaminate more food than they eat. As they walk through the unsanitary environment they inhabit, they pick up bacteria and disease along the way. Roaches then spread those diseases as they walk over food supplies, food preparation equipment, dishes, utensils, and other surfaces.

Roaches have been associated with gastroenteritis (food poisoning) and are known to carry and transmit a wide range of allergens. Because two-thirds of the American population suffer from allergens, cockroaches can become a major health hazard if left unchecked.

FAQ

What Is Attracting Roaches to My Home?

Cockroaches have evolved to be highly resourceful. They can find their way into your home through small cracks and openings in search of exposed food or damp and dark hiding spots to burrow and breed. More than any other factor, access to food is the most likely reason that roaches are being attracted to your home.

How Can I Prevent Roaches?

The best way to keep these pesky invaders from settling in your home is by eliminating the things that attract them in the first place. Keep a tidy home and eliminate exposed food or places where you might find still water.
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A pro tip for roach prevention is keeping food preparation and eating to a single room, this will make it easier to spot crumbs and make cleaning more effective. If you’ve tried several methods with little results, it’s time to call a professional in West Palm Beach roach control.

What Kind of Cockroaches Do I Have?

Despite the vast number of species, three types of roaches have particularly excelled in invading American homes – American, German, and brown-banded cockroaches are the most common targets of commercial and residential roach control.

German Roach

German roaches are the most common species found around the globe. They are light brown to tan coloring with two dark, parallel stripes located on their backs. German roaches prefer warm and humid locations close to sources of food and moisture. They reproduce quickly and large populations are known to emit a strong odor.

American Roach

This is the largest house-infesting roach. American cockroaches are typically reddish-brown with a yellowish figure eight pattern on the back of the head. These roaches can grow to over 2” in length and are capable of flying short distances. They are most commonly found in sewer systems and drains.

Brown-banded Roach

These cockroaches are identified by two lighter bands across their bodies. Brown-banded roaches tend to prefer higher locations than other species and are often found in upper cabinets in kitchens and bathrooms.

Why Does My Home Have a Roach Problem?

Neglecting the common magnets for roaches such as exposed food sources and moisture-filled areas are sure-fire ways to trigger an infestation. However, if the issue persists or intensifies, it might be because your home has the right set of conditions to harbor a colony and you might need to call a professional West Palm Beach roach control company. The common conditions that are conducive to recurring roach problems include piles of clutter, dirt, grime, and trash that is not regularly disposed of.

How Often Does My Space Need West Palm Beach Roach Control?

The frequency of roach control in your home will always depend on how bad the problem is. If you’re dealing with an ongoing infestation, you’ll likely need several extermination treatments by a professional. Once the problem is under control, you can use some store-bought sprays once every 30 to 60 days to prevent future infestations.