In the wake of recent, sustained flooding, residents are grappling with a familiar yet intensified challenge: a massive surge in pests. Mosquitoes, flies, roaches, ants, termites, mice, rats, horseflies and gnats have taken advantage of the prolonged damp conditions, turning the area into a battleground.
Flooding creates the perfect breeding ground for pests. Standing water and moist environments are ideal conditions for many insects to reproduce and thrive. Mosquitoes, for instance, lay their eggs in stagnant water, leading to a population explosion. Similarly, moisture attracts termites and ants, which can cause significant damage to homes and structures.
Flies and roaches are drawn to the increased availability of food and shelter in the aftermath of floods. Mice and rats can cause significant damage and health risks if not controlled. After flooding, rodents often seek shelter in homes and buildings, making pest control imperative.
Camille Landry, an entomologist and co-owner of FullScope Pest Control alongside her husband Scott Pinkerton, offers expert tips on how to keep your home, business, and yard free from these relentless invaders.
“One thing that people need to really be concerned about is mosquitoes. With standing water and lots of items that are catch basins for mosquitoes and breeding, you can usually find wigglers that are the larvae, and those are going to turn into biting mosquitoes. They won’t breed in moving water, but they only need about an inch of standing water to breed, so a low lying area in your lawn that’s holding water is a concern,” said Landry.
In the warm climate of Southeast Texas, it takes just two weeks for mosquitoes to complete their life cycle. From the moment a female mosquito feeds to the time she lays her eggs, the conditions are ideal for a massive mosquito bloom. With rains consistent in this part of Texas, conditions are ripe for year-round mosquito season, she said.
“They don’t really go dormant, and a freeze doesn’t bother them either. In our subtropical area, with excessive moisture and abundant vegetation, mosquitoes thrive and are active all year long,” Landry said.
One effective measure in combatting the mosquito blooms is larvicide, which interrupts the breeding cycle. Larvicide works by targeting mosquito larvae before they can develop into adults. When applied to standing water where mosquitoes lay their eggs, larvicide prevents the larvae from maturing into pupae and eventually adult mosquitoes.
There are different types of larvicides, such as biological agents that introduce bacteria harmful to mosquito larvae, or chemical agents that disrupt their growth processes. By eliminating the larvae at this early stage, larvicide significantly reduces the overall mosquito population and helps prevent the spread of mosquito-borne diseases.
While larvicide is deadly for the mosquitoes, it is safe for the environment and to be around humans, Landry explained.
“There are different types. There’s a chemical larvicide that’s really like an insect growth regulator. One of the products we’re using right now, installing, is an In2Care system developed in the Netherlands, and it’s really been used for years in underdeveloped countries that have a really big West Nile, Zika, dengue problem. Those look like a flower pot, and water’s inside, and then there is a floating ring of an insect growth regulator, which is like a type of larvicide,” said Landry. “So the female mosquito finds this little perfect place, she lays, comes in contact with that mesh, and she’ll lay her eggs on there, and then she actually gets contaminated with the larvicide, and will move it around. So she’s actually helping us control other areas of breeding. She goes to another little puddle, and it washes off of her legs and then now that area is not a breeding site.”
Landry called the technology a “game changer” in combatting mosquito populations.
Another effective method for creating a backyard barrier against mosquitoes is fogging. However, this needs to be performed regularly to maintain its effectiveness. Landry recommends combining fogging with baiting using larvicide to eliminate mosquitoes. This dual approach targets both adult mosquitoes and their larvae, helping to reduce the overall mosquito population and provide long-term relief from these pests.
Termites are another major concern, especially after flooding. These wood-destroying insects thrive in moist environments, making homes and structures particularly vulnerable. Landry advises taking proactive measures to prevent termite infestations. This includes removing any water-damaged wood, ensuring proper drainage around the home, and treating the soil with termiticides. Regular inspections and maintenance are crucial to catching any signs of termite activity early. By combining these preventative strategies with professional pest control services, homeowners can protect their properties from the costly damage termites can cause.
“By the time people have termite swarmers inside their homes in large quantities, and we’re talking hundreds not one or two random ones, but hundreds of them, bubbling out of something, a colony has probably been undetected in a wall somewhere eating your home for three to five years,” Landry said. “How quickly can a swarm of termites destroy a wall of a house? It’s hard to tell. People have extreme panic attacks when they find a swarm in their home, and I know it’s scary, but they can’t eat a house down in a year, but you clearly don’t want them doing destruction behind the wall. That’s why it’s really important to have maintenance pest control.”
In addition to regular monitoring your home and having it inspected by pest control companies, there are also treatments, such as bait stations and soil treatments, that will deter a termite colony from forming in your home or prevent other pests from entering.
“We look at things differently than you do because we’re looking for conducive conditions for termites. Do we have high soil up against the slab? Do we have any cracks that are forming in the slab? Is the mulch too high? Is it staying too wet right here?” Landry said. “We look for compromised areas. We’re always inspecting with our eyes on your home to protect it.”
People need not be alarmed by pest infestations as there are effective strategies and professional services available to handle and resolve these issues. Professional pest control services like FullScope Pest Control provide proven methods for dealing with a wide variety of pests, and by implementing preventive measures such as regular inspections, proper sanitation, and sealing entry points, the risk of infestations can be significantly minimized.
Panicking can lead to hasty decisions, including the use of unsafe pest control methods that may pose health risks, whereas professional services utilize safe and regulated treatments.
So essentially, if you’re uncertain about your pest control needs, consider reaching out to your local pest control company for a consultation. Arrange for a visit to assess their services and offerings. This will help you make an informed decision when choosing the right local pest control provider for your needs.
To reach Camille Landry at FullScope Pest Control, call 832-898-0190.
Landry also provided these helpful resources:
https://www.fullscopepestcontrol.com/in2-care-mosquito-station/ This link has some great information on a type of larvacide mosquito product that helps with reproduction of the mosquitoes.
https://www.epa.gov/mosquitocontrol/mosquito-life-cycle Great information on the life cycle (2 weeks to complete in our area).
https://www.dshs.texas.gov/mosquito-borne-diseases/list-mosquito-borne-diseases