If you notice a spike in pest activity in the fall, it’s likely because they are moving indoors due to the cooling temperatures. Most pests in Delray Beach thrive in the warm, humid summer and by fall, their populations are large. As weather shifts and rainfall increases, pests like rats, palmetto bugs, and ants seek shelter and food in homes, garages, sheds, and commercial buildings.
To stop this pest invasion, home and business owners must take preventative action as these pests can easily enter a structure through gaps under doors, cracks in foundations, roof openings, broken screens, and even plumbing.
Here are the top fall pests to watch out for in Delray Beach.
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Key Takeaways
- Pest activity in Delray Beach shifts from outside to inside in the fall.
- Mild, sub-tropical weather in Delray Beach keeps most pest active until late fall.
- DIY pest control methods are more difficult in the fall due to pests’ seasonal transitions.
The Top Fall Pests in Delray Beach
Of all the pests that become more common in the fall, the top fall pests are ants, cockroaches, rodents, spiders, biting midges, and mosquitoes.
Ants
For ants in Delray Beach, fall marks the height of their colony expansion and when they begin to migrate indoors, they often do it in large numbers. Southern Florida is home to a large number of ant species, but the most common ones that come into Delray Beach homes are ghost ants, fire ants, and sugar ants.
There are a couple ways to tell if you have an ant infestation in your home, but the most obvious one is seeing lines of ants trailing along baseboards, near sinks and pet bowls, or around entry points like windows and doors. You may also have an ant infestation that isn’t out in the open. Fire ants, for example, may build large mounds next to the foundation of your home where they can gain access to a structure if any cracks or openings present an opportunity.
Cockroaches (Palmetto Bugs)
Palmetto bugs typically stay outdoors, but in Delray Beach, it is very common for them to come into your home the fall in when their natural habitats become inhospitable. Common entry points are sewers, drainpipes, crawl spaces, and gaps around doors, windows, and vents.
Palmetto bugs and other types of cockroaches are nocturnal so it is usually easiest to see them at night, especially when you suddenly turn a light on in a dark room. However, when infestations become more advanced, daytime sighting are also pretty common.
You can also identify an infestation by the signs it leaves behind. A musty odor in closed off spaces, droppings resembling coffee grounds, and oval-shaped egg cases are all clues that roaches have moved in.
Rodents
Several of Delray Beach’s rodent species move into man-made structures during the fall, especially roof rats and house mice. They come in looking for warmth and food, and they will quickly create nests in hard-to-reach places like attics, behind walls, and in crawl spaces.
Other than seeing live animals, there are a few telltale signs of rodent activity that you can look out for. Signs of rodent activity include droppings along baseboards and closed-off places like pantries and drawers. Gnaw marks, torn food bags, and scattered nesting material, are also common signs.
Preventing rodents from entering your home or business involves an integrated approach that includes entry points repair, physical barriers, and strategically-placed traps and bait stations. It is also advisable to clean and sanitize areas that they animals like to hide in.
Spiders
Fall is mating season for spiders in Delray Beach, and you’ll see many more of them indoors as a result. Most of the species common to the area are harmless, but there are a couple of dangerous ones to be aware of (brown recluses are rare in Delray Beach, but black widows are reported on a fairly regular basis). It’s also good to keep in mind that spiders follow their food sources. Where there are spiders, there will also be other types of pests thriving nearby.
Identifying a spider infestation is pretty easy in most cases because they leave webs behind. You may notice new webs showing up out of the blue, or old webs in corners, garages, behind furniture, or in storage areas.
For prevention and control, it is recommended to clean up webs whenever you see them indoors, and seal possible entry points as well as possible. Professionals also use residual insecticides that target both spiders and their prey items.
Mosquitoes and No-See-Ums
Mosquitoes and biting midges (no-see-ums) in Delray Beach reach their peak in the fall, thanks to the tropical weather and increased rains. The increased numbers are a concern because the two most common mosquito species in the area (Culex and Aedes aegypti) are known disease carriers and there are more bites from no-see-ums during fall than any other time of year. Both insects are more active during the dawn and dusk, and both leave itchy welts on your skin.
Controlling the populations of these insects can be difficult if you don’t know where they are breeding, but that is usually where control efforts start. Experienced pest control experts use a combination of larvicide treatments, water management, and yard fogging to achieve drastic population reductions, often exceeding 90%.
When to Call a Professional Pest Control Company
If you are dealing with any of these common pests in Delray Beach, it is always best to call a professional pest control company to learn about your treatment options and to get an assessment on how extensive the pest problem has become.
If you notice any of the signs that these pests are known for, like droppings, foul odors, or noises at night, it can be difficult to know where to begin the pest control process on your own. In fact, most DIY approaches target the symptom rather than the problem, and reinfestations are extremely common.
Calling in a pro right at the beginning not only give you peace of mind, but it also saves you time and money, and professional services come with a service guarantee that you wont get with any other treatment option. You also get follow up visits to ensure the problem has been solved successfully.
Call Nextgen Pest Solutions today for a free, same-day inspection, and customized treatment plans for Delray Beach’s climate and pest pressures.
FAQs
Do mosquitoes go away in fall in Delray Beach?
No, mosquitoes and no-see-ums stay active through late fall due to warm, humid conditions.
Do I really need pest control year-round in South Florida?
Yes, Delray Beach’s warm climate keeps pests active all year, especially in fall and spring.
How can I prevent fall pests naturally?
Seal entry points, remove standing water, reduce clutter, and keep food and trash tightly sealed.
