[Pairadocs]

Originally Posted by Bonanza

Well, here they are again . . . Welcome to The Villages where neighbors, friends, and pest control companies will (or try) to put the fear of God in you that cockroaches will carry you off to never-never land!

I originally moved to Florida in 1983 and have NEVER had a pest control contract with anyone. I never needed one and still don't have a need for treatment. When I have had a bug situation that I can count on less than one hand in all these years, I personally treated the problem myself. Yes, you will have an occasional roach or ants but this is Florida and they were here before us. The climate here agrees with bugs but you will never have a rampant problem unless something in your house or something you do, lends itself to that happening.

I am not a believer in indiscriminate spraying and The Villages is a horrible example of that being done. All these chemicals that are used month after month are poisoning the groundwater, land, and houses, and these chemicals do NOT dissipate! They are here forever!

PLEASE -- do not let your friends and neighbors tell you that you MUST spray as a "preventative". Do NOT let a pest control company give you a deal. Play the wait-and-see game. Finding an occasional bug is not the end of the earth. An infestation warrants something being done but I will guarantee you that will not happen unless there is a damn good reason! And if it should happen, treat the issue yourself which is easy to do and a lot less expensive than calling someone in.

Such good and logical advice. Sadly, few probably take the time to follow it ! And YES, we ARE drinking the very chemicals "we" pour on the ground and spray in the air daily. Will probably never stop, most people fall for the fear mongering, before taking their time to actually see what they might need ! Fire ants ? Now that's a serious danger, and a canister of granules sprinkled on their mound takes care of the problem nearly instantly !

[Pairadocs]

Originally Posted by SusanZR*

Thank you!
Can you please share the name of the specific product(s) you use around the doors/garage to deter roaches in particular and other pests in general?

Boric acid power spray (squeeze squeeze, poof, poof) is one of the most effective and least hazardous deterrents we've found, especially for the roach/ palmetto bug type insects, but others as well ! Have also used the Home Defense premix ("safe for pets and humans" from Ace for years and never have had any insects, but recently switched to a new, and supposedly even safer alternative, Zevo. Seem to work just as well, still see no sign of insects. Time will tell !

[mtdjed]

Originally Posted by SusanZR*

Thank you!
Can you please share the name of the specific product(s) you use around the doors/garage to deter roaches in particular and other pests in general?

I do my own insect control (Except termites) using a product called Suspend SC by Bayer. I get it online for about $40 a pint. You apply it with a pump sprayer (2 or 3 gal size) using 1 to 2 ounces of Suspend SC. It is safe for pets after it dries and can even be used in food storage areas (Not on food containers).

I apply it outside around all entrances, in the garage along the walls and entrances, and in the house under sinks, closets behind washer and dryer, under kitchen appliances, sliding door tracks, under and behind furniture.

I do this once every 3 months. The only insects that I have had to handle differently are what I was told are Pharoah ants. These are very small ants that travel in lines from their nest to a food source. You need to feed them Terro by putting a drop on a small cardboard tap a placing along their path. Let them enjoy and they will carry it back to their nest and feed it to the colony which will disappear.

[DAVES]

Originally Posted by SusanZR*

Hello. We are new to the Villages and wanted to know if the Villages itself has their own insect control measures. In other words, do they take care of treating all the common areas/rec centers/etc? Do residents have their own home insect control companies, or are the comminities so well sprayed (for lack of a better term) that individual houses really don't need it unless they develop a problem? Thanks.

Wise to ask. Like anything else you will find tons of different OPINIONS. Spraying. my view.

The chemicals are not good for people either. Nature is a balance. You spray for an insect and it actually reduces the animals, diseases etc that keep it under control. The lizards, are actually your first line of defense against insects. Mosquitoes, need standing water to breed so eliminate standing water We pay for termite spraying. Even that is debatable.
The fine print is it covers subterranean termites not the other kind that flies in. Butterflies? They start out as caterpillars. Spray, KILL EM DEAD, and wonder where all the butterflies have gone. Same is true of bees.

[SusanZR*]

Hi- we have, but they are all old and lazy and mostly just watch insects instead of getting them : )

[DAVES]

Originally Posted by SusanZR*

Hello. We are new to the Villages and wanted to know if the Villages itself has their own insect control measures. In other words, do they take care of treating all the common areas/rec centers/etc? Do residents have their own home insect control companies, or are the comminities so well sprayed (for lack of a better term) that individual houses really don't need it unless they develop a problem? Thanks.

Like everything else no shortage of OPINIONS. this is Florida we are loaded with insects.
When you spray you change the balance. You not only kill what you want to kill but you kill the insects and animals that feed on them. Your first line of defense against insects are the lizards and bats. Mosquitoes need standing water to breed in. Look around your yard. Get rid of any standing water.

The communities do spray. They monitor the insects. There are boxes to sample the insects.
They spray as needed and at night.

Roaches. A perfect solution. We don't have any roaches. They call them waterbugs.