The Top Pests In Florida & The Tropics
Florida and the tropics have a multitude of insect species. Many insects and pests are native while others are considered invasive species that arrived in Florida by accident or were intentionally introduced. These so-called “pests” often carry & transmit diseases to humans and animals; as well as cause moderate to serious damage to your lawn, garden and landscape’s appearance and value – if left unchecked.
As stated by the University of Florida’s Institute of Food & Agricultural Sciences, “Insects can become pests in the garden when they cause damage to garden plants. The signs of damage vary, typically depending on the way that the insect feeds on the plant.
Some insects have chewing mouthparts, leaving tears and holes; others have piercing-sucking mouthparts, often causing wilting, yellowing, or browning on plants.
Pest insects can also be classified by the types of damage they cause. For example, defoliators tend to feed voraciously and strip a plant nearly bare. Many caterpillars fall into this category. Other insects include leafminers, which burrow into the leaves of plants leaving tell-tale tunnels in the leaves. Then there are gall makers and wood/phloem borers. “
Most Common Insects In Florida & the Tropics:
- Red Imported Fire Ants
- Florida Carpenter Ants
- Subterranean Termites
- Spiders: Wolf and Widow
- Caterpillars
- Mosquitoes
- Palmetto Bugs
- No-See-Ums
- Yellow Flies
- Carpenter Bees
- Mealy Bugs
According to Michael Davies, Sales Director for Bermuda Landscape: “It’s important to protect your landscaping investment. In South Florida and the tropics, insects can affect the appearance and health of your landscape, lawn, trees and plantings. In order to protect and maintain your property, it’s best to hire professionals who understand the complexity of pest control, particularly in the tropics.”
The Tropics have endless warmth and humidity to make it the perfect habitat for a multitude of insects.
Most Common Insects In The Tropics:
- Camellia Pests and Problems
- Caribbean Fruit Fly
- Chinch Bugs
- Cycad Aulacaspis Scale
- Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers
- Fall Armyworm
- Fall Webworm
- Fire Ants
- Hornworm Caterpillars
- Leaffooted Insect Pests
- Lobate Lac Scale
- Mosquitoes
- Nematodes
- Stinging and Venomous Caterpillars
- Tea Scale
- Thrips
- Tropical Sod Webworm
- Twig Girdlers
- White Grubs
- Yellow Jackets
At Bermuda Landscape, our goal is to protect your investment by maintaining the health and appearance of your lawn, gardens and landscape. Our fertilization, weed and pest control services are based on eliminating disease, insects and detrimental conditions (including flooding), in order to prevent the costly replacement of your grass, shrubs or trees. With over 30 years experience in South Florida and The Caribbean, our highly trained specialists, application methods and equipment have proven to effectively protect and maintain your property and the environment.
Bermuda Landscape marked their 30th year with a robust expansion into new sectors and services, earning numerous awards within the civic, hospitality, residential and commercial sectors.To learn more about Bermuda Landscapes’ portfolio of services and landscape projects, visit www.BermudaLandscape.com or call 561.432-0030.