Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting a Pest Control Service

A house fly perches on a soft drink can in this file photo by University of Florida entomologist Jerry Butler. The tiny white spots are flecks of powdered sugar from an earlier stroll on a jelly doughnut. In a new study, Butler and colleagues tested house flies captured outside restaurants and found they often carried harmful bacteria, including five species never associated with flies before.

While you can prevent pests from infesting your home, you might need the services of a professional to evict them if they have already moved in. The pest control industry in Florida is the largest in the nation. How do you choose the best pest control company for you? This 6-page fact sheet written by Faith Oi, James E. Davis, John M. Diaz, Sarah M. Ellis, Randall A. Cantrell, Nelly Nelson, and Judy Corbus and published by the UF/IFAS Entomology and Nematology Department is full of practical tips and advice to help you choose a reliable and effective pest control service to help you kick out any uninvited crawlies.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1269

Ornamental Palms for Central Florida (ENH60/EP020)

Figure 6. X Butiagrus nabonnandiiPalms are often thought of as symbols of the tropics, but fortunately there are a number of palm species that grow in warm, temperate climates, such as that of Central Florida. This 8-page fact sheet was written by Timothy K. Broschat and James E. Davis, and published by the UF Department of Environmental Horticulture, January 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep020