Paske Pest Control & Wildlife Solutions

08/07/2026

Lee County students head back Tuesday, August 11. Here is the part that never makes the supply list.

Backpacks are one of the most common ways bed bugs move between homes. They ride in on bags, jackets, and sports gear, travel between buses, classrooms, and cubbies, and end up in a bedroom by the end of the week.

Bed bugs are not a cleanliness problem. They are a transport problem, which is why a spotless house is no protection at all. Summer travel season ending right as school starts makes August one of the higher-risk stretches of the year.

Four habits that make a real difference:

1. Store backpacks on hooks or hard surfaces, not on beds, couches, or carpet
2. Check seams, zippers, and pockets weekly for dark specks or tiny shed skins
3. Run bags and cloth gear through a hot dryer cycle, since heat kills every life stage
4. Keep bags out of the bedroom when something seems off

Caught early, treatment is straightforward. Caught late, it means the mattress, the furniture, and the whole room.

Here is to a smooth first week for the students, teachers, and bus drivers across Lee, Charlotte, Sarasota, and Collier counties.

Waking up with bites or unsure what you are seeing? Call (239) 475-5392.

08/06/2026

August is when the palmetto bugs show up, and there is a reason it always feels worse this time of year.

Quick clarification first, since it causes constant confusion. Palmetto bug is a Florida nickname, not a species. It usually refers to the American cockroach, the large reddish-brown one that flies short distances and turns up on lanais and in garages. It can also mean the Florida woods cockroach, a slower outdoor species.

Peak heat and daily rain are what drive them indoors right now:

1. Saturated ground pushes outdoor roaches toward dry structures
2. Extreme heat sends them looking for cooler, humid spaces
3. Drains, weep holes, and garage door gaps become the entry points
4. Lanais and pool decks give them constant moisture and cover

One detail worth knowing: seeing roaches in daylight usually means the population is larger than what you are seeing, because they prefer to stay hidden.

German cockroaches are a different problem entirely. They establish indoors near kitchens and bathrooms and multiply fast, which is why identifying the species comes before any treatment.

Tap Learn More to see how cockroach control works across SWFL. Seeing them at night? Call (239) 475-5392.

Cockroach control in Southwest Florida. German and American roach removal that eliminates the source, not just what you see. Same-day available.

08/04/2026

Sanibel Island has a pest situation that mainland homes never deal with.

More than half the island is conservation land, and the J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge sits right in the middle of it. That protected habitat is the reason people love Sanibel. It is also the reason pest pressure here works differently.

What island properties face:

1. Salt marsh mosquitoes and no-see-ums breeding in the surrounding wetlands and mangroves
2. Rodents and wildlife moving in from preserve land and shoreline vegetation
3. Heavy humidity and salt air that open gaps in soffits, screens, and seals
4. Seasonal homes that sit empty for weeks, giving pests time to settle in undisturbed

That last one catches a lot of owners. A property closed up through the summer can develop a full infestation before anyone walks back through the door.

Treatment near a wildlife refuge also calls for judgment. The goal is to solve the pest problem without disrupting the native species that make the island what it is.

Tap Learn More to see how Sanibel Island properties stay protected. Own or manage a home on the island? Call (239) 475-5392.

Need Sanibel Island pest control? Paske protects beach homes, condos, rentals, and businesses from rodents, termites, roaches, mosquitoes, and bees.

08/03/2026

The tropics are quiet right now. That is exactly why this week matters.

WGCU reported this weekend that the Atlantic has entered its peak months, but long-range models show few signs of organized development.

A strengthening El Nino and the Saharan Air Layer, a mass of dry, dusty air moving off Africa, are both working against storm formation. NOAA notes that air around a Saharan dust plume carries roughly 50 percent less moisture than the surrounding atmosphere.

The catch is that NOAA still puts the historical peak from mid-September into October. A quiet early August is a head start, not an all clear.

Use the window on the pest side of storm prep, because that is the part most people skip:

1. Seal soffits, roof vents, and utility line gaps now, before wind and rain widen them
2. Clear gutters and drain anything holding water, since mosquitoes breed in days
3. Trim limbs and fronds back off the roofline, since rodents use them as a bridge
4. Get a perimeter treatment down while the weather is stable

After a storm, saturated ground pushes ants, roaches, and rodents toward dry structures, and displaced wildlife looks for shelter in whatever opened up. The properties that come through cleanest are the ones sealed and treated beforehand.

Want your property checked while the tropics are calm? Call (239) 475-5392.

07/31/2026

Two of these are true. One is not. Can you spot the lie?

1. A cockroach can survive about a week without its head.

2. A mouse can squeeze through a gap the width of a pencil.

3. Termites in Southwest Florida go dormant all winter.

Drop your guess in the comments before you read on.

The answer is number three. Termites here never take the winter off. Southwest Florida stays warm and humid year-round, which keeps subterranean colonies active and feeding in every season. That is why an annual inspection matters even when the weather cools.

As for the other two, both are true. A cockroach breathes through openings along its body, so it can survive headless for days. And a mouse only needs an opening about a quarter inch wide to get inside.

How did you do? Let us know in the comments.

Dealing with any of the three at your place? Call (239) 475-5392.

07/30/2026

A mouse does not need a door. It needs a gap the width of a pencil.

That is the part that surprises most Cape Coral property owners. A building can look completely sealed and still have a dozen openings a mouse can use.

The usual entry points:

1. Gaps where AC lines, plumbing, and utility conduits pass through exterior walls
2. Worn garage door seals that no longer meet the slab
3. Soffit and roofline gaps, especially after storm damage or repairs
4. Dryer and exhaust vents with damaged covers
5. Weep holes and small cracks along the foundation

Summer pushes the problem harder. Heat and heavy rain drive mice to look for cool, dry shelter with a food source nearby, and a Cape Coral home or business offers all three.

This is why trapping alone never solves it. Without sealing the openings, new mice keep following the same path in.

Our newest blog explains why mice get into Cape Coral homes and businesses, and what closes the door for good.

Tap Learn More below to read the full guide. Ready to seal them out? Call (239) 475-5392.

House mice slip through quarter-inch gaps and breed fast in Cape Coral. Learn why they get into homes and businesses, where they nest, and the risks.

07/28/2026

Mice are quiet, and that is the problem. Most Cape Coral homeowners and business owners find the evidence long before they ever see a mouse.

Here is what to look for:

1. Small dark droppings, about the size of a grain of rice, near cabinets, pantries, and storage areas
2. Light scratching or scurrying sounds in walls and ceilings after dark
3. Gnaw damage on food packaging, cardboard, and wiring
4. Shredded paper, insulation, or fabric tucked into hidden corners
5. Greasy smudge marks along baseboards where they run the same path nightly

For a business, the stakes climb fast. Droppings in a stockroom or prep area can mean failed inspections, discarded inventory, and a reputation problem that outlasts the infestation.

Mice also breed quickly, so a few early signs can become a established population within weeks.

Our latest blog walks through how to tell if you have mice in your Cape Coral home or business.

Tap Learn More below to read the full guide. Seeing the signs? Call (239) 475-5392.

Small droppings or scratching in the walls? Learn how to confirm mice in a Cape Coral home or business, judge the severity, and decide what to do next.

07/27/2026

That iguana sunning itself on your seawall is doing more damage than most homeowners realize.

Green iguanas are an invasive species in Florida, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirms established populations along the Gulf Coast in Lee and Collier counties. Cape Coral's canal system gives them exactly what they want: open banks, warm sun, and soft soil to dig into.

The real cost is underground. According to FWC, iguana burrows erode and collapse sidewalks, foundations, seawalls, berms, and canal banks. A tunnel network behind a seawall lets water work into the soil, and what starts as a small opening can turn into cracking, shifting, or a leaning wall over time.

What waterfront property owners should watch for:

1. Fresh holes along the canal bank or at the base of the seawall
2. Soil that sinks or cracks near the wall, pool deck, or sidewalk
3. Droppings on docks, seawalls, and pool decks, which can carry Salmonella
4. Stripped ornamental plants and flowers

Activity peaks in the warm months, so right now is when burrowing is heaviest.

Green iguanas are not protected in Florida, and FWC encourages removal from private property. That said, removal has to be handled humanely and legally, which is why it is worth calling a professional rather than handling it yourself.

Seeing iguanas or fresh burrows near your seawall? Call (239) 475-5392.

07/24/2026

Would you rather deal with mosquitoes all summer or roaches all winter?

It is the kind of choice no one in SWFL actually wants to make.

Mosquitoes own the lanai from June through the fall, breeding in any water that sits for more than a few days. Roaches push indoors when the weather shifts, hunting for warmth and moisture.

So which would you pick? Buzzing bites on the patio, or the skitter across the kitchen floor at midnight?

Make your choice in the comments. No wrong answers, just strong opinions.

The good news is you do not have to live with either one. Same-day service is available across Lee, Charlotte, Sarasota, and Collier counties when you call before noon. (239) 475-5392.

07/23/2026

Living on Estero Island comes with a pest problem that many companies will not deal with.

Fort Myers Beach sits on a barrier island, and that setting shapes the pest pressure in ways inland homes never face. Salt marsh mosquitoes and no-see-ums breed in the surrounding wetlands. Rodents and wildlife travel the shoreline and dune vegetation. Ongoing rebuilding leaves new gaps and openings for pests to exploit.

Here is the part that frustrates island residents. A lot of pest control companies avoid Estero Island because of the bridge and the drive. When your provider will not make the trip, small problems have time to grow.

Paske services Fort Myers Beach and Estero Island the same as anywhere else in the region. Same treatments, same follow-up, no skipping the island.

Common island pest pressures handled here:

1. Mosquitoes and no-see-ums from nearby wetlands
2. Rodents moving in from shoreline vegetation
3. Ants and roaches drawn to moisture and rebuilding sites
4. Wildlife looking for shelter in damaged structures

Tap Learn More to see how Fort Myers Beach homes stay protected. On the island and need service? Call (239) 475-5392.

Fort Myers Beach Pest Control Most Companies Skip the Island. Paske Does Not. Same-day exterminator service across Estero Island, from Bowditch Point to Lovers Key Service covers all Fort Myers Beach areas, including Bowditch Point, Times Square, Estero Boulevard corridor, Mid-Island, Santini Plaza....