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Roaches Found at Jacksonville Theatre, Restaurants
JACKSONVILLE, FL. -- Three Jacksonville businesses were temporarily closed in mid-July after reports of "roach activity."
According to our news partner The Florida Times-Union inspectors noted more than 130 dead and live roaches at Mimi’s Sports Bar in Atlantic Beach. East Buffet on Jacksonville’s Westside was also cited for improper food storage and numerous dead and live roaches.
Nearly 60 roaches, dead and alive, were found after an inspection of the San Marco Theatre’s concession stand. They closed on a Friday afternoon and were able to reopen on Saturday afternoon.
Owners of Mimi’s told First Coast News they fired their pest control company and spent $1200 to fix their problems. They reopened after two days.
Debbie Chen said she also fired her pest control company. “I called them and said , you know what, it is taking too much time for you to kill all of them, it is not good for me either. I am sorry but I have to reach another company. So we got them pretty good, we fixed it.”
Chen said her problem was made more difficult by the fact they occupy an older building. She and her staff sealed holes where roaches might enter and plumbing repairs were also made where needed.
State inspectors shut all three businesses down because the conditions posed “an elevated risk to the health, safety or welfare of the public.”
George Richardson of Peninsular Pest Control said roaches can increase during hot weather, but it is a year round problem. He is not surprised at the closings.
“Restaurants can have lots of roaches. They have to have water, food and tight hiding places and restaurants have all three. Roaches can come in on cardboard boxes. They can be controlled by using a sound pest control program and making sure it is clean inside the restaurant. You have to keep at it and you have to have a partnership between the restaurant personnel and the pest control proffessional. It is not a one-way street. And it all starts with a proper inspection”
The Critter Gitter was just too much for this itsy bitsy spider. Rain or shine they get us every time.
Reticulitermes hageni
Due to their wood-eating habits, termites can do great damage to homes and other wooden structures. Their habit of remaining concealed often results in their presence being undetected until severe damaged is done. Once termites have entered a building, they do not limit themselves to wood; they also damage paper, cloth, carpets and more.
Musca domestica
The house fly is the most common of all domestic flies, accounting for about 90% of all flies in human habitations, and indeed one of the most widely distributed insects, found all over the world; it is considered a pest that can carry serious diseases. Each female fly can lay approximately 500 eggs in several batches of about 75 to 150.
Hymenoptera
The term wasp is typically defined as any insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is neither a bee nor ant. Almost every pest insect species has at least one wasp species that preys upon it or parasitizes it, making wasps critically important in natural control of their numbers, or natural biocontrol.
Siphonaptera/Ixodoidea
Fleas are small (1/16”), dark, reddish-brown, wingless, blood-sucking insects. Their bodies are laterally compressed, (i.e., flattened side to side) permitting easy movement through the hairs on the host’s body. Their legs are long and well adapted for jumping. Ticks are blood-feeding parasites that are often found in tall grass and shrubs where they will wait to attach to a passing host. A tick will attach itself to its host by inserting its chelicerae (cutting mandibles) and hypostome (feeding tube) into the skin. The hypostome is covered with recurved teeth and serves as an anchor. Young ticks have six legs, and mature ticks have eight legs. They vary in size and appearance depending on the species.
Formicidae
Ants are pests around the home because they feed on and contaminate human foods, infest structures, and build unsightly mounds in lawns. In some cases, ants are able to inflict painful bites or stings. Ants do not attack or eat fabrics, leather or wood in houses; however, some species can establish nests in decaying wood in structures.
Mus musculus
The mouse usually lives in proximity to humans, in or around houses or fields. Originally native to Asia they have since been spread throughout the world. House mice can transmit diseases, and can damage food and food packaging. It is thought that house mice were the primary reason for the taming of the domestic cat.
Achaearanea tepidariorum
Arachnophobia is a fear of spiders or anything reminiscent of spiders, such as webs or spider-like shapes. It is one of the most common specific phobias, and some statistics show that 50 percent of women and 10 percent of men show symptoms. It may be an exaggerated form of an instinctive response that helped early humans to survive.
Jacksonville, Florida 32204
