Real Estate Views from St Pete

     One of the less desirable aspects of Florida living is Palmetto bugs, a euphanism for big roaches.  They may have started outside, in the Palmetto  bushes, but they manage to get inside, and it isn't pretty.  (Chameleons, on the other hand, are not only harmless, and eat small bugs, they are really cute).  So,  it's normal in Florida to have pest control companies come in and spray all around the baseboards. Some do it monthly, some quarterly, some annually - in any case, the bugs seem to know the contract term, because they start appearing about a week before the bugman is supposed to come.  I don't like stuff being sprayed inside my house, and I don't like bugmen wandering all through my house.
     New construction has solved this problem. One option, and you should really upgrade to this, is a system of tubing that is actually inside the walls. Tubins is installed in new construction in the wall system, before any sheet rock is installed. These tubes fun ablove the baseboard level, and also connect to moisture points throughout the house, such as any  bathrooms or kitchen facilities. It's all continuous, without splices. So - when the quarterly bugman comes,  he high-pressure sprays into a service box located on the outside of the house, which then goes through the tubing, which is perforated to cover all the areas. No smell, no mess, nobody inside the house.
    I'm waiting for someone to come up with a way we can put this in older homes as well.  If you're building new, though, be sure to ask if the builder is included this in wall pest control system and, if not, upgrade to get it.  You'll be happy you did.

 
Sharon Simms, Real Estate Agent serving St. Petersburg, Florida, the Gulf Beaches and the Tampa Bay area.