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With Halloween right around the corner, in this episode of Take It To The Board, host Donna DiMaggio Berger and Dee Smith from NatureZone, a family-owned and operated pest control company, peek into the spookier corners of community association life: the creepy crawlies that make residents shiver and board members squirm. Together, they take a peek into what really moves through condos and HOAs: bed bugs that hitchhike on luggage, roof rats that turn trees into launch pads, and subterranean termites—now including a Formosan–Asian hybrid—capable of eating your equity faster than you’d ever expect. 

You’ll learn how bed bugs actually spread in multifamily buildings, why foggers make them worse, and a simple hotel routine that uses a hairdryer and a bathtub to stop hitchhikers. Donna and Dee break down drywood termite myths, explain why subterranean baiting like Sentricon changes the game after heavy rains and floods, and map the entry points rats love most—soffit gaps where gables meet hips, open AC chases, and lush landscaping pressed against stucco. They also talk compassion and safety: handling hoarding cases without letting infestations jump through chases, relocating honeybees while decisively removing aggressive wasps, and using greener, microencapsulated products and inert dusts for residents with chemical sensitivities.

If you live in a condo, townhome, or HOA, this is your resident’s guide and board playbook in one. Expect field-tested tips, from shaving “boots” on cabbage palms and keeping bird feeders off structures, to recognizing termite pellets and swarmer wings before repairs get ruinous. 

Conversation Highlights:

• The ultimate Halloween pest — which creepy crawler gives even the pros chills?
• The most common pests found in South Florida condominiums and HOAs
• Why pests spread so rapidly in multifamily buildings compared to single-family homes
• When a small issue becomes a nightmare: how one infested unit can impact an entire building
• The most unusual or memorable pest situations from real community cases
• Safe and eco-friendly pest control options for residents concerned about toxicity
• Tenting vs. spot treatment: how effective are different approaches for drywood and subterranean termites?
• Preventative policies boards can adopt—from hygiene to landscaping—to stop infestations before they start
• Plants and trees to avoid: what attracts rodents to community landscapes
• Dee's journey into pest control and what keeps her passionate about the field
• How modern pest control has evolved with greener, less toxic technologies
• Practical advice for boards developing or updating their community pest control plans

 Related Links and Resources:

• Article: Pest Control Company finds success through focusing on client retention, not revenue
• Pest Control Resources: Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services
• Podcast: Pesky Critters in Your Community? Top Tips From Wildlife Expert and Trapper Todd Hardwick