Summers mean a rise in temperature, and it also means a surge in the number of uninvited guests – PESTS.
Well, no one likes to see pests around them – they look creepy, they create a mess, and they bring truckloads of health hazards. To avoid them, pest prevention and pest control services for home is what you should opt for.
Have you ever wondered why pest problems rise in the summer, or why your home becomes the center of attraction for pests in summery time? Well, that’s because when the temperature begins to increase, pests attempt to get inside a cool, shaded home.
Do note that pests not only seek shelter in your homes, but these cold-blooded creatures also find summer season a favorable time to reproduce and extend their numbers. Throughout the summer months, you should guard yourself against many pests such as cockroaches, rats/rodents, ants, mosquitoes, flies and others. We have curated a few tips to help you in keeping pests at bay.
Summer Pest Control Tips
You must have heard about “Prevention is better than cure”, but ever wondered what you can do to prevent these pesky pests from getting inside your house?
For that, first, you need to be aware of the reasons why these pests come into your home, prevent them and then try to do pest control at home.
The main reasons why pests come home in summer are food, water, and shelter. Once you block out all three elements for them, you will see a significant reduction in your pest woes.
Next time, think twice before keeping plates overnight after dinner. Food crumbs on those utensils attract insects like cockroaches and rats. These pests carry harmful diseases and are responsible for causing asthma in children.
The same goes for water. Keep your house as dry as possible, try to fix leaky taps and faucets. These can provide breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Pack up the shelter by filling or seal them and you will face much fewer issues this summer.
LIST OF DOS AND DON’TS TO KEEP PESKY PESTS AWAY
DOS
- Inspect and replace weather-stripping around windows and repair loose mortar around your house for tears, debris, leaks, or loose pieces
- Store food in sealed containers and always keep the kitchen counter clean, ensure no food crumbs left anywhere
- Eliminate areas of accumulating water
- Maintain landscaping to avoid overgrowth which is favorable for pest nesting
- Regularly trim trees and bushes near your house
- Eliminate hiding places for pests
- Use mechanisms to divert rainwater away from the house
- Regularly walk around your property to check for accumulated water
- Check for leaks around your air conditioning unit, and pick up items left scattered throughout the yard
- Dry out and ventilate basements, attics and crawl spaces
- Dispose of away overripe fruits and vegetables
- Keep your backyard clean
- Look over all your screens for holes, and repair if you find any.
- Look around your doors and windows for gaps
- Store firewood away from your house or shed; at minimum 5 feet distance. Try to store firewood in the racks above the ground
- Don’t throw meat offcuts in the garbage if the garbage won’t be picked up in the next 48 hours or so
- Keep outside furniture out, if you need to bring them inside thoroughly wipe it down first.
- Call a professional if you notice any pest infestation in your home.
- Keep cap to your chimney
- Leave lights of your house on
DON’TS
- Don’t leave pet food dishes out for long periods of time
- Don’t let garbage compile
- Don’t leave dirty dishes overnight in the sink
- Don’t store firewood and building materials near the home
- Never ignore cracks or little openings around the bottom of the house
- Never let your aerosol spray directly toward the foundation of your house
- Don’t let excess moisture accumulation in your home
- Don’t give pests a free meal over your leftover food
- Don’t remove any pest infestation on your own
List of the pests you’re most likely to come across summer and get pest control services for home
- Mosquitoes: Mosquitoes are abundant during the summer. If stored water around your house, there’s a fair chance mosquitoes have already used it to lay eggs. The hot and humid climate is perfect for feeding and breeding mosquitoes; the key is to stop the reproduction cycle.
- Ants: In hot summer months, you’re more likely to see an army of ants marching through your home. Ants constantly hunt for food to feed a growing colony and save up reserves for the fall. These ants can be scarce during dry summers for food and water. The best way to prevent it is to keep things clean. Hungry ants can detect tiniest crumbs so be careful of putting food and water bowls outdoors. It is an invitation to ants to move closer to your home.
- Fleas: Pets should be treated in early summers otherwise they’ll probably start scratching and biting, usually after they come inside. Fleas infest on pests; however, if fleas are already feasting on your non-furry family members, a treatment for pest control at home will be needed.
- Ticks: Ticks can be particularly problematic in summer because they spread disease as people and animals spend more time outside.
- Termites: In summer termites grow in number. These pests lay up to 30,000 eggs a day. Pest control services for home, particularly for a termite is an absolute must if you’ve spotted termites on your property.
- Grasshoppers: In large numbers, hungry grasshoppers can quickly swallow an entire field in a matter of days; farmers are completely clued up about the presence of grasshoppers during the summer.
- Flies: Flies get back every summer. Houseflies have their name as houseflies because they invade your home during the summer to escape the heat. Flies reproduce during the hot season and conditions get worse if they get inside your house. They stick around in cold winters as well.
If you’ve spotted any of these summer pests around your property, give Last Stop Pest Control a call for pest control at home. Their expert technicians complete a full inspection before creating a custom pest control treatment plan that will keep pests away all summer long!
Get in touch with Last Stop Pest Control to book pest control services for home!
