(Newswire.net — May 23, 2020) — Hot summer months increase the populations of pests that like to invade our homes. Some are looking to escape the heat of the day, while others are searching for new food sources or places to breed. Homeowners spend billions of dollars each year attempting to remove these pests from their homes or prevent them from entering in the first place.
Here are six types of pests that are on the rise during summertime and what you can do to keep them away from your home.
Mosquitoes
The mosquito is responsible for spreading many dangerous pathogens, including the West Nile virus, malaria, and the Zika virus. While bites can occur at any time of day, mosquitoes tend to bite more around dawn and dusk. Most people have an allergic reaction to the bite, with an itchy, raised welt arising where bitten.
To prevent large numbers of mosquitoes from congregating around your home, eliminate any sources of standing water on the property and clean up any areas where rain or water pools. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water, where they hatch, grow, and live until becoming adult mosquitoes. To keep mosquitoes from coming inside, make sure all window and door screens are tightly fitting and free of holes.
Ants
Foraging ants on the move during the summer would love to move right into your home. They enter through tiny cracks in the walls and foundation and leave an invisible pheromone trail for others to follow. Any source of food that the scouts find will quickly be swarmed by massive numbers of ants for transport back to their colony.
Since ants can detect the tiniest crumbs, it is important to clean up any spilled food or drinks quickly. Keep food stored tightly to prevent ants from getting in and keep pets’ food and water bowls inside. Sealing any cracks around doors and windows with weather stripping or caulking will limit ants’ access inside, as will keeping vegetation trimmed at least 12 inches away from the home.
Ticks
People and their pets spend more time outdoors in summer, increasing the chance of encountering ticks. Ticks are typically encountered in areas of dense vegetation, in high weeds, and around woodpiles. When coming in from being outdoors, you should check your clothes, hair, and skin carefully for any hangers-on and carefully remove any ticks found.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) advises using fine-tipped tweezers to grab the tick close to the skin and pulling the tick out with a steady upward motion. The bite should be cleaned with soap and water or rubbing alcohol and the tick should be disposed of by putting it in alcohol or flushing it down the toilet.
Bees/Wasps
An encounter with insects that sting, like bees and wasps, are often unpleasant and can be particularly problematic for people with allergies. Hives and nests can be hidden in walls, under decking, under roof eaves, or in nearby foliage. When disturbed by humans or animals, these insects can become aggressive and inflict dozens of stings in a very short period of time.
To prevent stinging insects from establishing a colony near your home, frequently monitor the area for nests, keep a vegetation-free barrier of at least 2 feet around the home, and cover dirt patches in the lawn with new grass to circumvent ground-nesting pests, like yellow jackets. If you find a nest or hive that is large, a pest control professional can help remove it or relocate it to an area where it can do some good.
Termites
During the summer months, termite queens can lay up to 30,000 eggs a day, exploding the population. Once termites have discovered a food source and established a colony, it can be very difficult to remove them. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends using soil-applied barrier treatments and/or termite bait systems to help control their numbers.
Fleas
While fleas can be a problem year-round, they become a bigger issue as warm weather speeds up their life cycle. The adults lay hundreds of eggs that can spread around the home from wandering pets, where they will hatch and grow into new adults. Proactively treating your pets for fleas before they become infested is best. There are many different products available for treating pets for fleas, including treated collars, sprays, and oral medications.
If you are in Australia, contact pest control Brisbane for a quote.