Sunshine and good times mean summer is just around the corner. Amidst all that summertime fun, a wave of seasonal bugs will be making its way to our homes. To avoid a pest infestation this summer, be sure to keep your eyes open for the three most common bugs likely to pay your property a visit.
Ants
More than most bugs, ants thrive off the warm weather. Traveling in colonies, ants take refuge inside a home where there is shelter from occasional rain and where food is abundant. They can get into all levels of your house, including any individual room and every unsealed package of food. To prevent home invasions, be sure to keep your kitchen as spotless as possible. Promptly clean up after meals, throw out any opened packages hidden in the back of the pantry, and keep garbage cans clean. Switch out any packaged paper boxes for plastic storage containers, and always keep open food items off the counter. Set up store-bought ant traps, baits, and gels, which target ant nests all around the house’s bordering areas.
Mosquitoes
Similar to ants, mosquitoes are most active during the warmer months. Once a mosquito enters a house, they are protected from dehydration, allowing them to fly around for many more hours than usual. Mosquitoes stay active longer inside the home because of controlled temperatures and lighting. Therefore, you guessed it, the mosquitoes are more likely to hang around biting throughout the day. To prepare, stay inside or use extra repellent during peak mosquito times: mornings, late afternoons and evenings. Use screens on your doors and windows to keep unwanted pests out, and make sure there are no hidden tears mistakenly letting mosquitoes inside.
Cockroaches
Cockroaches, or palmetto bugs, are drawn to warm and humid weather during the summertime. If your house doesn’t have central air and humidity is high, you are especially prone to these types of insects stopping by. Since moisture is attractive to cockroaches, they are more likely to camp out in certain areas of your home, like under sinks, behind dishwashers, under refrigerators, in trash cans, and inside crawlspaces. The best ways to keep cockroaches out of the home are to make sure doorways are secure, seeing no gaps under the doors, using door and window screens, and sealing up any cracks that lead into your home. Also, make sure there are no unnecessary gaps around anything that goes through an external wall, like pipes or cables.
If you need a step-up from these summertime tips and tricks, Manning Brothers Pest Control is prepared to protect your home from ants, mosquitoes, and cockroaches. Contact Manning Brothers Pest Control for more information on seasonal offerings, and request a free quote from our top-of-the-line pest control team.
