Feb 5, 2021 | Mosquito
Mosquito season is right around the corner, starting in the spring and peaking over the summer. Taking precautions now can help prevent a mosquito infestation when the weather warms up. While mosquitoes aren’t usually a problem inside your home, they will take over your yard, hampering your time spent outdoors. Besides being a nuisance, mosquitoes can transmit serious diseases to not only humans but also dogs, cats, and horses. Help keep your family and pets safe with these mosquito prevention tips.
Get Rid of Standing Water
Mosquitoes breed in standing water and only need a thimbleful to procreate. Eliminating potential breeding sites will help with mosquito elimination. Identify any low areas that are prone to flooding or pooling water and fill them in with dirt or remulch them. Empty bird baths daily and refill them. Keep gutters clear of debris. Turn over and remove water from anything that can collect it including pots, tarps, toys, furniture, old tires, pet bowls, etc. Fix any leaky faucets, sprinklers, and hoses that can cause water to pool up. Check AC drip pans for standing water. Keep pools maintained and cover or fill hollow tree stumps.
Clean Your Gutters
Clogged gutters can lead to standing water, attracting mosquitoes looking for a place to lay eggs. Keep gutters clear of debris or consider installing gutter guards to help prevent clogs. This can also help prevent other pests, as well.
Treat Your Water Features
For larger water features that can’t be eliminated, treat them with larvacide that will eliminate any mosquito larvae that is present. Use it in any areas of standing water such as ponds, water features, and swimming pools.
Keep Yards Maintained
Mosquitoes love to hide in tall grass, shrubbery, and damp woodpiles. Keep your grass mowed short and your landscaping well maintained. Keep wood piles covered or store wood in containers with lids.
Use Outdoor Fans
Mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide and body heat. If you have to spend any time outdoors, consider using outdoor fans to help dissipate and redirect the carbon dioxide and body heat you emit. This helps make you less attractive to mosquitoes in the area.
Install Mosquito-Repelling Flowers
Some common flowers and plants actually make great natural mosquito repellent. Planting these flowers around your home will help keep mosquitoes at bay. Marigold is one of the most common mosquito-repelling plants. Others include lavender, rosemary, basil, catnip, lemon balm, peppermint, and pennyroyal. Citronella grass is also a good option as it is extremely easy to maintain and can be used to fill in large areas.
Attract Bats
Yes, you heard that right! Bats eat thousands of mosquitoes each day. While this may not be an ideal solution if you live in a neighborhood or in close proximity to your neighbors, it is a great alternative to those with larger properties. You can build a bat house to attract them to your yard and watch the mosquitoes disappear.
Call The Pros
Fighting mosquitoes can seem like a never-ending battle despite your best efforts. There are several mosquito control options available today. Most professional mosquito elimination services will include treatments that target both adult and larvae, as well as source reduction and elimination techniques. These services are typically monthly during peak mosquito season. If you have a problem with mosquitoes, contact a professional pest control company for a free estimate.
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Aug 5, 2020 | Mosquito
Mosquitoes, known to be a top summer nuisance pest, are a huge problem when they invade your property. With consistently heavy rains and warm temperatures, it seems like these insects never go away. Why is it that these pests seem to come out excessively when it’s hot and raining?
It’s important to note that mosquito activity can vary from region to region, depending on the temperature of the area. Mosquitoes are cold-blooded insects; therefore, these pests won’t disappear until temperatures are consistently below 50 degrees. In areas of high temperatures, mosquito activity increases making summer peak mosquito season. Because of this, if it’s warm in the area you live in you’ll most likely see mosquitoes around.
When it comes to the rain, mosquitoes aren’t particularly attracted to the actual rainfall, but instead to what the rain leaves behind. Standing water brings mosquitoes for one reason – a place to lay their eggs. The water that’s left behind from rain provides the ideal place for their eggs to survive and hatch. It’s important to note that if any water is left undistributed for a long period of time, the eggs laid will eventually hatch and create even more mosquitoes to invade your property.
While rain and heat are inevitable during the summer months, they don’t mean there isn’t a solution to prevent mosquitoes. Here are some easy ways you can keep mosquitoes away from your property,
- Remove standing water from flowerpots, birdbaths, tarps, and any containers in or around your yard holding standing water
- Remove piles of leaves and debris from your yard and gutters, as these can give mosquitoes a place to hide and breed
- Cover any objects that can hold or collect standing water that can’t be removed, such as pools and boats
- If you’re constantly battling mosquitoes, it might be time to contact a professional pest control company to help eliminate them and provide an ongoing prevention plan.
Jul 10, 2020 | DIY Pest Control, Pest Control
A household pest is any undesired animal that has a history of living, invading, causing damage to, eating food from, acting as a disease vector for, or causing any other harm to a human habitat. While most are considered a nuisance, household pests become dangerous when they pose a risk to health, property, or lifestyle. Household pests aren’t just limited to insects; they also include arachnids, rodents, and wildlife.
While household pests can be found year-round, some are more common in the summer months. Here are 8 of the most common summer household pests and how you can prevent them.
Mosquitoes
Mosquito season peaks in the summer months. The warm weather and humid environments accelerate their life cycle so they are able to reproduce in large numbers during this time. You are most likely to see mosquitoes when you have standing water on your property. Mosquitoes lay eggs in standing water and the hot, humid climate in summer is ideal for both breeding and to find food sources. Mosquitoes are dangerous to humans as they carry pathogens that can cause serious diseases like Zika and West Nile virus.
Mosquitoes can be prevented by:
- Avoiding the outdoors at dawn and dusk
- Wearing clothing that covers arms and legs
- Eliminating areas of standing water
- Repair or replace torn window screens
- Apply insect repellent
Ants
Ants hibernate in the winter and come out in full force over the summer. They have to forage in the summer months to feed their growing colonies and to build up their reserves for fall. Ants are usually seen indoors in the summer because they are searching for food and water as these can become scarce for them.
Ants can be prevented by:
- Keeping your home clean, especially the kitchen
- Not leaving pet food and water bowls outdoors
- Keeping trees and shrubs trimmed away from the house
- Sealing cracks and holes in your home’s exterior
Fleas
Fleas are prevalent in the summer months, although they can be found on pets year-round. Pets will indicate the presence of fleas by scratching and biting when they come in from outdoors.
Fleas can be prevented by:
- Treating pets for fleas with preventative medication
- Vacuuming frequently, especially in areas that pets frequent, and disposing of the bag immediately
- Treating your yard with outdoor flea spray
- Washing pet bedding and toys weekly in hot water
Ticks
Ticks are problematic to humans and pets because they spread diseases like Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Tick bites increase in the summer because people and animals are spending more time outside. The US is also seeing an increase in ticks because of the combination of mild winters and an increased population of deer and rodents which are known to carry ticks.
Ticks can be prevented by:
- Using tick preventatives on pets
- Wearing long sleeves and closed toe shoes when outdoors
- Avoid areas with high grass or woods when possible
- Eliminating debris and wood piles from your property
- Wearing insect repellent
- Checking yourself and your pets for ticks immediately after coming in from outdoors
- Removing any ticks found immediately
Termites
Termite swarming season is in the spring but these newly established colonies grow exponentially in the summer. Termites can go long periods of time undetected, causing significant damage to your home. It is important to keep an eye out for signs of termites so you can catch them early.
Termites can be prevented by:
- Eliminating wood to soil contact around foundations
- Creating a 4 inch barrier between wood mulch and your home
- Keeping plants a few feet away from your home
- Making sure storm drains point away from foundations
- Fixing leaks and eliminating any other sources of excess moisture
- Having an annual termite inspection performed
Grasshoppers
While most people view grasshoppers as just a nuisance pest, they can be devastating to gardeners and farmers. Grasshoppers can devour an entire field of crops in just a few days. Grasshoppers surge in large numbers in the summer months and are most prevalent in dry, hot summers. Grasshoppers can also cause damage to non-farmers as these are one of the only pests that can chew through screens.
Grasshoppers can be prevented by:
- Plant flowers that deter grasshoppers (lilac, crepe myrtle, verbena, sage, juniper)
- Plant vegetables that don’t attract grasshoppers (squash, peas, tomatoes)
- Introduce predators by making your garden attractive to birds
- Use floating row covers on crops and plants
- Consider natural products that kill grasshoppers without harming other animals or plants (Nosema locustae or Beauveria bassiana)
Flies
Flies invade your home in the summer months to escape the heat. They only reproduce during the hotter months and reproduce even more prolifically when they get indoors. Flies will stick around well into the fall months.
Flies can be prevented by:
- Keeping windows, doors, and vents sealed
- Using garbage cans with tight fitting lids
- Taking the garbage out when it is full
- Storing food in airtight containers
- Not leaving dirty dishes out
- Not leaving grass clippings in the yard
- Turning off outdoor lights at night
Stinging Insects
Stinging insects mate in the spring and their populations grow during the summer months. Hornets and yellow jackets are especially common in the summer because they have to establish new nests each year. These are usually found under decking or under piles of leaves. These stinging insects are potentially dangerous for people with allergies. Yellow jackets and bees can also get into the walls of homes, causing significant damage.
Stinging insects can be prevented by:
- Wearing shoes when outdoors
- Keeping trash cans tightly covered
- Eliminating dirt patches on your lawn
- Avoiding sweet smelling perfumes
- Don’t swat at stinging insects
Don’t let these common summer pests ruin your summer. If you have a problem with any of these pests, contact a professional pest control company who can help eliminate them safely and prevent them going forward.
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Mar 23, 2020 | DIY, DIY Mosquito Control, Mosquito
Typically, when you’re swatting away mosquitoes, you’re most likely outside. But what if you notice these pesky bugs inside your home? Mosquitoes can be considered one of the most irritating pests during the warmer seasons. They’re usually found in areas of high humidity and survive by sucking blood from animals and humans. When you’re relaxing at home after a long day of work, the last thing you want to worry about is getting bit by one or several of these pests. Though, if you’re starting to see them inside your home, it’s probably time to start investigating.
Mosquitoes could easily sneak inside your home through broken screens or doors. Mosquitoes are extremely small, and if there’s a slightest gap open to enter your home, they will. Begin to inspect the screens, windows, and doors in your home. Make sure there aren’t any large gaps or tears that would allow any bugs to enter the home.
Mosquitoes are attracted to still and stagnant water. There’s a high chance of mosquito activity if your property is near standing water with a constant water source. Mosquitoes could easily enter your home and lay their eggs; female mosquitoes will lay eggs in water for survival.
House plants are also known to attract mosquitoes inside the house. If your house plant has a water tray, mosquitoes will typically start to lay their eggs there while also feeding off the plant to get energy. Clean out your water trays periodically to prevent mosquitoes from laying more eggs.
One factor that not all homeowners will think about is a possible plumbing problem attracting mosquitoes. Simple leaks with small pools of water will certainly attract these pests. Mosquitoes are not only attracted to just areas of moisture, they can also be found in shaded, covered areas. Make sure to check crawl spaces, basements, and other areas where a pipe could leak.
Finally, if you’ve inspected all these possible factors and are still being infested with mosquitoes or want to put in place a mosquito prevention plan, call a local pest control company where they can investigate the problem and create a mosquito reduction program designed for your home.
Jan 31, 2020 | Mosquito
While we don’t often think of mosquitoes in the cold winter months, don’t let them stray too far from your mind. Although they might not be active this time of year, it’s never too early to start preparing for the start of mosquito season. Prevention is key in mosquito control. While most male mosquitoes die off when colder weather moves in, female mosquitoes go into a state similar to hibernation called diapause. They are oftentimes fertilized just before they enter diapause so that they are ready to lay eggs as soon as the weather warms up in the spring. Mosquito eggs can also go into diapause. Female mosquitoes will often lay eggs in standing water just before the weather cools down for winter. These eggs will then go into diapause and then hatch once the temperatures increase to above 50 degrees Fahrenheit consistently. Because of this, winter is a great time to perform some do-it-yourself mosquito prevention techniques.
- Mosquitoes will look to overwinter in sheltered areas on your property. These often include garbage, yard debris, old tires, bins, piles of leaves, logs, and tree trunks. Make sure to keep your yard clean and get rid of any objects that might house mosquitoes through the winter.
- Mosquitoes will also look for standing water to lay their eggs in before winter sets in. If this water goes undisturbed throughout the winter, those eggs will then hatch once temperatures warm up. If you notice any standing water on your property, even during the wintertime, get rid of it to get rid of those resilient mosquito eggs. Remove or overturn buckets, wheelbarrows, unused flower pots, or anything else that can hold water after rain or snow. Rake up any leaves that fall during the season. Make sure patio furniture, play equipment, and outdoor toys aren’t collecting water, as well. Make sure gutters stay clear and consider installing gutter guards to help prevent clogs. Repair any leaky pipes and keep trash cans sealed tightly.
- Mosquitoes will also look to stay in tall grass and overgrown vegetation. It provides good cover for them to enter diapause through the winter. Make sure to keep your grass mowed and clear out any overgrown vegetation on your property.
- Consider planting mosquito-repelling plants such as rosemary, mint, and lavender on your property.
- Check the Mosquito Activity Forecast from weather.com before spending any time outdoors and dress accordingly. Wear appropriate clothing and apply insect repellent as needed.
- Invest in a professional mosquito treatment from a licensed pest control company. In our area, mosquito service starts in March so go ahead and schedule your service before mosquito season starts in the spring.
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