The amount of pests you see and the type or species vary from season to season and you might see more pests than usual in the summer time in comparison to the spring or even the winter or fall. As the temperature warms up, pests that were dormant will become active again and might make their way onto or into your property.
Some of the most common summer pests in Northern Virginia are mosquitoes, flying and stinging insects such as wasps, hornets, roaches, termites and ants. Mosquitoes and other stinging pests can not only be a nuisance, but cause discomfort if they bite or sting you. Ants for the most part, unless they are fire ants, are a nuisance and can get into your pantry or on your sink. Termites can cause destruction to wooden structures and compromise the infrastructure of your home.
In the summer people tend to be outside more often and eat outside and some of your behaviors might actually attract more pests to your property. For example leaving out food in your home or on your property will cause more pests to come to your property. Below are five steps to keep your home pest-free this summer.
1. Keep your gardens and yard well maintained
In the summer, you might be growing fruits, vegetables or herbs in your garden. It is important to keep up with your yard and garden and maintain the property to keep it in the best possible shape. When you let fruits and vegetables rot and spoil, it can attract animals and pests to your home and they might even destroy your crops if you do not actively work to keep them away. There are none pesticide options that you can look into to keep your garden pest-free but still healthy for your family’s consumption. Your yard should be well cared for, the lawn needs to be mowed and kept up with, because the shorter grass will not provide the pests as much refuge and they will head to areas where grass is more dense.
2. Don’t leave food sitting out
The weather is warm, you might want to have a pool party, a cookout or a campfire. All of those scenarios elicit food sitting out for pests to munch on. It is important to keep food covered at all times and clean up spills and other sticky messes immediately before they attract pests. It is important to keep your counters and refrigerator clean and all cooking surfaces to ensure there is nothing that will draw pests in. For the most part, pests are drawn to food or moisture so by eliminating those, it can help to combat and prevent pests from taking over your living spaces. Overall, it is crucial to keep your home clean and free of crumbs and spills.
3. Empty out standing water from containers
It is very important to avoid having containers fill up with rain water. Standing water can attract insects such as mosquitoes. Mosquitoes will cause itchy bites and make life uncomfortable. After rain showers, make sure to empty out containers or even flip them over before it rains. If you have a pool or a kiddie pool, properly cover them when not in use to ensure pests do not enter the pool. In addition to clearing up standing water, it is important to keep things that belong outside, outside. For instance, if you have outdoor furniture, you need to keep it outside, to ensure you aren’t transferring pests from outside into your home.
4. Properly dispose of garbage
Letting trash sit around will definitely attract pests and wildlife. When disposing of garbage, especially meat, do not throw it away more than two days before your trash service will come to take your trash. Garbage left out will get hot and it will make the rotting scents more pungent and intriguing for pests and wildlife. Keeping your home clean is crucial to making your home pest-free. When there are more pests on your property, there might also be more wildlife. For example, if you have mice, you might draw other animals to your property such as snakes, hawks and other birds.
5. Hire a pest control company
The best and most effective thing you can do for your home if you have pests is to hire a pest control company. Our pest control company, Summit Pest Control employs experts who can effectively diagnose your pest problem and provide the best possible solutions to keep your home pest-free. In addition to coming up with treatment plans, they can give you advice for how to make your living space less attractive to pests and what tips and tricks are proven effective. Some of the most common pest treatments during the summer are mosquito sprays and ant treatments.
Mosquito sprays are done on the exterior of the property, in the trees and bushes and around the home. Ant treatments are common in areas such as the kitchen and bathroom. Ants are drawn to food and water sources. Ants are some of the most common pests in homes and since their population can grow easily it can be challenging to try to control them on your own. In addition to being professionals and understanding where and how to target pest populations, pest control technicians have access to chemicals and other treatments that are not available for purchase by homeowners. Preventative treatments are key for keeping your home pest-free in the summer. Preventative termite treatments are mostly completed in the spring and will protect your home from these destructive pests.
If you have pests in your home or on your property in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax or other areas in Northern Virginia and you need help with keeping them away, you should hire Summit Pest Control. One of our pest technicians will conduct a thorough inspection of your property and identify the pests that are problem-some and come up with the best solution to resolve the issues. In addition to pest control services, we offer wildlife control, insulation services, basement waterproofing and more. Contact us to schedule an estimate.
