Ridding your Home of Common Summer Pests

Guest Blogger +1K, Entry #2678, July 24, 2013

Most of us enjoy a lot of things about summer: the warm weather, the opportunity to enjoy many fun outdoor activities and the chance to spend lots of time at picnics, sporting events and other gathering with family and friends.

But there is one big thing that most of us don’t like about summer—and that’s dealing with the different types of insects and other pests that arrive with the hotter weather. You don’t want to spend the entire season fending off these annoying pests, so you need an effective way to deal with them. And you want a fast and easy solution—because, after all, you want to be able to focus on all of those fun things you will be doing.

Ensure your summer home is free from unwanted pest

Image via: Jeanette Lunde

Fortunately there are some great options available that will help you banish these pests quickly—so you can enjoy your summer in peace!

Here are some quick tips for dealing with the most common summer pests:

Flies: One of the best things about summer entertaining is food. Unfortunately, that’s also one thing that can really attract flies—annoying pests that can spread all sorts of unpleasant germs. If you don’t want to spend the entire season armed with a fly swatter, you need a better method of fly control. One option is fly bait, which is made from a combination of chemicals that are known to be attractive to flies, even those that tend to resist other types of insecticides. This bait kills quickly but also has residual effects so it keeps on killing flies for at least several weeks.

Fleas:

The summer heat tends to make fleas more active and plentiful—which can create an uncomfortable and unpleasant situation for you and your pets. To fully eradicate fleas, you need to take a two-pronged approach to flea control. First, use a contact spray which works quickly and is easy to apply to furniture, bedding and other materials where fleas may be living. Next, you need to address the issue of eggs that are likely hidden away in these same areas of your home. Otherwise, you will soon be infested with the future generation of fleas. That’s why you will want to use an insect growth regulator to keep any eggs from developing. (As a bonus, these same products are also usually a good way to get rid of bed bugs and other pests.)

Spiders:

One of the most creepy types of insects, spiders can also be a problem because some have bites that can be painful (and, in rare cases, dangerous). One of the best options for spider pest control is a spray insecticide product, because it kills quickly and—a big plus—you can apply it from a safe distance away from the spider. Most insecticide sprays also have a residual effect, so they will continue to protect treated areas from spider activity for a period of time after the initial spray.

Is your kitchen free of unwanted pests?

Image via: Claudia Martin, ASID

Ants:

Like flies, ants also like to enjoy the items on the menu of your summer gatherings. Fortunately, ant control is a fairly easy process, if you use the right products. For a quick solution, a spray will help you kill the visible ants on contact (and also has some residual effects). However, you really want to destroy the entire colony—which is where ant bait can be such a valuable tool. When ants take the bait back to their colony, it destroys a large population of ants, eventually causing the colony to die out.

Roaches:

For most people, roaches are among the most dreaded—and disgusting—of all household pests. As soon as you spot any sign of roaches, you want to act quickly. You will probably want to start with a spray, to get quick results. However, roaches like to hide in dark places, so you will also need to combat the ones you can’t see. For small roach control, a roach control kit is an effective choice. It contains roach stations (which contain roach-attracting pheromones) that can be placed under cabinets or other spots where roaches tend to gravitate. The control kit also contains tubes of gel bait that can be easily applied into cracks and crevices.

Mosquitoes:

These pests have bites that can be very itchy, but the bigger problem is that mosquitoes can spread viruses and serious—sometimes deadly—diseases. One important way to cut down on the mosquito population is to prevent them from multiplying. Be on the lookout for puddles or containers of standing water, as mosquitoes breed in water. (That’s why it’s a good idea to empty wading pools at the end of the day.) After that, you need to use effective products to kill mosquitoes before they have a chance to bite you. A spray that kills on contact can be an instant solution, but can require constant effort on your part. For a low-maintenance alternative, a mosquito trap can be a good choice.

Author: Monica Bird

Monica’s compassion for her customer’s struggles with pest control issues and passion for pest control stems from over 10 years in the industry. With a master’s degree in entomology, she uses her knowledge and experience in chemistry, insects and pests to educate her customers

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