Three Tips of The Trade For Summer Pest Prevention

We wait all year for summer. Weekend outings, neighborhood pool parties, and just general fun in the sun can all be ruined by one thing. Bugs such as: mosquitos, ants, flies, ticks, roaches, gnats, rodents, and even stinging insects like hornets and wasps. So, while you are out of the house, pests like these will be attempting to get inside your cool, shaded home. 

It all starts with temperature. All insects thrive in the hot and humid environments that come hand in hand with warmer weather. Many of these pests increase activity according to the temperature, with others making the great escape to your home from the heat. Thankfully, there are just as many pest prevention tips to keep these uninvited guests to a minimum in our everyday lives. 

Summer Pest Prevention Tips 

1. Lean Into Clean

You’ve heard it before, but a clean and sterilized home environment leaves nothing for pests to find.

Use airtight storage containers to minimize carpet crumbs and stray pieces from snacks. Be sure to pack all leftovers into cool, secure locations. Even after the food has been properly disposed of, the smells can still linger. Keep all corridors and crawl spaces well-ventilated and dry, as well as lids closed. Don’t forget to utilize a disinfectant because of its ability to kill bacteria on soft surfaces. 

Don’t forget to consider the outside!

Tree branches and stray bushes can often be used as bridges into our homes. Be sure to keep those trimmed back and consider creating a barrier between any high mulched areas. This is where pests live and tend to multiply, making their way into your home. This includes repository houses and material stockpiles. It is always proactive to keep outdoor caches within weather-proof containers, and tools tucked away in storage houses. When these are tidied and neat it creates less out-of-sight and out-of-mind hiding spaces for creepy critters.  

Conducting regular maintenance checks is a fantastic way to safeguard your space.

Ensure that you do not have broken sprinkler heads, or concave areas that collect stagnant water. While food can be the main culprit, water can certainly be just as appealing. It signifies free drinking water, and breeding grounds—especially for mosquitos and other flying insects. Gutters should also be cleared so that water can drain appropriately away from your home. This reduces streamline entryways and long-lasting wood damage that can easily attract termites.

2. Seal The Deal 

Strive to take home security to an all-time high this summer!

All those little cracks and crevices create secret entrances to some of our most sacred places. Window panels, ventilation ports, and doorways should be screened with mesh or sealed tightly. Be sure to check any existing areas for tears or fissures. These easily transform into tunnels for unsightly guests. This can also be true for everyday appliances and furniture. Utility openings are just another doorway for insects to squeeze through, so always ensure that every opening is sealed tightly with caulk. Speaking of doorways, vigilance over these is key for pest prevention. Automatic closing mechanisms can help with easy-to-forget practices such as locking the back door or clamping windows shut.  

Partner with your plants.

With just a few blooms and blossoms, birds and bats will be drawn in as extra protection for your property. These creatures’ prey on the pests drawn to your yard. This is especially true if you incorporate flowers such as sunflowers, honeysuckle, marigolds, chicory, and goldenrod. A little landscaping can go a long way for nest building creatures that will happily help tackle your tricky pest problem. 

We all keep our trash outside at some point, so how can we pest-proof our disposal bins?

As time moves forward, wildlife has displayed brutal ingenuity when it comes to accessing trash cans, dumpsters, and recycling bins. A tight lid might seem secure to some, but easy to install clasps or even locks can add that extra bit of insurance you’ve been looking for. These tools, paired with regular cleaning of common leftover lures prevents repetitive pest visits that may weaken the stability of protection that was already in place. 

3. Leave It To The Professionals

After all the home remedies and do-it yourself practices fall through, it is always preferred to call qualified experts that can come to the rescue for any situation. Many pest infestations can come with an increased risk of property damage and potential injury.  

Luckily, the pest control professionals at Lookout Pest Control, formerly Any Pest Inc., have been serving the metro-Atlanta area for over three decades and have the right tools and experience to get rid of particularly difficult critters. If you do suspect an infestation, Contact Us for a free home evaluation for any of your pest concerns this summer!