Insects and arachnids flying and crawling all over your yard and home can really put a damper on your enjoyment of the season. While you’re having fun in the yard, pests are lurking and plotting ways to invade your home.
What pests should you be on the lookout for, and what can you do if you find them? Here are some of the most common summer pests – and how you can send them packing.
Watch Out for These Common Late Summer Pests
Pests can be a problem any time of year; however, the following are most common in late summer.
1) Houseflies and Fruit Flies
Unfortunately, these pests love summer just as much as we do. They thrive on warmth - and the food you’re trying to eat out on the deck. Houseflies and fruit flies also congregate around trash. The warm, moist season is a perfect environment for them, and your home can quickly become infested with flies of all kinds.
“Unfortunately, many pests have quite a sweet tooth. Overripe fruit, for example, is a magnet for fruit flies. These tiny insects swarm around your produce, even if it is just a bit overripe. Some fruits are fine in the refrigerator; for others, like bananas, seal them in a container.” - 10 Ways You’re Attracting Pests Into Your House.
Simple steps, like putting your trash out as far from your home as you can, not leaving food out, and using screens on your windows and doors, can help. You also want to be quick to clean up messes during the summer, especially the sticky ones that come from ice cream, popsicles, and sugary drinks.
2) Ticks
What is a tick?
“A tick is a parasite. That means it survives by biking and sucking the life out of its host. Until they find a host, they prefer to hide and lay in wait in cool, damp places like tall grass, woodpiles, garden beds, pine needles, and shrubs and trees.” - How to Keep Ticks Out of Your Yard.
It will catch a ride on your clothes or skin once you get close to where it is lurking. After it spends some time finding the perfect place to bite you, it will bury its head and start feasting.
Some species of ticks carry bacteria that, when transmitted to humans or animals, can cause serious illnesses, such as Lyme Disease. In summer, we and our pets are at higher risk because we’re typically outside more. Ticks climb on tall grasses and wait for something to latch on to - like Fido’s fur or your leg.
Treat your pets for ticks with a vet-recommended product and be sure to check them, your children, and yourself after you go outside - even if it’s just in the backyard. Buy a tick key just in case you find one that has become embedded; they’re just a few bucks and well worth the investment!
3) Bees, Wasps, Hornets, and Other Stinging Pets
These winged pests are super active in the summer, and they love to build their nests as close to your house as possible - or even inside. If they feel threatened, they’ll defend their nests, and their weapon of choice is a painful, burning sting.
It’s not just the stinging bees that you have to worry about during the summer. Carpenter bees may not pose a direct threat to humans, but they bore tunnels in the wood around your home and can cause quite a bit of damage.
Have a professional extermination service remove nests quickly, so your family and home are not in danger.
4) Ants
In late summer, ants are typically busy foraging for the queen, and you won’t be as likely to see them in your home. However, they don’t always adhere to the same calendar that we do, and if they sense food, they’ll go and get it. So, just like dealing with flies, make sure to dispose of or put away food.
There are different types of ants you could be dealing with:
Moisture Ants:
Are you noticing ants running about your house and discovering them in moist areas? If that's the case, you're probably dealing with moisture ants. This ant thrives in moist, humid areas and is frequently encountered during home renovations. Moisture ants flourish in humid settings with high humidity, such as behind walls, moist spots, and rotten wood.
Sugar Ants:
Sugar ants are the most common home invaders, and they do no harm aside from being a nuisance. Sugar ants are normally smaller and do not require a lot of water, whereas moisture ants do. Sugar ants, on the other hand, colonize inside food resources in your home, making them a common invader of kitchens and pantries.
Regardless of the type of ant, you don’t want them in your home. Contact a professional exterminator to have ants exterminated.
5) Rodents
Get ready. It’s still nice and warm out and will be for a few months. But rodents (mice, squirrels, etc.) will soon be looking for a place to winter over. Make sure it is not in your home or garage!
Seal up any cracks around pipes, windows, or doors, and if you notice signs of these pests, call Rid-a-Bug right away. We are committed to removing rodents safely and humanely.
6) Snakes
If you see rodents, you will likely soon notice an uptick of snakes on your property. There are only a few venomous snakes that frequent our area:
- Copperheads
- Timber Rattlesnakes
- Water Moccasins
Even if a snake is not venomous, it can bite. The best thing you can do to rid your home and property of snakes is to have them safely and humanely removed. Additionally:
- Have their food, rodents, safely and humanely removed
- Clean up food and trash areas that attract rodents
- Seal the spaces in which rodents can crawl into your home
- Have pests that attract rodents exterminated
7) Bed Bugs
Summer is a time for travel and going on vacations. However, it’s those vacations that can lead to an infestation of dreaded bed bugs.
“Bed bugs are tiny, oval-shaped insects, about the size of an average apple seed. To live, they feed on the blood of animals and people.” - What Causes Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs are tenacious little pests. If you’re sensitive to their bites, they can make your life miserable. As many of us take vacations and stay in hotels over the summer, there is a good chance of bringing bed bugs back with us. This is not a souvenir you want!
When you’re staying in a hotel, motel, inn, or even a friend or family member’s home, check for bed bugs. They’re good at hiding, so look for clusters of black or dark brown spots of dried excrement. You may also notice a sweet, musty smell. They can fit into tiny cracks and crevices of the mattress, box spring, headboard, footboard, and other furniture close to the bed.
When you get home, immediately wash all of your clothing and other soft items (e.g., bedding, pillows) in hot water. If you see signs of bed bugs, make sure you contact your trusted exterminator right away.
8) Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are one of the most common and dreaded of all summer pests. If you are outside during the summer, you will encounter them at some point. They feast on our blood, causing irritating bites. Your yard will likely have at least a few, but if it feels like your property is a mosquito cookout, there could be a few reasons:
- You have excess moisture around or in your home
- You have drainage issues that trap water in your yard
- You have bird baths or other water collectors
- You have leaf-filled gutters that trap water
- You have a ditch that never quite dries
Standing, stagnant water is a mosquito breeding ground. Make sure you address drainage and moisture concerns in and around your home.
You need to make sure you replace the water in water collectors like bird baths and dog bowls during summer. However, sometimes the only real defense against mosquitoes is extermination.
Rid-A-Bug Exterminating in the Carolinas and Virginia
If you are having difficulty with any of these common late summer pests - or others - contact Rid-a-Bug today. Our fast, effective, dependable pest control services will help ensure a much more pleasant, comfortable summer!