As usual, peak pest season will be hitting Hartford residents hard this July. Some of the most common summer pests to be on the lookout for this season include mosquitoes, paper wasps, carpenter ants, pavement ants, and bed bugs. The following list will provide you with the best defense steps and prevention tips for each of these persistent pests this summer.
Mosquito Tips
To keep mosquitoes out, make sure your window and door screens are intact — just one small tear in a screen can allow a multitude of mosquitoes to invade your home! Keeping your doors closed, especially in the early morning and evening, can also play a big part in preventing these biting pests from getting indoors.
In order to eliminate mosquito populations on your property, keep your lawn cut short all season long and pick up any wet leaves, and grass clippings, or other debris in your yard right away. Another helpful prevention tip is to control moisture on your property by not over-watering the grass, landscaping, or gardens in your yard; turning off hoses; fixing leaky outdoor fixtures; and most importantly, removing any containers that could hold standing water — mosquitoes need areas of standing water to breed and lay their eggs, and by eliminating the standing water on your property, you can help reduce the mosquito population on your property make your yard less attractive to them.
While it is impossible to eliminate every single mosquito on your property, you can significantly reduce mosquito populations and the risk of mosquito-borne illnesses with the help of your area professional pest control provider.
Paper Wasp Tips
If you plan on planting flowers or other plants on your property, make sure to plant them away from the areas of your yard that you will be spending a lot of time in as they will attract these stinging insects. It is also a good idea to keep your outdoor trash bins secured with tight-fitting lids and store them a distance away from your home. Additionally, when you eat outdoors, keep foods and drinks covered to prevent wasps from gathering, and clean up any food crumbs or drink spills immediately.
Never attempt to remove paper wasps or their nests on your own; they are aggressive insects and will attack and sting repeatedly if disturbed. To properly remove paper wasps from your property, you will need to contact a pest control service with experience in removing dangerous stinging insects.
Carpenter Ant Tips
In order to prevent costly structural damage from carpenter ants, you will need to take precautions to prevent them from getting inside your home. To keep these ants out of your home, seal off any potential entry points in your foundation and exterior walls, including tiny cracks and crevices; make sure your window and doors have screens that are not damaged or torn; remove piles of debris, wood, and vegetation from your yard, including fallen trees and firewood; and rid your home of other pests that carpenter ants feed on and keep foods that contain sugars and proteins stored securely in containers with tight-fitting lids.
Both the removal and the prevention of carpenter ants will require the assistance of professional pest control technicians that are experienced in dealing with these destructive pests.
Pavement Ant Tips
To keep these ants out of your home, you will need to seal off any entry points they could use to gain access to your home and keep all foods stored securely in the refrigerator or in containers with tight-fitting lids. Pavement ants will feed on just about anything, but prefer spilled crumbs and sweet, sticky foods like honey, syrups, or jellies; to avoid attracting these pests, clean your kitchen counters regularly and make sure to clean up any food or drink spills, both inside and outside your home. In addition, keep plants, bushes, and trees trimmed back away from your home and keep your garbage cans covered.
Bed Bug Tips
One of the easiest ways to prevent a bed bug infestation is to take precautions against bed bugs when visiting public places, traveling, or spending time in overnight accommodations. Inspect all hotel rooms before settling in and inspect and wash all of your belongings after returning home. If you have kids in school, keep an eye out for bed bugs on the items they bring home and keep their backpacks out of their bedrooms.
Bed bugs are extremely difficult, if not impossible, to completely eliminate without professional help, which is why the most efficient way to rid your home of these nuisance pests is always a bed bug control treatment from a certified pest control provider.
The professionals at American Pest Solutions in Hartford are here to help you with all of your pest problems; whether it’s prevention, elimination, or both, we’ve got you covered! Instead of suffering through the rest of the summer with a pest infestation, give us a call today or click here to see our residential pest control options.