Managing Pests During the Summer Heatwaves
Summer is more than just heat and humidity. It also provides ideal conditions for different pests to flourish and breed quickly! When we want to use our outdoor spaces the most, homeowners find themselves fighting against an uptick in pest activity. Your home is appealing to unwanted visitors because of the availability of heat, moisture, and plenty of food supplies.
The environment controls their body temperature because insects are cold-blooded. Bugs are far more active when the weather is hot. Increased activity translates into shorter reproduction cycles, larger populations, and cannibalistic behavior in pests in search of a refuge from extreme temperatures.
Pests can cause a lot of damage and financial loss during summer, not just to prevent damage to property but also to your health and costly treatments. It is crucial to have professional pest control services during these active months to help secure your home and family for good. Get all the Details here.
Common Pests During Summers
Certain pests are especially troublesome when heat waves strike when the summer heat creating favorable conditions. Knowing which pests to expect gives homeowners the information they need to be prepared and know what to do about them.
Ideal warm, humid conditions in summer harbor pests, his nemesis: starting summer with mosquitoes. These insects breed quickly in still water and are most active at dawn and dusk. Blood meals are needed for the female mosquitoes to breed; hence, they are an everyday annoyance near these gathering areas outdoors.
During the summer months, ants are more active as they scout for food and water sources. Foraging ants tread visible paths between colonies and food sources, which are often right inside our homes through the tiniest cracks and crevices.
The swarming season, when termites start reproducing, happens from late spring to summer. Subterranean termites are one of the most familiar types of termites that flourish in warm, humid locations and can ruin large parts of the entire structure if they go undiscovered.
More Summer Pests Include:
- Bread Flies: flies that multiply in warm temperatures and are attracted to foodstuffs and rubbish
- Wasps and bees: Nesters that get aggressive when defending their colonies
- Spiders: Moving indoors to find cooler shelter from the heat
- Tropical species of cockroaches with fast-reproducing characteristics
Warmer temperatures in spring indicate when flowers should bloom and tell pest insects when to begin their life cycles during the year. An earlier start in the spring makes the pest seasons longer, and their numbers increase during the summer months.
How Can You Manage Pests In Summer?
- Take Active Preventive Measures
As always, prevention is the best strategy for summer pest management. Eliminate all sources of water that attract these pests in hot weather. Dispose of any stagnant water from potted plants, gutters, and outside containers. If a pipe or faucet is leaking, fix it right away, as pests are actively looking for ways to get water during hot days of a heat wave.
Close entry points around your house with caulk or weatherstripping. Regularly inspect windows and doors and check for foundation cracks. To help prevent flying insects from entering your home, install door sweeps and repair damaged screens.
- Environmental Controls
Proper sanitation is essential inside and outside. Food spills should be cleaned immediately, and food should be kept in sealed containers. Garbage cans should be tightly sealed and emptied often, particularly in warm weather when decomposition speeds up.
Cutting bushes back from the outside walls of your home. Overgrown plants give pests places to hide and make it easier for them to enter your home. Clear up debris, woodpiles, and clutter around your property where pests will find shelter and breed.
- Targeted Treatment Approaches
Target specific pest issues with pesticides instead of a broad spectrum. Use baits from ant baits near trails and entry points, but do not use them near children and pets. In areas of stagnant water that cannot be drained, such as ornamental ponds or rain barrels, use mosquito dunks.
Use natural repellents such as essential oils, diatomaceous earth, or predators for harmful insects. Combined, these methods are highly effective without the use of high-impact chemicals during the heat of summer when windows are likely to be open.