What’s not to love about summer? Thanks to extra sunlight and warm evenings you can enjoy months of sunshine, outdoor activities, warm evenings, and a variety of festivals and other celebrations. Unfortunately, along with the joys of summer come unwelcome houseguests. With its mosquitos, ants, fruit flies, and Japanese beetles, summer is peak pest season.
However, there is some good news: you don’t have to resign yourself to a house full of bugs this summer. With just a few simple steps to clean your home and yard, you can help stop bugs from infesting your home in the first place.
Read on to learn why keeping bugs out of your house matters and a few ways to do your own pest control Indian Trail, NC.
The Importance of Pest Control for Indian Trail Homes
Even if you’re the type of person unbothered by insects in your home, summer pest control is still essential for every homeowner. The most important reason is for your health: mosquitos can spread diseases such as the Zika or West Nile viruses while ants, cockroaches, and flies can contaminate food. Biters and stingers such as wasps or spiders can serious, even fatal, allergic reactions.
Pests can also do serious damage to your home. Termites are perhaps the most well-known pest, famous for chewing through a house’s wood beam. Not only is termite damage unsightly, it can also seriously degrade your house’s structural integrity.
Clean Your Trash Cans
Trash cans are generally dark and often damp environments, making them many bug’s ideal place to hang out. They can also be excellent sources of food, particularly if there’s a leaky bag lining the can. Prevent bug infestations by keeping a l lid on your bin, emptying your trash regularly, and cleaning the bin before you add a new liner.
You don’t need to clean your trash cans with anything special. Simple soap and water will do.
Clean Your Kitchen Right Away
Just like for humans, kitchens are ideal sources of food for insects. When you cook, don’t let dirty dishes, pots, or pans pile up on the counter or in the sink. Put leftovers in the fridge as soon as you’re done eating. Wipe off your counters after you make a meal or a snack.
Keep Up With Yard Work
A yard or a garden can be an oasis in your home. However, they are also an ideal habitat for certain insects. While there will always be a certain amount of bugs in your law, it is outdoors after all, keeping up with yard work will keep the bugs outside.
Trim bushes and branches back from the house, keep your lawn short, and don’t let leaves or other garden debris pile up. Don’t over-water as damp ground and decaying plant roots are popular insect breeding grounds.
Don’t Let Water Stagnate
Removing standing water is the first, and most important, step in mosquito control. Keep your pool or pond clean, disinfecting the latter with chlorine. Keep your gutters and drains clean so water doesn’t pool out of site. Monitor your air conditioner for any leaks that might cause water to collect in one place. Finally, make sure any flower pots or planters have proper drainage and drain your inflatable pool when your family’s done splashing.
As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and the steps above will help your home stay a bug-free sanctuary this summer. However, if you find yourself with an insect problem despite your best efforts, you can always rely on a professional to not only deal with the infestation but also find the source and prevent it from coming back.
