Best Summer Pest Control Tips For Homeowners

As the temperature rises, many homeowners are starting with their summer pest control routines. Summer is the time when people and animals come out of their hibernation to spend lots of time outdoors. And among them are the swarm of insects and pests that are not only out to enjoy the warm weather. They spend their time outdoors looking for new sources of food, water, and shelter, which they often find inside your home.

Summer pest control in Myrtle Beach is slightly different than standard pest control processes. The primary reason for this is the difference in pests that homeowners will have to ward off and prevent from coming into their homes.

Every summer, there are different kinds of pests that could invade your home and cause you problems. The three most common pests are listed below along with some tips to help you prevent them from using your house as a source of food, water and shelter and to eliminate them from your house if they have already found their way inside.

Ticks

Ticks are tiny pests that feed on blood. And while they are most commonly found among animals – primarily dogs and cats – some tick species are also feed on human blood. What make these small creatures highly dangerous are the diseases that they transfer whenever feeding from one host to another. Among these diseases are Lyme disease and tularemia. Note, however, that not all species of ticks pass the same diseases.

Here are some Myrtle Beach pest control tips to prevent ticks from coming near your home and finding their way to attach to your pets and, worse, to you or a member of your family.

Make sure there is no accumulated grass, weeds or fallen leaves around your yard. Ticks use these as hiding places until you or your pet passes through, giving them an effective way to attach to a potential host.
Dense plant beds are also good hiding places for ticks. Do not place dense plant beds near your home, or, if possible, do not use dense plant beds like ivy and pachysandra.
Other areas where ticks can hide and wait for their host to pass through our woodpiles. Make sure these are placed as far away from your home as possible.
Ticks can also come from birds. This is why it is important that you move birdfeeders and birdbaths as far away from your home as possible, as part of your summer pest control routine.
Ticks that carry deadly diseases often come from wild animals. An effective way to prevent ticks is to prevent wild animals from coming near your home. To do this, do not leave pet food outdoors, and ensure your garbage cans have secure lids and are tightly closed.

Fleas

Like ticks, fleas feed on blood often from animals and sometimes, some selected species also feed on human blood. They come out during summer because they do not survive well in cold temperatures. Fleas are difficult to get rid of so you have to work hard to prevent them from living off of your pets.

Their saliva has a substance very similar to anesthesia, making their bites painless and the blood thinner so they can drink it more quickly and easier. So when you get bitten, you would not know you were bitten until after it has happened when the anesthesia from their saliva has worn off.

To avoid flea infestation, you should consider the following:

Apply flea control products to your pets to keep these pests off of your beloved cats and dogs.
Remove fleas from your pets with the use of a flea comb.
Use flea control sprays or foggers throughout your home as part of your summer pest control routine. Be sure to read and follow the directions carefully. For best results, seek professional advice on the most effective and safest product to use.
Use a programmable thermostat to set a lower indoor temperature. Remember that fleas do not survive well in cold temperatures.

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes also carry deadly diseases such as chikungunya. To prevent them from infesting your home and making a feast off of you and your family, here are some things you should do:

Make sure the insect repellant you are applying on your skin has DEET and/or Picardin. These are found to be effective in warding off mosquitoes. You can also consider using oil of lemon eucalyptus as an organic alternative for your chemical-based insect repellant.
If going outside, avoid using perfume, cologne, deodorant soap, or lotion that has a strong scent as this will only attract the mosquitoes to you.
Always wear long, loose, and light-colored clothing whenever spending time outdoors. Long and loose clothes will prevent the mosquito from sticking to your skin for a long time. Light-colored clothes effectively ward off mosquitoes and other insects because they are less attractive.
Mosquitoes can easily and quickly breed in standing water. This is why it is important that you eliminate any standing water near your home.