Pests can not only damage your property, but also hurt your health. They come in various sizes and shapes, from fruit flies to bed bugs and mice, invading our homes, gardens, garages, or sheds. To make matters worse, you need to really make an effort to get rid of them.
Sometimes it’s almost impossible to clear out your home without the help of professional exterminators like those from 369 Bugs. However, it doesn’t mean that it can’t be done. In this guide, you will find some helpful information that will help you protect your home and identify which kinds of pests can invade your home.
Ants
Ants are probably the most common pests you can think of. They can often appear trailing along your garden paths and windows. Some species invade lawns and gardens to build large unsightly mounds to protect aphids, mealybugs, and scales from their natural enemies.
Ants can contaminate your food, damage the property and scare your guests. The best way to keep ants from coming indoors is to locate the mound and destroy it. You can set bait stations or apply botanical pesticides to the soil. It is also wise to keep organic wastes in sealed containers, use bug sprays on the windows, and regularly dust contaminated outside areas with diatomaceous earth.
Slugs and Snails
Sometimes garden insects like slugs and snails can come inside the house from the garden. In order to find out if they are the ones invading your home, you can check your floors and couches for slug trails. They love dark, cold, and cool places, so they can be drawn to your home if you have a damp problem. They also fancy pet food and have a great sense of smell. Therefore if you have any pets, don’t leave unfinished food on the floor.
If you want to keep unwanted guests away, you can lay a salt path near the doors, use copper barrier tape across the doors’ thresholds, or make a slug beer trap.
Japanese Beetles
Although Japanese beetles look very similar to regular ladybugs, they act very differently and can be a real nuisance, especially to your plants. They are incredibly destructive pests, and it can be challenging to get rid of them. To best protect your plants is to think ahead and prevent them from getting inside.
Remove air conditioners when they are no longer needed and seal up cracks around windows and doors, particularly on the house’s sunny southern and western sides. When dealing with a small population, you can remove them using a vacuum cleaner. Be careful, though. When disturbed, they often release an unpleasant odor and produce a yellowish staining fluid that can damage light-colored rugs and upholstery.
Termites
Termites are the most frequent wood-destroying pests in the United States. They exist in every state, and each year thousands of homes require treatment to control these pests. You have to be especially careful if you have a woodshed and a fireplace you frequently use. Signs of termite infestation include mud tubes termites create to move through the wood.
Suppose you want to prevent the possibility of infestation. You should make sure that you eliminate wood contact with the ground. It is better to bring firewood to your home in small portions and use it all up fast, than store it inside for days. You should also prevent moisture from accumulating near the foundation of your house. Install, fix or relocate downspouts, drains, and gutters.
Wasps and Hornets
These insects can help control other pests’ populations, but their aggressive habits can be dangerous to people and pets. In late spring, they build nests in tree branches or inside the cracks in your home. The nests are most likely to be found in the trees in your garden or the woodshed.
While wasps alone can pose a danger to household residents, hornets are even more dangerous. They can squirt venom into your eyes that could cause temporary blindness. Fortunately, in most cases, their stings don’t cause any long-term damage, but they are very painful and can be life-threatening if someone is allergic.
If you want to get rid of them, it is better to get professional help, as they can be very aggressive. It is better to think ahead and keep trees and landscape bushes well-trimmed, thinned, and open, as hornets prefer to build their aerial nests in hidden, protected portions of trees and bushes.
The Bottom Line
A pest infestation can pose a real threat to you and your property. Many pests have the same prevention tactics, so always remember closing the doors and using protective nets on all your windows and doors. Don’t leave any food and waste in the open, and remove any standing water you may have on your property. Remember that most pests are tiny, smaller than an inch, meaning they can fit all cracks and crevices.
Following our simple rules should keep most insects away from inside your home. If you notice any more extensive infestation signs, don’t hesitate to call professional pest control services. After all, it’s your health and comfort that’s at stake.
