If you rent or own a beach house, you look forward to that period of time where you can get away from it all to relax. You picture warm winds, soft sands and cool water. Yet that picture is quickly destroyed when you notice a cockroach crawling on your wall. Cockroaches are a vile pest that use humans to survive and do best in warm, moist climates. They aren't afraid to come out and visit and breed quickly, so you could have an infestation in no time, San Diego County noted. Consider these tips to keep cockroaches out.
It's not uncommon to find cockroaches at a beach house. Cockroaches are fans of warm, humid environments, which makes beach houses an easy target. They commonly are spotted in kitchens and bathrooms in damp areas such as underneath a sink or near a drain. They may also hide underneath a refrigerator, where crumbs lie. They feed off of humans, and really appreciate when people leave out trash or dirty dishes. Once cockroaches have shown up, they can be very hard to get rid of, the American Orchid Society stated. They breed quickly and only come out at night when people aren't around, causing homeowners to be unaware of the problem. If you own a home but only visit it a few times a year, you may be in for an unpleasant surprise when you finally set your bags down.
Keep it clean: One of the easiest ways you can bring cockroaches into your beach house is by leaving your home dirty. After every visit, make sure to do a thorough cleaning job. Vacuum floors and carpets for crumbs, mop tiled surfaces for spills and wipe down counters. You also want to throw out any trash you might have accumulated. Lingering scents and crumbs will quickly invite these pests in, especially if they're already a problem in the area.
Seal it up: Prevent cockroaches from getting in in the first place by closing up any holes or cracks you find. Cockroaches can flatten themselves to fit in surprisingly small holes, so don't skip a few by thinking they may not get in. Use silicone caulking material, door sweeps and new screens to keep this gross pest out. Each season, inspect your home to see if there are any new openings that need fixing.
Store properly: If you own a beach house, you may keep some food there that can be preserved. However, cockroaches can get into this if it's not stored the right way. If you keep flour, sugar and grain products in your home, place them in glass or metal containers that can be sealed.
You probably already know that most people are repulsed by the simple sight of cockroaches. If you are personally dealing with a cockroach infestation, the feelings of disgust are probably even more intense. Unfortunately, the cold winter weather tends to be one of the reasons this pest ends up in your home in the first place, according to Any Pest. While you may know that you don't want to share your home with cockroaches this winter, there are a number of interesting facts about this pest that you've probably never heard.
Because of the high amount of traffic and the versatility of the facilities, pests are naturally attracted to long-term care institutions. Many nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and other care facilities include on-site kitchens and cafeterias as well as private rooms and common spaces. All of these places are susceptible to attracting pests because of the presence of food, water and viable habitats.
During the summer months, some people love to go camping with family and friends. Yet this fun trip can be ruined with a few unwanted visitors, most notably different types of bugs. Crawling spiders, hungry mosquitoes and buzzing flies can become annoying quickly. How can you avoid these pests when you're outdoors? Consider these tips to keep bugs out of your campsite.
Carpenter ants can chew through the strongest studs and stringers in a house as they hollow the wooden beams out for nesting. The resulting damage can weaken the home's structural support and require expensive repairs. Professional pest control workers can remove a colony of ants, but the best practice for homeowners is to learn the best ways to keep out an ant colony and prevent the problem before it begins.
As the weather cools, you'll probably see fewer pests than you did during the warmer months, but that doesn't mean they're all gone just yet. Some insects can actually come out in full force during the autumn, while others might seek refuge in your warm home. Here are some key tips to keep in mind as fall gets underway:
As the middle of summer approaches, you need to be vigilant about keeping your garden free of pests. Many insects breed during the summertime, which means they're on the lookout for great places to lay their eggs. For many bugs, that means near a source of food. In fact, some species of insects will lay their eggs inside budding vegetables and fruit so their larvae have something to eat as soon as they hatch. That's why you have to keep harmful bugs out without damaging the bugs that could help you, such as bumble bees.
You might have noticed that, with the exception of the kitchen, you find more pests in your bathroom than in the rest of your home. This is because insects and rodents see the bathroom as a convenient watering hole. Pests love leaky pipes and standing water because these offer them a hydrating oasis in the otherwise dry biome that is your house or apartment. And if your bathroom develops mold, all the better for pests, who may eat fungus or use it to lay their eggs.
The kitchen is largest gathering place for pests in a residential home. The reason is simple: pests can grab a bite to eat and take a sip of water while they're here. And when they find such a bountiful place, they will return home to their nests and report the finding - before you know it, your whole pantry is a buffet for ants! The problem could get even worse if a piece of food falls somewhere and begins to rot. Similarly, fruit and vegetables you bring into your home may be harboring unseen pests waiting to hatch.
