As you begin to spend more time outside in the spring and summer, wasps also may begin to establish themselves near your home. Like many pests, wasps are attracted to and do the best in areas where food or garbage are common. Although you need to have food and garbage near your home, there are a variety of ways to avoid the annoying pests and their painful stings.
Hornets and yellow jackets are among the more social wasps and can be very annoying if they decide to nest near your home, so the best thing to do is nip the problem in the bud. Wasps are easiest to control in the spring. As National Geographic magazine explained, wasp colonies start from nothing but a fertilized queen each spring. She comes in after surviving the winter to begin her new hive. By the end of the summer, these wasps can number in the thousands, making pest control more difficult. It may be best to spend an afternoon in the spring looking around your home - under the gutters, in the eaves, near garbage, close to the grill to try to find the beginning of a colony. Contact your local pest control business to get rid of the nest if you end up finding one.
If your family is outside enjoying a beautiful spring day, there are plenty of things that you can do to lessen the likelihood of being bothered by any wasps that are nearby, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Flowers are a major attraction for wasps. That doesn't just mean that you and your family should avoid flowers, but anything that smells floral, like shampoo, deodorant and perfume.
You should wear light-colored clothing that covers your body well so that if you're attacked, you won't be stung. Food that's left out at a picnic or cookout can also attract wasps.
Even over the winter and cooler months when wasps aren't active, you can patrol the yard to prevent future infestations. Look for old, vacant nests and dispose of them to prevent other scavenger insects from taking over your yard the following spring. Consider bringing in a pest management service to look for potential wasp issues before they become a reality.
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.
