Spring has brought the pest world back to life! Over the past couple months, you’ve probably noticed common nuisances start to appear like ants, termites, and bees. Summer pests, though, can bring some serious health threats. It’s not all fireflies and cicadas, as ticks and mosquitos are in their prime and can carry disease. Most people don’t take precautions until heading out on a hiking or camping trip. However, these pests can be found in great numbers close to your home. At best, these invaders might leave you with an itchy bite. At worst, you could find yourself or your children with a bulls-eye rash and the joint and muscle aches symptomatic of Lyme disease. Knowing the conditions under which ticks and mosquitos thrive is key to reducing your family’s risk of exposure.
Ticks
Not all ticks carry disease. But deer ticks – the small blacklegged ones no bigger than a sesame seed – CAN carry Lyme. Ticks do well in high grass, shrubs, and moist places like leaf piles. Mow your grass regularly and put leaves that are mulched or raked in bags. Keeping up with yard work will keep your property looking neat and also make your yard less conducive to ticks as well.
Ticks make their way to your property by hitching a ride on hosts such as rodents and deer. If you have woodpiles, which attract mice, move them away from your home. When planting shrubs around your yard, favor those that do not attract deer. This way the ticks will end up further away from your home when dropping off.
Masters Pest Control offers a green tick control program that greatly reduces the number of ticks around your home. The first step is to give us a call and schedule an inspection of your property.
Mosquitos
In the United States, mosquitos can carry West Nile virus. Mosquitos lay their eggs in shallow water, so clear your property of items that could allow water to stand long enough for these insects to reproduce. Such items include tires, tarps, pools, and birdbaths. As with ticks, proper lawn care can reduce mosquito populations. Thinning out areas of dense ground cover and leveling the spots in your yard that are prone to puddles are a great start. In the case of larger bodies of water, such as ponds, larvicides can be added without harming fish and most other organisms. Techniques such as our new In2Care mosquito control program can be put into place by our professionals to give you unbelievable results.
While preventing pests from encroaching on your home and property can often be a matter of performing some simple steps, it’s best to come to the Masters with any serious problems and questions. Doing the job right the first time saves work and protects health!