Gardening, hiking, barbeques, and hours spent floating in the pool. Summer is a time for being outside. The days are longer, life moves a little slower, and if we’re lucky, our relaxation is interrupted only by the whine of a mosquito. This time of year, it’s easy to become focused on outdoor pests and forget that our homes are still vulnerable to intrusion. While it’s true that ticks, mosquitoes, yellow jackets, hornets, and wasps all thrive during the warmer months, summer is also a time for bedbugs and, counter intuitively, mice. In the tri-state area, indoor pest control is as important as outdoor, during the summer.
Bedbugs
Think of bedbugs as the ticks of the great indoors – small, easily concealed, and blood thirsty. They can hide almost anywhere in the homes of their host. During the first of their five life stages, bedbugs are no larger than the head of a pin. Not even the head of a screw is too small a hiding spot for a bedbug, meaning they can go undetected until the telltale itching from their bites begins. This incessant itching can cause insomnia, and the scratching that comes with it can lead to infections. Knowing the signs of an infestation, however, can allow bedbugs to be detected before you’re eaten alive. Indicators such as sheets with holes, bloodspots, and shell husks are often the first signs of an infestation. Closer examination might reveal adult bedbugs, as well as their eggs and nymphs throughout the home.
The ability to work their way into the smallest of spaces makes bedbugs a challenge to remove on one’s own. A seemingly effective treatment could end with fresh bites and itching shortly after. The only way to solve a bedbug problem is to completely eradicate these pests. Fortunately, the professionals at Masters Pest Control are masters at dealing with bedbugs, as you can see by clicking here.
Mice
While rodents are most common indoors during the colder months, when they seek warm homes, they are active during the summer, too. Mice, for instance, are attracted to food, so food scraps leftover from grilling and outdoor dining, can bring them to your home, as can garbage. Therefore, the best way to avoid a mouse infestation is to take preventative measures, such as storing food in airtight containers. Woodpiles, for example, are also attractive to mice and should be kept away from the home.
Mice themselves are not harmful to humans, but they are carriers of disease and fleas. Disturbing their nests can expose you to airborne bacteria and subject you to itchy bites. The experts at Masters Pest Control know how to identify nesting and feeding areas, eliminate infestations, and provide the determined effort necessary to resolve a rodent problem. Click here to learn more about rodents.
While you’re applying repellent and hanging up the bug zapper this summer, don’t forget to protect the inside of your home from pests, as well. After all, you’ll want a cool, clean, and comfortable home to come back to after spending the day in the sun!