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Summer Pest Alert: Stingers and Crawlers Come Out
Summer Pest Alert:
Stingers and Crawlers Come Out to Play
Summer's here at last and so are a host of outdoor pests that can quickly turn a family picnic or barbecue into a battle for the backyard. But there are some easy precautions you can take to protect your family's fun and safety all summer long.
Yellow Jackets
Here are some guidelines to follow to prevent accidental stings:
- Watch for wasps flying into and away from a single point in your yard or garden or to a hole in the side of the house or under the eaves. This can indicate where a colony might be located.
- Loud, vibrating lawn equipment, such as edgers, trimmers and mowers disturb yellow jackets and may cause them to swarm and attack.
- If you locate a nest of yellow jackets, stay away and don't disturb the nest until you are prepared to effectively remove or destroy it. Better yet call Anderson and let our professionals safely handle the problem.
- If yellow jackets are seen entering and exiting a wall, DO NOT plug the hole. You will only force the wasps to find another way out. Sometimes they might actually eat through an interior wall and enter the house.
Mosquitoes
Itching for a Party Outdoors?
If you're planning a get-together in your backyard, want to have a picnic by the BBQ or just a better summer for you and your kids, there's nothing worse than having plans and the outdoors ruined by pesky mosquitoes.Moreover, mosquitoes not only can be pesky, but can carry serious diseases, too. There's increasing evidence the West Nile Virus is migrating northward and now is more prevalent in Midwest states.
Minimize Your Exposure to Mosquitoes Whether you're a homeowner, a parent, or a business owner, here are a few simple things that you can do to keep the level of mosquitoes to a comfortable level.
Prevent Mosquito Breeding
- Eliminate mosquito larvae by removing all standing water at least once a week such as birdbaths, swimming pool covers, plastic wading pools and old containers.
- Cover trash containers to keep out rainwater. Drill holes in the bottom of these containers that must be left outdoors.
- Clean clogged roof gutters.
Prevent Bites
- Keep grass cut short and shrubbery trimmed so mosquitoes cannot hide.
- Properly screen windows, doors, and other openings with mesh that is at least 18x18 strands per square inch.
- Keep doors and windows shut to prevent entry of mosquitoes.
- Avoid going outdoors at dusk, when possible.
- Use effective insect repellent such as DEET per label instructions.
- Wear long-sleeved shirts and long-legged pants, preferably treated with a repellent as well.
Ants in Your Plants?
Summer is the perfect time for ants to infest your home, especially after it rains. It's not uncommon to see large trails of workers entering through cracks or small openings into your home. These pests could be odorous house ants, named because of the undesirable odor (similar to rotten coconut) they give off when crushed. These ants are medium-sized, brown in color, and have huge colonies with multiple queens. The ants you are seeing are most likely workers out looking for food. They often are found nesting in mulch beds, near sprinkler systems or under landscaping stones. They love to feed upon the sweet honeydew produced by aphids in trees and shrubs in your yard, especially ornamental fruit trees and azaleas.
Odorous house ants move their nest sites frequently in response to disturbances, especially those caused by you trying to treat them on your own. Due to the fact that there are multiple queens, a phenomenon known as budding can occur when new colonies spring up in new areas. Whatever you do, do not try and treat these ants yourself! You need a pest professional who will treat the ants and prevent budding. Call us; we can help. In the meantime, pull the mulch back from around the perimeter of your home and have your fruit trees and azaleas treated for aphid infestations.
The Anderson Solution
Completely eliminating ants from your home and property is no job for amateurs. Most do-it-yourself ant control approaches only kill the ants you see. Without penetrating and destroying the nests, both inside and outside the home, it's almost certain that the ants will return.If ants are marching on your home, call Anderson. Our trained and experienced technician will:
- Identify the type of ant or ants causing the problem.
- Conduct a full property inspection that includes your yard, attached and detached structures, driveway and home.
- Apply a barrier treatment outside your foundation to protect your home during the warmer months.
- Safely apply bait gels and dusts for interior nests.
- Directly treat nests on the outside of the property.
- Seal small common entry points if they are contributing to the infestation.
- Create a full report describing the treatment and how you can protect your home from further infestations.
