The arrival of summer brings its own unique pest problems that we don’t have to deal with during other parts of the year. It also increases the pest problems that are prevalent year-round. As you begin spending more time outdoors for summertime activities and get-togethers, it is important to focus on pest prevention in and around your Davenport, IA home. This time of year, the biggest threats to us are mosquitoes, ants, cockroaches, and bed bugs.
Mosquitoes
Not only do mosquitoes cause annoying itchy welts when they bite, but they also carry diseases like West Nile virus and Eastern equine encephalitis. These illnesses can be painful and even life-threatening in some cases. In order to avoid these pests on your property this summer, check out these prevention tips.
Ants
Most of the time, we don’t worry too much about ants – we usually view them as more of an annoying pest than a harmful one, but that is not always the case. Ants can carry bacteria and transfer them to the surfaces of your home, and contaminate your food, which can end up costing you hundreds of dollars in food waste. Carpenter ants present a different set of problems: they can cause expensive damages to the structure of your home. To rid your home of these tiny but harmful pests, follow these steps.
Cockroaches
Cockroaches are nasty critters that live in filthy conditions; they like traveling through sewers, trash, and feces, and as they travel through these unsanitary places, they pick up bacteria and pathogens on their legs and bodies that they can then transfer that to the surfaces of your Moline, IL home. These pathogens can make you or your family very ill. Follow this guide to prevent cockroaches from invading your home this summer.
Bed Bugs
Bed bugs become particularly troublesome during the summer months due to the increase in travel. As tourism and travel pick up, bed bugs have more opportunities to hitch rides from place to place. People oftentimes bring bed bugs home from vacations without even knowing it! To prevent bed bugs from becoming a problem in your home this summer, use caution when traveling and consider what parents need to know about the threat of bed bugs when sending their kids off to summer camps and back to school.
Prevention
Some of the best tips for keeping these summertime pests at bay include:
- Keep your home clean and tidy, cover trash bins tightly, store food in airtight containers, and vacuum frequently.
- Seal up any openings that may use to enter your home; fix screens, install door sweeps, caulk around windows, repair damaged siding, caulk cracks in exterior walls, and pest proof chimneys, attics, and basements.
- Make your yard less inviting to pests by keeping your grass cut short, hedges trimmed back, and the yard debris on your property to a minimum; keep wood piles away from your house as well.
- Reduce standing water on your property by cleaning out your gutters, fixing any leaky spigots or hoses, and dumping out containers that have collected rainwater such as buckets, overturned toys, or tires.
- Even with these prevention tips you may still encounter issues with summer pests, but don’t worry, help is just one phone call away – Quik-Kill Pest Eliminators are here to solve your pest problems in the Quad Cities!