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SPRING
Springtime brings warmer weather, sunny skies, and cool rains. However, this is also when most insects begin to be most active.
Pesky fire ants, pill bugs, and spiders are very common around homes during the spring. Wasps maneuver to eaves and doorways. Indoor, structural infestations by many varieties of ants occur with greater frequency in the spring. Rodents breed more actively during this time of year, so beware. Hearing noises in the attic? This is the time. Bees and bee swarms congregate around blooming shrubs and flowers in the spring.
Don’t Forget Spring Cleaning & Annual Maintenance Tasks!
- Seal all entry points including doors, windows, and screens
Many insects like the smells that make their way outside, and are attracted to the odors. Make sure your doors have weather stripping and that your window screens are in good repair. Don't forget to caulk and seal the cracks and crevices inside and out around plumbing, electrical wiring, window casings, etc. - Install Insect Repelling Lightbulbs
Light bulbs that cast a yellow light will reduce the number of flying insects outside your home. - Check rain gutters & downspouts
Be sure rain gutters are clean and free of leaves and debris. Downspouts should be directed away from the foundation of your home, and sprinklers should spray away from the house.
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SUMMER
The weather is hot and it’s bug time! Pests need the same things we need to stay alive: water and food. Insects don’t take a vacation in the summer; in fact, they run rampant. Hot weather, summer shows, and lush vegetation have a way of keeping the insect population happy & healthy. Bees and ants remain active in this weather.
Cockroaches, like many other insects forage for food, water, and cooler temperatures... migrating indoors for generally more comfortable living conditions.
Pill bugs, earwigs, millipedes, centipedes, scorpions, and springtails all remain active in the soil around homes.
Ways to Keep the Summer Pest Population Down...
- Keep your doors closed
Insects are attracted to the cooler environs indoors, and the smells that find their way outside. If you like keeping your doors open, then be sure you have screen doors. - Keep all human and pet food tightly sealed
Pet food should never be left uncovered, indoors or outdoors overnight. Kitchen pantries are particularly vulnerable with perishable, often lesser protected foodstuff. Keep cereals and dry goods packaged tightly. - Remove spider webs and dead insect debris
They attracts other insects. Use a broom handle to remove the webs. Check for webs on the outside of your home, particularly in pathways. By removing them, you’ll avoid walking into webs... not a pleasant experience for most individuals. - Attics and Attic Crawl Spaces
Ventilated attics keep the house more comfortable. They also are the perfect access for rodents and insects if screens are not fitted properly and securely. - Encourage pest-resistant plant varieties
Experienced gardeners know that these plants discourage insects: Daisy, Cress, Garlic, Larkspur, Bergamot, Rosemary,Castor Oil Plant, Hyssop, Catnip, Citronella, Tansy, Coreopis, Coriander, Pennyroyal, Geraniums, Horehound, Lavendar, Pyrethrum, Marigolds, Wormwood, Rue, Rhubbarb, Sacred Basil, Nasturtium, Feverfew, Sage, Thyme, and Mustard.
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FALL
Fortunately, when temperatures drop in the fall season, so does the general pest population. However, unlike most of insects, termites have a tendency to become extraordinarily active in the fall season.
Rodents also tend to be more active in preparation for the colder months ahead. They’re looking for their primary “nest” and working diligently to find a place to keep warm. Knowing this, you are forearmed and better able to outsmart these little critters. You’ll live in peace in your own home if you take extra precautions to secure your home.
Prepare your home for the cooler months:
- Check all entry points including doors, windows, and screens.
Be meticulous in looking over your home, inside and out prior to winter. Caulk holes and secure even the smallest openings. Stuff holes with steel wool and caulk cracks in tiny openings. By commencing a full-on “re-check” of your home, just as you did in the spring, will pay off by preventing access by rodents and other undesirables. A keen eye will go a long way in assuming a pest-free environment. - Cut back the vegetation and excess growth
By keeping vegetation as far away from the perimeter of your home as possible, you will end up winning the battle of the bugs. - Keep a clean trash area
Along with consolidating your trash area, also remove as much foliage away from the exterior structure as possible. Keep all areas as neat and orderly as possible by removing all non-essential area structures, including grass, clippings, mulch stones, leaves , bricks, and boxes. - Store mulch & wood away from the structure
Insects and termites love mulch and wood piles. Why provide the perfect home for these pests. Keep mulch and wood stored far away from your home.
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Winter
Most insects are not very active in the winter; however that doesn’t mean they’re gone. Many pests are still active in and around your home. Many will move into or under your home to keep warm during the cooler months. Rodents, clothes moths, and pantry insects are especially problematic due to colder temperatures outside and warm, cozy homes inside. Cockroaches are always a challenge because of our climate-controlled homes as well as structure-infesting ants.
Left untreated in the winter, insect populations often show up with even more vitality in the spring. Make your home less appealing to all uninvited winter pests:
- Store unused clothing in sealed, plastic containers
Rodents find soft clothing irresistible as nesting material. Clothing moths, of course, are also very interested. Box and seal unused clothing in plastic containers and youšll have less nesting and chewing going on. If you store clothing in the attic, throw in moth balls as extra protection. - Set rodent traps in attics and garages
Rodents are eager to make their way inside the house. After all, it’s cold outside! The colder the weather the more determined they become. Rats and mice will slip in cracks the size of a dime. Check the perimeter of your structure from top to bottom for access points. Rodents are known to eat their way through many materials. Set traps as precautions against successful invaders. - Keep the perimeter of your home free of leaves and debris
Discourage rodents from nesting around the foundation of your home by keeping it clean and debris-free. Leaves are a perfect start to a warm nest.
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All-Year
Most areas of Southern California have excellent weather for insects. They are active virtually year round. Termites, cockroaches, silverfish, spiders, pharaoh ants, little black ants, and other ants are no exception. Flies, gnats, and other flying insects are also common in homes all year. A program of vigilance is the only thing that will ensure a pest-free environment and your year-round comfort.
Need help with staying on top of the situation? Click here to contact Stock Exterminators.
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Residential & commercial pest control and exterminator services throughout San Diego County including: Poway, Rancho Bernardo, Escondido, Oceanside, Carlsbad, San Marcos, Vista.
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