Home Swimming Pools: A Care and Maintenance Guide

Spring Into Action: 3 Warm-Weather Pests And How To Avoid (And Remove) Them

25 March 2018

Ruben Franklin

As spring begins and ushers in warm weather, you might notice that nature starts to wake up as well from its long wintery nap. Birds start to sing in the mornings, deer can be found in parks, and, yes, all the nasty pests that are absent in the summer begin to show up — and can invade your home.

But the warm months don't have to mean that your home is a free motel for all the creepy-crawlies nature can muster up. If you're looking for tips and tricks for removing a few warm-weather pests from your humble abode, then here's what you need to know.

Spiders

Nasty, eight-legged insects that inspire fear the world over, spiders are one of the most common springtime bugs that you can find in your home. To spider-proof your home, seal up cracks and gaps in doors and windows so that the spiders can't get inside and invest in getting your home sprayed with pesticides to create another barrier to these little bugs.

If the spiders have found their way inside, it's not the end of the world. Vacuum up any webs or eggs that you can find, and, if you can't manage to escort the spiders outside whenever you find them in your home, spray them down with a mixture of half white vinegar and half water. If all else fails and there are still spiders everywhere? It's time for an exterminator.

Rats

The biggest pests on this list, rats need bigger entry points into a house, but are much bigger pests once they're inside, as they can carry disease, bite you or other inhabitants, and eat away at any food supplies you might keep. Inspect your home for entry holes big enough for a rat to squeeze through, and know which type of rat is more common in your area.

Once you find evidence of rats, you can try to trap or kill them yourself (by setting traps and/or baiting with rodenticide), but if the rats are a big enough problem that you're noticing multiple rodents skittering around, it's probably time to call a rodent control exterminator and let them handle the problem. 

Ants

Ants (for the most part) don't sting, bite, nor are they poisonous — but they are one of the most common and most obnoxious bugs that can infect your house, and can be annoying to kill because of their tiny size. Prevention is easy here; make sure to vacuum up food crumbs, don't leave food lying out on the floor, and spray a pesticide barrier at the entrances to your home.

If there are ants in your home already, it's time to set traps. Ant traps attract ants and give them poison to bring back to the nest, thus killing the queen (and preventing more ants from being created) and the colony in one fell swoop. Once you find the nest, then you can drench it in insecticide, being sure to follow all directions to make sure you remove all ants from around your home.

Share

Search