House Pests
House pests increase in the summer months. As the weather changes
and it becomes warmer insects and animals become more active as the
metabolism increases. House pest initially are just troublesome, but
if they are not controlled at this stage they can be destructive.
Given below is information of common house pests and tips to deal
with them.
Termites
Termites eat the woodwork in the house gradually destroying all of
it. Termites are tiny cream-colored bugs. Some species of termites
fly others do not. Some of them burrow under your house so you may
not even see them. To locate termites walk around your house and
look for small soil burrows and termite droppings that are the color
of wood. Here are a few tips to prevent termites:
- Ensure that the wooden areas of the house do not touch the
ground.
- Dirt piles should not be close to walls.
- Do not let plants to grow from the ground to the siding.
- Do not pile firewood against the walls of the house.
- Ensure that moisture does not seep into foundation.
- Repair leaks close to wood structures immediately.
Ants
Ants like other house pest become active, as the weather gets
warmer. There are as many as 20 varieties of ants that can attack
your house. They not only attack your food but the woodwork in your
house as well. Ants are the toughest house pests.
Carpenter ants are the ones that cause the most damage. They come in
different colors- black, reddish, brownish and sometimes a
combination of these colors. These ants flock inside the house. If
you find lines of ants inside your house, be sure that there is a
nest in your house too. Ants do not eat wood but make their nests in
the woodwork. If you tap the woodwork that the ants are entering it
will sound hollow, as they have eaten into it. The normally enter
the woodwork from where it is damp. Ensure that there are no leaks
in the house that can dampen the woodwork. If you have trees around
your house, see to it that the branches do not touch the house, as
carpenter ants can gain access to the house from these branches.
The other variety of ant, that commonly infest the house, are the
smaller variety often called sugar ants. These ants eat sweets and
oil and normally infest the kitchen. To prevent them from attacking
your kitchen keep all the food in
containers, clean the countertop at regular
intervals and empty the garbage can regularly. Keep you
pet's food dishes clean as well as they will infest it
too. The best way to eliminate these ants is to eliminate any source
of their food.
Roaches
Though the cockroach is the hardiest of all the house pests,
cleanliness and good sanitation in homes, has reduced their menace.
Roaches are active in the night. If you spot any in the daytime, in
your kitchen, it means the kitchen is infested with roaches.
Cockroaches damage the health of the family member by spreading
germs.
To prevent cockroaches from entering your house, seal all the gaps
that can allow them access, to your home from outside. Do not leave
anything that it can feed on in the open. Though this is a difficult
task as they eat almost anything and everything.
Bees
These insects have a nasty sting that can land you in hospital if
you are attacked by a whole swarm of them. These insects can damage
your woodwork as well. Carpenter bees are the ones that will tunnel
into the unfinished woodwork in your house. They build their nest in
spring; the female has the sting and drills the hole for the nest.
If you find a hole with a diameter of about a finger, with sawdust
beneath it, then you have found the nest. To prevent these bees from
nesting in your woodwork apply a coat of
paint on the wood.
All the home pest insects listed above, except for the cockroach,
cause damage to the structure of your house. As warmer weather
approaches inspect your house carefully and look for telltale signs
of infestation. Take precautionary measures anyway. If there is an
infestation and you cannot deal with yourself engage a professional
pest controller.
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