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.
