Summer brings plenty of sunshine, warm weather, and spending time outside. Unfortunately, many pests come with it as well. During the summer, many species of pests breed and grow, which can really dampen your fun outdoors and cause damage to your health and home. When the weather begins to grow warmer, insects start to make their appearance, and they forage for food. It is the most common time for increases in pest and insect activity. To ensure good pest control, it is critical to take care of them as soon as possible. Although most insects play an important role within the environment, whenever they invade your house, it is essential to take them right away.

The following are the eight most common pests found in summer and what you can do to prevent them.

Mosquitoes

The summer is peak mosquito season, and the humidity and warm weather cause them to reproduce in big numbers. Mosquitoes can be potentially dangerous to humans. They can spread dangerous pathogens that can cause West Nile or Zike. They are harmful to pets as well since they can cause heartworms. If you are experiencing an abnormal amount of mosquitoes, it is wise to call a mosquito control service to help you handle the situation immediately.

Also, you can help prevent mosquitoes by avoiding being outside at dusk and dawn, wearing pants and long-sleeved shirts while outside, eliminating any standing water that is on your property, wearing insect repellent, and ensuring all of your windows and doors are closed.

Ants

During the summer months is when ants are out in full force after hibernating all winter long. They go hunting for food during the summer to feed their expanding colonies and store up for the cooler fall and winter seasons. They invade your house searching for water and food.

You can prevent ants by keeping your house clean, especially your kitchen; keeping water and food bowls inside instead of outside at night, trimming back bushes and trees from your house; and sealing any holes and cracks on the outside of your house.

Fleas

During the summer, fleas are very common, although you can find them all yea along. When your pets are infested with fleas when they scratch and bite after coming in from outside.

You can prevent fleas by applying preventative medication to your pets, washing your pet’s bedding in hot water every week, applying flea spray to your yard, vacuuming often, and then immediately disposing of the bag.

Serious diseases can be spread to both pets and humans by ticks. During the summer, there is an increase in tick bites due to spending more time outside.

You can prevent ticks by applying preventative medication to your pets; wearing closed-toe shoes, pants, and long-sleeved shirts when outside; avoiding the woods and high grass whenever you can; wearing insect repellent; eliminating debris and woodpiles from your yard; checking for and removing any ticks immediately from your pets and yourself after you go indoors.

Termites

Although the swarming season for termites is the spring, during the summer months, termite colonies experience significant growth. Since termites can go undetected for a long time, it is very important to watch for signs of termites to ensure any infestations are caught as early as possible.

You can prevent termites by eliminating any soil to wood contact around your home’s foundation; making sure there is a 4-inch barrier between your house and mulch; planting landscaping such as shrubs a couple of feet away from your house; making sure drains are not clogged and pointed away from your foundation; repairing leaks and eliminating any other moisture sources and having a termite inspect performed every year.

Grasshoppers

Although grasshoppers might not be high on your common summer pests list, they can be very devastating to farmers and gardeners. In just a couple of days, they are capable of destroying a whole field of crops. Also, they are one of just a few pests that can chew through screens.

You can prevent grasshoppers by planting flowers that are disliked by grasshoppers (juniper, sage, verbena, crepe myrtle, lilac); planting vegetables disliked by grasshoppers (tomatoes, peas, squash), attracting more birds to your garden since they eat grasshoppers; placing floating row covers on plants and crops; using natural products to kill grasshoppers that are safe for plants and other animals.

Flies

Although flies do not cause serious illnesses to humans, they can be a real nuisance, especially whenever large numbers of them invade. Flies mainly go inside during the summer to get away from the heat. The warmer months are also when they reproduce. So after they are indoors, they will quickly proliferate. They hang out into the fall season.

You can prevent flies by ensuring that vents, windows, and doors are sealed; using garbage cans that have tight-fitting lids and emptying the garbage when it is full; turning the outdoor lights off a night; not leaving grass clippings on your yard; not leaving food and dirty dishes out overnight; and keeping your food stored inside of airtight containers.

Stinging Insects

Yellow jackets, hornets, wasps, bees, and other stinging insects mate during the spring and then grow in the summer. Nests can be found in dirt patches, piles of leaves, and under decks. Stinging insects are particularly dangerous to individuals with allergies. Bees and yellow jackets can get inside the walls of your house and cause significant damage.

You can prevent stinging insects by wearing shoes while outside, using trash cans that have tight-fitting lids, eliminating any dirt patches on your lawn, not swatting at the insects when they are buzzing around you, and avoiding wearing sweet-smelling perfumes.

Don’t allow your fun to be ruined by these common summer pests. If you think that you might have a problem with any of them, call a professional pest expert. They will be able to assess your situation and come up with a customized prevention and elimination plan for your individual situation.