Dealing With Annoying Bugs in The Summer

The warmer months of summer bring about an awakening of pesky insects and bugs that can infest our homes and properties. While most bugs are harmless, their presence can be a real nuisance. Understanding why bugs appear more frequently in the summer and learning how to prevent and control them can help keep your home pest-free during the hotter seasons.

Why Bugs Are More Active in The Summer

Warmer temperatures, ample food sources, and ideal breeding conditions lead to a boom in bug populations in the summer. Here are some key reasons why bugs thrive during summertime:

• Warmer temperatures – Most bugs become more active when temperatures rise above 60°F, Warmer weather allows their metabolisms to speed up and their life cycles to progress more quickly

• Plentiful food sources – Flowers, fruits, vegetables, and leafy plants provide nourishment for plant-eating bugs. They also attract other insects like bees, wasps, and flies. Decaying organic matter harbors insects like ants and cockroaches.

• Prime breeding conditions – Standing water from rain, moist soils, and humid conditions allow mosquitoes, flies, and other bugs to breed rapidly.

• Longer daylight hours – Increased daylight in the summer months gives diurnal bugs like bees more time to search for food Nocturnal species can also take advantage of short nights

• Open windows and doors – Homes become more vulnerable to flies, mosquitoes, and other unwelcome guests entering as we open up our houses in warmer weather.

12 Common Household Bugs in The Summer

Here are some of the usual suspects when it comes to summer home invaders:

• Ants – Seeking water and food, ants invade homes through cracks and crevices. Carpenter ants may also nest in moist, damaged wood.

• Cockroaches – These nocturnal scavengers enter houses looking for food, water, and shelter. Populations can explode in summer.

• Flies – House flies and fruit flies breed rapidly in the summer. They enter homes attracted to ripe, decaying fruit and foul odors.

• Mosquitoes – Female mosquitoes need a blood meal before laying eggs. They breed quickly in standing water and bite humans and pets.

• Wasps and hornets – These winged insects build nests under eaves or in bushes near homes. They enter seeking food and water.

• Bees – Foraging worker bees may find their way inside through open windows or doors. Homes near bee colonies are especially vulnerable.

• Spiders – Some spiders like black widows migrate indoors in search of insect prey, dark corners, and cool spots to build webs.

• Termites – Colonies flourish in the summer months, causing swarmers to seek new territory. They invade homes through cracks in foundations.

• Fleas – Pets bring fleas inside where the parasites breed in carpets and bedding. Their bites itch and may transmit disease.

• Ticks – Active in overgrown brush, ticks grab onto humans and pets near homes. Some species can transmit Lyme disease.

• Stink bugs – These shield-shaped bugs emit foul odors when crushed. They infiltrate homes seeking overwintering sites.

• Crickets – Homes near ivy or ground cover may deal with house crickets invading to escape heat. They are drawn to dim lights.

Preventing Bugs From Entering Your Home

While completely eliminating summer bugs indoors may not be possible, you can take steps to significantly reduce their numbers and discourage them from getting inside in the first place:

• Seal cracks and crevices – Caulk windows, repair damaged screens, and seal gaps along the foundation and around pipes where bugs can creep in.

• Keep doors and windows closed – Use screens when opening windows or doors for ventilation. Make sure screens are intact with no holes or tears.

• Remove exterior lighting – Turn off porch lights or outdoor lighting that attracts flies, moths, and other nighttime nuisances.

• Clear debris and clutter – Remove piles of firewood, compost bins, and stacked materials away from the home’s perimeter. Eliminate hiding spots.

• Trim vegetation – Cut back trees, bushes, and ground cover touching the house. Prune branches extending over the roof.

• Use exclusion netting – Cover exterior vents, windows, and doorways with fine mesh screening to keep insects out.

• Install door sweeps -Door sweeps seal the gap between the bottom of doors and threshold to block creeping insects.

• Repair leaky plumbing – Fix dripping faucets and pipes where moisture attracts ants, termites, and bees looking to build nests.

• Remove standing water – Drain temporary water sources like buckets and bird baths so mosquitoes can’t breed. Maintain gutters.

• Treat homes pets – Use vet recommended flea/tick prevention products on dogs and cats before summer to stop bugs from hitching rides indoors.

Safe Ways To Control Bugs Inside Your Home

When pests make it into your living spaces, try these safer options to get rid of them without toxic chemicals:

• Use fans – Run ceiling fans on high speed to disrupt flying insects. Stand fans near doors blow away newcomers.

• Deploy sticky traps – Traps lure in ants, cockroaches, spiders, and other crawling bugs with pheromones or food baits.

• Apply diatomaceous earth – This powder made from fossilized algae damages the waxy coating on insect bodies, causing dehydration. Spread along baseboards and window sills.

• Spray with soapy water – A diluted soap solution kills soft-bodied insects like aphids, whiteflies, and mealybugs on contact.

• Remove food sources – Clean up crumbs, empty the garbage frequently, and wipe spills to deprive bugs of sustenance.

• Use essential oils – Oils like peppermint, citronella, and eucalyptus naturally repel many insects when applied topically or diffused into the air.

• Introduce natural predators – Ladybugs, praying mantises, and green lacewings control plant-damaging insects when released into garden areas near your home.

• Install insect-zapping lights – Units with ultraviolet light attract night-flying bugs which are destroyed via electric shock.

• Seal or toss infested items – Discard unsalvageable infested furnishings. Place clothing, linens, and pantry items in airtight plastic bags in the hot sun to kill bugs.

• Turn to professionals – For serious infestations of termites, fleas, bedbugs, or stinging insects, call a licensed exterminator. Fumigation or localized chemical treatments may be required.

By understanding why summer is prime time for household bugs, taking preventive measures, and using safer low-impact controls, you can keep unwanted critters from crashing your home during the warm weather months. A few pests slipping through the cracks may be unavoidable, but you’ll have the upper hand in minimizing their presence. Here’s to a relatively pest-free summer of fun in the sun!