Look, if you live in Houston, then you know bugs and other wildlife can cause trouble year-round. However, summer is when they all really surge in numbers and activity. Well, there is a reason for that—the circle of life. Lion King imagery aside, living things eat living things whether it be creatures or vegetation, they gotta eat! Therefore when it comes to Houston pest control, you have to keep in mind how this circle of life works.
For example, whatever creature you have in your yard, it has a food source it seeks and something else seeks it as a food source. You have flies, flies love dog poop and food scraps—and what likes flies? Certainly not people, but spiders DO. So congrats, if you have flies, you have spiders and now you understand the concept.
4 SUMMER PESTS THAT KEEP HOUSTON PEST CONTROL COMPANIES BUSY
Now that you have the circle of life for pests concept nailed down, let’s take a look at pests that thrive here in summer. We’ll not only let you know the usual suspects but what you can do to prevent infestation.
Flies
If you haven’t already noticed, flies have made an early invasion of Houston. With all the rain and moisture they have flourished ahead of summers peak. Flies account for one of the top pests dealt with by Houston pest control companies by far. As we already mentioned the circle of life, when you have flies, you attract spiders. The only way to break the circle is to get the flies under control with proper preventative methods.
- Flies LOVE open garbage cans, so make sure to keep trash in tied-up plastic bags when putting them in the can. Also, make sure you hose down and disinfect your trash cans at least once a month—inside and out. A good dose of lavender oil is unpleasant to flies. Try to wipe your trash cans down with a sponge coated in lavender oil once a week.
- Flies are drawn to the light, so turning off exterior lights at night and keeping your blinds down can help.
- Many flies are drawn to sores or wounds on pets. If you have a pet or livestock with a wound, keep it clean and covered well. This is also beneficial for the speedy healing of your pet.
- A lot of species of flies are drawn to wet or moist areas and with all this rain, they’re here in droves. Reduce the moisture around your home’s foundation and you’ll see a reduction of flies at the windows. Also, fix any leaking outdoor faucets and water hoses.
- Gutters can become full of decomposing leaves that attract flies. Keep them clean and consider installing leaf guards as well.
Cockroaches
Everything is bigger in Texas, including our cockroaches—or are they? Well, the answer is yes, but people often mistakenly call them water bugs in Texas. However, a water bug is a completely different species of insect—one that can bite as well! Cockroaches are usually about 1-1 ½ inches long and are more oblong. Cockroaches are also notorious for carrying various diseases, and in the era of COVID-19—we don’t need any more trouble. Cockroaches thrive in warmer weather, so let’s talk about preventing a cockroach infestation.
- Keep a clean house—don’t leave food out, make sure the trash is emptied nightly, seal up pet food, and sweep regularly. Roaches also love clutter, all those Amazon boxes you have lying around from quarantine—toss em. Roaches love to burrow and breed in your clutter of papers, dust bunnies, and other mess.
- Disinfect your home, it makes the entire house less inviting to roaches and also helps keep you healthy.
- Plug your drains—roaches can squeeze in an out of anywhere. Just because they have hard exoskeletons doesn’t mean they aren’t incredibly flexible. You can get drain plugs at Home Depot for just a few dollars. That will save you a lot on Houston pest control expenses.
- Clean up after your pet. Dog feces that is left to accumulate in the yard attracts tons of pests including cockroaches and flies. Unless you want a plague of flies and roaches of biblical proportion—don’t let the poop stack up.
Fleas & Ticks
Fleas and ticks hibernate during the winter because after the first hard freeze they cannot survive as well. However, when summer rolls around, it is the peak season for these parasites that feast on your animal’s blood. Fleas can cause serious problems for dogs such as heart-worms and Lyme disease. They are also dangerous to humans as well. Honestly, once you have a flea infestation—it’s extremely costly and tedious to defeat. The best defense is to go on the offensive before you see your first flea.
- Make sure to treat your pet with a flea medication such as Bravecto. Most of these medications kill fleas when they try to feed on a pet.
- Maintain your yard—keep woodpiles neatly stacked, weeds removed, and grass trimmed. If possible spread diatomaceous earth around your yard. It is safe for humans and pets and fleas avoid it like the plague.
- Keep feral cats and other wildlife from entering your yard. A perimeter spray of fox urine every week will deter wildlife from entering your yard.
- If your pet already has fleas, consider taking them to a pet groomer for a flea bath and grooming. Trimming your pet’s hair and getting rid of existing fleas goes a long way to eradicating the problem at the source.
Mosquitoes
Yes, you can’t discuss pests in Houston without talking about mosquitoes. Easily public enemy number one for Houston Pest Control companies, mosquitoes are brutal here. This is mostly due to our many bayous and standing water spots that make for perfect breeding grounds. Being able to control their breeding as well as deterring them from your yard is the key to prevention.
- Control any stagnant water sources. Mosquitoes can breed in just ½ inch of stagnant water sources. More sources mean more mosquitoes. Any container or piece of lawn furniture that captures rainwater needs to be emptied right after a storm. If you have a pond or birdbath, get some fish, they love eating larvae.
- Keep your yard from developing damp or soggy spots. Most soggy or damp areas of your yard are due to broken or clogged gutters. Make sure gutters are clear, and drainage design is working properly. Many species of mosquitoes can even breed on the damp ground apart from water sources.
- Reduce plants if possible; mosquitoes love to drink nectar and plant sap, so eliminate excess plants if you can. You can alternatively invest in plants that deter mosquitoes such as citronella grass, catnip, and rosemary to name a few.
- Invest in the Guardian Mosquito system from Champions Pest Control. This system is stellar in killing mosquitoes as well as flies, gnats, and other flying insects. Far more successful than citronella or repellents, this automatic system is easy and effective.
THE HOUSTON PEST CONTROL COMPANY YOU CAN TRUST
Cockroaches, fleas, ticks, and flies are just a few of the many pests that thrive in Houston summers. Sometimes, you just don’t have the time, resources, or know-how to defend your home against all of them.
That’s where Champions Pest Control can help you. We have been providing the best level of service and quality of any Houston pest control provider for over 40 years! We know that we live in a new world now and with pests carrying diseases—prevention is more important than ever.
When you have us service your home, you can rest assured that we take all safety precautions to help curb the spread of COVID-19. Social distancing and minimal face to face interaction with clients are just some of the precautions we take.
Contact us today and keep your home pest free and safe for the whole family this summer and all year long!
