Summer pests are always a problem in the Midwest. They burrow, sting, and cause mayhem in the lives of many. Some examples of the most common pests are yellow jackets, wasps, mosquitos, bed bugs, ants, and rodents. These creatures are very difficult to deal with but there are ways to prepare for them!
Yellow jackets and wasps are very fond of building their homes on the sides of buildings or behind vegetation to hide from predators. To try and stop yellow jackets and wasps from building nests in yards, it can help to remove clutter from the yard. This means putting away lawn furniture and lawn care equipment away after being used. Wasps and yellow jackets see these items and think of them as good places to build nests.
Mosquitos are always buzzing at night and looking for their next victim to attack. However there are numerous ways to keep them away. Mosquitos enjoy wet places, so remove any still water that is outside. One of the most common stagnant bodies of water in yards are bird baths. Mosquitos enjoy congregating to these and it can help to remove the water from them at night. They also love vegetation, so keep a nice and groomed lawn or garden that doesn’t have a lot of vegetation smushed together.
Bed bugs are a scary sight to see—if you can see them at all. They like to build their homes in places that have human contact but can mostly be found in mattresses, box springs, and other components of a bed. To prepare for a battle against bed bugs, peppermint oil, tea tree oil, and lavender oil may be the best bet to prevent the battle before it happens. The smell that comes from these oils deters bed bugs and is even quite a pleasure to smell!
Ants love to raid homes. They go after the crumbs that land on the floor after cooking or eating and never seem to leave. Some ways to stop ants getting into homes are by putting lemon juice, chalk powder, salt, pepper, white vinegar, cinnamon, or peppermint at the point where the ants enter the home. These agents deter ants from wanting to go inside a home, as they cannot stand the touch or smell. These methods are also cost-effective and can be commonly found in most household.
Rodents, the dirtiest and most disease spreading of them all, are quite easy to deal with. They find or burrow holes to enter into homes. Great ways to stop them are by finding the holes they enter in and blocking them and keeping a tidy home. Many rodents entering houses are looking for food and if they can't find any they won’t return again.
For more tips on how to protect you and your home from Midwest critters and pests, visit http://www.ihavebugs.com/.