10 Common Summer Pests

10 Common Summer Pests

Seasonal Pests

Pest control is a battle that needs to be fought in every season… but summer is typically the most active season for pests. The following are the top 10 most common summer pests in Illinois:

1. Stinging Pests

Wasps, bees, hornets, and yellow jackets are all most active during the warmer months of the year. During this time, they forage for food, pollenate a variety of plants, and grow their colonies. Depending on the type of wasp or bee, these colonies can soon grow to populations of several hundred to several thousand. If you start seeing what appears to be wasps/bee making a nest in or around your home, give us a call right away! It is important to stop these territorial pests before they try to make your home their home.

2. House Flies

. While flies may not sting and, thankfully, don’t pose a threat to our homes, we still certainly don’t want them around. Unfortunately, house fly infestations are not something exterminators can typically treat. This is because fly infestations are caused by a stimulant, and often the stimulant has to do with sanitation. That’s why spring cleaning is the key to preventing these little pests. Doing a once over of your home to clear out clutter, polish surfaces, and ensure that all garbage is removed from your home can do wonders for fly prevention.

3. Cicadas

There are roughly 3,400 different subspecies of cicadas, of which, there are two primary sub-groups: annual cicadas, and periodical cicadas. Annuals are seen just about every year, while periodical cicadas live underground for extensive periods of time, only emerging once in 10 to 20 years. These brood cycles sometimes overlap, meaning that cicadas can emerge every year, every few years, or only once in a decade depending on the broods in a given area. The majority of cicadas’ lives are actually spent underground as young nymphs, where they feed on the natural fluids contained within the roots of trees and plants. They then emerge in late April-May, after which they go through a molting process to transition into their adult stage of life. Thankfully, these loud insects rarely, if ever, invade homes and naturally go away on their own within just a few months.

4. Ants

One ant – two ants – red ants – black ants. One by one these little ants make their way into homes in search of food and water. They are most active during the summertime and are one of the most common problems that lead to people needing pest control. Making sure all your food is properly sealed, crumbs are cleared away and dirty dishes aren’t left out all will greatly help reduce your chances of ants in your home.

5. Crickets & Grasshoppers

Both crickets and grasshoppers are highly active during the summer months. At this time, they are common pests in gardens and fields where they consume a variety of plant life. Thankfully, they rarely infest homes but, when they do, they can be very disruptive and even destructive. Their stridulation (the chirping song they make) while enjoyable and sometimes even relaxing to hear outside in the evenings, can be maddening when its coming from an indeterminant area in your home. Furthermore, they have been known to consume ornamental plants and a variety of textiles and artificial materials such as rubbers, wool, cotton, silk, leather, and nylon products, when stuck inside homes.

6. Centipedes and Millipedes

Both centipedes and millipedes are pests with LOTS of legs. Since they appear so similar, people often struggle to tell the difference between millipedes and centipedes however, the easiest way you can actually tell them apart is their legs. Per body segment, centipedes only have a single leg on each side while millipedes have two legs per body segment. Not only are both of these species very unpleasant and, in fact, rather frightening to behold, but some of them even bite! These bites, while not life threatening, can sometimes be excruciating depending on the sub-species you were unlucky enough to encounter.

7. Spiders

When there’s insects entering your home, spiders are normally right on their heels. Aside from just following insects inside, these carnivorous arachnids are also drawn to homes due to the shelter they provide and their access to water sources. They tend to occupy places such as basements, crawl spaces, garages, attics, and anywhere that is not very commonly trafficked. While they can help curb the populations of other summertime pests, spiders can still be very problematic and, especially in the case of some venomous species, even dangerous.

8. Mosquitos

Summer is truly the season of mosquitos, and these little buzzing pests aren’t just annoying, they’re dangerous. Mosquitos are vectors of disease, some of which are extremely detrimental, and even potentially deadly to humans such as Yellow Fever, Malaria, and Zika Virus. As such, it is extremely important to take precautions to protect yourself. At Pointe Pest Control, we will not only help banish mosquitos from your yard, but also eliminate mosquito breeding areas, and identify any conducive conditions that could be attracting them to your home.

9. Ticks

Ticks are most commonly active between April and September. Unfortunately, this is the same time of year that we tend to be most active outdoors as well. Camping trips, hiking in the woods, and rock climbing are all very popular summertime recreations. However, these activities can all put you at risk of picking up parasitic ticks. Before you go outdoors, try to be aware of where you may come into contact with ticks and how to properly treat yourself and your gear (if hiking, camping, etc.) to repel the bloodsucking arachnids. Then, when you return indoors, you will always want to examine yourself, your clothing, and your pets carefully. The sooner you spot a tick, the better chance you have of removing it before it can latch on to you and transmit harmful pathogens into your bloodstream.

10. Bed Bugs

Summer is the most common season for vacationers… which unfortunately means that more people are at risk of bed bugs than any other time. These pests are avid hitchhikers that can be found in a variety of places including restaurants, movie theaters, stores, hospitals, public transportation, and, most commonly and infamously, hotels/motels. So how do you avoid them? A fantastic first step is to check the Bed Bug Reports (https://www.bedbugreports.com) for your intended hotels. These reports will not only inform you if the location ever had an infestation, but they include the dates and sometimes even photographs and room numbers of where the bugs were spotted. Even if your hotel isn’t listed, it doesn’t mean you’re completely in the clear. When you first arrive at your hotel room, inspect your room carefully, even using a flashlight if possible as bedbugs will try to hide in dark areas. With just a few precautionary steps, you can protect yourself and your family from these hitchhiking creepy-crawlers.

We’ve Got Your Back

No matter what springtime pests are bugging you, Pointe Pest Control has got your back! Your technician will help you inspect potential entry ways and identify any conducive conditions that could lead to an infestation. Our treatments are safe, effective, and environmentally friendly. If you want to make your home a fortress against pests this summer give us a call today. We are standing by ready to help you achieve a pest-free life so you can enjoy the warm weather without worries.