If You Live in Middle Tennessee: How to Prepare Your Home for Pest Activity in August
As we head into the month of August, life can begin to feel crazy again. Kids are going back to school, new sports are starting, big projects may be starting up at work, and so on. Despite the busyness of the season, it’s important to keep up with pest control treatments around your yard and home.
Wasps, mosquitoes, and ticks are still hanging around throughout late summer, but other pests also start making their way onto the scene in August. You will likely see more ants, spiders, roaches, and stink bugs. Here are a few things to look out for and tips on how to stay protected!
Why August is Prime Time for These Pests
Spiders
By this point in the summer, spring spider hatchlings have now become full-sized adults. You may see them out and about more, searching for food, as late-summer heat keeps their prey active longer. August is also peak mating season for spiders. Males will leave their hiding spots and webs to seek partners, so you may see them on floors and walls more frequently.
Ants
Ant colonies typically reach their highest capacities in August after breeding all spring and summer, so worker ants get sent out in large numbers. They will spend the later parts of summer foraging for food and storing up for the winter months, and the heat may also force them inside in search of water. Like spiders, August is also mating season for ants, so you will start to see “flying ant” swarms as young queens and males grow wings and take flight to start new ant colonies.
Mosquitoes
As with other summer months, mosquitoes stay active in August due to the heat speeding up breeding and life cycles, high humidity keeping them from drying out, and an abundance of active hosts as people and animals spend more time outdoors. Heavy, late-summer rain showers also provide them with plenty of standing water that is ideal for egg-laying.
Roaches
Just like mosquitoes, roaches are able to breed quickly during the summer thanks to the heat and humidity. They have faster metabolisms and don’t dry out as quickly, meaning they will forage further and more frequently from their nests. They also hit their highest colony numbers in August after breeding throughout spring and summer. With outdoor water sources more limited due to the summer heat, roaches will also venture inside through pipes and drains to find damp areas such as your kitchen or bathroom.
Stink Bugs
Stink bugs love to sunbathe, so you will see them gathering on warm, sunlit walls and other surfaces to absorb heat during the day. They start leaving the fields and crops they typically gather in to search for new food sources as wild plants dry out or get harvested towards the end of summer. Days begin getting shorter again in August, and this signals the bugs that winter is coming, driving them towards homes for warmth.
How to be Proactive and Prepare Your Home
Seal Cracks and Doors
Pests can enter your home through the tiniest spaces. Make sure you check windows, doors, faucets, and floorboards for cracks, spaces, and loose parts to prevent unwanted visitors.
Clear Standing Water
Many pests hang out around and/or breed in standing water. By emptying gutters, bird baths, toys, buckets, and other potential collectors around your yard, you can lessen activity significantly.
Cover Leftover Food and Pet Food
Pests like roaches and ants specifically are master foragers. Keeping your food and your pets’ food — even if stored in the fridge — in airtight containers and taking out trash regularly can help prevent these pests from infesting your home.
Get Regular Inspections and Treatments
Self-prevention is important, but the most important thing you can do to stay ahead of these pests is to make sure you are having your yard, garage, attic, and crawl spaces checked and treated regularly to catch potential infestations before they get out of hand. Quarterly pest control is one of the most effective ways to maintain consistent protection throughout the season.
As we head into fall and temperatures begin to cool down, most of us start to think we’re in the clear in terms of pests. But these pests stay active! It’s important to have a plan in place to protect your home and to be on the lookout for signs of activity. If you’re seeing ant trails, an increase in spider webs, or notice high accumulation of standing water around your home, it’s time to call in the professionals.
U.S. Pest Protection provides consistent and reliable pest control services and will do Whatever It Takes to keep your home and family protected. Call us today at 615.590.1260 and enjoy peace of mind as the summer winds down!
