7 Summer Pest Control Tips You Should Know (2024)

Our Top 7 Summer Pest Control Tips

One of the biggest downsides to the summer season is the surge in the insect population. One minute, you’re enjoying the beautiful weather, the next minute, you’re dealing with a swarm of mosquitoes and a dozen itchy bites up and down your legs!

Fortunately, we’ve put together our top 7 summer pest control tips to help you avoid bites and enjoy the outdoors. Keep reading to learn more.

1. Eliminate Areas of Standing Water

When we say that you should eliminate areas of standing water, we’re not talking about getting rid of your swimming pool. In fact, the chlorine in your pool can actually repel bugs. Instead, we’re suggesting that you do your best to keep standing water in buckets, flower pots, and other areas to a minimum. Standing water is mosquito central -- and you don’t want mosquitoes bugging you, do you?

2. Maintain Your Yard

A tidy yard makes for less bugs. Not only does it help with mosquito control, it also cuts down on habitat for some of the most destructive garden insects. Do your best to remove yard waste, keep your grass mowed, and trim the hedges.

3. Store Your Firewood Properly

Did you know that termites love firewood? You’re essentially giving them a spot to collect themselves before assaulting your home! The further away you store your firewood from your house, the better -- but five feet is a minimum. Keep it on racks of some kind, too: don’t let it rest on the ground.

4. Eliminate Shelter & Food Sources for Snakes

When we get a bug bite, half the time we don’t even notice -- we have to identify the bite later on and take an educated guess as to what caused it.

That’s certainly not the case for another common pest around the house and yard, though. That’s right: we’re talking about snakes. It’s important to eliminate shelter for snakes -- such as lawn debris and thick shrubbery -- and food -- such as lots of mice and rodents -- if you want to prevent a spike in the snake population around your home.

5. Inspect Your Vacation Home or Hotel Carefully to Prevent Bed Bug Infestations

Some bug bites are worse than others. While there are plenty of home remedies out there that can relieve bug bites, some bugs produce bites so severe that it’s practically impossible to relieve the itching. Bed bugs fall into this category. If you’re staying in a vacation rental or hotel, pull back the sheets (including the mattress cover) and look for bloodstains and/or excrement on the surface of the mattress. Running a credit card along the edge of the mattress can expose bits that you’d otherwise miss.

6. Seal Your Doors & Windows

It doesn’t matter which of the common summertime pests you’re talking about: regardless of whether it’s mosquitoes, wasps, or even spiders, keeping your doors and windows sealed is an effective way to keep them out. Check for gaps in your doors and holes in your window screens, and repair them as needed.

7. Use a Pest Control Service

Insect repellent is a great way to keep the bugs away when you’re out and about. When you’re at home, though, you shouldn’t have to worry about bugs. Unfortunately, far too many homeowners struggle with pest problems each and every summer.

Enjoy your Summer with Home Pest Control

Don’t let summer pests bug you at home! Home Pest Control provides safe, environmentally friendly, and highly effective home pest control services designed specifically for South Carolina residents. Contact us today with any questions, or to schedule a service.

In the meantime, download our Summer Pest Control Guide below to find out what pests to keep an eye out for this summer and how to protect your family from painful bites and stings.