Eliminating Summertime Pests

Wasps and Hornets Because wasps and hornets are often aggressive in protecting their nests, you need to be on the lookout for them during the summer. There’s little you can do to Photo courtesy of National Pest Management Association/Gene White. keep them from building nests or from getting into your house if they really want to. “You can’t deny them access,” Hedges says. “No matter how well you think you seal up holes in exterior walls, they can get in.” If you come across a nest, leave it alone and call a pest control professional, Hedges says. “More people die from bee and wasp stings than snake bites,” he cautions. If you find a nest inside a wall and can get close enough to it, stick a piece of steel wool in the hole, shut the door to the room, put tape or a towel at the bottom of the door and call a professional. It’s not worth the risk to try to do it yourself. “A guy in Mississippi tried to smoke out hornets and burned down his house,” he says. Photo courtesy of National Pest Management Association/Gene White. Spiders Spiders actually are more helpful to humans than harmful because they prey on other pests, including mosquitoes. “I love spiders; they’re fantastic,” says Stewart Clark, director of research and development for St. Louis-based Senoret Chemical Company, which makes Terro insect control products, which are widely available at retail stores. “We really only have two spiders in the U.S. that cause problems—the black widow and the brown recluse.” Most people, however, don’t share Clark’s affection for arachnids. His advice for keeping them out your house: “Clean up the joint.” Don’t leave piles of junk lying around the house or keep a wood pile against the house. As with ants, caulk around windows and doors and trim branches touching the house to reduce their entry points. Clean out your gutters; if they’re clogged, they’ll attract spiders for the mosquitoes that lay their eggs there. Photo courtesy of the Department of Health and Senior Services. Ticks If you live anywhere that there are wild animals—including raccoons, skunks and squirrels—there’s not much in the way of home repair you can do to eliminate the risk of ticks, Hedges says. The animals carry the ticks, which will drop off as the animals walk through your yard. You and your pets pick them up the same way. The only real preventive measure for ticks is to check yourself and your pet to keep from bringing them indoors.

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