How to Spray for Pests Before Special Events

Planning an outdoor event can be exciting and fun. Unfortunately, an outdoor celebration may also have you dealing with uninvited guests, like mosquitoes and ticks. Careful pest control spraying will help keep ticks and mosquitoes from hijacking your outdoor events and ensure that the only guests eating at your event are the ones you invited.

Mosquitoes can put a damper on any party. When guests spend more time swatting pests to avoid getting bitten than enjoying themselves, it’s a problem. And the itchy red bumps are not even the worst part of dealing with mosquitoes, ticks, and no-see-ums. Some people are highly allergic to insect bites, and many bloodsucking pests carry pathogens and diseases like West Nile Virus, malaria, and Zika. So, special event pest control is important not only for your guests’ comfort but for their safety as well.

Pest Control for Spring and Summer Events

Many people plan a spring or summer event to take advantage of warmer weather. While this time of year can provide a memorable outdoor experience, it can also become unforgettable for all the wrong reasons if mosquitoes, flies, or gnats crash your event, and it quickly spirals into a buzzing, biting slap fest.

Depending on where you live, most flying, biting, annoying pests begin to emerge from their winter dormancy in early spring and are in full force during the summer months. So, if you’re planning or already have an event planned for spring or summer, here are some things you should consider to keep your event pest-free.

If possible, it’s best to spray early in the morning or late at night two to three days prior to your event. Hiring a pro will ensure the pest control treatment is applied under suitable conditions – when the soil is fairly dry, the weather is mild and overcast, and no rain is expected. This timing ensures your celebration will remain free of biters and allows the pest control spraying to do its job and fully dissipate before any guests arrive. If timing permits, spraying the property twice in quick succession will provide the best results and ensure your guests use their hands for clapping and not slapping.

Is It Harmful to Spray for Pests When the Event Is About to Start?

Pest control safety must be taken into consideration to protect your guests and ensure a successful event. If you’re wondering how long to wait after an exterminator sprays at your venue, we recommend allowing the spray to dry for at least 30 minutes before entering the treated area. After that time, your guests can enjoy the space. Be aware that a pest control treatment will give off a smell for up to two hours after it has been applied. To ensure the best results for a pest-free celebration, follow the advice of your pest-control service professional. Pest control spraying should be applied several hours to a few days before your event. This will give the treatment ample time to be effective while minimizing any residual smell.

What Should You Do Before a Spray?

Your preparation for pest control spraying will vary depending on the location. If you are renting a site for the event, you may not have many options. Coordinate with the space manager and discuss the possibilities. Most likely, they will arrange for pest control services prior to the event, but it’s better to confirm rather than assume. If you are hosting the event in your backyard and have scheduled a treatment, there are a few things you can do to aid the pest control effort.

To prepare for pest control spraying, clear your property of all standing water, litter, and debris. These conditions provide excellent breeding sites and habitats for mosquitoes and other biting insects. Keep your pets and children indoors during the treatment and for at least 30 minutes after the treatment has been applied. If you have particularly valuable or sensitive plants, consider covering or removing them temporarily (if possible).

What Should You Do After a Spray?

If you’re wondering what to do after pest control sprays are used at the venue, there are just a few things to remember. Shortly before your guests arrive, wipe down any areas or surfaces that you, the servers, or your guests will touch or where any food will be placed. Also, unless you’re intentionally trying to curb the appetite of your guests, check the area for any dead insects and remove them. The last thing guests need to see before food is served are dead insects (yuck!).

A Successful, Pest-free Event

Pest control safety is an essential consideration for your outdoor event. While you want to protect your guests’ comfort and health by ridding the venue of pests, you also want to minimize exposure to the treatment.

There is a lot that goes into planning and hosting a successful event, but when it comes to keeping pests away from your outdoor fun, you can trust the professionals at your local Mosquito Joe. We know how to keep biters at bay and away from your outdoor event because we have been protecting families and businesses across the country for years. Our comprehensive pest control services will help you to reclaim the outdoors for spending time with family and friends. Learn more about the services we offer to help shield your special events from uninvited pests.

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Heartworm Disease Awareness Month

As the weather gets more conducive for outdoor activities, it means more barbecues, relaxing by the pool, and enjoying the fresh air! Unfortunately, it also means more interactions with mosquitoes and other biting pests that pose a threat to our family members, two-legged and four-legged alike. One of the fatal diseases pests can spread is heartworm disease. Sadly, this disease affects thousands of pets each year. April is National Heartworm Awareness Month, designed to raise awareness about the deadly threat that heartworm disease represents for our beloved pets.

What Is Heartworm Disease?

Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal affliction. Infected animals can suffer from acute lung disease, cardiac failure, severe organ damage, or die if the disease is left untreated. The most common victims are dogs, cats, ferrets, wolves, coyotes, and foxes. This disease is caused by parasitic worms called Dirofilaria immitis, otherwise known as heartworms.

While dogs, cats, and ferrets are all vulnerable to heartworm disease, it is far more common in dogs and ferrets than in cats. In part, this is due to heartworms reproducing more rapidly in dogs. However, while successful heartworm disease treatments exist for dogs, no treatment is available for cats or ferrets. One study indicates that one-third of cats diagnosed with heartworm disease die or are euthanized soon after diagnosis. Therefore, it’s essential to protect your pets from this deadly disease.

How Do Pets Get Heartworm Disease?

Pets can get heartworms after being bitten by infected mosquitoes.

Heartworms can live in the major organs of an animal’s body, such as the heart, lungs, and connected blood vessels. Adult female heartworms living in an animal host produce microscopic baby worms that circulate throughout the infected animal’s bloodstream. When the host gets bitten by a bloodsucking mosquito, the insect picks up these tiny worms with the animal’s blood. When that pest bites another susceptible pet or wild animal, they deposit the infective worms into the animal’s bloodstream.

Heartworm disease has been diagnosed in all 50 states, but the highest number of reported cases are in the southeast, especially in Gulf Coast areas. Warmer climates make transmission from mosquitoes much easier, and the number of wildlife carriers in the area is also a contributing factor.

Symptoms of Heartworm Disease

Not all infected dogs and cats demonstrate symptoms of heartworm disease. A blood test is the surest way to detect heartworms in your pet. Use Heartworm Disease Month as your motivation to schedule regular vet visits for your pet(s).

The most common symptoms of heartworm disease are the following:

  • A dry, persistent cough, particularly in otherwise healthy-appearing pets
  • Lethargy, poor stamina, and a reluctance to exercise
  • Decreased appetite and weight loss
  • Swollen belly due to fluid buildup in the abdomen
  • Difficulty breathing or shallow, rapid breaths
  • Frequent vomiting, sometimes with blood
  • Bloody diarrhea
  • Nosebleeds
  • Blindness
  • Seizures

If your dog or cat displays any of these symptoms, don’t hesitate to take them to your vet. However, heartworms cannot be detected in your pet until the parasites are about 7 months old.

Stages of Heartworm Disease

There are four distinct stages of heartworm disease, which are as follows:

  1. A mosquito bites a pet or wild animal infected with heartworms, ingesting microfilariae, the immature larval form of Dirofilaria immitis.
  2. The heartworm microfilariae mature into infective larvae inside the mosquito.*
  3. The infected mosquito bites a healthy animal, transmitting the infective heartworm larvae.
  4. The larvae enter the animal’s bloodstream, traveling to the heart and lungs, where they mature and begin to reproduce, growing up to a foot in length.

* Heartworm microfilariae, the microscopic immature larval form, must spend time in the digestive tract of a mosquito to develop into infective larvae. An infected pet cannot pass heartworm to another animal through contact, scratches, bites, or grooming. Mosquitoes are essential to the spread of heartworm disease.

Mature heartworms can live in dogs for five to seven years and in cats for two or three years. (Yuck!) But this long lifespan means that every mosquito season, your pet can develop an increasing number of heartworms, worsening the severity of the heartworm disease and its symptoms.

How To Prevent Heartworm Disease in Dogs?

While Heartworm Disease Awareness Month is dedicated to raising pet owners’ awareness of the disease, prevention is the main purpose. Heartworm disease in dogs and cats can be prevented, so it’s essential to check your pet(s) regularly for symptoms and schedule periodic checkups with your vet.

The best way to deal with the threat of heartworm disease is the regular use of preventative medications prescribed by your vet. Various effective formulas are available in once-monthly chewable form, once-monthly topical applications, and once- or twice-yearly injections.

Effective prevention consists of following your veterinarian’s recommendation and having a proactive plan in place. The American Heartworm Society recommends starting puppies and kittens on a preventative medication as early as the label allows, typically at 8 weeks old. Ferrets should weigh at least two pounds before starting the medication. Experts also recommend that pets aged 7 months and older be tested for heartworms every 12 months. Although cats are less likely to contract heartworms as they are atypical hosts, it is important to provide cats with preventative treatment and test them regularly for early detection.

Additional Protection Against Heartworm Disease

Another component of heartworm disease prevention is effective mosquito control around your property. Remember that mosquitoes are essential to the transmission of heartworm disease. Mosquito Joe®’s barrier-treatment sprays, misting systems, and mosquito traps  provide an added layer of defense and protection against mosquitoes that transmit heartworm disease. With a regular schedule of our barrier treatments, especially during the peak mosquito season, you can protect your family and pets from mosquitoes and the health risks they pose.

You can also lower the mosquito population near your home by doing the following:

  • Emptying standing water sources. Tires, puddles, bird baths, and even children’s toys can be prime breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
  • Cleaning gutters regularly so water doesn’t build up.
  • Cut grass and shrubs short so pests can’t hide.
  • Drilling holes in tires, swings, trash cans, and recycle bins so water drains out.
  • Repairing leaky outdoor faucets and pipes.
  • Keeping your lawn weed-free and avoiding overgrown vegetation.

Treatment of Heartworm Disease

Heartworm disease is treated in dogs with the use of Melarsomine dihydrochloride. This is a drug that contains arsenic and has been approved by the FDA to kill adult heartworms in dogs. It is available under the trade names Immiticide and Diroban. Heartworm disease prevention is far and away the best treatment.

To find more information on heartworms, visit the American Heartworm Society.

Help Protect My Pets from Heartworm Disease

At Mosquito Joe, we’re dedicated to keeping your family and furry friends safe from biting insects. In addition to mosquito control, our services include flea and tick control. We also provide extensive ongoing education about insects and vector-borne diseases to help you protect all of your loved ones.

To keep your outdoor spaces free from itching and swatting, trust the professionals at your local Mosquito Joe. All our work is backed by the Neighborly Done Right Promise™ and the Mosquito Joe® Satisfaction Guarantee. So you know we’ll get the job done right the first time. Request a free quote and say goodbye to biting mosquitoes and hello to the great outdoors.

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How to Identify a Bug Bite Allergy Quickly and When to Seek Help

 

Ugh. When you have been bitten by an insect, itching and scratching are at the top of your to-do list. You may not be in the mood to explore bug bite identification. But knowing what bit you can help you decide if reaching for calamine lotion or calling your local physician is the best option.

When to See A Doctor for a Bug Bite

For most people, a bug bite is a mild inconvenience. Some itching, scratching, swelling, and redness around the bite area are the most serious symptoms. However, for others, getting bitten by an insect can have more serious consequences. Reactions to bug bites can range from mildly annoying to life-threatening. If you have a bug bite allergy, you are probably already aware of the reaction a bug bite can cause. However, if you are one of the many people who don’t know they have an allergy, then the information below can help you avoid some serious problems.

What Insects Cause Serious Allergic Reactions?

While anyone could be allergic to any insect’s bite, the most common bug bite allergies are caused by mosquitoes, fleas, kissing bugs, bedbugs, bees, wasps, spiders, and certain flies. Technically, these are not all bugs. Some are insects. However, while there is a distinct difference between a bug and an insect, those who are suffering from bug bite allergy symptoms don’t care about the culprit’s scientific nomenclature.

If you have a bug bite allergy, you will develop symptoms every time you get bitten by a particular insect. Over time, the allergy symptoms can grow more severe with each exposure. And while you may experience bug bite allergy symptoms with every mosquito bite, a spider bite may not cause the same or any reaction at all. The reason for this is that each biter’s saliva and venom contain different compounds. These unique compounds can cause an allergic reaction in some people, or no reaction at all, which is why identifying the biter is so important.

How to Know if You Have a Bug Bite Allergy

When bitten by a mosquito or flea, it’s normal for the bite to be red and itchy for a while. Often, a cold compress and an antihistamine will bring some relief. However, if the bite grows hot, the swelling expands, the redness spreads, and the itching doesn’t subside, you’re likely experiencing bug bite allergy symptoms. More serious allergic reactions can include:

  • Difficulty breathing
  • Fever
  • Hives or a red, itchy rash that spreads beyond the site of the bite
  • Wheezing
  • Trouble swallowing
  • Swelling of the neck, lips, throat, or tongue
  • Anxiety and restlessness
  • Rapid pulse
  • Dizziness or a drop in blood pressure
  • Stomach cramps, nausea, or vomiting

The most concerning of these bug bite allergy symptoms are shortness of breath, facial swelling, and trouble swallowing. However, if you experience any of these symptoms, it’s best to consult a physician for treatment.

What to Do if You Develop a Serious Allergic Reaction from Bug Bites?

While some people develop a bug bite allergy at a very young age, for many people, such allergies develop over time. If you experience any severe bug bite allergy symptoms, don’t waste time arguing that you have never been allergic before. Document your symptoms, and note when they emerged relative to the initial bite. Then get to an allergist to investigate.

Your allergist will conduct a thorough health history with particular attention to your past experience with bug bites. Then, a skin-prick test will be done, introducing a tiny amount of insect venom just below the skin to observe your body’s response. A raised, red spot forming within 15-20 minutes indicates an allergy. If this test is inconclusive, an additional test, similar but more advanced, will be done. A blood test may also be used to diagnose a bug bite allergy.

Treatment for a bug bite allergy may include antihistamines, epinephrine, or possibly corticosteroids. You might explore immunotherapy as a preventative measure.

Contact a Doctor Right Away, but Don’t Panic

If you have experienced a bug bite and develop symptoms of a bug bite allergy, seek medical attention. Your doctor can help you to control the symptoms and refer you to an allergist. The allergist will evaluate and diagnose the allergy and provide more targeted relief for future bites.

If you or a family member has a bug bite allergy, it’s important to take proactive steps to protect your home and property from biting pests.

How to Protect Against Bug Bites

If you or a family member has an insect allergy, knowing how to prevent bug bites can be a real lifesaver. Many products on the market can help keep bugs from biting, and professional insect control services are invaluable for minimizing the risk when outdoors. However, your first line of defense is good property maintenance. Indoors and out, keep your property clean and tidy, paying special attention to the habits of the insects you’re allergic to.

For instance, standing water is a boon for mating mosquitoes. Dry brush, leaf litter, and other debris provide excellent shelter for fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes. A local pest control expert will help you learn more about pest control, like how to prevent ticks in the yard and how to keep your premises clear of the pests that provoke your bug bite allergy.

Once you’ve cleared your home and property of insect habitats and food, you can initiate using additional protective methods like:

  • Spraying insect repellent
  • Lighting citronella candles and torches
  • Avoiding perfumes and cologne
  • Using bug zappers
  • Planting insect-repelling plants
  • Hiring professional mosquito control services

Bug-Proof Your Home with Mosquito Joe

Effective insect control depends upon a multi-pronged approach. Do all you can to make your home and property less inviting to the bloodsucking pests that feed on your family and pets. Take precautions to prevent getting bitten. But when you or someone you love suffers from bug bite allergy symptoms, you need to do more.

Mosquito Joe is your neighborhood pest control specialist. We are a proud member of the Neighborly community of home service specialists. All our work is backed by the Neighborly Done Right Promise™ and our Mosquito Joe® Satisfaction Guarantee. We provide services across the country, and we tailor our treatments to your specific needs.

Reclaim the outdoors for family fun again! Call us today at 1-855-275-2563 or request a quote online.

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Complete Guide to Getting Your Home Rid of Fleas for Good

 

Every year, pet lovers dread the return of warmer weather because with it comes flea season. The nasty biters can drive cats, dogs, and even some people frantic with the incessant itching they cause. These bites are not a mere nuisance; they can trigger allergies and cause serious infections for both pets and humans. Thankfully, you can stop dreading the return of warmer weather when you learn how to get rid of fleas for good. Although it won’t be easy as there are many facets to the fight, winning this battle is well worth the effort.

Understand the Stages of the Flea Life Cycle

Understanding the flea life cycle is critical to learning how to get rid of fleas in the home. The four-stage life cycle makes ridding your homes of fleas seem like a never-ending battle. Only 5% of the flea population in your home are adult fleas that are visible to you. The other 95% cannot be seen by the naked eye. So, treating just the adults does little to abate the problem. You also need to learn what kills flea eggs and larvae and use it to reclaim your home.

Flea Eggs
Female fleas can lay up to 50 tiny eggs a day and over 2,000 in their short lives. The eggs are laid on your pets, who then innocently transfer them to other animals and cozy spots in your home. Flea eggs hatch in 1-10 days, which means a new population is not far off.

Flea Larvae
Flea larvae are hatchlings that grow up to ¼ of an inch, feeding on “flea dirt” or pre-digested blood produced by adult fleas. They avoid sunlight, living in dark areas deep in your carpet, bedding, shaded locations in the yard, and upholstery.

Flea Pupae
After 1-6 days, a larva spins a thick, sticky cocoon around itself. Pupae are challenging to get rid of as they stick to their surroundings. They also attract dust and debris, which means they blend in easily and are difficult to see. In addition, the cocoon protects the pupa from most home flea sprays.

Adult Flea
In 8-12 days, the pupae emerge from their cocoons as voracious adult fleas who must begin feeding immediately. They find a host, like your cat or dog, and suck their blood. After the first feeding, adult female fleas are ready to breed and lay eggs in just a few days. Adult fleas live primarily on a single host, feeding on blood and laying eggs for weeks to a couple of months.

Now that you understand the lifecycle of the flea you will be better equipped to rid them from your home. Understanding how to get rid of fleas includes obtaining information on how to kill flea eggs and larvae as well as adults is vital to success. Here are some successful strategies to eradicate fleas.

When Is Flea Season?

Fleas are a year-round problem across the southern and western United States. Elsewhere, flea season, or the time of greatest flea activity, can last for 6-9 months, from early spring through fall.

How Do You Get Fleas in Your House?

The most common way fleas enter the home is by hitching a ride on the family dog or cat. But they can also come in on an old piece of furniture or carpeting. They can also arrive by way of mice, rats, or other mammals that enter the garage or attic. So before you bring something into your home, give it a thorough inspection to ensure it’s not hiding any unwanted guests. It’s also important to make sure your pets receive regular flea treatments.

From the Backyard
Fleas can live and reproduce in shaded spots outdoors, ready to jump onto passing animals or people. As small as a flea may appear, they can jump a significant distance and are very good at hitching a ride on any animal or human that passes by. So, if you want to know how to get rid of fleas in the home, don’t overlook your yard.

From Other Pets Entering Your Home
Hosting playdates for your pup is a great way to socialize your dog and ensure their happiness. But having other pets in your home is another opportunity for fleas to come too.

From Your Pet’s Exposure to Other Animals
Whether at the dog park or your own backyard, when your pet is outdoors there is a good chance they will be exposed to other animals. Even in your fenced yard, you may have visits from wildlife such as skunks, squirrels, rabbits, deer, possums, etc. These other animals carry fleas that may drop eggs to hatch in your yard, and then adult fleas leap onto your pet.

The Neighborhood
Fleas can be a nightmare to control because even once you rid your home and property of these biters, new ones can come in from the neighborhood. So if your neighbor is experiencing a flea problem, there is a good chance that you will too.

Effective Flea Fighting Strategies

Yes, you can learn how to get rid of fleas. Unfortunately, if you share your life with pets, there is no way to rid your home of fleas forever. However, integrating the following strategies into your lifestyle will help you enjoy a flea-free home.

Sanitation
When figuring out how to get rid of fleas, you’ll quickly discover that sanitation is key. Thoroughly clean areas of your home where fleas often breed. Wash your pet’s bedding, your bedding, and your rugs. Then sweep hard surface floors and vacuum the carpets, upholstery, and curtains. A steam cleaning of the carpets and upholstery is helpful for treating severe infestations. Use the hottest water possible and plenty of soap as you clean. This process is what kills flea eggs and larvae.

Pet Treatment
Every pet in your home must be treated for fleas. Bathe your pet with flea shampoo, paying careful attention to the face, neck, belly, and around the tail. Use a fine-toothed flea comb to remove any remaining fleas. A flea collar or a monthly topical flea treatment is highly recommended for all cats and dogs, whether they reside in or out of your home. These topical flea treatments kill flea eggs and larvae as well as adult fleas.

Home Treatment
Hiring professional flea control services to treat your home and garden is the best way to completely disrupt the flea’s life cycle. If you are vigilant with keeping surfaces and furnishing in your home clean, you might only need an outdoor service to get rid of fleas around the exterior of your home.

Follow-up Treatment
Fleas are tenacious pests with a complex life cycle. During the pupae stage, they are resistant to a broad range of flea control products. So sanitation, pet treatments, and home spraying will have to be repeated to get rid of fleas. Plan on at least two or more follow-up treatments within 5-10 days of the initial treatment. Together with continued and vigorous sanitation, this gives you the best chance to break the flea life cycle completely. But if you have pets, you’ll need to continue these practices to keep your home free of these nasty biters.

We Can Help You to Get Rid of Fleas

Fleas are exceptionally fit for survival, but Mosquito Joe can help you to get rid of fleas in your home and yard. Our comprehensive pest control solutions are available across the country. If you’ve tried every home remedy to get rid of fleas and are making no progress, don’t worry—we’re here for you! We offer barrier sprays, natural treatments, and perimeter control services that effectively keep pests away for up to thirty days. Learn more about how to get rid of fleas with our services, request a quote online, or give us a call at 1-855-275-2563.

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How To Prepare For A Bug-Free Winter

 

We often think of summer as the worst time to battle insects. But pests often invade our homes in the winter, searching for relief from cold weather and food scarcity. Nobody wants to spend the winter cold and hungry. Well, pests are no different. The change of weather is a common trigger for a home invasion by perimeter pests like ants, cockroaches, spiders, and crickets. So, start preparing now by learning how to bug-proof your home for a pest-free winter.

Seal Your Doors

Various insects and pests can pass through even the smallest cracks and crevices. For example, our doorways often have small openings at the door jambs and molding that bugs can exploit. Examine your doors, using caulk and weather stripping where needed, to seal your house from bugs. Home sealing for pest control also helps to keep your utility bills down by keeping the heat in and cold air out.

Add Screens

You probably have window screens to keep pests out of your house. But when was the last time you checked on their condition? Screen frames get bent, the screen can tear or develop holes, and rust can lead to openings that pests will march through. When you examine your window screens, check the vent screens, too. Because you don’t see them every day, they may need repairs to keep your home bug-free. Check them periodically throughout the winter to ensure they are still in good condition.

Maintain Your Yard

When learning how to bug-proof your home, you’ll see how vital yard maintenance is. Preventing pests from nesting in your yard is the first step to keeping them away from your home. This begins with trimming and maintaining trees and shrubs. Sick plants are a haven for many insects. Keep leaf litter, weeds, brush piles, and other garden debris cleaned up, so they don’t provide nesting sites for pets. Remove sources of standing water, and clean up any fallen fruits and vegetables to reduce the number of pests that seek refuge in your yard. This type of preventative maintenance can go a long way to keep your yard and home bug-free.

Repair Cracks

Track down any drafts of cold air, cracks, or weaknesses in your home’s walls that might serve as an entry point for pests. Repairing any cracks will help ensure you have a bug-proof house this winter. Rotting or broken wood, broken or chipped bricks, and cracked or chipped stucco can also provide openings through which insects can enter. Carefully examine your house’s siding to ensure there are no gaps or areas where bugs can enter.

Seal Around Pipe Penetrations

Typically, a gap exists in every spot where a water pipe penetrates a wall in your home. Pests can use those gaps to enter your home. Although the gaps were likely caulked at installation, caulk ages, dries out, and flakes away, which creates an opening for bugs. Inspect each pipe where it penetrates the wall to be sure the hole around the pipe is well sealed against pests. Similarly, air ducts that penetrate a wall, like those that separate your garage and house, should be inspected and well-caulked to seal the house from bugs.

Watch What You Bring Home

When thinking about how to bug-proof your home, note the ways that you could accidentally be carrying bugs inside with you. For example, when you bring in a freshly cut Christmas tree or firewood, insects could be coming along for the ride. In addition, fruit, plants from the nursery, and even the cardboard boxes your deliveries are shipped in can transport pests. Before carrying these items indoors, inspect them carefully and avoid storing cardboard boxes in your home. They are an inviting habitat for many insects, especially during winter months.

Store Trash Properly

In addition to removing any excess packaging or cardboard from your home, storing trash properly is another important part of maintaining a bug-free house. Trash provides food, egg-laying locations, and shelter for pests indoors and out. And any pests that have taken up residents outside your home, may eventually find their way in. So, putting a lid over your trash can and regularly emptying it is essential to minimizing the potential for pests to enter your home.

Use Only “Yellow” Lights for Outdoor Lighting

As you know, insects, especially nocturnal ones, are attracted to light. But did you know that the color of the light can make a difference when it comes to attracting insects? Studies confirm that more insects are attracted to white lights than to yellow ones. And they tend to stick around white lights longer too. The studies indicate that insects have trouble seeing yellow light, which means fewer bugs. Using only yellow lights outdoors may help reduce the number of insects that hang out around your exterior lights. And less bugs hanging around your doors and windows means fewer bugs trying to find their way into your home.

Keep Your Home Clean

This one seems like a no-brainer, but when things get busy, cleaning your home regularly can fall to the bottom of your to-do list. Many insects have essential roles in their native habitats, such as disposing of animal carcasses, rotted fruit, and fallen trees. So, it’s natural that they are drawn to spilled food, discarded paper products, and other messes that are part of regular home-life. Therefore, keeping your home clean and maintaining a regular cleaning schedule is an important part of how to bug-proof your home each season.

Cover All Large Openings

Now that we’ve covered many of the smaller details and have you focused and mindful about sealing, screening, and caulking every tiny crack and crevice in your home, it’s time to go big! Don’t overlook those big openings like the chimney and the roof vents. A fine gauge wire screen can prevent bugs and bigger pests from entering your home through these larger openings. Birds, squirrels, and raccoons see these entryways as an open invitation to ‘come on in.’ Although, the arrival of unexpected visitors during the holidays can be fun. These are not the kind of surprise guests we have in mind. So, to prevent a squirrel, bird, or raccoon from crashing your holiday feast, cover any large opening before the weather gets cold.

Ensure a Bug-Free Home with Mosquito Joe

Learning how to bug-proof your home each season is essential for effective pest control. But you don’t have to do it all on your own. Mosquito Joe can help keep your home bug-free this winter with perimeter pest control services. Our perimeter pest control is designed to keep all sorts of creepy, crawling insects out of your personal space. So, the only guests you have this season are the ones you invited.

And when the weather starts to get warmer, our barrier spray service and natural treatments will make the outdoors fun again for the whole family while ensuring your house remains a bug-free home. We offer comprehensive pest control solutions across the country and tailor our services to meet your specific needs. Learn more about how we can help you make your home and garden safe for your family and pets.

Call us at 1-855-275-2563 or schedule an appointment online today! We will be happy to arrange a free consultation so that you’ll be on your way to enjoying a bug-free winter.

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