Summer Time Bug Safety Tips

There’s so much to love about summers in the South—cookouts, picnics, camping, sun bathing and hiking, just to name a few. But there’s one thing that’s not so appealing about this season—the fact that bugs love it too. It’s likely that if you’re out enjoying the warm temperatures, there are dozens of types of pests that are out enjoying their prime time, and they’re not afraid to sting, bite or pester you if you cross paths with them.

But fear not! There are several ways to keep insects from bugging you this summer without having to hide indoors. Check out the tips below to help keep away the season’s most troublesome pests.

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Bees, Hornets and Wasps

How They Cause Trouble

While bees can seem like a summer staple, their stings can be a serious cause for concern for some. In the U.S. alone, bee stings send over half a million people to the emergency room each year, but even if you’re not dangerously allergic to them, no one wants to worry about their nesting, swarming, and painful stinging. The same goes for other stinging insects, like hornets and wasps.

How To Stay Safe

• Stay calm and avoid swatting any type of bee to help keep it from becoming aggressive.
• Always wear shoes outdoors.
• Avoid wearing sweet-smelling perfumes outdoors.
• Keep trash cans and food dishes covered.
   

Ticks

How they cause trouble

Ticks can be found year-round but are out in abundance in the summer. They can often be hard to detect since they can be as small as a poppy seed, but their bites can cause serious diseases like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme Disease.

How to stay safe

• Use EPA-registered insect repellent containing DEET when outdoors, especially when walking in wooded areas.
• Cover up as much as possible in tick-prone areas. Tuck in shirts and pants to limit skin exposure.
• Do a thorough check for ticks on your clothing and body after outdoor activities.
   

Ants

How they cause trouble

Ants never seem to miss an opportunity for an outdoor meal, and depending on the type, they can be found feasting on your picnic sweets or gnawing on wood in or around your home. Their bites can be painful, their nesting can be destructive, and there’s almost nothing worse than disturbing a mound of fire ants.

How to stay safe

• Remove any excess moisture from around your home.
• Trim back trees and other vegetation that may be encroaching on your home’s exterior.
• Wear shoes any time you’re outdoors, even in grassy areas.
• Get rid of any potential food sources, including pet food.
   

Mosquitos

How they cause trouble

It goes without saying that mosquitos are infamous for being pesky this time of year, especially in the South. Their bites are, at the very least, itchy and aggravating, but mosquitos can also spread serious diseases from person to person or even from an animal to a human.

How to stay safe

• Empty any source of standing water around your home, including gutters, flower pots, and kid pools.
• Be sure all screens on windows and doors are secure.
• Use repellent when outdoors for prolonged periods of time.
• When possible, avoid being outside during dawn and dusk, a mosquito’s most active time.

Bugs don’t have to get the best of you this summer. These tips are a good start to help keep them at bay, but the best way to ensure you’re pest-free is to leave it to the professionals. Give Thompson Brothers a call today, and we’ll create an outdoor pest control plan that will keep summer’s pests away from your parties, picnics, pool time and other outdoor adventures.

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