Even for a state with a relatively mild climate like California, summertime is a common season for pests to come out and play. Summer pests pose a wide variety of problems, from property damage to health concerns and beyond—plus, it’s just never pleasant to run into an unwanted or unexpected bug or critter.
At Advanced IPM, our San Diego pest control technicians have experience with all the common summer pests. Here are some pests to watch for in the hottest months of the year.
Wasps
Wasps are, in many ways, classic summer pests. Who among us hasn’t seen a wasp causing havoc by hanging around a pool, or avoided that certain part of the playground that is hiding a wasp nest?
While your humble bumblebee is relatively harmless and reticent to sting unless thoroughly provoked, wasps are more aggressive. And since wasps can sting multiple times and are defensive of their nests, you are in greater danger of being stung by a wasp than a honeybee. Worst of all, wasp stings can also cause allergic reactions, and the greater amount of venom injected by wasps can cause an even bigger problem to those allergic.
How Do I Prevent Wasps?
Like with most pests, to best prevent wasps you want to make sure that they don’t have available food, water, or shelter. Keep important doors shut, seal garbage cans, and cover holes or cracks where wasps can build nests. Another somewhat unconventional idea is to construct a fake wasp nest and hang it on your property. Since wasps are highly territorial, the presence of such a “nest” already on your property could convince them to go elsewhere.
Ants
Multiple species of ants can be found marching around the streets of San Diego—and in your kitchens, too. Arguably the worst ants to encounter are imported red fire ants. These reddish-brown ants can grow anywhere from 1/8″ to 3/8″ long and boast stingers that can quickly unleash painful stings. Red fire ants often attack in groups, which can sting dozens of times very quickly. Fortunately, red fire ants don’t usually infiltrate your property and instead prefer to stay outside.
Other common ants in San Diego include Argentine ants and carpenter ants. While these ants are more likely to make their way into your home in search of food, they don’t pose the same direct health risk that red fire ants do.
How Do I Prevent Ants?
Ants eat a lot of different things, but many ants are particularly attracted to sweets, syrups, and nectars. Don’t leave food out in or around your home, and make sure that there isn’t a clear route into your home. Ants are small, and you’ll need to keep a sharp eye out.
Rodents
Rodents are an underrated summer pest in California, and are some of the worst pests in San Diego. Voles, rats, mice, and even squirrels fall under the umbrella of rodents, all of which can cause a wide range of problems.
Rats are particularly troublesome. Famous for carrying disease, rats are unsanitary and can pose indirect health risks (and direct health risks should you corner one—they’ve got sharp teeth and claws). As one of the most physically destructive pests to your property, rats usually take up residence in your attic or basement, ruining your floor and walls via urination and defecation as well as tearing up your property with their gnawing.
Mice and squirrels are less problematic than rats, but make no mistake: some rodents may seem cute, but as a whole they are very bad news.
How Do I Prevent Rodents?
To prevent rodents, do a quick inspection of the exterior of your home to determine where they could get in or out—and if you don’t find anything, check your interior, too. If you find any holes or potential entry points, close them off.
Pay particular attention to two areas: your attic and your crawlspace (or around the base of your home). Rodents are expert gnawers, too, and you’ll want to make routine checks to ensure that rats or mice haven’t made a hole for themselves since the last time you looked.
Termites
Termites are famous for destruction. They’re so famous for destruction, in fact, that termite and pest inspections are required for all homes purchased with VA or FHA financing in California (and throughout the United States). San Diego is particularly susceptible to termites, and the city is classified under “Region I – Very Heavy” of the federal government’s Termite Inspection Protocol (TIP) zones.
San Diego residents and business owners must combat subterranean, drywood, and Formosan termites. While each species of termite has different colony sizes and diet preferences, all termites feed on wood. As you might expect, this can even pose structural damage to your property should termites eat away at enough wood in the right spots.
How Do I Prevent Termites?
While there are some methods of termite extermination and prevention that you can do yourself, termites can quickly cause very expensive damage to your home. Additionally, it can be difficult to find signs of termites. The single best way we recommend preventing termites is by getting professional termite control in San Diego.
San Diego Pest Control You Can Trust
Advanced IPM is proud to provide the best pest control in San Diego. We offer pest control services for all of the common California pests—wasps, ants, rodents, and termites—and beyond. No matter what kind of bug, bird, or critter you’re dealing with, you can trust us to help get rid of your pest problem and put long-term solutions to keep it away.
Ready to say goodbye to your San Diego summer pests? Contact us online or over the phone today!