ants
Most people don’t have the time to asses everything around their home to see if they could be doing something to be breeding pests. Pests in Alabama are just like pests anywhere except that the humid and warm environment during the summer and spring make it ideal for them to thrive.
Something as simple as a wood pile too close to your home can can create a pest problem
It’s obvious to most homeowners to not leave food debris and spills for pests to feed off of. But what about things that aren’t so obvious that you might be doing to encourage pests. In Alabama, we have more warm humid months than we do cold winter months. This makes pest season virtually year around.
So what can we do to around our homes to discourage pests from moving in with us? Here’s a short list I’ve compiled that I think will be most helpful.
1 Keep an eye on the kids (or adults that act like kids) when it comes to eating inside the home.
I have a customer in Homewood who is in a constant struggle between her four kids and her husband to not eat on the couch, in the bedrooms, living room or anywhere else food can find it’s way onto the floor or in the crack of a piece of furniture. Pests will find their way inside and if you’re feeding them, they don’t have an incentive to leave.
2 Look out for wide open spaces.
They actually don’t have to be that wide open but that’s how most pests view little cracks around doors and windows that can be a huge entry point into your home. You don’t have to do anything drastic such as replace them but you can use things such as expanding foam (use it sparingly, it will make a mess) or weather stripping. Most homeowners are under the impression that their home is sealed from the outside. Not true. There’s plenty of cracks and crevices.
3 Keep the brush back
The more vegetation that you have up against your home, the greater the likely hood of pests finding their way inside. Try to at least trim it back to keep it from touching doors and windows.
4 Be careful of what you bring into your home
Pests don’t always come from the outside on their own. They can also be hitchhikers. Ants can be brought in with potted plants. Roaches can be brought in with boxes. Indian mill moths and beetles can be brought in with food items. You can’t always tell but inspect those items regularly.
My name is Greg with ETX Pest Management. Please call or text me @ 205-223-9460 or click here to find out about our four step initial service and how we help our customers to be pest free year around of pests in Alabama. I service select areas of Jefferson and Shelby County areas such as Hoover, Homewood, Vestavia, Pelham, Helena and Alabaster.
FollowI have a customer in Vestavia that recently had an issue with ants invading her kitchen counter every time someone left open food packaging or food residue such as crumbs or spills. She was amazed at how quickly and effortlessly ants found their way inside like magic.
It’s not magic but biology that allows them to find a food source. Ants actually send scouts to forage for food and when they find it, they release pheromone signals that lead other members of the colony to it.
It’s obvious to say you shouldn’t leave crumbs or other food residue for ants to find. But what about those times when they show up when there’s no food to be found?
Brush that’s too close to doors and windows can be a major avenue for ants.
You have to keep in mind that ants can find the most miniscule quantity of food and they also have the exceptional ability to sense food that’s sealed in packages and containers. I’ve had customers think that ants in Alabama have this exclusive talent but they’re like that everywhere.
I’ve even seen on rare occasions when they have chewed through plastic packaging to access starchy foods such as potato chips. I’ve also on many occasions seen them invade closets where they can feed off of dead skin cells, starches, and dead insects among other things.
A quick solution: You can use a small mixture of bleach and water (2 to 3 parts water and 1 part bleach) to wipe off your counters to break the pheromone trail and stop them from invading. This is usually temporary but minimizes the problem and sometimes will stop them altogether.
My name is Greg with ETX Pest Management. Please call or text me @ 205-223-9460 or click here to find out about our four step initial service and how we help our customers to be pest free year around. I service select areas of Jefferson and Shelby County areas such as Hoover, Homewood, Vestavia, Pelham, Helena and Alabaster.