Defending Your Home From Common Spring Pest Invaders
Spring is here, and along with bringing warmer weather, the season also brings along some very unwanted and invasive pests. Some of these pests can pose health threats to humans and create billions of dollars in property damage every year. Some of the most common and pervasive spring pests are ants, flies, rats, and mice. To protect your home this spring, the Kness Pest Defense team of experts has assembled some preventative tips and home defense solutions.
Ants
These tiny insects might look harmless, but ants can cause significant issues for homeowners as they search for food and a place to start a colony. As they scout out new locations, ants can easily make their way into a house and establish food sources or even take shelter inside the walls of your home, depending on the ant species.
Pavement ants establish their colonies in the ground outside a structure. They can quickly swarm an area that has any trace of food that can be used for the colony. These ants are identified by their dark brown or blackish coloring and are anywhere from an inch long or smaller.
Carpenter ants, on the other hand, make their colonies in wood, which makes houses vulnerable to infestation. They can cause structural damage by nesting inside walls. They prefer wood that has been exposed to moisture. Some ways to identify if you have a carpenter ant infestation is to be on the lookout for piles of wood shavings that appear under pieces of wood. Also, if you hear any rustling sounds coming from inside the walls, it could be an infestation.
Ants can enter a building in several different ways. Some of the most common ways these insects find their way into a home is through piping, the foundation, cracks in the home exterior, gaps in windows or doors, and vents. If you’re dealing with ants in the house in spring, it’s good practice to seal any gaps or possible points of entry. Along with that, be sure to eliminate food crumbs and standing water inside the home.
Other ant preventative measures include using pest control products like Kness Ants-No-More® Ant Bait Station or Stick-All® Glue Trap. Ants-No-More is a compact and discreet bait station that can be loaded with bait, which allows ants to take the bait and bring it back to their nest—effectively eliminating the colony.
Flies
House flies, and fruit flies are some of the most common species of this winged insect that people will come into contact with. Both species feast on decaying organic matter and can carry disease-causing germs. Fly populations can grow rapidly if left unchecked in the home.
Removing files can be a challenge, but it is possible. Preventative measures are an essential step—monitoring doors and windows and sealing up any gaps can reduce the number of flies that get in your house.
If you’re dealing with a fly infestation indoors or outdoors, the Kness Stick-All® Glue Trap can help eliminate the problem. So convenient to use and safe for the environment, this is one sticky mouse trap you’ll want to keep around.
Rodents
Mice can quickly adapt to live year-round in homes. Once mice become established in a home, they have the potential to cause significant damage and contamination. Make sure to check your house for gaps or openings; mice can fit through an opening the size of a dime. Use silicone-based caulk to seal up any exposed areas around the property. Limit the number of hiding places for mice by getting rid of clutter and not storing items in cardboard boxes.
If you find evidence of mice in your home or property, Kness offers many solutions. For live capture traps, Kness has the reliable Ketch-All® Multiple Catch Mousetrap, Pro-Ketch® Multiple Catch Mousetrap, and Tip-Trap® Live Capture Mousetrap. The Kness Snap-E® Mousetrap is a safe, simple, and sanitary way of ridding your home of mice.
Rats are very adept at surviving in nearly any environment. They search for areas that offer plenty of food, water, and shelter. They are very active during their breeding seasons in the spring and fall. They are capable of gaining access to buildings using entry methods such as gnawing, leaping, and climbing.
Just like with mice, be sure to close off any small or large openings around your home. To take care of any rats on your property, place traps, such as the Kness Big Snap-E® Rat Trap or Stick-All® Rat Glue Trap, around areas that the rodents have been.
Visit our Pest Control Center for more pest prevention tips.