How to Bug Proof Your Home (and Your Summer)

Happy summer, Texans! Welcome to the season of long days, balmy nights, countless poolside hours, family vacations, and… bugs. Yes, as much as we try to ignore and avoid them, we all know that summer, unfortunately, also means bugs. From ants at the picnic to mosquitos by the pool, these vermin will try to wriggle their way into your life this summer. Here are a few tips to keep those pesky pests out of sight:

Prevention is key:

• Make sure your house is sealed up tight: door frames, windows, worn out weather strips, and seemingly tiny cracks are an even tinier bug’s best friend. The good news? There are professional services that can help keep uninvited guests out if you don’t have the time/energy/desire to seal your home yourself.
• A clean home is a happy home. Ensure that you don’t have any food lying around, and clean up spills as soon as possible. Don’t forget the outside of your home, too: clean up any yard work piles or plant debris promptly and make sure to empty recycling and trash bins frequently.
• Have a green thumb? Consider these naturally pest-repelling plants! Sweet basil is great for deterring flies, rosemary can fend off mosquitos, and chrysanthemums repel roaches (my personal arch-nemesis). Take a quick search and you’ll find that there are tons of herbs, flowers, and even carnivorous plants that can help repel (or ingest) unwanted pests.

…but sometimes action is needed:

• Investing in sprays can be helpful if you’re looking to kill a couple bugs here and there. Brands like Terro and Raid sell sprays that can kill spiders, roaches, ants, or wasps on contact. Just make sure that you’re spraying the right bugs with the right spray. For example, bees do not die from wasp killer. They just get angry.
• If sprays aren’t your cup of tea, consider alternatives like glue traps, boric acid (poisonous to insects but less toxic than pesticides), or diatomaceous earth (which dries out bugs with exoskeletons).
• If all else fails, there is no shame in calling for backup.If you’ve exhausted all other forms of prevention and action, or you just are tired of dealing with the pests yourself, an exterminator is your best friend.

With a mild winter brings a hot summer where insects come out in full force. However, that doesn’t mean that you have to suffer! Employ the tips we’ve provided here and summer can resume being the fun and relaxing season it’s meant to be.