Cockroaches
Cockroaches are disgusting insects that are both unpleasant to look at and potentially dangerous. These insects come in a few different varieties that include American, Oriental and German. These different roaches vary in size, appearance and where they often live.
While they generally don’t bite and aren’t aggressive, they can infect people with viruses and bacteria. A cockroach infestation can lead to contamination of foods and surfaces. This, in turn, can lead to you falling ill.
There are a few ways to handle cockroaches. These include:
- Placing weather-stripping around doors and windows.
- Checking for cockroaches on the exterior of your house to ensure they can’t get in.
- Vacuuming and cleaning up your home so you don’t attract roaches.
- Keeping your basement dry.
- Checking packages before you bring them inside.
- Contacting a pest control company in Chicago.
Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are extremely annoying little blood-suckers. These insects are even more cumbersome than many others because they can fly. While some buzz, others are pretty silent—making them harder to detect. Before you know it, you are bit and you get a bump. Not only are these bites itchy, but they can also lead to illness.
It’s important to take the best precautions possible to avoid mosquitoes from making their home inside or near yours. Some things you can do to avoid mosquitoes include:
- Remove any standing water around your home.
- Cut your grass short.
- Remove stumps and debris from your property.
- Fill in areas in your yard that can collect water.
- Turn any containers outdoors upside down.
Ants
While ants are generally pretty small, you’ll find that there are quite a lot of them—even if you only see a few at first. There are a few different varieties of ants, which include fire ants, sugar ants and Argentine ants. These different types of ants have different traits and levels of aggression. Fire ants, for instance, are notorious for their stinging.
Besides being aggressive, ants can cause illness and damage your property. Because of this, you’ll want to consider the options below to handle ants:
- Close off openings to your house.
- Use weather-stripping on windows and doors.
- Rinse out cans before throwing them away.
- Remove overgrown vegetation and branches.
spiders
A lot of people are afraid of spiders, and there’s a reason for that! Spiders not only are creepy looking, but they can also be pretty dangerous. There are a variety of different spiders out there. Some are safe, others aren’t. Some different types of spiders include American house spiders, long-bodied cellar spiders, brown recluses, black widows and more. A few of these spiders have strong venom.
In order to ensure you don’t have a spider infestation, consider doing these things:
- Keep your windows and doors closed.
- Close up any gaps in your house that may leave openings for spiders.
- Remove branches, rock piles and other places spiders can hide from your property.
- Remove spider webs when they appear.
- Replace or repair torn window screens.
Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are small but extremely annoying insects. As their name implies, bed bugs are often found in beds—but they can also make their way to other pieces of furniture throughout the house. Bed bugs feed on blood—which makes you their ideal meal. Their bites are annoying and itchy, which can lead to infections from scratching.
In order to avoid bed bugs, consider these tips:
- Clean and vacuum your home regularly—including your mattress.
- Wash clothing when you bring it home from shopping.
- Wash your sheets regularly.
- Avoid purchasing used furniture.
- Wash your clothing when you return home from traveling.
Rodents
Rodents come in different sizes and varieties, but they cause a lot of the same issues. Rodents can destroy property, eat your food and even spread viruses and disease. Some of the common rodent types that you’ll come across include Norway rats, Roof rats and house mice. When you have an infestation of rodents, you may consider setting out traps. This isn’t always effective, though.
If you have rodents (or you would like to avoid them), take these tips into consideration:
- Keep your house clean.
- Take out the trash regularly.
- Don’t leave out food.
- Call a pest control specialist in Chicago.
Wasps/Hornets
Anyone that has gotten stung by a wasp or hornet knows that these stings can be quite painful. For some, these stings can even be fatal. Because of this, it’s very important to remove a wasp infestation as soon as you notice it. Even if you aren’t allergic, a visitor to your home may be.
If you find that you have a nest of wasps on or near your home, contact a pest control specialist in Chicago. They will be able to remove the nest in a safe way and ensure that another wasp nest isn’t built in its place.
Ticks
Ticks are parasites that attach themselves to people and animals. These parasites live off of their host’s blood. Not only are ticks annoying, but they are also extremely dangerous. Ticks spread a variety of different diseases—some of which are deadly. If you notice your pet, a family member or you have a tick or ticks, make sure you take care of it immediately.
In order to prevent ticks moving forward, consider these tips:
- Cut your bushes and remove dense vegetation.
- Cut your lawn regularly.
- Use tick control programs to keep your pets safe from ticks.
- Vacuum and clean regularly.
Termites
Termites have an ant-like appearance, but they can do a lot more damage to your home. Termites eat away at your home, causing structural damage that can be quite costly to repair. A termite colony can grow quite large, which is what allows them to wreak so much havoc. Colonies of termites can be upwards of millions large!
Make sure you contact a pest control specialist if you believe you have a termite infestation. These infestations can be pretty in-depth, and require the help of a team that knows how to eradicate the infestation.
Carpenter Ants
Besides termites, there are also other wood-destroying insects that can damage your home. One form of wood-destroying insect is a carpenter ant. These large ants are responsible for billions of dollars of damage every year.
In order to keep your home safe from carpenter ants, take the following precautions:
- Close cracks in your exterior wall.
- Use weatherstripping to prevent water damage.
- Paint, stain and varnish wood structures.
- Remove wood debris from your yard.
- Use a dehumidifier to dry out your basement.
