It’s 110 degrees in Texas. Is that why ants are in my house?
As if the Texas heat couldn’t get any worse, now we have unwanted creepy-crawlies to contend with.
It turns out bugs need some air conditioning once in a while, too. Record-breaking temperatures are driving bugs and rodents into homes, as you may have noticed if you’ve had an infestation recently.
“Occasional invaders that like to come in, they stress like you and I do in this heat, they don’t like it,” said Alamo Termite & Pest Control manager Jay Robinson. “They’re looking for reprieve from it and oftentimes your home offers that reprieve,”
How to prevent critter invasions
With the heat wave, Alamo Pest is getting a lot more calls for indoor extermination. Pests, most commonly ants, wasps and roaches, can come in through door sweeps that aren’t installed properly, weep holes on the exterior of your home or overgrown vegetation.
“Right now, we’re getting a lot of ant calls, wasp calls, especially if you have a pool in the backyard, those wasps are trying to drink some water and a pool offers that for them,” Robinson said. “And then of course roaches, they’re coming in because it’s nice and cooler in the house.”
Although vegetation doesn’t grow as much in the summer as in springtime, keeping up with lawn maintenance and trimming hedges, bushes, shrubs and trees is still key to keeping critters from coming in, Robinson said. Make sure your flower beds are manicured, and that there’s no debris in your yard left over from fall or spring cleanup.
Another step is to ensure there’s no nooks and crannies in your home where bugs can trespass through. Check your door sweeps to make sure you can’t see any daylight from underneath. If your windows are drafty, get your foundation checked out.
Rodent invasions, mainly field mice and roof rats, are another common concern this summer, Robinson said, making their way into attics at night because it’s cooler. To prevent a rodent visit, check around the exterior of your house and make sure there are no major gaps. If you do find exterior holes, get them addressed as soon as possible. If you have siding that is starting to go bad, get it replaced. If you have soft spots in your eaves, hire a handyman to get some more wood down.
“This is that time to really be proactive, because once the fall comes and those cold temperatures come, everything is invading trying to get into that warmer space in the attic,” Robinson said. “Take that time now when it’s nicer outside to be able to inspect the property and make sure you’re keeping up with all of your repairs on the home.”
How to find a good exterminator
Don’t use over-the counter products, Robinson cautions, as that can actually make the problem worse and push insects to other areas. Not only can that be more expensive over the long-term — aside from being annoying and gross, of course — it also can pose dangers to your family and property.
Fire ants sting and bite, particularly little kids since they can come into contact with dirt mounds playing outside. During those rare summer showers, fire ants will immediately turn up.
Carpenter ants do severe damage to your home, so you have to get them away from your house as soon as you see them. They live in walls, nesting in wood or above windows and doorways.
Wasps can sting you even if you’re not near their nest. One common type of wasp, the cicada killer, is not known to sting, but it may run into you.
Roaches can trigger asthma and allergies.
Most spiders, while triggering your arachnophobia, are not dangerous. Do, however, watch out for venomous species like the brown recluse and black widow.
The best preventative measure is to call a licensed exterminator, Robinson said.
“A majority of us do free inspections to kind of ascertain what’s going on and things you can do,” he said. “That’s always going to be your best bet is to hire a licensed professional.”
When choosing an exterminator, make sure they’ve been licensed, bonded and insured by the state of Texas. Use the Texas Structural Pest Control Board website to search for licensed exterminators in your area, using your ZIP code or address, Robinson recommends. Cross reference that with Google, Yelp and Facebook reviews to find out what past customers have said. Call them to find out key information like how much experience they have, how many technicians they have employed and how long the company has been in operation.
“Look for those companies that have been well established in the metroplex or the state for quite some time,” Robinson said.
