In case you’ve missed it, it’s summertime in the Greater Sacramento Area. You’ve no doubt experienced that, along with this warmest time of the year, there is a noticeable uptick in pest activity.
This is partially because we tend to spend more time outdoors in the summer. It can also be attributed to an increase in insects, arachnids and other pests, overall. Following the warm, dry spring we’ve experienced in Northern California there a lot of newly born pests that are out and about reaching full maturity. If you don’t currently have regular pest control service, you might want to reconsider getting it and fast.
Up in the Gold Country, ticks are a real threat to people, as well as their pets. The dried grasses and shrubs that cover the rolling hillsides of Placerville, Pollock Pines and El Dorado Hills are the perfect nesting grounds for ticks. It’s easy to brush up against a tick’s hiding place and unknowingly gain a tag-along. It’s also very easy for ticks to transfer from pets they’re riding onto their owners and vice versa.
Tick bites are typically harmless. However, you can be allergic to tick bites, or contract a blood-borne disease from their bite. The former can cause pain and swelling, but the latter can range from a rash to swollen lymph nodes. Prevent ticks around your home by keeping your yard clear of low brush and grasses, as well as by using a tick-preventative on pets that venture outdoors.
For bees, summer (particularly late summer) is one of the more difficult times for them. It’s harder to collect nectar and pollen, which means they have to travel further for food. In general, honey bees and bumblebees are docile unless harassed. Both can sting you, and bumblebees are able to sting multiple times.
If you or someone in your family is allergic to bee stings, the resulting sting(s) can be fatal. Lessen the chance of bee encounters by removing their food source, such as flowering plants, from areas where you and your family tend to congregate.
If there are more insects out in the summer, there are more spiders. Spiders prey mainly on insects, so you might notice spider webs built in any space they possibly can. Again, just like bees most spiders are harmless to humans. Their mouths are too small to pierce our skin. The venoms of those that can effectively bite humans can cause varying degrees of harm from mild pain and swelling to rare cases of necrotizing fasciitis (an infection caused by spider bites that eats away at human flesh).
Given the variety of spiders that are found throughout the Greater Sacramento area, such as the black widow spider and the wolf spider, it is a good idea to keep your local spider collection in check. Keep nooks and corners clear of spider webs in both the interior and exterior of your home to lessen your chance of having a bad encounter with a spider.
In the end, your best defense against pest problems in the summer, as well as throughout the year is regular pest control. Pro Active Pest Control provides effective, affordable protection for your home and business all year round. Contact us for a free estimate.