Summer's Insects: Bees, Mosquitoes, and Ants

Summer means a variety of things; hot days, barbeques with friends and family, and lazy afternoons in the pool. The warm weather also means you have to watch out for those pesky little bugs roaming around your yard, especially if you are allergic to insect bites.

There really is nothing you can do to completely avoid these insects, but you can lower the number of them that congregate around your home and yard in the summer.

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are a common summer pest, and people spend money each year trying different products to rid themselves of this problem. Not only are mosquito bites itchy and annoying, this insect carries the threat of West Nile virus.

Mosquitoes are numerous around dusk and linger into the nighttime hours. Avoid being outside during these times if you can. If you want to be outside during this time, make sure you wear long sleeves and long pants to avoid showing skin. Don’t forget your insect repellant.

It is a good idea to keep your property free of standing water; this is where mosquitoes breed and flourish. Keep swimming pools covered when not in use and keep the water moving. If you have areas in your lawn that dip and hold water after a rainstorm, you might want to consider getting the dips filled in so your yard is level. This will lower the amount of standing water near your home.

Ants

Black ants can be annoying, but fire ants can be down right nasty. When it comes to dealing with blacks ants, they really aren’t a worry unless they make their way into your home.

Fire ants, on the other hand, are a big worry. For the most part, these are only found in the southeastern states in the United States. The bite from a fire ant is known to cause allergic reactions in some people.

If you find fire ants on your property, there are a number of things you should do. Your very first move should be getting rid of them. This may not be easy, and you may require professional assistance. Be careful if you choose to try this on your own. Poisons left around your property will be accessible to pets and wild animals, even though you are targeting the fire ants.