No rain means brown grass and fire warnings in southeast Florida. Would you believe that you need to be prepared for drought-related pest problems, too?
Sarasota and Manatee county recently issued emergency warnings because we have had so little rain. There is a greater risk of fire and real problems regarding the water quality and availability for homeowners. All that is on top of looking at dried-up brown grass.
The good side of this is that warmer dry weather that makes it so comfortable to sit outside. We Floridians hardly know what to do when it is not humid, am I right? While we might like spending out time outdoors this hot dry weather sends our buggy friends seeking the comfort inside our homes.
Got.To.Have.Water.
All critters, welcome and unwelcome, need water to survive. Bugs and other pests will naturally seek water where they can get it outside. This means they may congregate near your air conditioning water run-off and outdoor water faucets. Fix those leaky faucets and call out your HVAC service to summer-proof your system. That is always a good idea regardless of drought or bugs.
Finding Water Outside
Worms and chinch-bugs or any other bugs that can munch on grass and foliage will seek their water from your lawn. You can ask your Heath Bugs pro to advise which lawn treatments could prevent further drought-related devastation of your landscaping from plant-eating insects.
Obviously, you will be conservative in watering your lawn so that you are a good neighbor but do follow the guidelines and water as you can – certainly not too much, but not too little if you can help it.
The Water Within
The reason why we get calls for drought-related pest problems is that most pest look for their water by going inside your home. It’s Shangrila for them and they will look for any opportunity to get it. Look for the cracks and crevices around windows and doors and seal them up.
Bathrooms and kitchen are their favorite places. Water is plentiful in bathrooms, but we can make it a little harder for them by checking for leaks. Even the slightest leak around the base of your toilet is a roach oasis.
In the kitchen, homeowners can be super fastidious, but the tiniest scraps of food and crumbs will fall behind counters and appliance and provide that all-you-can eat buffet for pests. It doesn’t mean that you can limit the offerings by keeping things as clean as you can!
Stressful Times
How would you feel if you were in a life-or-death situation regarding water? Have you seen the empty water bottle shelves when we have a hurricane watch? Yep, that’s how pests are in a drought. They will not only line up to get into the water source, but they will be fighting in line. Pests like rats, mice, roaches, and various insects will become more aggressive as they seek that life sustaining H2O.
The Silver Lining
All I need to say is… mosquitoes. Guess who can lay their larvae if they can’t find even the tiniest body of water? Yep, Mosquitoes will die off pretty quickly if they can procreate and they reason we struggle so with mosquitoes is because of our year-round humidity. When its dry, at least the mosquitoes are not a problem.
Your Drought-Related Pest Problems Defender
We’d be happy to help you with any drought-related pest problems. Go ahead and call us for an inspection. We will know what to do to keep your home safe and give you peace of mind. Contact Heath Pest Control.