What a summer we are having! The warmer weather though, does bring with it some downsides and these are often in the form of the unwelcome pests that tend to be more prevalent in the summer. In this guide we will take a look at the most common warm weather visitors and how to deal with them.
Whose responsibility is it?
For those in owned properties the responsibility of dealing with pests falls 100% to the owner. In rented accommodation there are two parties who could be responsible for sorting an infestation: The tenant or the landlord. If in doubt, check your tenancy agreement to see if it mentions anything about pest control. Typically, though dealing with an infestation would fall to the tenant unless the issue has been caused by a structural defect in the property, if it was present before the tenancy began or if it has been caused by the landlord not dealing with a reported issue in a timely manner.
Most Common pests
Below are a selection of the most common summer pests and some suggestions on how to discourage or deal with them:
- Mice are very common and can cause a lot of problems in a property as they will happily chew on just about anything. Add to that the diseases that they can carry and their faeces and urine and you have some very unwelcome visitors. Mice can fit through gaps of 6mm to gain entry into a property. So, make sure there are no gaps in your walls or windows and doors. Keep your garden clutter free and well kept, this will remove nesting places for mice and make sure that food and food waste is kept in sealed containers
- Flies can be a real problem in the summer and they will invade your home quite happily, spoiling food and spreading parasites. Flies are attracted to food and waste so keep your bins away from your home, clean up any food spills quickly, put food away and dispose of all refuse quickly. For flies, cleanliness is key. You can fit fly screens to windows and doors to stop them getting in too. Aerosols, sticky paper and UV lights will also help control them.
- Spiders seem to come out in droves in the summer and can be found almost everywhere. Ironically, they are good at controlling other pests such as flies. One way to control spiders is to clear their webs as soon as you see them. As hunters, though, spiders with no prey won’t want to stay with you. So, work hard to keep pests such as flies under control. As a last resort, pesticide sprays can be used to eradicate spiders.
- Wasps come out in the summer and can be very aggressive. Their hives can also cause structural damage if they are built inside the fabric of the property. Prevention is always better than cure. Preventing wasps, relies, very much like with flies, keeping your home clean and free from food and food waste. Keep your bins closed, away from your property and clean up food spills quickly. The best advice for dealing with wasps is, if they don’t pose an immediate risk to family, friends or pets, to just leave them alone and put a barrier around the nest. Wasps are actually really important in controlling other pests and are pollinators of crops. In other words, if they are not bothering you, leave them alone.
- Ants are much more prevalent in the summer too and there is nothing worse than seeing a trail of ants running through your home. To control ants, you will need to find the entrance to the nest. Watch where the ants go to find this. Use a sugar based bait, which contains a pesticide. The ants will collect this and take the pesticide down into the nest.
There is a lot more advice on the British Pest Control association’s website on how to deal with common pests. If you are not confident dealing with a pest problem seek professional advice either from your local council or a professional pet control company. If you do decide to tackle the issue yourself, always read the instructions and keep pest control products out of reach of children and pets.
