Thunderstorms and the Pest Problems They Create
Tropical storms, strong rains, thunderstorms, and other similar natural catastrophes can cause problems with a variety of bugs and tetrapod pests, which can become uninvited guests in and around our residences, causing clean-up and renovations to be hampered. Other infestations may cause problems years later if repairs are not properly completed. The type and extensiveness of pest problems are influenced by the season and the seasonal cycle of pest activity.
Here are a few of the most common issues you may encounter after a storm, as well as tips on how to keep pests out of your home. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, 1st Choice Pest Control provides residential pest control to help you reclaim your domain.
Rodents
Rodents may be flooded out of their homes during torrential rainfall and seek moral high ground and new shelter. Regretfully, this can include your house. Residences with jetty and frame construction, numerous tubing penetrations, and overhanging tree limbs can be an obvious victims for a rat’s new home.
Seal any possible entry points for rodents. Maintain a clean kitchen. If you have a rodent problem in your home, you will most likely need a combination of rodent trapping, bait boxes, and rodent exclusion. A thunderstorm can cause mice and rats to flee their homes. They will seek out drier and higher ground, which is often your home. Check your home for access points when the weather is nice. Remember that rodents can fit through holes as tiny as a dime. Maintain your things tidy and check for leaks or areas where pests can gain access to water.
After a severe storm, ants may relocate their colonies. During a storm, fire ants may even ride leaves to higher ground. If you notice an increase in ant activity after a storm, you must seek professional assistance in locating the queen’s access points in your home. You can kill as many ants as you want, but if the empress survives, there could be ants. If you come across a few ants looking for food, kill them and clean up their trails. If you see a line of ants, go back towards the entrance point and tell experts where those who came in are.
The tiny insects form a living raft by forming a fast formation. To protect the queen and her larvae, they are placed in the center. This raft can float for up to two weeks until it finds dry land. They can then take over yards and homes.
Mosquitoes
Large lakes and rivers always attract disease-carrying mosquitoes, especially if there are stale water supplies nearby, which they prefer for reproduction. Mosquito larvae mature in a matter of weeks, and females can lay up to 100 eggs at a time. These two factors alone can cause their populations to rapidly outgrow control. There are some simple ways to help prevent mosquitoes after it rains.
When the storm passes, the females will look for a new location to lay their eggs. Fill buckets, basins, or rain gutters with any rainwater that accumulates around your home. This can help keep mosquitoes from laying eggs and infesting your yard. Mosquito eggs hatch in 8 to 10 days.
Houseflies
Flies are a major pest problem since they enter your home through ripped screens and other storm-damaged entry points. Worse yet, house flies are exceedingly unsanitary. They will keep regurgitating food anywhere where they land, potentially spreading a variety of bacteria.
If you end up leaving a window open and see a fly, this is usually not a cause for concern. House flies are drawn to decaying matter and sugary foods. If you find grubs — white, featherless larvae — in your home, you may have a house fly infestation. Houseflies can be easily avoided by replacing screens and other crevices.
Termites
Termites, like carpenter ants, are notorious for their destructive nature. If left to their own devices for an extended period, these small pests can cause structural damage. Termites live in colonies of hundreds or thousands of individuals. They require a moist environment to survive, which is why termites are frequently seen active after rainy weather.
Look for discarded wings to see if you have a termite infestation. This is an unmistakable sign of a termite infestation. You might also notice mud tubes on the walls, which help termites stay protected from the sun and dry air. Rotting or damaged wood, plastic, and other cellulose-rich materials are other common warning signs.
Crickets
Cricket outbreaks are an annual occurrence in Texas. Rainstorms can aggravate their communities. Crickets are particularly repulsive because they swarm around buildings, often engulfing the sides of houses and businesses. Their irritating chirp can be an uncontrollable distraction for office workers and people working from home. During the swarm season, preventative treatments can help keep crickets at bay. Crickets can now be more of a nuisance than a source of entertainment.
They spend their days in shallow burrows beneath stones, under dirt clods and logs, or in plant tufts. They are most active at night, and the male crickets can chirp very loudly. When a large number of crickets are present, they can cause damage to paper or fabrics.
Roaches
Cockroaches are drawn to residences in large groves by humid, wet conditions, making them one of the world’s most despised insect species. The American cockroach is one of the most common forms of cockroach that thrives in flood-damaged areas. It can grow to be up to 2 inches long and has fully functional wings. This cockroach breeds quickly, making it difficult to control.
Regrettably, cockroaches are the first pests to emerge during a storm. Rain creates more hiding places for these invertebrates as they run around in search of food. Their preferred hiding places are dark places such as holes or cracks in ceilings or floors, so when you return home after a storm, thoroughly inspect your house for any sign of them.
We are here for you!
1st Choice Pest Control can assist you in keeping your house pest-free. We don’t just look at the surface when treating pests. We try to identify the source of the problem to devise a solution that keeps pests out of your home. Rather than sharing your home with pests, seek expert help. We use environmentally friendly pest control products. Preventative and corrective measures can keep your home clean, comfortable, and pest-free. Contact 1st Choice Pest Control for pest control if you have a pest problem and need assistance trying to eradicate it.
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