Warm, Dry Weather Brings Bugs Inside Homes

While some may welcome the heat of Georgia, most people don't welcome the bugs that look to move inside our homes when the sun is beating down. Add that to our lack of rain lately, and bugs are really in the market to become that pesky, unwanted roommate.

But there are some simple, cheap ways to fight back. Arrow Exterminators Service Manager Ben Tallent says, while the bugs may be a pain to deal with, they are just looking for a place to live.

"Insects want three things," Tallent explains. "They want food, they want shelter, and they want a water source. And if they can't find it outside, they're going to come inside hunting for that."

 

Most bugs find their way inside a home through cracks in exterior walls. They can also squeeze through vents and pipes that open to the outside.

 

Tallent says, putting screens over vent openings, and caulk or foam around cracks and pipes, are easy and effective ways to help keep bugs out.

Tallent also said, keeping bushes trimmed and not touching the house will help to keep bugs further away from the house, and less likely to make their way inside.

Also, if you have an outdoor pet, he says keeping only water outside during the day for the animal, and not the animal's food, will limit how many bugs are attracted to the yard.

Inside the house, look for bugs around pipe fixtures under sinks, and around the base of a toilet. He says if you don't see any bugs, look for bug droppings. Certain cockroaches leave behind droppings which look like pepper. If you notice that, it means cockroaches are already inside your home.

One of the most basic things a person can do to help minimize the amount of bugs, is throw garbage into a garbage bag, and get rid of it. Do not leave garbage or old food laying around, since bugs are attracted to them. Put your garbage outside, in a sealed container, away from your house.