Do you cling to your A/C and count the days until winter and the cold weather arrive? Or are you the type who loves the summer sun and all the activities that go along with the warm weather season? Regardless of your preference, summer has arrived and along with it the heat, humidity and bugs. Yes, bugs. Summer pests in Pittsburgh are on the move (and could already be in your home) and there are a lot of them. In the interest of saving time, our Pittsburgh pest control specialists have highlighted a few of the more notorious pests that you should be on the watch for this summer.
Carpenter ants – While ants are probably the number one pests in America, most types of ants in Pittsburgh are considered nuisance pests, the exception being carpenter ants. A wood destroying insect, carpenter ants don’t actually eat wood but excavate it to create galleries for nesting. Instead these large black ants (though they may appear as red, black or a combo of shades) can be found foraging for food in the kitchen and elsewhere in your home. Though they prefer wood that has been damaged by water or are otherwise rotting or decaying, if they move in you can expect them to move on to sound wood inside your home and that could result in damage.
Termites – Active all year round, termites tend to become more noticeable during the warmer parts of the year. You may have witnessed a termite swarm during spring and or notice mud tubes traveling across your foundation and unfortunately those are signs that a termite colony is nearby or already a infesting your home. Like carpenter ants, termites are another wood destroying pest capable of causing significant and costly structural damage to homes in Greater Pittsburgh. One of the differences between carpenter ants and termites is that the latter actually eats the wood they infest.
Bed Bugs – So these insects are also active all year long. Why we’re classifying them as summer pests is because bed bug activity tends to increase during the summer months. Likely this is because more people are traveling and since bed bugs are expert hitchhikers, they simply catch a ride to the next destination. Though they don’t spread disease or cause damage to homes or belongings, bed bug infestations can be extremely stressful and cannot be eliminated by throwing out the mattress (yes, people have tried).
There you have it! A few of the pests you may encounter this summer. Other summer pests that deserve mention include but are not limited to stinging insects (such as wasps, carpenter bees, yellow jackets), mosquitoes, centipedes and earwigs. So keep you eyes out for these pests and if you should notice them in or around your home, contact us to find out how our Pittsburgh pest control services can help get rid of summer pests!