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Summertime brings with it warmth, fun, and freedom! But it also can bring with it a significant number of pests that invade your home and your property. Houston’s wet, hot weather makes it attractive to various outdoor pests and you may need to watch out for these, taking important steps toward pest control.

Outdoor Pests to Watch for in Houston

Hanging out on your property and around your house, outdoor pests can be irritating at best and may even be deadly! Some of the most common instigators for outdoor pest control in Houston include: bees, mosquitoes, snakes, and spiders.

Bees

The two most commonly dangerous bees in the Houston area are carpenter bees and Africanized bees. Carpenter bees like to tunnel through wood which is extremely damaging to your home and other structures. You’ll know them by the evidence of sawdust below the holes or the existence of the holes in the wood. Africanized bees (also known as Killer bees) are aggressive and quick to attack if you happen to come upon their hives around the exterior of your home.

Mosquitoes

Typically living in moist areas, mosquitoes find that the weather in Houston is perfect for their preferences. These six-legged, winged creatures feast on the blood of humans and animals, causing allergic reactions at best and at worst carrying severe diseases such as yellow fever, Zika virus, malaria, dengue fever, and encephalitis. Mosquitoes are most active in the evening and at night, and preventative pest control for mosquitoes includes removing standing water, use citronella candles, and contact a pest control professional.

Snakes

Several different common snakes make their home in Houston, including ribbon snakes, rat snakes, and crayfish snakes. Snakes often look different from one another, varying in size, pattern, and color. Of almost 30 snake varieties common to the Houston area, six are venomous. These include cottonmouth, copperhead, coral snake, and three rattlesnakes.  Even if snakes you find on your property don’t have venom, having snakes slithering around is a bit disconcerting. If you find a snakeskin in your yard, winding trails left on dusty or sandy surfaces, or snake holes in the earth, this may be evidence that you have snakes. Keeping long grasses trimmed, vegetation from over-growing, and rock piles or other debris cleared will remove the hiding places that snakes might enjoy.

Spiders

Spiders are usually fairly harmless when seen around your home (whether inside or out) and some people can have allergic reactions when they are bitten by spiders or even from inhaling tiny spider scales or hairs. The most painful spider bites in Houston may come from the wolf spider or jumping spider. Houston has also been known to play host to the black widow, brown widow, and brown recluse, all of which can be dangerous. Evidence of spiders can be found in and around your home, the most obvious of which is a spider web stretched across trees, decks, plants, fences, or outdoor structures. Bite marks on humans often consist of two pink, round holes where the spider’s fangs have broken through the skin. To practice preventive pest control and keep spiders from making their way into your home, check window screens, as well as gaps or cracks around door or window frames.

Tips and Tricks for Eliminating Outdoor Pests

Snakes, spiders, bees, and mosquitoes are all uninvited guests that can be controlled through preventative pest control in Houston. Keeping your home clean and tidy, your grass cut, and your property cleared of standing water and debris may help to eliminate the desire pests have to infest your home. Regularly inspecting your home for signs of insects and snakes helps you to keep an eye out for warning signs. The best way to go about keep your home safe is by practicing preventative pest control maintenance including regular inspections and treatment outside and around your home.