What You Should Know About Pests In Yankton, SD
Let our professionals provide you with the helpful information necessary to keep the pests in Yankton out of your home. Don’t allow a pest infestation to catch you by surprise! Read through our handy pest control guide to learn which pests are likely to invade your home, what they are looking for, and what steps you can take to make your property less appealing to them!
Ants
Ants are insects that we constantly run into, whether in our yards, wooded areas, parks, fields, or, unfortunately, our homes. So, if these insects are so common, are they really something we need to worry about? The answer to that question is yes! Ants are more than just a nuisance; they will contaminate food and surfaces with bacteria. Some, like carpenter ants, cause structural damage. Others, like pavement ants, invade in large numbers and are difficult to prevent and control.
Ants are social insects which means that each colony works together as a group. They communicate by laying down pheromone trails to alert other colony members of food and water sources. Their pheromone trails are why you see long lines of ants move around; sometimes, ant trails lead in and out of our homes. Ants are most problematic on properties that are offering them their basic needs. Water from leaky pipes and spigots, food from open trash cans and gardens, and shelter in our yards and inside our homes are all things that will gain the attention of foraging ants.
Keeping ants away from our Yankton properties is difficult because they live in such large populations all around us. The biggest step you can take to reduce ant activity is to limit their access to food. Keep lids on trash cans, maintain gardens, keep eating areas free of leftover food, and store your food either in the fridge or inside airtight containers. Stop ants from entering your home by sealing openings you discover in the foundation, around windows and doors, and around utility pipes and wires entering your home. Eliminate water sources by repairing leaky pipes and spigots and fixing areas of poor drainage or ventilation. It is also important to remove tree stumps, fallen trees, and old woodpiles where ants can nest.
Bats
The bat is the only true flying mammal. Bats are regular visitors to our Yankton homes and businesses. These mammals have hairless, leathery wings. Their wings are formed by a piece of skin attached between their front and back legs. Bats are primarily nocturnal and are eco-important predators that feed mainly on insects. These pests regularly find their way to our yards after being attracted by the insects that live in our gardens, flowerbeds, and lawns. Our roof eaves and attic spaces provide them with a place to rest when not out hunting.
Bats are important predators and help control insect populations; however, when they move to our properties, they are dangerous and unwanted pests, just like the insects they are hunting. The main concern with bats living near people is the diseases and disease-ridden parasites they spread. Bats can spread rabies to people and animals. In addition, their feces contain fungi that cause lung problems in people, and the buildup of feces in our homes will lead to unpleasant odors and the erosions of surfaces. Bats living out in nature are a good thing; bats living in or near our homes need to be removed to guard our homes and families against the dangers they introduce.
Prevent problems with bats in Yankton by making your property a place that won’t benefit them. Since bats like to feed on insects, remove as many things from your yard as possible that attract insect activity. Keep gutters clear of debris, remove areas of standing water, maintain your lawn and gardens, place lids on trash cans, and keep outdoor eating areas free of food debris. Make it difficult for bats to move into your home by placing caps on chimneys, covers over vents, repairing holes along the roofline, and replacing missing roof shingles. Also, turn off outdoor lights as much as possible to avoid attracting large numbers of insects to your home. The more insects in your yard, the more chance hungry bats will follow.
Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are difficult to control because they don’t enter our homes the way most pests do. They don’t wander inside from the outside; instead, we accidentally introduce them. While nobody intentionally causes a bed bug infestation, the fact remains that hitchhiking bed bugs are transported from place to place by people. Bed bugs live indoors and crawl onto our clothing or inside luggage, purses, or bags. They also move quite efficiently from place to place on secondhand items like furniture, rugs, and clothing.
The reason bed bugs are such a problem in our homes is that they feed solely on the blood of warm-blooded mammals, with people being their preferred hosts. They want to live with us because we provide them with a reliable food source. Bed bugs are nocturnal and, during the day, stay in tight, dark spaces that hide them from our view but still put them in close proximity to us. The seams of mattresses, spaces behind the cushions of upholstered furniture, cracks in headboard and footboards, and electrical outlets and walls voids are regular hiding spots. You should routinely inspect these common hiding areas for these biting, blood-feeding pests.
Bed bugs are difficult to control and can become a problem in any of our homes. To help avoid issues with bed bugs in Yankton, it is important to always inspect secondhand items before bringing them into your home. New clothing should always be immediately washed and dried on high heat cycles. When you're in public places, always keep your personal belongings up off the ground and away from other people’s things to avoid having bed bugs crawl onto them. Regularly vacuum your floors and upholstered furniture to remove stray bed bugs. Avoid having a lot of clutter in your home; clutter won’t attract bed bugs but will provide another hiding spot for these pests.
Cockroaches
What pest is most likely to send you running? If you said cockroach, you are not alone. Cockroaches are some of the most unwanted pests to discover inside our homes. Not only are cockroaches unpleasant, but they cause a lot of serious problems. Cockroaches damage personal property, create unpleasant odors, and contaminate food and surfaces. They are also a health risk, spreading bacteria, viruses, and parasites; their shed skins and excrement produce allergens that trigger allergies and asthma attacks. Cockroaches are prolific breeders, and a small infestation can quickly grow into a problem that takes over your entire house and puts your whole family at risk.
Most of the cockroaches worldwide live well away from people and our properties. Still, a handful of species have developed a close relationship with people, learning to take advantage of the food, shelter, and water our properties provide them. One of the most problematic species for people is German cockroaches. They are small roaches that primarily live indoors, moving from structure to structure as we move things they hide in like appliances, furniture, and storage boxes. In multi-unit buildings, they cause infestations by moving through vents, wall voids, and spaces under doors. Their small size and adaptability make it difficult to control and prevent these unsavory pests!
To help you prevent problems with roaches, we want to provide you with some of our most helpful prevention tips for German cockroaches. Most roaches are attracted to areas of moisture. Reduce moisture levels in your home by using dehumidifiers, repairing leaky pipes, and ensuring kitchens and bathrooms have adequate ventilation. Before bringing them into your home, always inspect boxes, deliveries, and secondhand appliances for hitchhiking cockroaches. Remove the cockroach’s easy access to food by keeping lids on trash cans, maintaining your kitchen and eating areas, and regularly vacuuming your house. It is also helpful to pick up uneaten pet food every evening and make sure to store all your food either in the fridge or containers with airtight lids.
Spiders
If you have spiders in your yard or home, know that you are not alone. Spiders are regular visitors to our houses and other manmade structures. Most people are fearful of spiders, but it is important to understand that while they may not be the most cuddly creatures, most of them cause people no harm. In fact, the spiders that you regularly run into, like wolf spiders and cellar spiders, are more worried about you than you are about them! Wolf spiders are large hairy ground-dwelling spiders with quick movements. Cellar spiders have round abdomens and long thin legs. They are also the spiders that will build and abandon webs throughout your home.
The reason most people fear spiders is because they are worried about being bitten. While spiders bites can be painful and cause some swelling around the bite site, most spiders have venom that won’t cause people major health consequences. So while it is comforting to know that most spiders aren’t dangerous, we mustn’t let these leggy pests take over our indoor or outdoor spaces. Discovering large populations of spiders on your property is an indicator of an overall pest problem. Spiders only invade areas that provide them easy access to their insect prey. Spider and insect infestations go hand in hand. The biggest reason that spiders are in your home is that they have followed their insect prey indoors.
One of the easiest ways to reduce spider populations on your Yankton property is to remove the things that attract insects. Cut back overgrown grass and vegetation, remove areas of standing water, keep lids on trash cans, and keep outdoor lights turned off as much as possible. To keep spiders from finding their way into your home, make sure to seal cracks and gaps that develop at the roofline, exterior walls, and foundation. Make certain that screens in windows and doors are intact and place mesh covers on drains and vents. To remove stray spiders from your home, regularly dust and vacuum your house to dislodge hiding spiders and remove their webs.
Subterranean Termites
Subterranean termites are the most widespread termite species in the country; each year, the damage they cause due to their diet is extensive. Termites feed on the cellulose found in wood. Outside, termites are an important part of the ecosystem, helping to remove dead trees and other decaying plant matter. Yet when termites find their way into our yards and homes and feed on wood and wooden structures, they are some of the most destructive pests homeowners have to deal with.
Subterranean termites have high moisture needs and need constant contact with damp soil or damp pieces of wood. Their high moisture needs are why they nest and travel underground in areas of damp soil. If termites ever have to travel above the ground, they will create mud tubes to travel through. Discovering their mud tubes running across the ground or up foundation and basement walls often alerts homeowners to a problem with these pests. Knowing how subterranean termites enter our homes is one of the best ways to help avoid an infestation:
- Subterranean termites move inside through cracks in the foundation or openings around pipes and other utilities entering your home.
- Termites enter our homes through pieces of wood, making direct contact with the soil.
- You can accidentally bring termites inside in firewood or untreated wood.
To help you protect your Yankton home from termites, we want to offer you some helpful prevention strategies. Leaky pipes, improper drainage, and poor ventilation create moisture issues that attract termites. Wherever you spot moisture issues on your property, immediately make the repairs necessary to eliminate the moisture. Regularly inspect your home for cracks in the foundation, repairing any that you find. Remove as much wood to soil contact on your property as possible. It is also important to remove old woodpiles, fallen trees, and tree stumps from your yard that attract hungry subterranean termites.
Keep pests away from your property and out of your house with the help of the reliable pest control services we provide at Olson’s Pest Technicians. We are a locally-owned, family business that knows the pests common in the Upper Midwest. Our technicians are dedicated to our customers and providing exceptional pest control services to eliminate pests from Yankton homes or businesses.
Since 1966 we have been guarding properties against dangerous and damaging pests; let us provide you with the exceptional pest control services necessary to solve your pest problems now and in the future!
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The best pest control company in the area! Very professional and knowledgeable at what they do!!!
