How to Keep Insects Out of Your Apartment
As we come into the summer months, residents in Santa Clarita will likely find bugs sneaking into their apartments through various entry points. Fortunately, there are options to prevent this, spanning from DIYs to calling pest control experts for seasonal maintenance.
If you are looking for the fastest and most effective way to rid your home of insects, call the Santa Clarita pest control technicians at No Bugs Termite and Pest Control, Inc today!
The local technicians at No Bugs Termite, and Pest Control, Inc are here to protect your family, pets, and home from summer insects. Contact our Santa Clarita pest experts at (661) 294-0206 to schedule a free consultation today!
Not sure about the legal gray areas of California’s pest control laws and how you can keep the bugs and rodents away from your apartment? Check out “Is My Santa Clarita Landlord Responsible for My Pest Control?” to learn more!
What Bugs Are In My Apartment?
There are many insects native to the Santa Clarita Valley. As the weather warms up, these bugs will try to wiggle into your home to find water, food, and hiding places to escape the heat. Water bugs, cockroaches, tarantulas, and scorpions have been on the move this year, but the three most common insects invading people’s houses are spiders, ants, and earwigs.
1. Spiders
Spiders can be found in many places around your home, such as your garage, under pots, in cupboards, and in dark drawers. In Santa Clarita, our most common spiders are black widows, garden spiders, and wolf spiders.
The only venomous and dangerous spiders are Black Widows. These spiders are black and most commonly found on porches, under pots, and hiding in your outdoor furniture. It is important not to mess with these spiders and call for professional help if you notice them on your property.
Garden spiders are light brown with distinguishing dots lining their backs. In some cases, these spiders can also have traces of yellow on their bodies. Garden spiders might like to spin webs in the sunny areas of your backyard, but you can also find them hiding in the nooks and crannies of your garage or attic. Try not to be afraid of these little guys, they are actually quite beneficial to gardens!
Wolf spiders are grey and brown and tend to be hairier than other spiders. These fuzzy critters hang around windows, doors, and indoor potted plants.
2. Ants
Unfortunately, finding ant trails inside and outside your home is part of the Santa Clarita experience. The most common invaders in our fine valley are carpenter ants, thief ants, and pharaoh ants.
Carpenter ants are attracted to damp environments that offer moisture, like bathrooms, kitchens, and even windows.
Tiny thief ants like human food and are specifically attracted to greasy meals. Spills in your kitchen are an open invitation to these annoyances, and they will trickle in a few scouts at a time before invading your countertops.
Pharaoh ants are attracted to sweet and fatty foods and can nest in the most peculiar places, including pantries and food containers. They are super tiny, clocking in at 2mm, so keep your eyes peeled!
3. Earwigs
Earwigs are most active during the spring and summer seasons. They have long bodies and are known for having pinchers on their butts, which is why most people refer to them as “pincher bugs.”
Despite this moniker, earwigs are not dangerous to humans or even your pets. They do not carry diseases, and their pinches are harmless and painless. If you want to learn more about earwigs, head on over to “Are Earwigs Dangerous?” where our technicians review facts and common misconceptions about these bizarre bugs.
Curious about why we’re seeing so many bugs this season? Find out the answer in “Why Are We Seeing So Many Bugs This Summer?”
What Can I Do About Those Pesky Bugs?
If you are looking for ways to rid your home of these insects and any others that you might cross paths with, this is the blog for you! Here are 8 tips to bug-proof your Santa Clarita apartment.
1. Put A Screen on Your Window
It may seem simple and self-explanatory, but putting a screen on your windows and doors is an easy way to keep bugs from entering your home. If you already have screens on these common access points, ensure they are in good condition and have no holes or rips.
2. Install Door Sweeps
You can keep the bugs away by installing door sweeps or rubber seals underneath doors that lead outside. If your apartment comes with a garage, you should probably seal that door as well.
Bugs crawl underneath garage doors to find shelter from the outside heat and to scavenge for food and water. Keeping your garage sealed off is a major way to keep the insects out and away from your apartment.
3. Repair Your Leaky Pipes
Many pests are attracted to water and moist environments, so it’s important to keep an eye out for leaks or small pools that can attract bugs, such as water bugs, ants, and gnats (which in turn lure in predators like spiders).
You can limit water availability by asking your landlord to fix any leaking pipes or faucets. Keep in mind that leaks can also result in water damage that may create additional access points into your home.
4. Pest Proof Your Trash
One surefire way to keep the bugs away is to keep an eye on your trash cans. This step includes covering your apartment trash cans with lids to enclose the scent of waste and decomposing materials. You should also move your trash bags to outside bins if waste tends to accumulate quickly at your place.
5. Manage the Pet Food Bowl
Santa Clarita is a great place to raise families, and that includes your pets! But pets require food, and feeding our sloppy fur babies can quickly lure insects into your apartment.
You can avoid a bug invasion by:
- Putting the food bowl on a rubber mat for easy cleanup.
- Removing any crumbs that manage to escape the bowl.
- Establishing feeding times to avoid leaving kibble or wet food out all day.
6. Keep Your Kitchen Clean
Insects infest properties that provide them with food and shelter. A kitchen with leftovers on the counter, piles of greasy dishes in the sink, or crumbs on the floor is Disneyland to a bug. A deep clean of your kitchen is not needed every day, but a simple wipe-down after cooking a meal is a simple solution for pest prevention.
7. Seal Up the Cracks
Take action on the cracks and crevasses in your apartment to limit the number of entryways for bugs and other pests.
We recommend inspecting:
- Baseboards
- Doors
- Windows
- Places where walls meet
- Kitchen areas, like around your cupboards
- Places where water accumulates
Ensuring these places are sealed up makes it harder for bugs to enter your home!
8. Call No Bugs Today!
Keep your home cozy this summer without the hassle and annoyance of bugs. If you’re struggling to protect your home from insects, contact the Santa Clarita pest control technicians at No Bugs Termite and Pest Control, Inc today!
Dial (661) 294-0206 to schedule a free evaluation with the Santa Clarita pest control experts at No Bugs. We can inspect your property and create a safer space for your family members and pets.
