Dealing with Tick Bites on Your Dog

Person removing tick from dog | Inman-Murphy | Tick Control in TN

Ticks can spell trouble for our furry friends, causing irritation, infections, and even serious diseases. Understanding the impact of tick bites on dogs and learning how to protect them from these pesky parasites is crucial. There are many ways to keep ticks away from your dog, including preventative medications and property pest prevention.

Dangers of Ticks in Tennessee 

Here in Tennessee, we primarily deal with two kinds of ticks: the Deer Tick and the American Dog Tick. These ticks often live in taller grass, close to walkways and trails, waiting for a host to get close. Ticks are ectoparasites that feed on the blood of animals, including dogs. They often target areas with less hair and more blood vessels, such as the ears, neck, belly, and legs. Within 24 hours of biting, ticks can transmit diseases such as:

  • Rocky Mountain spotted fever
  • Lyme disease
  • Tularemia

Tick Preventative Measures

Preventing ticks on your dog is best achieved by using tick-preventive products that kill or repel ticks before they can bite. Various options are available, including topical products applied to the skin once a month, oral tablets or chews given monthly or every three months, and collars worn continuously for up to eight months. Your veterinarian can guide you in selecting the most suitable preventive product based on your dog’s age, weight, health condition, and lifestyle.

In addition to using preventive products, there are practical steps you can take to protect your dog from ticks. 

  • Conduct daily tick checks, especially after outdoor activities, and avoid areas with tall grass, brush, or woods where ticks may lurk. 
  • Keeping your yard clean and well-maintained helps reduce tick habitats.
  • Wearing long pants and socks when venturing into wooded or grassy areas adds an extra layer of protection.
  • Having a professional tick exterminator treat your property.

Tick Removal Steps

If you discover a tick on your dog, it’s important to act swiftly but calmly. 

  1. Using gloves, tweezers, or a tick removal tool, grasp the tick’s base near your dog’s skin and pull it out slowly and straight. 
  2. Avoid squeezing or twisting the tick too forcefully. 
  3. Dispose of the tick in a jar with alcohol, clean the bite and apply antibiotic cream. 
  4. If you encounter difficulties removing a tick or if it’s in a delicate spot, like the eyes, mouth, or ears, seek assistance from your veterinarian.

Professional Tick Control Experts

Even with preventive measures in place, encountering ticks on your property or in your home is still possible. That’s where Inman-Murphy Termite & Pest Control’s PestFree365 services come into play. As a trusted pest control company serving Mid-South Tennessee since 1992, we have the expertise, knowledge, and tools to identify, eliminate, and prevent ticks and other pests from harming your family and pets.

By choosing our PestFree365 services, you can benefit from:

  1. A thorough inspection of your property
  2. A customized treatment plan. 
  3. Regular service schedule to maintain a pest-free environment. 

We also provide a guarantee that covers any pest issues that may arise between services.

Don’t let ticks compromise you and your dog’s health and happiness. Contact Inman-Murphy today for a free inspection and estimate. Our team is dedicated to keeping your home and pets protected year-round.

Enjoy Sting-Free Summers: Stinging Insect Prevention

a wasp outside a windowpane

The arrival of summer brings with it the excitement of being able to finally spend time in your backyard, barbequing, and creating lasting memories with your loved ones. These beautiful summer days can quickly turn into a nightmare by a few stinging party crashers. Nothing ruins a fun summer afternoon quicker than a sting from a wasp or yellow jacket. These pesky stinging insects can leave you with painful stings or send some to the emergency room due to allergic reactions. Don’t spend your summer in fear of stinging insects. With proper preparation you can reclaim your outdoor space and enjoy a sting-free summer!

How to Identify Common Stinging Insects 

Wasps and yellowjackets are the most common stinging insects you may encounter in your yard. Like most common household pests, they come seeking food and shelter in and around your home. 

  • There are a few types of wasps that you may find in your yard such as mud daubers and paper wasps. Mud daubers are easily identified by their extremely long, thin waist and unique tube shaped mud nests. Paper wasps are brown in color and build papery umbrella-shaped nests, usually found hanging from tree branches or eaves of a home.
  • Yellow Jackets are bright yellow and black in color and have a stockier body compared to most wasps. Some yellow jacket nests will look similar to a wasp nest, hanging up high in a tree or eave but yellow jackets are also known to build nests in the ground or hollowed out areas, often in old rodent burrows. You will commonly see yellowjackets at your outdoor gathering. They seek out meat and sugary foods, whereas wasps prefer over-ripened fruit and flowers.

Preventing Stinging Insects in Your Yard

It is important to be proactive in preventing stinging insects in your yard. Below are a few tips to keep these stinging pests away!

  • Cover Food: Yellowjackets are attracted to meat and sugary foods. Make sure to cover food while dining outdoors to keep these party crashers away.
  • Pick Up Fallen Fruit: Fresh fruit from your fruit trees is not only your favorite snack; stinging insects will seek out over ripened or decaying fruit that may have fallen from your trees. If you have fruit trees, make sure to regularly check for and remove any fallen fruit.
  • Remove Old Nests: Most stinging insects will abandon their nests in the winter. Dispose of these nests while they are inactive. If the nest is active, many people choose to use canned spray treatments. Be extremely cautious when using these DIY methods. Wasps and yellowjackets are aggressive when threatened and are able to sting multiple times. Removing active nests is best left to professionals.
  • Close Garbage Cans: You will often find stinging insects buzzing around garbage cans looking to scavenge thrown out food or sugary snacks. To prevent these little dumpster divers from hanging out in your yard, make sure to securely close garbage cans.

Professional Extermination: The Safest Solution

Attempting to remove a wasp or yellow jacket nest on your own can prove ineffective and hazardous, potentially resulting in swarms of aggressive stinging insects. The best and safest way to ensure your yard is free of stinging insects is to enlist the help of a professional extermination service like those from Inman-Murphy Termite & Pest Control. Our expert technicians have both the experience and equipment to safely and effectively remove and stinging pests from your yard. Enjoy a sting-free summer this year and contact us today!

Mosquito Prevention: Some Do’s, Some Don’ts

A person spraying bug spray on someone else's arm.

For those living in the beautiful city of Memphis it seems mosquito season is never ending. Many people are looking for a fast and easy solution to ending the attacks by these blood-thirsty feeders. While mosquito bites are annoying, they also cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.
According to the World Health Organization, mosquitoes account for over 700,000 deaths per year. Mosquitoes pose great health risks from vector-borne diseases they can spread, such as:

  • Malaria
  • Zika Virus
  • West Nile Virus

DIY Mosquito Prevention Do’s

It is imperative to start mosquito prevention early before an infestation can start. Ultimately, the best method is professional pest control. Yet, many methods of DIY prevention can work, including:

  • Remove Standing Water: Dumping anything that water collects in as well as fixing any leaky or broken faucets will prevent standing water from forming. Mosquitoes love stagnant water as it is a perfect nursery for laying eggs.
  • Use Outdoor Fans: Considering mosquitoes are weak fliers, air currents from fans can push mosquitoes out and disperses the carbon monoxide we exhale.
  • Mosquito Netting: By adding netting to your doors and windows, you place a barrier round your space to keep the invading mosquitoes out. This netting also prevents other insects from getting into your home.
  • Use Bug Spray: Many EPA-approved insect repellent containing DEET or Picaridin are available on the market. Use any insect repellent in accordance with the supplier’s instructions.

DIY Mosquito Prevention Don’ts

While there are many DIY methods that work, many methods do not work. Steer away from these:

  • Citronella Candles: While these candles are great for ambiance and saving electricity, they do little for repelling mosquitoes long-term. They need to be replaced often as they lose potency quickly. These candles are effective for a short amount of time and only if you are directly next to the candle.
  • Coffee Grounds: There is no solid evidence that burning coffee grounds or spreading the grounds around your yard works  in repelling mosquitoes. Instead, use the grounds in your compost bin for the garden!
  • Bug Zappers: Mosquitoes are attracted to the carbon dioxide we exhale and our body heat. Bug zappers do not have either of these qualities going for them. Instead, these zappers can kill natural predators of mosquitoes and other good-doing insects.

Professional Pest Control Services

The never-ending fight against mosquitoes can leave you drained from keeping up on the DIY methods you choose. Spend your spring and summer months pest-free with the help of Inman-Murphy Termite & Pest Control. Our expert technicians come to your property to conduct an inspection and formulate a plan that suites your needs! Call today for a no-obligation consultation.

Our Top Mosquito Control and Prevention Tips

mosquito control prevention tips for memphis residents

Those hot and humid Memphis summers can be a time to relax outdoors, but they’re also the time of year when mosquitoes run rampant.

If you’re dealing with these annoying pests, there are natural ways to kill mosquitos that won’t harm the environment.

Read on to discover natural ways you can say goodbye to mosquitoes in Memphis for a pleasant, itch-free spring and summer.

Get Rid of Standing Water

Mosquitos breed in stagnant water, even if it’s not near a lake or other body of water. To get rid of these pests near your home, take a look around and check for any stagnant water that could be sitting near your property.

Overturned tires, buckets, and other items can fill with rainwater, making it the perfect breeding ground for these biting bugs. Remove anything that’s holding water, and make sure you either dispose of it or turn it upside down so it doesn’t till up again.

If you use outdoor storage for water, try to keep it covered and secure. Check around your outdoor air conditioning unit and try to keep that area as dry as possible so you don’t entice them to breed near your home.

Natural Ways to Kill Mosquitos with Herbs

Certain herbs and other plants have shown to be an effective mosquito repellant. Plant a few herbs like rosemary, lavender, and citronella in your garden.

You can also enjoy these beautiful herbs indoors to keep mosquitos at bay. Get creative and make a lovely indoor herb garden that will not only keep these pests away, but that will also add a nice touch of greenery to your kitchen.

Do a little bit of research to find out which types of herbs thrive in the Memphis area. Plant them in your garden, around the edge of your home, and indoors for the best results.

Set a Trap

Standard insecticides can be harmful to the environment and to your physical health. You can try this safe home remedy to trap these pesky bugs that can be used indoors and outside.

Place a dish full of soapy water on your porch whenever you entertain to keep mosquitos at bay. It’s best to use dish soap that will create a lot of bubbles for the most effective results.

Since mosquitos are attracted to water, they’ll be lured to the bowl. Once they hit the water, the soapy bubbles trap them and they cannot escape and eventually die. This effective trap also works indoors, too.

Prevent Mosquitos from Breeding Near Pools and Ponds

If you have a pool or a decorative pond outside, these features tend to attract mosquitos when the water is stagnant. To prevent a Memphis mosquito problem, use a pump to keep the water constantly moving.

Look for the best pump possible for your pool or pond that will ensure the water is always flowing rapidly. If the water stays in motion all day and night, most mosquitos will simply move on.

Another effective measure of protection is to treat your swimming pool with special chemicals designed to kill or repel mosquitos. Check your pond or pool on a regular basis to ensure that there’s no evidence of mosquitos breeding or hovering around.

Try Essential Oils

The ingredient DEET was used as an insect repellant for decades, but studies have shown it can be extremely harmful to health and the environment. Instead of store-bought mosquito killers and repellant, try essential oils instead.

Lemon eucalyptus oil is a highly effective mosquito repellant. The CDC has approved eucalyptus oil and states that it is an effective ingredient that works.

If you really want to kill those Memphis mosquitos, cinnamon oil is also extremely effective. This oil actually kills the eggs so that the pests cannot continue to breed and bite.

Of course, you can also use citronella to keep mosquitos and other pests away. This natural oil smells incredible and can be found as a raw oil and in candles that you can use outdoors to prevent mosquitos from attacking as you entertain.

Use Fans Strategically

If you place a few fans on your deck or porch in a strategic way, it can actually keep mosquitos and other insects away. Mosquitos are weak flyers, and they can’t handle heavy winds or strong streams of air.

With the right strength, fans can reduce the number of insects in your outdoor space by significant numbers. You may need to experiment with different fans, different levels of airflow, and in different places.

Once you find the sweet spot, you should notice a major drop in the number of mosquitos you’re dealing with. Fans break the flow of carbon dioxide, which can throw mosquitos off guard when they’re looking for food.

Not only will an outdoor fan keep pests away, but it will also keep you and your guests nice and cool. Just make sure your fan is safe to use outside, and always unplug it when it’s not in use. The less sweat and body heat you produce, the less enticing you’ll be to those nasty biting mosquitos.

Give Oranges a Try

Oranges and orange oil can repel insects in a natural way. In fact, a lot of mass-produced repellants and bug sprays include this oil as an ingredient.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money on expensive bug sprays. Instead, try your own at-home remedy with real oranges. If you have a plug-in insect repelling device, cut an orange peel to the same size as the refills and use it instead.

Another way to use oranges to your advantage is to simply cut them up and place them in bowls around your home. Not only will this help to keep mosquitos away, but it will also leave your home smelly citrusy and fresh. You also won’t need to worry about breathing in harsh chemicals with an orange.

Mosquito Coils

This unique product is popular throughout Asia and South America, but you can also find it in the USA. Mosquito coils are similar to incense and burn slowly using a coiled-up shape that can be placed on a dish to catch the ashes.

You can set your mosquito coil on the ground near where you and your guests sit outside. This unusual incense is all-natural and made from pyrethrum powder. The powder is made from dried heads of the Chrysanthemum flower.

When you light the mosquito coil, make sure it “catches” the flame so it continues to burn. You can find these unusual mosquito killers online and at many hardware stores. They have a pleasant scent, which makes them a wonderful alternative to chemical-laden sprays.

Mosquitos Hate Old Coffee Grounds

You might know it, but your used coffee grounds can actually work to repel mosquitos. This eco-friendly and natural alternative is a smart way to reuse those grounds that would normally go into a landfill.

Remove the coffee grounds from your coffee pot and sprinkle them around your deck and patio area. You can also sprinkle them in the garden and in hedges around the perimeter of your home. Coffee grounds are also a wonderful compost, so they’re great for the health of your plants, too.

This simple anti-mosquito hack should help to keep those pesky Memphis mosquitos away all summer long. If you plan to spend a lot of time outside, add some old coffee grinds to a bowl and place it near you for a quick repellant.

Wave Goodbye to Mosquitoes

Even though the warm months bring lots of pests to the Memphis area, you can try these natural ways to kill mosquitoes so you won’t worry about those itchy bites. From essential oils to coffee grinds and oranges, give some of these ideas a try.

When you’re ready to call in a professional mosquito exterminatorcontact us for a free estimate!

Read More: Memphis Mosquito Control Guide

7 Residential Pest Control Tips to Keep Away Pests This Summer

The summer weather brings everyone outside, especially pesky insects! There are 891 different types of insects in Tennessee, and possibly more that we don’t know of. As the days get longer and the nights grow warmer, how are you protecting your home from invasive critters?

If the thought of ants, termites, cockroaches, and other insects sends shivers down your spine, don’t worry. We’ve listed some of our top pest control tips so you can protect your home all summer long.

1. Avoid Ants With a Clean Kitchen

You’ve got ants in your pants! No, probably not in your pants. But if you have a messy kitchen full of crumbs, then you’re going to attract an entire colony of ants.

After a meal, clean up your dishes. Leftover food and dirty dishes are a hungry ant’s dream. While you might not want to, washing dirty dishes immediately after you’re finished with them goes a long in preventing household ants. 

Ants are also attracted to sweet and sticky substances. That means your summertime sweet tea and popsicle juice needs to get wiped up as soon as possible. During the summer months, which are when ants are most prevalent, wipe down your counter a few times a day. If there’s no sticky residue, there won’t be any ants.

Finally, store open food in sealed and air-tight containers. Don’t leave snacks on your countertop. Ants have four to five times more odor receptors than other insects, which means they can smell open food from far away.

If you’re already noticing ants in your house, don’t panic. Household remedies using lemon juice, vinegar, cinnamon, and mint can keep ants away. If your ant problem continues to escalate, don’t be afraid to contact the professionals.

2. Eliminate Food Sources for Cockroaches

Those warm summer winds come at a price. Cockroaches emerge during the summer months in Tennessee and can find their way into your home.

Adult cockroaches may grow up to three inches long. They have a reddish-brown or mahogany color. When the weather gets hot or rainy, cockroaches wiggle their way into our homes.

Cockroaches aren’t picky when it comes to their dinner. The insects will eat anything from leaves and fungi to unsealed pet food. 

Aside from being household pests, cockroaches can carry bacteria, warms, and pathogens that are harmful to people. Large numbers of cockroaches may aggravate allergies and asthma.

Keep the roaches away this summer by increasing your home’s hygiene. Similar to keeping ants out of your house, you can reduce your risk of cockroaches by keeping a clean kitchen and storing open food in sealed containers. 

Throughout the summer months, frequently empty your trash. Cockroaches are drawn to rotting food and debris. Empty your trash every night before bed. Use a tight-fitting lid during the day.

Since roaches feed at night, give your kitchen and eating areas a quick sweep before heading to bed to eliminate food sources. Vacuum your home every two to three days to get rid of roach feces and egg sacs.

Don’t leave paper or cardboard laying around your house. Cockroaches will gravitate towards them and use the materials for shelter.

Keep in mind that if you have a problem with cockroaches this summer, there are local experts who can help.

3. Tidy up to Avoid Ticks

There’s nothing quite like freshly cut grass in the summer. But maintaining your yard does more than enhance your curb appeal. Keeping your landscaping under control prevents overgrowth, which leads to fewer ticks around your house.

In Tennessee, there are 15 different species of ticks. The most common types are black-legged ticks (also known as deer ticks), brown dog ticks, and American dog ticks (also referred to as wood ticks).

Ticks are more than a simple pest. They carry dangerous diseases that severely impact our health. American dog ticks spread Rocky Mountain spotted fever and are most likely to infect people during spring and summer months. The deer tick carries Lyme disease, a chronic medical condition with no cure.

Ticks lurk in grass, trees, and leaves. To reduce the number of ticks in your backyard, regularly mow your lawn. Eliminating tall grass and brush destroy ticks’ hangout spots.

You can also prevent ticks from crossing onto your property by lining your backyard with wood chips or gravel. Ticks don’t like walking over these substances and will stick to the woods. 

4. Cover Your Cracks to Prevent House Centipedes

House centipedes are arthropods, not insects. They range from three to six centimeters in length. House centipedes usually look gray or brown, but sometimes they have purple or blue stripes.

Centipedes are predators that hunt flies, cockroaches, moths, and spiders. They prey on their victims at all times, day and night.

To keep centipedes out, you must understand how they enter your home. Centipedes typically enter a home through open windows and cracks. You are most likely to encounter a house centipede lurking in your basement, shed, bathroom, or within the walls of your home.

This summer, prevent centipedes from entering your house. Check your pipes, especially in your bathroom. Leaking taps lead to high humidity and moisture, which create a perfect habitat for a centipede.

Reducing the number of insects in your home will decrease your chance of attracting centipedes. Remove old dry leaves and twigs from your garden. Discard paper, rotten wood, or debris in your basement or close to your house. These items attract insects that centipedes prey on.

Install mosquito nets around your windows and vents to prevent centipedes from slipping into your home. Fill open cracks that create an entry point for tiny critters to crawl through.

5. Take Away Termites’ Food Source

Termites are a serious concern for Tenessee homeowners. Every year, these insects cause billions of dollars of structural damage to properties.

Subterranean termites cause the most damage throughout Tennessee. The insects feed on wood. They have protozoa and bacteria in their guts that break down wood fibers, which most insects cannot do.

Termites dwell in soil under and around homes. They enter homes by constructing mud tubes from the ground that connects with wood. Sometimes termites will enter a home through concrete walls or your home’s foundation.

During the summer, the best way to prevent a termite infestation is by properly storing firewood. After a long winter, move firewood as far away from your house or shed as possible. Homeowners should keep firewood at least five feet away from their houses.

When you store your firewood, use a rack to keep the logs above the ground. This lowers your risk of termites getting to the wood.

6. Remove Stagnant Water to Stop Mosquitoes

It’s not a Tennessee summer if you don’t have at least one mosquito bite! While mosquitoes are most common during the warmer months, their eggs can hatch anytime the weather rises above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Sometimes, mosquito season lasts from the end of March through mid-October.

Mosquitoes thrive in humidity, still water, and shaded areas. While humidity and shade might be out of your control, you can eliminate stagnant water to prevent large groups of mosquitoes around your house.

Walk around your property and look for stagnant water. This is where mosquitoes breed. There isn’t a body of water too small. Any form of still water attracts mosquitos.

Drain your gutters regularly throughout the summer. Change the water in your birdbaths. Cover your trashcans to prevent moisture buildup. Empty any buckets laying our your property.

Some homeowners also rely on plants to naturally repel mosquitoes. Their fragrances scare away mosquitoes and stop them from entering an area. Marigold, Lavender, Rosemary, and Catnip are all plants that keep the mosquitoes away.

7. Keep the Mouse out of Your House

Mice are some of the most common household pests Tennessee residents encounter. In the summer, mice reproduce quickly, so the number of rodents multiplies quickly.

Before you open your home up for the summer, make sure everything is properly covered. This includes vents, chimneys, doors, and windows. Do not open a door or window without a screen.

Mice gravitate towards dark spaces where it’s easy for them to hide. Check your basement, shed, and attic for mice droppings. If you find any, search for any cracks or holes. By covering the entry point, you will stop mice from re-entering your home.

If you find a large number of mouse feces, you may already have an infestation. Don’t panic. Call a local rodent control team to assist you.

Mice also love moisture and often reproduce in wet areas. Running a humidifier during wet summer months keeps basements and crawl spaces dry. Check and repair any leaking pipes or clogged drains that create a breeding ground for mice.

Finally, keep your yard and home clean. Outdoor BBQs are great in the summer, but after the party, make sure all trash and leftover food are cleaned up. Mice are opportunist eaters and will munch on anything humans leave behind.

Pest Control Tips From Your Local Pest Experts

With our pest control tips, you can keep ants, termites, cockroaches, and other pesky critters away this summer. But if preventative measures fail, it’s essential to contact a reliable pest control team.

Inman-Murphy offers advanced termite and pest control services. From ants to rodents to mosquitos, we’ve got you covered. Contact our team to learn more about our pest control treatments.

10 Outdoor Pest Control Tips for Summer

summer pest control tips memphis

June kicks off the summer months, and for many, this means vacationing and spending more time outside with family and friends. The only problem is the warm weather also brings unwanted guests such as mosquitoes, yellow jackets, ants, flies, and more.

Summer insects are more prevalent in specific areas and are often attracted to barbecues and outdoor gatherings. Flies, yellow jackets, and ants are drawn to barbecue fare while mosquitoes become active at dusk.

Why You Can’t Ignore Pests This Summer

Not only are summer pests a nuisance, they also bring a host of health risks. Houseflies can carry over 100 different germs and ants may contaminate your summer picnic foods. Mosquitoes pose a bigger threat than just itchy, red bumps. They can be carriers of disease including malaria, dengue fever, West Nile virus, and Zika virus. Bee stings are a significant danger if they cause an allergic reaction. When yellow jackets attack, they can sting their victims repeatedly. Stinging insects send nearly half a million people to the emergency room each year.

Keep yourself, your family, and your guests safe this summer with the following 10 outdoor Memphis pest control tips.

  1. Check for wasp nests under the eaves and on chairs or play structures. Look around before you host outdoor events and make sure bee nests aren’t visible nearby.
  2. Remove standing water from your property. Empty buckets, planters, bird baths, garden ponds and other items around your property which hold standing water. These are natural breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
  3. Trim and maintain your landscaping. Mow your lawn, trim back bushes from touching your home, and remove piles of leaves or yard debris.
  4. Repair holes in screen doors and windows. Replace worn screens or repair holes when possible to keep insects from coming inside.
  5. Store food in sealed containers and keep kitchen counters clean. Reduce creating the urge for ants, other insects, or rodents to be attracted to the indoors by sealing food and putting leftover dog food away at night.
  6. Serve food and beverages indoors – eat and entertain outdoors. Avoid flies and bees from congregating around food by keeping food and beverages indoors.
  7. Toss overripe fruits and vegetables. Fruit flies can lay hundreds of eggs within 24-30 hours on moist, fermenting foods.
  8. Rinse and recycle bottles and cans. Bees are attracted to leftover sugars. Rinse empty cans and store them away from guests for recycling.
  9. Remove firewood and other materials from touching your house or shed. Stacked wood provides a hiding place for insects and easy access to find cracks and sneak inside. Five feet should be the minimum distance, but the further away you can put firewood, the better.
  10. Don’t let garbage pile up. Take out the trash often and adhere to your local trash schedule to avoid garbage bags piling up.

If summer insects prevail despite your preventive measures, call the pest control experts at Inman-Murphy Termite & Pest Control. Enjoy your summer barbecues and pool parties in peace without the threat of insects. Contact us today for professional pest control services for yellow jackets, ants, mosquitoes, termites, rodents, and more.

Enjoy Your End of Summer Barbecue with These Pest Prevention Tips

 

There’s nothing like end of summer barbecues to celebrate the final days of warm weather before fall and winter return. Grilling outside and enjoying time with family and friends are what great memories are made of. The only things that could ruin a perfectly good backyard barbecue are pesky bees, ants, and mosquitoes.

Outdoor lawn pest control can help alleviate these end of summer nuisances with simple prevention. Don’t let your last days of summer be ruined by pesky insects. Use these tips to prevent unwanted guests.

Outdoor Pest Control for Summer BBQs

  • Avoid sweet smelling candles or fragrances. Use citronella, cinnamon, or mint candles to keep insects, especially mosquitoes, at bay.
  • Make sure doors and windows have proper screens without holes or tears to avoid outdoor pests coming inside.
  • Search for wasp nests on or under your porch, in the eaves, or near your grill. Remove nests before family or guests arrive.
  • Place your grill in a central area with plenty sun to discourage bugs.
  • Keep trash cans a short walk away from areas where your guests will be hanging out.
  • Put easy covers over food. Remove them when it’s time to eat and put them back on after everyone has dished up.
  • Provide lids for sweet drinks to avoid fruit flies or wasps ruining drinks.
  • Keep a box fan circulating the air. The consistent breeze bothers most insects.

Lawn Pest Control Tips and Tricks

  • Mow your lawn and weed your gardens to reduce places for insects to hide and make their new home.
  • Release stagnant water (bird baths and small ponds or pools) to keep mosquitos away.
  • Remove fallen fruit or berries to eliminate sweet temptations.
  • Discourage ants by sprinkling a ring of corn starch or baby powder around your table.
  • Hire a professional outdoor pest control company to spray throughout your yard—especially where your guests will spend the most time.

With advanced planning, your end of summer barbecues will be filled with more fun and laughter and less pesky bugs.

Call Inman-Murphy to schedule a pest control and prevention treatment. Let us to nip your bug problem in the bud with our outdoor pest control and lawn pest control services.

Summer Pest Prevention Tips for Memphis Homeowners

Memphis Pest Prevention for summer

Summer is the time of year we love to get outdoors, relax, and enjoy the weather and all that our beautiful area has to offer.

That means summer picnics, fireworks, backyard barbecues, fun get-togethers, and maybe even some camping.

But along with all this summer fun comes a few annoyances: pests

Although some bugs and pests can be dangerous, the vast majority of insects and outdoor pests we deal with here are more bothersome and annoying than anything else.

Here are our best tips for our Memphis area friends looking to keep pests at a minimum this summer.

Indoor Pest Prevention Tips:

One of the things you need to be aware of is that extended periods of dry, warm weather affects the food supply for bugs—this forces pests such as spiders, ants, scorpions and rodents to venture indoors for food and water.

  • Keep all food closed up tight, put away (keep it in the fridge if you need to), and don’t leave pet’s water and food bowl full overnight.
  • Seal your doors to prevent easy entrance points for ants, spiders, and the like.
  • Make sure screens on windows and doors are not ripped or shredded. This is a common entrance point for flying insects like mosquitoes, bees, and wasps.
  • Empty your trash cans regularly, especially if you throw out leftover food in it.

Outdoors Pest Prevention Tips:

This is the most common pest area we deal with, so pay extra attention outside your home so you’ll be able to enjoy the outdoors more this summer.

  • Get rid of standing water wherever you can. This breeds mosquitoes and other water loving insects. Replace standing water in places such as birdbaths, at least once a week. Do not use pesticides in these birdbaths or small ponds if you expect other animals such as birds to enjoy the water.
  • Remove excess weeds and grasses along with trash and dried, dead leaves from around your home. These are great breeding grounds for spiders and other pests.
  • Keep grass cut short to limit areas that bugs tend to love.

For both indoors and outdoors pest control and prevention, it’s a good idea to hire a professional pest control service to help you really keep bugs under control.

With summer in full effect here, it’s time to contact Inman-Murphy Pest Control for all of your Memphis pest prevention needs. (901) 388-0852