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 Doโ€™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 supplierโ€™s instructions.

DIY Mosquito Prevention Donโ€™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 worksย  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.

Common Late Summer Pests

A mosquito

You might think that the late summer means the end of the pest problems you’ve been facing since early spring, but some pests are made for these conditions. With the right amount of warmth and plenty of people participating in outdoor activities, many kinds of insects and animals can find a meal or a suitable place to stay. If you want to make sure that pests don’t take over the last month of your summer, you have to be consciously preventative in your routines. Read on to learn about pests to avoid in Mid-South TN‘s late summers with Inman-Murphy, Inc.!

Common Late Summer Pests in Mid-South TN

There really is no season in which you can avoid pest problems outright. The late summer is a deceptively pest-ridden season because we often think of late spring and early summer as being the most problematic. However, these pests stick around to capitalize on the lingering warmth:

  • Bees and wasps: Bees, wasps, and many other kinds of stinging insects take advantage of heightened outdoor human activity during the late summer. They will not hesitate to stop by your cookout for a free meal or build a hive in your yard for a consistent and close by food source.
  • Ticks: These parasitic pests thrive in the warmth and growth that sticks around into August and September.ย Walking through tall grass or dense vegetation could put you in tick trouble.
  • Wildlife: Wild animals, especially those that hibernate during the winter, are out and about all summer looking for food and safe places to stay. Raccoons, possums, and squirrels are common offenders in the late summers here in Mid-South TN.
  • Mosquitoes: If mosquitoes are able to develop a consistent breeding population around your property, they can remain a serious nuisance all the way until temperatures drop below 50ยฐF.

Preventing Pests in the Late Summer

While it should be stressed that severe pest infestations should always be taken care of by an expert, there are a few pertinent strategies you can try on your own to keep pest presence on your property at a minimum. Try the following:

  1. Keep a tidy yard: Trimming your trees and shrubs, quickly disposing of grass clippings and piles of vegetation, and decluttering in general will all discourage pests from looking for shelter in your yard.
  2. Look for cracks: Check around the outside of your home and structures on your property regularly for openings in roofing, siding, foundation, or around windows.
  3. Guard your trash: taking out your garbage regularly and using sealable lids on your outdoor trash bins can prevent many kinds of pests โ€” most notably, wildlife.
  4. Eliminate standing water: Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water, so covering up or pouring out any that you find around your yard can cause mosquitoes to look elsewhere to breed and feed.

Expert Help with Summer Pests

If you think you’ve done everything you can to prevent pests without success, it’s time to reach out to your local exterminators. We are proud to employ only licensed, certified, and highly trained technicians here at Inman-Murphy, Inc.. Our pest experts have seen every kind of problem that develops in our area, so we can efficiently and effectively put together a plan to eliminate pest presence and keep your property pest-free for good. Contact us today for a free quote!

Rain in April Attracts Pests

A tick found in Millington TN - Inman-Murphy, Inc.

It can seem impossible to keep pests out of your yard (and even your home) when spring comes around. Do you know why that is? There are many factors that play into spring being the season that all kinds of pests thrive, but rainfall is one of the most important contributors. Every year, the rainfall brings about conditions for a few particular pests to exploit, and we are the ones that have to take precautionary measures against them. If youโ€™re looking for DIY spring pest control advice for rain bugs, read on to learn from our expert exterminators at Inman-Murphy, Inc!

What Pests Does a Rainy Spring Bring?

A rainy spring leads to many benefits that pests around the Memphis Metro area use to their advantage. There are a few kinds of pests in particular that thrive after a rainy spring:

  1. Mosquitoes: The more rainfall in spring, the more mosquitoes will be bothering you during the summer. This is because mosquitoes breed in standing water, no matter the size of the source, so an abundance of rainwater pools will allow them to proliferate in peace and grow their numbers quickly.
  2. Fleas and ticks: Fleas and ticks get by by hiding in foliage, waiting until an animal that they can feed on walks by. These parasitic pests take advantage of ample plant growth after rainy springs to find perfect hiding places, which might be in your yard.
  3. Beetles: While a rainy spring makes our gardens flourish, it also gives all kinds of beetles opportunities for easy sustenance supplies.
  4. Fire ants: Fire ants and many other kinds of ants burrow in soil to grow their colonies, so a rainy spring will provide them with optimal soil texture for expansion.
  5. Termites: Sometimes called rain flies, termite swarmers come out during rainy springs to take advantage of water-damaged wood.

What Can I Do Post-Rainfall to Prevent Pests?

A rainy spring can lead to pest problems both indoors and outdoors. Here are some measures that you must take to ensure your property is protected from spring pests:

  • Seal cracks and gaps: Gaps around your doors and windows can be closed off with screens and weather stripping, and cracks in your walls or foundation can be sealed with a silicone-based caulk.
  • Clean your gutters: Leaves and other natural debris can build up in your gutters, leading to overflows that cause moisture problems or pools of standing water that attract mosquitoes to breed.
  • Prevent pooling water: Whether inside in your kitchen and bathroom or outside around your garden and patio, pooling water will always bring out thirsty bugs, so keep an eye out!

Help With Spring Pest Control

If your yard is riddled with pests every spring, itโ€™s time to reach out to your local pest control company. The exterminators at Inman-Murphy, Inc. are well-versed in springtime pest problems around Millington TN. We train our team to conduct property-wide inspections, determining the reasons for your infestation, applying pertinent pest control products safely and efficiently, and teaching you how to avoid pests on your own going forward. Reach out today for a free estimate!