Springtime Pest Guide: II
It’s officially spring! Although the typical Irish weather can’t seem to make it’s mind up yet. So, while you may not have tucked away your winter coat just yet, the pests in and around your home have. This week we’ve observed a huge spike in calls for ant sightings in and around homes and businesses. We thought we better write our part II guide to springtime pests, this time round Ants and Fleas.
Black Garden Ants:
The spring season is a crucial point in the development of ant colonies. Increased foraging and egg production begins, simply put, there are more ants and they are more likely to enter your home in search of food.
How to avoid black ants:
Prevention is often better than cure. In the case of ants that means thorough cleaning of areas which may be gathering food stuffs. Even crumbs and small spills can act as large attractive meals to these minute pests. Consider looking under kickboards, crevices of food prep areas or gaps at appliances to make sure food waste hasn’t fallen or been swept into these areas. If ants are already present then make sure to use disinfectant to help remove the pheromone trail which guides them to this area.
You should also consider sealing gaps under patio doors, windows and pipes to reduce easy entry points. These tiny creatures can fit through pin sized gaps so be diligent.
How to get rid of ants:
If you’ve sealed up the entry point(s) and removed food sources then you can hoover the remaining ants and empty them outside your home. Ideally if ants are in the garden and not posing any threat then they should be left alone. If they persist inside then there are over the counter remedies which can occasionally help. Note, make sure to identify the ants as garden ants first, attacking pharaoh ants with repellents can just create more colonies. If you need professional help APS offer ant treatment services which aim to destroy the queen and thus the entire colony.
Fleas
Fleas thrive and multiply quickly in warmer conditions which is why Spring marks the beginning of flea season (April-September). It’s therefore a time when you should check if your pets flea and tick treatments are up to date. Cat fleas are most common and while they can also feed on dogs they struggle to survive solely on human hosts, so protecting your cat or dog can help to stop fleas entering your home.
Signs of Fleas:
Fleas are parasites and as such they live off their hosts, meaning first signs can often be bite marks or itching pets. You may also spot some fleas, although you’ll need to be eagle eyed as they’re only 1-2mm in size. They’re reddish-brown in colour and move in a jumping pattern. A white sheet placed in an area where you think there might be activity can help improve visibility, a pets bed area for example.
How to get rid of fleas:
As we set out above, a two prong approach of animal and home care is often essential to treating fleas. With the animal treated, we recommend continuous vacuuming to suck up any fallen eggs or fleas, a top tip is to place a tissue or rag with flea treatment on it within the bag in order to destroy any fleas you may have sucked up. If all else fails APS has quick, reliable and affordable spray treatment methods that can help.
