Enjoying the Summer? Here’s 5 Tips on Staying Bug-Bite and Sting Free

Summer is here and the outdoors are calling, but pests can ruin your poolside, lakeside or backyard fun. What‘s burger flipping to you can look like an act of aggression to specific pests, causing them to bite or sting to defend themselves and their homes. The resulting welts can be itchy and uncomfortable—and sometimes, even dangerous.

Behind the Bites and Stings

Bites and stings can leave bumps, blisters or swelling that are painful or itchy to you or your pets. They can also be far more dangerous if the pests carry a disease. Depending on the pest, some of the potential health risks include:

• Transmission of viruses and infections including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, babesiosis, malaria, dengue fever, Zika virus and West Nile virus.
• Symptoms of fever, nausea, vomiting, headache, diarrhea, fainting and even convulsions.
• In a severe case of an allergy, bites and stings can cause anaphylaxis, which can consist of difficulty breathing, increased heart rate, swelling of the throat, and can even be fatal.

5 Ways to Play It Safe Outside

To help prevent bug bites and stings, below are our top tips to help you stay safe all summer long.

Mind Your Food

Watch where you place your food and drinks when you are outside. Keep picnic foods covered, garbage lids tightly sealed, and clean up food and crumbs immediately.

Keep It Tidy

Move wood piles away from structures, trim trees and shrubs, keep grass mowed and clear leaf and weed litter. If there’s standing water anywhere, find the source and remove it.

Watch Your Step

Avoid disturbing ant hills and wasp nests. These can be dangerous, and it is not recommended for you to tackle on your own. Contact your pest control provider for a proper and safe way to remove a nest.

Dress The Part

Wear insect repellant, long sleeves and pants to help protect yourself from mosquitos and ticks.

Check Yourself

After being outside in a dense vegetated area like the woods or tall grass, examine yourself and pets for ticks. If a tick bites you, they can be stuck in your skin and you need to take special care to remove them. Check out this video on how to safely remove ticks: VIDEO FOR TICK REMOVAL

The best way to avoid summer-spoiling pests is knowing what makes them tick. View our quick-reference guide for more information on pest identification, habits and prevention. Struggling with biting and stinging pests in your backyard? Call us today!