Hurricane Season Pest Control Tips

When is hurricane season?

Hurricane season usually begins around June.

When does hurricane season end?

Hurricane season typically runs through November and reaches its peak around early fall.

Pest Prevention During Hurricane Season

Hurricane season can be scary and in some areas cause catastrophic damage. Keeping your family and loved ones safe from the storm is priority and the last thing you want to worry about are bugs and rodents. Check out these tips to help with pest control before and after a storm.

1. Conduct interior and exterior inspections to find areas of structural issues

2. Fix areas with rotting wood as it can attract termites

3. Find any openings that can allow bugs and rodents into your home

4. Remove garbage or spoiled food in sealed bags away from the home

5. Make sure water gutters flow water away from the home and doesn’t puddle

6. Remove debris from gutters

7. Remove water from flower pots, garbage cans and anything around the home that can retain water

Hurricane Season Pests to Look Out for

Most pests will take cover during a storm but can quickly become an issue for your property once the storm has passed due to standing water and new entry points.

Mosquitoes

• Hurricanes can bring rapid temperature changes and heavy rainfall to an area. Unfortunately, mosquitoes love warm weather and moisture making hurricane season and mosquito season run simultaneously. They can lay several eggs in standing water left from flooding and multiply quickly. Implementing moisture management is critical to help minimize these pests. Protecting yourself and others around you from the health threats mosquitoes can cause is critical. To help prevent mosquito bites:

  • Try to eliminate as much standing water around you as possible

  • Fix clogged drains and pipes

  • Wear long clothing to cover skin

  • Tuck shirts into pants and your pants into socks

  • Try to stay indoors when possible

Rats

• Do you know that rats can swim? This means that during flooding they can relocate to your home or business from miles away traveling with the water. Severe weather like a hurricane can cause structural damage to your property creating new entryways for these pests as they search for something to eat, water to drink and a warm place to sleep. Once they are inside your property, they can cause further structural damage by chewing holes in walls and electrical wires. Rats also carry harmful diseases that can be very dangerous to humans. Look for signs of rodent infestations by checking for mouse droppings and making sure if food packages have been chewed through.

Flies

• What carries more diseases, a fly or a cockroach? The correct answer is a fly carries more disease-causing pathogens than cockroaches. Flies can carry harmful diseases such as Cholera, Salmonella, Tuberculosis and more. Everywhere they land whether it be on your skin or within your home is teaming with bacteria. Hurricanes can carry trash and debris, which will attract flies and cause them to multiply out of control.

Ants

• Some ant species are able to swim like fire ants. When there is flooding, the ants rise to the surface of their nest creating a chain link to make a raft out of their connected bodies. The colony works together to continuously float until they reach some form of solid ground whether it be a tree or land. After a hurricane, these pests can quickly become a new problem as they have been displaced from their original location that could have been miles away. Ant bites can be painful causing swelling and redness around the bite area and can sometimes be life threatening due to an allergic reaction.

Full Home Pest Control Solutions

While hurricane season is only a few months out of the year, pest season is a yearlong process and needs continuous monitoring and maintenance. Protect your home year-round with a full property pest control solution that offers several home services to ensure pest protection inside and out.

• Leaf-Stopper: Help keep your gutters free of debris

• Orkin VitalClean: Deep clean surface areas to help disinfect and kill bacteria and viruses

• Wildlife Management: Control unwanted wildlife around your property

• Moisture Control: Tackle moisture in your home by reducing humidity

• Attic Insulation: Aim to control energy loss and pests

While we can’t keep the storms at bay our Orkin Pros are here to help before and after a storm to help with your pest control needs. Contact an Orkin Pro today to make an appointment to inspect your home.