The mild climate in the Southern Utah area can be very inviting to both indoor and outdoor pests. And, we’re not talking annoying, noisy, even nosey pests known as neighbors. We’re addressing those pests known as insects, that “bug” and pester you both inside your home and outside around it. Here are some tips for keeping termites, scorpions, ants and other insects out of your house and under control around your home.

TERMITES

When it comes to bugs, termites are a homeowners worse nightmare. They feed on the wood around your home, destroying the home more and more over time. From around August until the end of fall season, they’re more prevalent because of the “comfy” temperatures. This is especially true in desert areas, where temperatures are generally not too hot, and not too cold.

Some of the telltale signs of a termite invasion include:

• Wood with small holes
• Drywall crumbling
• Doors or floors sagging
• Wings of insects sitting around
• Mud tubes (usually in garage or on home exterior)

How to get rid of termites:

There are no sure-fire DIY termite extermination tools on the market. Killing, stopping and controlling termites is a job for a professional exterminator. It takes expert skills to use motorized pumps, sub-slab injectors, drills and professional chemicals to do the job right.

SCORPIONS

Scorpions are desert loving insects. So, they’re very prominent in Southern Utah areas. Many people fear scorpions because of their pedipalps, also known as pinchers. These tiny claws really do pinch, which can be painful. They also have stingers at the end of their curled up tails, which are used to paralyze or kill the prey of scorpions.

Some scorpion bites are actually deadly, although fatalities are very, very rare. Either way, however, these bites are painful. And, in some cases, scorpion bites have been known to cause issues related to allergic reactions, which can be fatal if the reaction is severe enough. They generally live outside, although they have been known to sneak indoors on occasion.

How to control scorpions:

• Rid your yard of trash and other debris they can hide under, like rocks, stones and loose pieces of wood
• Cut down old, dying trees, as scorpions will hide under tree bark on the trees or that have fallen on the ground
• Seal cracks in masonry, exterior walls, around pipes and wires, etc… using caulk or other reliable type of sealant
• Eliminate unnecessary hiding places by keeping grass cut short and shrubbery neatly pruned
• Use an insecticide specially formulated to control and kill scorpions
• Call professional exterminator to treat your home’s outside perimeter with a dust designed to kill scorpions

ANTS

Ants travel in colonies. So, when you see one ant, there’s an entire colony hiding out somewhere, with a Queen running the show. The job of the worker ants you see is to find food, and take it back to the colony. That’s why the best way to bait ants is by feeding them, even if the food is actually poisonous bait. And, just as they take food they find back to the colony, they will do the same with poisonous bait, spreading it throughout the colony, and even to the Queen herself.

GENERAL PEST CONTROL

Here are some general tips for controlling bugs in and around the exterior of your home:

• Keep any food that’s not in the refrigerator or freezer in tightly sealed containers
• Always keep floors, countertops and cabinets clean
• Never leave food (or food wrappers/containers) in trashcans overnight
• All ripe fruits should be kept in the refrigerator
• Wash dishes every day, making sure not to leave dirty ones in sink for long
• Keep laundry, kitchen and bathroom areas dry, fixing leaks if you have to