Essential Ways To Keep South Carolina's Most Common Pests At Bay This Summer

If you have ever visited or lived in South Carolina, you know how beautiful its beaches, marshes, and cities can be. However, you probably also saw a few of South Carolina's most common pests. The marshes make the state an ideal place for mosquitoes, and while palmetto bugs thrive in the warm, humid weather, they can sneak indoors as well. In the summer, you may also find your kitchen full of annoying fruit flies. Mosquitoes cause itchy and irritating bites and can spread diseases, and palmetto bugs do more than just scare you by flying around: they can also carry dangerous pathogens. So, if you are spending any time in the state, it is a good idea to learn the main ways to keep these pests at bay.

While outside, wear Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved mosquito repellents like picaridin or DEET to protect yourself from bites, and consider using a temporary solution like a special insecticide fogger. Using yellow lightbulbs and avoiding the mistakes that attract mosquitoes to your yard, such as leaving standing water and overgrown vegetation, will make your yard less hospitable. Look for standing water in forgotten places like garbage bins, bird baths, and planters, and trim your grass or any plants near your house. 

Making your yard less appealing for mosquitoes means they will be further from you when outside and less likely to be found indoors, especially if you remember to use screens or close your windows. Finally, there are professional treatments meant to reduce mosquito activity in your yard if other prevention methods do not work for you. 

Standing water is a draw for palmetto bugs, as are warm houses, so removing standing water and keeping windows screened or closed are important steps to keep them away. Although palmetto bugs are a type of cockroach, they are not thought to flock to filthy homes. However, it's a good idea to keep your house clean and food sealed to reduce potential food sources and avoid some sneaky ways you might be attracting them. If you really want to keep palmetto bugs outside, it's a good idea to hire a professional who can ensure that there are no bugs in your space and apply preventative treatments that will stop palmetto bugs from making your home theirs, which they can do by laying up to 20 eggs at once.

Fruit flies are also common in South Carolina homes. They are attracted to overripe fruit and rotting food, and with their ability to lay hundreds of eggs, you definitely want to keep them out. Close windows and doors, take out your garbage frequently, and toss any overripe fruit to make your home less enticing. If you do find fruit flies, there are many DIY trap options. You can probably banish fruit flies with a beverage you already have in your fridge, or use bait high in sugar or alcohol to attract them before trapping them with soap or plastic wrap, depending on the type of trap. Overall, keeping your home and yard clean and sealing up your house are the main ways to keep pests out.