Exterior & entryway lights
Many insects in New Mexico are attracted to light, particularly white light. If you keep lights on in your yard, you’re inadvertently inviting these insects onto your property. If you keep lights on in your entryway, flying insects may hang out near your home and fly in when you open the door. Shutting lights off is one way to stop this from happening. Here are a few more options.
- Consider replacing white lights with bulbs that cast yellow light. Insects are unable to detect light in the yellow spectrum.
- Consider replacing bulbs with motion-detecting bulbs.
- Consider replacing fixtures with motion-detecting fixtures.
When you manage exterior lighting, you’re one step closer to making your property less appealing to bugs.
Indoor trash cans
We're sure you know that trash can attract bugs. But what you might not consider is that trash cans placed near exterior doors can lead to interior pest problems. As the bugs fly or crawl on your bins near your door, they can find their way in when you open them. A simple prevention strategy is to move your trash cans at least 10 feet away from your exterior.
Lawn weeds & plentiful nectar
Do you know that many insects, like ants, wasps, and mosquitoes, eat sweet nectar? If you have a lawn weed problem, you may invite pests into your yard. If you also have weeds in your landscaping, you may have pests searching for food right next to your home. It only makes sense that they would find their way indoors. Weed control can help you with your pest control.
Honeydew stuck on plants
When aphids and other plant-damaging insects get into your landscape vegetation, they leave a sweet nutrient called honeydew. Many insects love this food source. Carpenter ants love it so much that they protect aphids and are observed milking them for their honeydew. If you'd prefer not to have carpenter ants in your home, it is wise to do something about aphids and other honeydew-producing insects.
Moisture plays a role in pest infestations, too
Water is a building block of life. It only makes sense that pests want to live in or near a home that has lots of moisture. Here are a few of the reasons why you might have a moisture problem that could attract bugs and even rodents.
- An exterior spigot is leaking.
- Your sprinkler system is damaged.
- You're overwatering your plants and allowing moisture to sit on the vegetation.
- You have tall vegetation that is trapping moisture.
- You have an irrigation issue.
- You have puddles forming on flat roofs.
If you have moisture on your property, insects in New Mexico will take notice. Take every step possible to reduce moisture near or in your home.
Exterior entry points
The most significant reason why pests get into New Mexico homes is that they find entry points. If you know some of the common entry points they use, you may be able to deter pests from entering your home.
- Replace weatherstripping or sweeps on your exterior doors.
- Replace or use a caulking gun to seal the frames around your exterior doors or windows.
- Replace damaged screens on doors and windows.
- Use mortar to fill in foundation cracks.
- Use expanding foam to fill in wood cavities, joist voids, or gaps around utilities.
While it is impossible to seal every hole a bug might use to get into your home, it is still worth the effort to try.
A quick recap and what to do if you find bugs in your NM home
It is important to keep your home clean, both inside and out. Sanitation is important in managing pest problems, but it is not a solution on its own. You need a complete pest management plan.
The most effective and stress-free solution for pest management is to get year-round, home pest control services. Here at Greenway Pest Solutions, we offer ongoing pest control in Santa Cruz, Albuquerque, and to communities throughout our New Mexico service area. We provide industry-leading, results-based pest control, guaranteed service, and free callbacks. Connect with us today to get started.
