Beware of Creepy Crawlers - How to Prevent & Control

• Store all your accessible food in rodent-proof containers such as glass or metal
• Bag up all clothing in plastic garbage bags, which must be sealed airtight.
• Dry-clean garments. Chemicals in dry-cleaning can kill bedbugs; washers and dryers will kill them only at temperatures above 140 degrees Farenheit.
• Bag books, papers, pictures, most loose objects and contents of closets to exterminators have access to all cracks and crevices in the home.

• Reduce standing water that provides breeding sites. Eliminate containers such as old tires, buckets, cans and bottles that collect and hold rainwater and become good breeding sites for mosquitoes. Drain water from flower pots, bird baths, rain gutters, rain barrels, birdbaths, pet dishes, livestock watering troughs, etc. at least once a week.
• Empty your plastic wading pool weekly and store it indoors when not in use.
• Fill holes or depressions in trees with sand or mortar, or drain them after each rain by drilling holes into the tree.
• Repair leaky pipes and outside faucets.

• Mow tall grass or reduce the amount of brush and other foliage in your area to reduce the resting sites for adult mosquitoes.
• For temporary relief in yards or high traffic areas, use fog treatments or surface treatments of insecticides that are labeled for that use and apply them following directions on the product label.

• Use screening in your homes and pet kennels. Keep the screens in good repair and be sure that they seal around the frames of the door or window.
• Schedule outdoor activities during times when mosquitoes are not active. Mosquito species that are active at dusk and dawn can often be avoided. Species that bite throughout the day are more difficult to avoid.
• Wear long, loose-fitting clothing to avoid mosquito bites. Use head nets when mosquitoes are abundant.
• Use repellents whenever in a mosquito infested location.
• For short-term relief in outdoor areas such as patios and picnic areas, use a fogger and citronella candles or punks as a deterrent.
• Protect your pets with heart-worm treatments, which can be purchased from grocery stores or pet specialty stores.

• Make it harder for ticks to enter clothing by tucking shirttails inside pants and wearing long pants and shirts.
• Use duct tape or wide masking tape to seal pants cuffs to boots. Tucking your pants legs inside your socks is also effective.
• Avoid sitting on the ground or on logs in brushy, tick-infested areas. Ticks often crawl around on a host for hours before biting. When in tick-infested areas, have a friend check you frequently for ticks before they attach.
• Around the home, keep tall grass and weeds cut short. Ticks like to climb vertical surfaces to rest after feeding. When treating yards for brown dog ticks, spray the siding of the house, fences, trees and other hiding places as well as the lawn.
• When using insecticides, follow label directions carefully and do not apply more than is recommended. Tick insecticides can be dangerous to pets and children if misapplied.

Fran Phalin is a freelance editor and writer specializing in home improvement topics. She is based in Austin, TX.

For professional pest control assistance, please contact Anteater Pest and Lawn. Visit them at www.goanteater.com. Anteater covers ALL crawling pests!