Mosquito Prevention: 4 Signals You Send to Mosquitoes

What mosquitoes look like in Peekskill NY - Garrie Pest Control

Although they can seem impossible to avoid, you don’t have to deal with mosquitoes all spring and summer long. Mosquitoes are simple insects that use a small set of signals to guide them to food, suitable environments, and potential hosts. Learning how to prevent mosquitoes from finding you can help you avoid their bites while spending time outdoors. Looking for mosquito prevention advice? Read on to learn from the Peekskill NY mosquito experts at Garrie Pest Control!

4 Signals Mosquitoes Use

Some people claim to be mosquito magnets—you may even be one yourself! Although some people certainly see more mosquito bites than others, there is no consensus on the exact factors that make certain people more attractive to mosquitoes than others. However, we do know 4 signs that mosquitoes take note of when looking for people to feed on:

  1. Breath: When humans breathe, we exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide. Mosquitoes pick up on the CO2 that we release with specially attuned organs to track down hosts.
  2. Body odor: Increased perspiration means amplified body odor, which mosquitoes use to detect us. Mosquitoes are also attracted to floral perfumes because they feed on plant nectar primarily.
  3. Body temperature: A high internal body temperature creates a signal for mosquitoes, so exercising around places where they rest or breed is a bad idea.
  4. Color: Mosquitoes seek out the longer wavelengths of light that human skin gives off. Regardless of pigmentation, exposed skin will attract mosquitoes.

Preventing Mosquito Bites

It can be tasking to remember and keep up with all of the mosquito prevention strategies available to you, but taking the time to keep mosquitoes away will pay off! Here are some key ways to limit your exposure to mosquitoes:

  • Clear out still water: Mosquitoes lay their eggs in pools of standing water, so pour it out wherever you find it. Rainwater commonly builds up in tarps, gutters, buckets, planters, and more places.
  • Choose clothing carefully: You want to avoid dark colors and short sleeves to keep your body temperature low and your skin concealed. Light colors and long sleeves can help you prevent mosquito bites.
  • Use bug spray: Safe application of EPA-registered insect repellents containing either DEET or picaridin are your best options for skin or clothes-application mosquito repellent. Natural options include lemon eucalyptus oil and citronella oil.

Mosquito Abatement in Peekskill NY

If you believe you’ve done everything you can to protect yourself from mosquito bites and you’re still having problems, reach out to your local pest control company. Our mosquito exterminators at Garrie Pest Control can assess your property for vulnerable spots to create a unique barrier spray system. This technique can keep mosquitoes out of your yard for months at a time! Reach out today to get started with a free quote.

10 Tips for a Pest-Free Backyard

Servicing a backyard in Peekskill NY - Garrie Pest Control

We’re all excited about the weather finally warming up here in Peekskill NY. However, it’s not just us that take advantage of lovely spring and summer conditions every year. All sorts of pests will be out and about in your backyard, finding ample food, hiding spots, and breeding grounds if you don’t put in the work to prevent them. If you’re looking to pest-proof your backyard, read on. We’ve put together some advice from our expert exterminators at Garrie Pest Control!

10 Tips to Pest-Proof Your Backyard:

All kinds of pests live in our region, so there are many different types of pest attractions to keep watch for and prevent. Here are our top 10 tips for keeping pests out of your backyard in Peekskill NY:

  1. Cut your grass: Mow your lawn once a week to maintain a short but healthy grass blade length. Letting your grass grow out of hand will lead to a labyrinth of pest hiding places and standing water.
  2. Trim plants: Keeping your bushes, shrubs, and trees nice and neat will prevent pest hiding places. This can also get rid of small shaded spots that pests like ticks and mosquitoes take advantage of to rest in during the heat of the day.
  3. Remove yard waste: Piles of yard waste in your backyard can serve as perfect shelters or breeding grounds for insects, arachnids, and rodents alike. Dispose of yard waste often to discourage this.
  4. Get rid of standing water: Standing water pools can serve as hydration sources for all kinds of pests, but they are most infamously used as mosquito breeding grounds. Pour out or tip over standing water when you find it in gutters, planter boxes, tarps, buckets, or elsewhere.
  5. Use garden netting: Your garden can attract pests as small as aphids and as large as raccoons. Using netting to protect your plants will allow them to grow without the threat of thievery or destruction.
  6. Dethatch your lawn: A layer of thatch too thick for your lawn will suffocate your grass and allow for many types of common lawn pests to take easy shelter.
  7. Water your grass properly: Both overwatering and underwatering your lawn can lead to pest problems for different reasons. Installing a sprinkler system or irrigation system is the best way to ensure that your lawn is receiving a regulated and evenly-distributed amount of water.
  8. Store firewood properly: Leftover firewood stacks from winter can lead to termite problems in the house. Store your firewood above ground and away from your house in a place where it can stay dry.
  9. Keep bins sealed and far away: Make sure your trash cans are sealed and kept away from your home to prevent foraging pests ranging from wasps to opossums.
  10. Hire an exterminator: A professional pest control technician can be the expert eye you need to figure out why pests are invading your backyard!

Pest Control for Your Backyard in Peekskill NY

If you’re looking to keep pests out of every corner of your backyard all spring and summer long, it’s time to get help from a local residential exterminator. Our team at Garrie Pest Control can assess your yard for vulnerabilities, find active pest breeding grounds, and safely remove all active pests while setting up lasting exclusion methods. For a free quote or to learn more, contact us today!

How to Prepare for Spring Bugs

A technician performing pest control services in Peekskill NY - Garrie Pest Control

The beginning of spring comes with a sense of relief for many. The rains will help your plants recover from the blistering cold and you can enjoy outdoor activities again. However, spring is also the time when bugs come out of hibernation to nest, mate, and reproduce. So what can you do as a homeowner in Peekskill NY to prevent them from doing all of this in your home? Read on for expert advice on the best ways to prepare for pests in the spring with Garrie Pest Control!

What Spring Bugs Should We Be Expecting?

If there’s any season where we should be worried about pest infestations, it’s spring. While we’re on our way out of the winter where rodents run rampant, all kinds of tiny critters will soon be taking advantage of newfound sun and moisture to proliferate and thrive. Here are some of the most common bugs that we see in spring in Peekskill NY:

As you can see, there is a wide range of pests that dominate the spring. This means that we have to keep an arsenal of pest prevention strategies in our back pockets for when the season rolls around again.

How to Prevent Spring Bugs Before They Arrive

There are a number of strategies that you can take before spring or implement into your cleaning routine to protect your home from pest infestation during the spring. Here are our recommended methods of preparing for spring bugs:

  1. Declutter: Organize your home and consolidate loose items to prevent unnecessary hiding places.
  2. Seal cracks and gaps: Openings in your walls, windows, foundation, siding, and more can allow pests in. Inspect your phone to find these spots and seal them with a silicone-based caulk, steel wool, or otherwise as the surface calls for.
  3. Check plumbing fixtures: Beyond cracks in plumbing fixtures that allow pests in, leaky pipes can create moisture problems that attract pests. Make sure your plumbing fixtures are in working order.
  4. Store food properly: Make sure that your refrigerator and pantry are clean and your food is stored in air-tight containers.

Professional Help Preventing Spring Pest Infestations

If you have experienced pest infestations in spring year after year around Peekskill NY or just want an extra eye on your home before spring sets in, reach out to your local pest control company for an inspection. The experts at Garrie Pest Control are closely familiar with pest seasonality and habits in our region and can set up a plan to protect your home from its unique vulnerabilities. For a free quote, contact us today!

Expect More Fall-Winter Pest Activity

What rats look like in Peekskill NY - Garrie Pest Control

With each passing season, a whole new group of pests passes through the area around Peekskill NY. New York is infamous for its unpredictable weather, and changes in rainfall, sunlight, and even barometric pressure all affect the active pest populations in the region. This means that pest prevention is an active and never-ending process for local homeowners.

If you’re looking to get ahead of our usual winter pest issues, read on. Garrie Pest Control’s technicians have some advice to share on recent weather patterns, how they have altered active pest populations, and what you can do about it!

Fall and Winter Pests in Peekskill NY

Have you noticed an increase in rainfall this autumn? With scattered waves of precipitation starting earlier in the year in 2021, certain pest issues have inflated, the most notable being mosquitoes and ticks. These blood-suckers thrive in warm and wet environments, so summer and early autumn rain allow them to sustain their breeding populations for longer than they usually would.

However, once temperatures drop to a consistent level of 50 degrees or below, rodent infestations become the primary problem. We expect to see consistent snowfall starting earlier this year, so rats and mice will be quick to look for homes to hide in for warmth and shelter during a long winter. Rodents are able to squeeze their bodies through smaller holes than an inexperienced homeowner might expect.

The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) has put out their biannual Bug Barometer for Fall & Winter of 2021. You can read the full report here.

2021 Bug Barometer - Garrie Pest Control

How to Prevent Pests in the Colder Seasons

As the temperatures drop, and especially as snow starts to fall, we have to adapt our pest prevention strategies to keep up with pertinent pest pressures. Here are three important ways to reduce your chances of an infestation this fall and winter:

  1. Make sure there are no gaps through which rodents can enter your home. Look around your home for cracks in the foundation and walls, broken vents and roofing, or gaps under windows and doors.
  2. Be careful with food and trash. Make sure you clean up promptly after your meals, sealing your food in airtight containers. Additionally, use sealable trash bins and take your garbage out often.
  3. Maintain your yard. Piles of firewood and yard waste will create temporary hiding places for rats, mice, and other pests. Also, keeping your grass cut short will prevent standing water from pooling up in your yard. This will limit mosquito and tick activity.

Need Help with Pest Control in Peekskill NY?

Whether you’re having trouble keeping pests out of your home or you’re not sure if you’re taking the right steps to prevent pest problems, the technicians at your local pest control company can help. Our techs at Garrie Pest Control can help you inspect your property for vulnerabilities, complete any necessary pest extermination or removal, and follow up with preventative treatments as necessary to keep your home clean all year long. Contact us today for a free quote!

What Pests Are More Active in the Summer Months?

A trail of ants in Peekskill NY - Garrie Pest Control

Here in New York, we get to enjoy the waves of seasonal changes, but many of us are always looking forward to when summer comes around again. Unfortunately, along with warm weather and sunshine comes a host of pest problems. Residents of Peekskill NY and neighboring areas should be on the lookout for increasing numbers of pests. Keep reading for knowledge and advice from the expert exterminators at Garrie Pest Control.

Why are Pests More Common in Summer?

The conditions leading up to summer allow for a boom of pest populations in Peekskill NY. Rainfall and increasing amounts of daylight in the spring make for ample plant growth, attracting all sorts of insect. Whether they are tiny insects like aphids nibbling on leaves or large predatory pests, all sorts of creatures start to emerge in the spring under the perfect conditions to thrive. This leads to reproductive cycles starting up again, making for pest-filled summers.

Summer Pests in New York

Here are the pests that you can count on to reappear in high numbers this summer in Peekskill NY:

  • Ants: When the weather warms up, ants return from beneath the surface to build nests closer to the abundance of new food. Leaving food out or unsealed in your home or forgetting to clean up your spills could lead to an ant infestation.
  • Mosquitoes: Spring rainfall results in sources of standing water for mosquitoes to lay their eggs. As summer days get longer and warmer, mosquitoes’ populations will have more opportunities to find hosts to feed on. Their numbers won’t drop off again until the temperatures drop below 50 degrees consistently.
  • Bees, wasps, and hornets: In the early summer when flowers are in full bloom, wasps, hornets, and bees see huge surges in their populations. Each of these species of stinging insects build their nests in different areas. Additionally, each stinging insect species exhibits different patterns of behavior. Ask your local pest control experts for help identifying stinging insects on your property.

Pest Control this Summer in Peekskill NY

Summer comes with many different recurring pest problems. Each individual pest infestation requires due attention and specialized treatments to deal with properly. Our extermination specialists at Garrie Pest Control are well-versed in the particular problems that Peekskill NY residents face and will work hard to solve them for you. Our holistic pest control process includes helping you prevent future infestations with progressive treatments and advice. If you need help preparing for this summer’s imminent pests, contact us today for a free quote!