If you have lived through summer in Las Vegas or Henderson, then you know how bugs can be a huge nuisance. Spikes in the pest population are often attributed to weather patterns, which may favor the reproduction cycle of particular insects.
In most Nevada cities, the bug population increases drastically from early July to late October. Bugs you would have to deal with are beetles, grasshoppers, ants, spiders, mosquitoes, and termites. Some, like spiders and mosquitoes, can cause human illnesses and severe health complications. Others, like termites and ants, can feed on the vegetation around your yard or garden, causing damage.
To effectively deal with these insects, you would want to seek immediate help from a reputable Las Vegas pest control company. But first, let’s see what causes a spike in bugs during the summer and early fall seasons. And how you can keep them away from your garden or home.
Monsoon Season, Desert Heat, and Hungry Bugs
Different weather conditions have varying impacts on bug survival and breeding. A combination of the Las Vegas monsoon season and the desert heat plays a huge role in the growth of the insect population. The residual winter moisture, consistent spring rains, and the extended hot summer are also to blame. From July to the end of September, lush summer vegetation further creates breeding grounds for various bugs and encourages migration to newer grounds.
The favorable weather conditions also mean there’s plenty of food for the different insect species. This helps them build new colonies throughout summer and into the fall months. The population of insects such as moths and grasshoppers may increase sharply if the summer heat extends into early November.
Controlling Common Bugs in summer
The key to controlling bugs is to be proactive rather than reactive. In 2019, Las Vegas saw a mass insect invasion with about 46 million grasshoppers taking over the Las Vegas Strip, disrupting hotels and casino businesses. Instead of waiting for a swarm of insects to invade your garden, you want to anticipate the problem and prepare in advance.
Your first step is understanding the breeding cycle of various insects and how to control them during the peak seasons. For instance, most bugs spend the winter periods either below or above the grounds. Some, like yellow jackets, hibernate while others, like monarch butterflies, migrate elsewhere. Those bugs that stay underground, such as ants, are often unaffected by the extreme cold weather.
However, those staying above the ground could die, depending on the weather conditions.
When looking to control the bug population during summer, the focus should always be on destroying the insects’ egg population that survived the winter period. If the winter is mild, most bugs above the ground will survive. Similarly, more eggs will survive and be ready to hatch once the weather warms up.
Other bugs, like mosquitoes, rely more on conducive breeding grounds. Their eggs need moisture sources to hatch and support their lifecycle, i.e., egg, larva, pupa, and adult stages, which take around 8-10 days. Effective mosquito control, therefore, means drying up stagnant waters, clearing bushes, and killing mosquito larvae.
Keeping Bugs Out of Your Home
Besides controlling the breeding and multiplication of bugs around your home, you can also prevent bug infestation in your garden by physically restricting their access or suppressing their numbers. Still, it will be impossible to restrict bugs from accessing your extensive compound, but you can prevent them from invading your small backyard garden or getting inside your home.
Here are some tips to consider:
- Use insect proof net to cover your garden.
- Use bug traps around your home’s entry points.
- Keep the areas around and inside your home clean and tidy.
- Empty the trash cans regularly.
- Use environment-friendly bug repellent and sprays.
Seek Professional Help
Controlling bugs during summer, especially in the monsoon-ridden weather and desert heat of Las Vegas and Henderson, can be challenging. If the bugs are in large numbers, it’s best to seek help from a nearby Las Vegas Pest control company. Similarly, you should be proactive enough to call in a pest control professional during the winter or spring seasons to help clean up the damp areas and treat all the high-risk breeding grounds.