A pest infestation can often be traced to contributing factors that, if corrected, may solve the problem with little or no insecticide application. One major aspect of Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, is identifying those factors and addressing them – resulting in longer control with the added benefit of less insecticide use.
A common problem in and around homes is moisture. Excess moisture alone can weaken building materials and reduce their effective life. Prolonged moisture problems can contribute to growth of molds and fungi, and moist conditions can invite an array of insects and other pests, from wood-destroying termites to annoying occasional invaders.
Occasional invaders include critters like millipedes, and earwigs – animals that do not usually live and breed in the home, but may enter homes in search of better conditions when the environment outside changes. These animals breed up under moist conditions in areas around the home and, under the right circumstances, can reach staggering numbers. Problems usually occur during the period following a heavy rain, which can cause migration in search of higher ground, or when it becomes too hot and dry causing migration in search of better conditions. Occasional invaders can find their way into homes, where they may be discovered by the occupants. While nobody likes finding millipedes and earwigs in their home, it is important to understand that these aren’t creatures that set up shop permanently inside – in fact, they quickly die in the indoor environment, due to lack of sufficient moisture. Best control indoors? Break out the vacuum cleaner!
A common occasional invader, the garden millipede…
How does one prevent this? Here are a few tips to help you dry out the environment around the home, making it less hospitable to a buildup of occasional invaders:
- Be sure that sprinklers direct water away from your foundation wall
- Check to see that downspouts also direct water away from the home
- Consider de-thatching your lawn, if you have not had it done recently
- Avoid heavy mulch near the foundation wall. A one to two foot mulch-free zone directly around the foundation is recommended.
- Don’t store items on the ground near your home (leftover construction materials, firewood, toys, lumber – anything that occasional invaders may live in or under)
- Check to see that a/c drip lines empty at least a few feet from your foundation wall
Taking a few simple steps to making your home less inviting to occasional invaders can pay off big dividends. Remember that insects and related pests need three things to survive, just like us – food, shelter, and water. Depriving them of one or more of these basic necessities can go a long way toward enjoying a pest-free home without excessive pesticide application!
Thanks for reading as always! Next time, I’ll discuss carpenter ants.