Photo by Kelsey Dody
By Tony and Aaron Gonzales
Spring cleaning is the perfect time to ensure your home is in tip-top condition for the year ahead, and while scrubbing the baseboards and clearing clutter is a great way to keep your home clean and sparkling – you can’t truly cleanse your home without eradicating any pests that might be lurking. There are several different types of pests to be aware of in Arizona – ranging from destructive termites to venomous scorpions and pesky bed bugs. Each of these pests requires a different approach to ensure they are completely cleared from the home. We have rounded up a few tips for each to ensure an effective pest management plan.
Bark Scorpions
Arizona is home to more than 30 species of scorpions, with the most common being the venomous Bark Scorpion. The scorpion’s sting can lead to serious symptoms such as pain, swelling, numbness and difficulty breathing. Last year, there were 20 percent more scorpion stings reported, and with more people staying inside their homes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, where approximately 90 percent of scorpion stings occur, it’s likely this will continue in 2021. Many don’t realize that scorpions are skilled climbers, which is how they enter a home. The most effective ways to prevent scorpions from entering a building is with Scorpion Repel – an innovative clear coating that is applied to the home and makes it impossible for the scorpion to climb in. This treatment requires no chemicals and does not change the appearance of the home.
Bed Bugs
Bed Bugs are extremely difficult to eradicate once they have entered a home. They often are transported by luggage, clothing and used furniture pieces and can be found in even the most clean, sanitary homes. Bed bugs bite their victims for blood to survive, leaving uncomfortable, itchy welts. To clear the bed bugs, you can sanitize your affected linens with hot water and vacuum your mattress. However, this still might not be enough to eliminate all bugs after an infestation. It is best to hire a professional to use heat treatments and insecticides to remove the bed bugs.
Termites
Termites are extremely prevalent in Arizona, with the Desert Subterranean Termites being the most common. However, several varieties of termites can cause expensive home damage without fast and effective treatment. We recommend having a termite specialist evaluate your home to help determine which treatment method is best, depending on the specifics of your home’s infestation. Strategies include applying a liquid treatment to the soil outside the home or placing termite baits around the home to lure and kill the termites.
Roaches, Ants and Spiders
A variety of other common, day-to-day pests including roaches, spiders, ants, and fleas can be removed from the home and prevented with regular pest control visits. We recommend hiring a reputable pest control company to spray an insecticide around the home on a quarterly basis.
General Pest Management Tips
To help prevent all variations of pests from your home it is important to clean your home regularly and limit clutter, which serves as a hiding place for all kinds of creatures, and makes pest control methods less effective.
Tony and Aaron Gonzales are the co-founders of Scorpion Repel, a revolutionary treatment that blocks scorpions from entering the home. For more information on Scorpion Repel, visit scorpionrepel.com.
