June 22nd, 2022 by Sarah Miles

Warmer weather, longer days, spending time outdoors, picnics in the park, and days at the beach are all things that summer brings, making it most people’s favourite time of the year. Unfortunately, there is a price to pay for these seasonal treats, and that is bugs; the pests that increase in number during warmer weather and threaten to spoil our enjoyment of summer.

The 5 most common summer pests are wasps, flies, ants, cockroaches, and bed bugs. There are, however, things you can do to try to prevent them from causing a problem and deal with them if they do.

Wasps

Why they’re more common in summer

Wasps tend to be most problematic in late summer as this is when the queen essentially banishes them, they are hungry and angry and desperately seek sugary food alternatives.

Ways to prevent them

Because wasps are predominantly looking for food, the best prevention is to keep all foodstuffs (especially sweet foods) wrapped up appropriately and out of the way. Clear away waste and spills. Don’t allow the fruit to start to rot in fruit bowls (as this will attract them). Instead, buy less more frequently or keep covered or in the fridge. Fly screens can help prevent them from coming into the house.

It's also a good idea to keep an eye out for wasp nests in the spring as this is when the queen starts to grow her colony. They tend to be high up so monitor gutters and eaves for signs of a nest beginning to take shape.

Ways to deal with them

If despite the measures above, you do get wasps coming in, you can use a Protector C spray to kill them. While it can be tempting to swat them, this is liable to make them angry and therefore more likely to sting you. If you find that you have a nest, you can treat it with a smoke bomb, but it may be safer to call a professional exterminator in to deal with it.

Xterminate Silver and Dark Grey Aluminium Fly Chain Door Screen

Price: £74.95

Buy Now

Flies

Why they’re more common in summer

Flies are attracted to rotting food; it’s easier to eat, because it’s softer and more liquid-like, and they lay their eggs in rotting meat, fruit, and vegetables. Warmer weather causes food to rot more quickly and aids reproduction so there are more flies around.

Ways to prevent them

As with wasps, keep all food wrapped up and put away and be especially careful not to allow food to rot so keep checking the fruit bowl and vegetable rack. Using a fly screen can also help to prevent flies from getting into your home in the first place while still enjoying the feel of a refreshing breeze.

Ways to deal with them

Protector C spray can be sprayed directly on surfaces to help protect against flies and other flying insects, it will also create a barrier which can last up to 6 weeks. If you have a big problem or are looking to deal with flies in an environment that deals with food and drink electric fly killers are often a better option and are very effective, smaller models are available too for use in domestic environments.

Xterminate 30W Powerful Commercial Electric Fly Killer

Price: £55.00

Buy Now

Ants

Why they’re more common in summer

Ants mate as the weather gets warmer so more mouths to feed means more worker ants seeking food. They are clever insects, who will lay down pheromone trails to guide them back to food sources once they have found them.

Ways to prevent them

Obviously, you can’t prevent ants from coming in using things like fly screens as they’re so small they can get into the tiniest gaps. The best defence, as with the other pests mentioned so far, is to remove temptation by ensuring to clear food up well and keeping it well sealed and correctly stored. It is often easier to try to stop them from entering the property by using dusting powders.

Ways to deal with them

Because of the pheromone trails, they lay you’ll never deal with the issue by just killing the odd ant you see crawling around as there will always be other ants to take their place. However, if you kill the queen, the colony will be destroyed. You can do this by using ant bait stations. These work by containing a food-like substance that is actually laced with poison. Worker ants will take this food back to the colony and the queen. Use dusting powder and sprays to deal with any rogue ones that still persist.

Xterminate Dusting Powder 400g

Price: £14.99

Buy Now

Cockroaches

Why they’re more common in summer

Cockroaches breed faster in the summer so their numbers multiply. There is also a greater abundance of rotting food and general dirt and grime, which they thrive in.

Ways to prevent them

Again, good food hygiene and cleanliness.

Ways to deal with them

Cockroaches are notoriously robust creatures and quite difficult to eradicate. It’s, therefore, a good idea to throw several measures at them to make sure you get them all (they prefer to stay hidden so if you see a few, the chances are there are much more hiding in the cracks and crevices that only come out at night). Try a combination of dusting powder, sprays, and smoke bombs or you can also use pre-baited traps. Alternatively, use a professional pest controller.

Eraditrap Pre-Baited Cockroach Trap Pack of 10

Price: £17.94

Buy Now

Bed Bugs

Why they’re more common in summer

You can have bed bugs at any time of year, after all, they live inside homes where they’re not vulnerable to weather conditions. However, in summer their breeding capacity escalates massively. You may not see them, as they are tiny, but the warning signs are gritty feeling sheets and itchy, red bite marks on your skin.

Ways to prevent them

Bed bugs are commonly brought into the home from outside; usually on second hand furniture or clothes, or from hotels, other homes, or even from public transport. Check anything you bring in carefully and wash clothes thoroughly. You can give them a spray for good measure.

Ways to deal with them

While washing clothes will get rid of bed bugs, washing bedding won’t remove them from your bed because they could just as easily be living in the mattress, duvet, pillows, or headboard. As with cockroaches, use a combination of measures and repeat after a few days to catch any that you may have missed.

Bed Bug Killer Treatment Kit (2 Bedroom)

Price: £32.99

Buy Now