It’s time to grab your party hats and celebrate America’s birthday. You’re not the only one busy planning and prepping for the holiday, so are bugs. Tasty treats and the summer heat are the perfect combination for some insects. We’ve gathered information about the most common 4th of July pests and how you can keep them from crashing your celebration.
Mosquitoes
The Problem: Female mosquitoes need the nutrients in blood to produce eggs, and humans happen to make the perfect snack.
What Attracts Them: Mosquitoes are attracted to the carbon dioxide we release every time we exhale. They also look for sources of water to lay their eggs.
Tips: To keep these bugs from hanging out in your yard, eliminate any sources of standing water. Treat the party area with a plant-based spray like our Mosquito Fogger. Not only does it kill on contact, but it also provides residual repellency for up to seven days. It’s also a good idea to use a plant-based bug repellent like our Natural Insect Repellent. Apply it before spending time outside, especially during peak mosquito hours—from dusk to dawn.
Flies
The Problem: You’re food is such a great treat, that flies will buzz around hoping to snag a bite. Since flies spend time near dirty things, like the trash, they can contaminate food sources.
What Attracts Them: Some flies prefer to eat decaying matter found in your trash can. Other flies, like fruit flies, prefer foods that contain sugar.
Tips: To avoid uninvited flies, you’ll want to remove any trash from your yard. Keep trash cans away from the party area and ensure the lids are sealed tightly. If any sugary drinks happen to spill during the fun, make sure to wipe them up. Applying a spray, like our Flying Insect Killer, can help if flies start buzzing around. It will eliminate any flies sprayed directly and provide residual repellency.
Ticks
The Problem: Like mosquitoes, ticks feed on the blood of their host. Not only will they feed on you, they will use your furry family members as hosts too.
What Attracts Them: Ticks hang out in grass waiting for an unsuspecting host to approach them. These arachnids can sense movement and body heat, which helps them to know when to latch onto a host.
Tips: One of the best things to do to keep ticks from spoiling your fun is to take care of your yard. Keeping your grass trimmed will make it harder for ticks to hide. If they can’t find a source of shelter, they won’t stay in your yard. Treating your yard with a spray, like our Mosquito & Tick Killer, will help to eliminate and repel ticks. Always make sure to check you and your pet for ticks after spending time outside.
Stinging Insects
The Problem: Stinging insects, like wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets, can ruin the mood if they get too close. If these insects feel threatened, they can become aggressive and will sting to defend themselves.
What Attracts Them: Like other pests on this list, stinging insects love to taste your summer recipes. They are attracted to proteins and sugary substances, which are often a staple for holiday celebrations.
Tips: Since food is the main attractant of these bugs, this is what you’ll want to focus on to keep them away. Store your food in containers with tight lids. If you have a sugary drink, you’ll want to keep a lid on it. This will help to keep stinging insects from showing up and will keep them from sneaking into your cup. You can also use a spray, like our Wasp & Hornet Killer, to kill and repel stinging insects. If treating a nest, be careful and apply treatment when these bugs are less active—at dusk, before dawn, or at night.
Ants
The Problem: The most notorious party crasher on this list is the ant. One task that ants can’t get enough of is foraging for food, which is the foundation of any good cookout.
What Attracts Them: Ants aren’t too picky when it comes to food. They enjoy anything sugary, fatty, oily, or filled with protein.
Tips: To keep ants from marching into your yard, you’ll want to keep your food covered. Clean up any crumbs or spills that could lead them to your table. If your food is too appealing and a few ants show up, use a spray like our Ant & Roach Killer. If you’re dealing with a bigger ant problem, you’ll want to use a product that will eliminate the ants you see as well as the colony like our No Spill Ant Kill.
The 4th of July is meant for celebrating freedom and America’s birthday. It’s not supposed to be spent dealing with a bug problem. Taking a few precautionary measures can help keep your celebration fun and pest free. If any of these pests crash your party, we have your back! Check out our Maggie’s Farm Simply Effective™ Pest Control products.