When the temperature goes up, we go out. Spending more time outdoors in the summer can mean annoying pests trying to ruin your fun. Read on for tips to make sure your enjoyment is not ruined by uninvited guests.

1. Get Rid of Standing Water. This is the first step to controlling mosquitoes around your home. Mosquitoes love standing water and use it as their own personal nursery for more and more mosquitoes. Check around your home regularly for any areas of collecting water, including down spouts and toys left outside.
2. Watch the Fragrance. Stinging insects, especially yellowjackets, are attracted to fragrances from shampoos, perfumes, and food/drink. Control what you can and limit the amount of additional fragrances you have around you. Avoid the unexpected by using clear cups for drinking as insects love to hide in cans and bottles.
3. Seal Your Trash. Raccoons are not the only critters who like your trash. Bugs, including ants, can have a field day with any garbage left out too long or not properly stored. Keep your trash in sealed containers and try not to let it sit around too long. Rinsing bottles and cans before adding them to the recycling bin is always a good choice.
4. Keep the Outside…Outside. If you are hosting an event and have people going in and out of the house, make sure you close the door as fast as you can to prevent the outdoor pests from going indoors. There are great screen covers on the market that you can add to a doorway to make it easier to go in and out without having to leave the door open for too long. You can find one of those options here.
5. Put Up the Bat Signal. A single bat can eat up to 8000 insects a night, so adding a bat house to your area can help control the pest population. Look for a tree around your property to install the house and get excited when you see bats flying around at dusk. Look for bat houses at your local lawn and gardening store or find plans to build your own here.

The experts at Cambria® Mortgage™ are always available to provide guidance and answer questions about home ownership. For more information, visit CambriaMortgage.com or call 952-942-0110.