LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Summer brought a lot of rain this year in Kentuckiana.
With more rain and moisture in the air, that can mean more bugs will find their way into your home.
Excessive moisture brings out a lot of different pests. That includes centipedes, ants, and water bugs to name a few.
Louisville had over 17 inches of rain from June through August, which is almost six inches above normal.
That kind of rain can cause issues for homeowners.
“I might come out to this home and it’s got heavy mulch,” OPC Pest Services Training Director Brett Partin said. “Depending on what mulch they have, that can lead into things like oriental roaches or what most people know as water bugs.”
Rain brings the bugs out of the ground, but it also brings them into your house or apartment. Partin says that’s because pests like your home for the same reason you like your home.
When inside, pests are out of the elements, away from predators and in a temperature-controlled environment.
Pests are dirty and unpleasant. While you might feel self-conscious about having them inside, Partin says don’t – it doesn’t make you a dirty person.
“They can like the structure just for being a structure, because they’re not going to freeze to death in your home while they might outside,” Partin said.
There are ways to prevent these pests from getting in.
Try to keep clutter to a minimum, especially in places like your garage.
Seal off parts of your home, places where bugs could get in near windows, doors or around the foundation.
Dust the eaves of your home, so spider webs can’t form.
The types of pests you might be seeing vary by season, but pests come by year around – you just need to know the right things to do the prevent them.