When it comes to bugs in your home and in your yard, when can you look the other way and when is it time to take action?
Bugs in and around your home
You probably don't want many (if any) insects in your home, so prevention is the best place to start. For example, spiders congregate where they find other pests to feed on - eliminating their food source will send them elsewhere. Good sanitation also gets rid of food sources for ants. Keep counters and floors clean and do not leave out pet food dishes. Insecticide sprays will kill live ants, but to wipe out the entire colony, which can take time, you'll need ant baits.
Look for ways to keep pests from entering your home in the first place. Homes of every shape, size and age have cracks and gaps. Check around vents, ducts, doors, windows, foundations, loose masonry, cracked or gapped siding, where pipes and sires enter the building and around weather-stripping and door sills. For repairs, you may need latex caulk, expanding foam sealant and/or foam backer rods. Insects need water for survival and are attracted to moisure, so be sure to fix leaks promptly. Check with your helpful Sneade's Ace Home Center folks for more advice.
A regular application of a perimeter insecticide, such as Ortho Home Defense Max Perimeter Granules, on the foundation and soil around the outside of your home will go a long way toward keeping insects at bay. Use as a trenching treatment for up to 5-year control. Also, an insecticde spray, such as Spectracide Bug Stop Home Insect Control, can be used inside along baseboards and around doors and windows. Of course, any time you use insecticides, or other chemicals, be sure to read and follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully.
Bugs in your lawn and garden
You do not have to kill every insect, weed or disease organism to have a healthy yard. That caterpillar eating your tulip tree leaves may be the lavae of the swallow tall butterfly you are trying to attract. Also, larger plants, especially those close to harvest, can tolerate more damage than a seeding.
A few flea beetles on a radish seeding may need to be controlled, but numerous Japanese beetles eating the leaves of beans close to harvest may not.
Plants that have adequate nutrients are better able to resist attacks from both diseases and insects. So keep your lawn and garden healthy.
Like people, some plants are more tolerant of insects than others. With your tolerance threshold - and that of your plants - is exceeded, it's time to employ control strategies. You'll find a wealth of pest control information at acehardware.com, but how can you tell what is best for your specific problem and area of the country? Ask your helpful Sneade's Ace Home Center folks. He or she will know what pests are prevalent in your area, and the tried-and-true methods of control.