Arizona’s warm, dry climate makes it an excellent place for people to live and visit. However, it is also the perfect place for bugs to call home. With temperatures often reaching triple digits, bugs are more likely to search for food, water and shade. Arizona’s monsoon season also plays a significant role. The rain, wind and moisture not only attract more pests but can also leave some bugs homeless and searching for a new place to live. Although flies, mosquitoes and ants are the top searched bugs in the country, here are three Arizona bugs you should keep an eye out for this summer: 

READ ALSO: Here’s where most Arizona rattlesnake removals take place

READ ALSO: 4 tips to protect your home from scorpions

Ants

Arizona is home to many types of ants, including Harvester ants, Fire ants and Forelius ants. No matter the type, ants seek shelter, a safe place to nest, food, and water. Due to the heavy rains of monsoon season affecting their nests, ants typically look for a new home in the summer months. If ants overrun your home, they can be destructive, so it is essential to keep your home clean by keeping all food properly covered and contained and wiping down surfaces.

Scorpions

Scorpions aren’t technically bugs (they are part of their own family called Scorpionidae); however, they may be one of the more popular desert dwellers to watch for. Similarly to ants, scorpions search for other insects to eat, water, and shade during the summer. Your home usually provides everything a scorpion needs to survive. Make sure to remove any standing water from your property, trim bushes and trees, remove wood piles, check any dark or shady areas often, and always look inside your shoe before you put them on. 

Palo Verde Beetles

They may look scary, but Palo Verde Beetles are harmless to humans. To your home, they are their own kind of menace. Unlike ants and scorpions, Palo Verde Beetles are not looking for shelter; they are looking for food. Their diet consists of shrubs, trees, and roots, which means that if not controlled, they can cause damage to your property and your yard. Large adults will also emerge from underground during the summer to find a mate. Keep your yard beetle-free by trimming back plants and shrubs that could make the perfect home for pests.

Other Arizona summer pests to keep an eye out for are flies, house cricket, spiders, bees, cockroaches and termites. Staying educated on these summer bugs is the first step to protecting your home. Eliminate things in your home that could attract these bugs, like trash, food and debris. Keeping a clean home can prevent bugs from invading your property, but some bugs can be persistent and may require professional pest control.

Author: Ben McAvoy is the founder of Insectek Pest Solutions. Insectek is a locally owned and operated pest control company, serving the Metropolitan Phoenix, Scottsdale, Glendale, Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, and Gilbert areas.