Spending time at the beach is the perfect escape from everyday life. Unfortunately, pests inhabit beach homes, too! Here are some of the most common beach house pests and how to prevent them from getting into your summer home so you can make the most of every getaway.

Ants

We’ll start with one of the pests we get the most calls about—ants. Ants are a year-round pest battle across Long Island, and can be an issue in homes that have been left vacant.

Sanitation is a significant factor in ant prevention, which is why it’s vital to thoroughly clean your Long Island beach home before leaving each time. You’ll want to make sure your home is free of crumbs and spills by vacuuming, mopping, and wiping down any countertops, especially in the kitchen, which is ants’ favorite spot due to its proximity to food and water.

Cockroaches

No matter how clean your Long Island beach home is, there’s always the possibility of roaches gaining entry.

Some areas are more prone to cockroaches than others; on Long Island, we primarily see four roach species: the German cockroach, the brown-banded cockroach, the American cockroach, and the Oriental cockroach.

Like all common household pests, cockroaches have basic needs to survive: food, water, and shelter; if any of these necessities are made readily available to them, their rapid breeding could result in your beach home ending up with a cockroach infestation (especially if the home is empty for long periods of time without someone noticing this pest issue!)

Termites

Just like your primary home, your Long Island beach home is susceptible to termite damage, too, as every home has wooden components that termites will feed on 24/7, given the opportunity. Termites, in particular, enjoy eating the cellulose in soft, rotting, moist, and decayed wood, so they’re usually found as close to it as possible.

Termites are silent destroyers; in fact, many homeowners don’t even realize they have a termite infestation until it’s far too late and they’re paying for termite damage repairs out-of-pocket (termite repairs are rarely covered by homeowner’s insurance!) The best way to protect your home is with annual termite control at all of your properties.

How to Prevent Pests in Your Long Island Beach Home

If you’re leaving your beach house unoccupied for a while, be sure to thoroughly clean the property before leaving to prevent pest infestations from starting while you’re gone. Wipe down your countertops, sweep, mop, and vacuum thoroughly throughout the home.
If you’re leaving food behind, make sure it’s stored in secure containers.
Take out all trash before leaving the property and give your indoor trash can a good wipe-down.
Do regular inspections of your beach home’s exterior to make sure there aren’t any cracks or gaps; these could serve as convenient entry points for pests like ants and roaches.
Eliminate any signs of moisture, such as leaking pipes or sinks; ensure your crawl space, basement, and/or attic, if applicable, are well-ventilated and dry.
Remember that there are a variety of pests at the beach you may not encounter daily in your regular home. Click here to learn which ones to watch for.

Protect Your Long Island Beach Home from Pests

The best way to protect your Long Island beach house from common household pests is with a year-round preventive pest control service to ensure if pests do try to make their way into your home, you’re covered (and your beach days can be spent enjoying the beach!)

Suburban Exterminating’s services protect Long Island beach homes from over 25 different pests. Call (631) 864-6900 to protect your property now.