Bug proof your home and yard this summer!

THE WOODLANDS, Texas (KTRK) -- Summer is right around the corner, and that means more sunshine, more flowers in bloom - and more pests invading your yard!

"Here in the Woodlands, we're seeing all kinds of pests," said Raleigh Jenkins, President of ABC Home & Commercial Services. "This is just a perfect environment for spiders and mosquitoes and those larger roaches that you see."

But this year, it's not just ants, roaches and mosquitoes that are moving in - get ready for the cicadas!

"Cicadas are going to be an issue and they normally have a cycle that they really hit big populations about every seven years," said Jenkins. "So we're probably due this year to start seeing them emerge out."

The big, buzzing insects are known for their noisy mating calls.

"You'll see their exoskeletons on the outside of your trees or outside of your house," Jenkins said. "That is them emerging out. And so they come out of there and they become that next life stage and merge forward from there and go lay new eggs that will occur again and probably another four to seven years."

But while cicadas may be loud, you won't need an exterminator to get rid of them.

"If we start seeing all the loud noises that they make, it's just a healthy environment," Jenkins advised. "It's okay. You're just going to have to tolerate it. It's a part of the Woodlands."

If you're wondering why you haven't seen as many pests as usual this spring, it may have to do with February's freeze.

"With the freeze we had in February, things are a little bit different here in the Woodlands where we normally see just a plethora of insects that are just coming out everywhere at this time," said Jenkins. "Right now, what we're seeing is just a delayed reaction. So spiders and ants and crickets and squirrels and raccoons are just a little bit slower at hitting their population levels, but they're coming and they'll be here."

If left untreated, some pests can do real damage to your home and your yard.

"Ninety-eight percent of the homes in this area will have a problem with subterranean termites," Jenkins said. " So it's important to do inspections on your home. With today's products, we have the ability to not just control termites, we can eliminate colonies."

So what can you do, to keep summer pests away?

"Regular pest control service, whether you do it yourself or you hire somebody to do it is important," said Jenkins. "Use the right product in the right areas so that you get the right results and the safest results you possibly can. You don't need to treat the whole house, and you definitely don't need to go around spraying your baseboards on the inside. The focus is outside."

Remember, even a small amount of standing water in your yard will be a magnet for mosquitoes.

"It takes just a thimble full of water that could be there for seven days for eggs to be laid and to mature over seven days to blood-sucking adults," said Jenkins. "Look at your yard and keep the moist areas dried out as much as you can, that will reduce the mosquito population."

For more on ABC Home and Commercial's pest and rodent control services, visit abchomeandcommercial.com/houston.