They’re creepy; they crawl, and they can wiggle their way into your home.  Around this time, summer bugs and critters such as scorpions, cockroaches and spiders come out of their hiding place to look for a cool, dry place to set up shop.

“We had one scorpion; my son found him right on the wall,” said homeowner, Floyd Denstaedt.

Denstaedt said he also had a close encounter with a black widow.

“I picked up a trash can, it was underneath the rim, and it bit me on the finger,” Denstaedt said.

It’s also that time of year when rats also look for food and shelter.  Experts say rodents like to use washes, to get around unnoticed.

However, there are ways to keep unwanted guests out of your home.

Denstaedt says he protects his home with diatomaceous earth, a power solution he sprinkles around his home.  He says it helps keep summer bugs out and away from his family.
   
“They will find their way inside houses,” according to Pete Fronio, the  service manager for Las Vegas Pest Control.

Fronio says this is the time of year when pest control companies are flooded with service calls.  Experts say scorpions and insects can squeeze in through tight openings.

The rule of thumb is if a credit card fits, so does a scorpion and a roach, Fronio said.

“They squeeze in through door jams and things like that; where pipes meet the walls,” Fronio said.
   
Fronio says that is why it is crucial for residents to check your home for any holes or other open areas.
   
“First of all, make sure your house is sealed up really good,” Fronio said.  “Always check your weather stripping.”

Rats also chew through anything that stands in their way.

“They’re looking for water, and they’re looking for shelter when it gets really warm,” Fronio said.

He says homes with pools, fruit trees, and other vegetation is a desirable place to rodents.  Fronio also suggests taking care of the problem before the rats welcome themselves into your home.

“If you start seeing the fruit getting chewed up, you may want to put some bait stations out in the yard,” Fronio said.
   
Fronio says snap traps will also probably work well.  Keeping homes clean and clutter-free is another way to help keep pests at bay.

In the meantime, remember scorpions and black widows are venomous.  The most at risk if they are stung or bitten are small children, anyone with health problems, and the elderly.

However, there hasn’t been a death from a bark scorpion sting, which is popular in this area, since the 1960’s.