Each spring, pests come out of the woodwork (sometimes literally) and invade homes all across the northern and western parts of the U.S. Depending on how you look at it, these states are lucky in this regard. At least we only have to deal with pests during the summer. On the other hand, we can often find ourselves ill-prepared for the onslaught that awaits us. As soon as the ground thaws, a whole host of insects will spring into action and begin looking for food, setting up colonies, and reproducing. So as part of your spring cleaning regimen, you should consider taking a number of measures to shore up your home’s defenses and prevent insect invasions before they begin.
Insects Thaw in the Spring
As part of their yearly cycle, insects in cold-weather climates will hunker down when the soil starts to get colder. They use each other’s body heat to keep themselves warm and then enter into an extended period of hibernation. Once the soil starts to get warmer, they’ll come out to play. You may notice at various occasions that there are unseasonably warm days throughout the winter and suddenly, you’re seeing bugs in your house.
Insects are alerted to the fact that it’s time to come out once the soil begins to warm. As ectotherms (cold-blooded creatures), they get warm and cold alongside everything else around them. In other words, their own bodies tell them when it’s time to come out and play. When they awaken, they amorous, hungry, and excited to get on with the spring.
Wasps in Springtime
Once wasps (including yellowjackets and hornets) begin to thaw, their queens are wholly invested in establishing new colonies. While spring rain can dampen some insects comings and goings with heavier rainfall, wasps tend to build their nests in sheltered areas (like your shed, deck, or the eaves of your home).
You can use wasp traps to help mitigate the damage done by the queens and, if wasps do set up shop on your property, Elevate Pest Control can remove them safely.
Spiders in Springtime
Spring is mating season for spiders. Additionally, any eggs that were stored away in the fall will begin to hatch now. Hence, the spider population will be at its zenith in the late spring.
When spiders invade a house it’s because they believe there’s good food there. Lining your house with diatomaceous earth can kill the spiders before they get inside. Diatomaceous earth cuts their soft underbellies while they’re trying to traverse the terrain. It can also help kill roaches, silverfish, and other creatures. The substance can cause the insects to desiccate thereby killing them before they have a chance to get into your home.
Ants in Springtime
Ants too enjoy the cool spring air. It’s time for them to mate, find food, build their colonies and form new ones. If you’re going to lay ant traps, you want to make sure they’re the right ones and you want to lay them outside of your home. Ants prefer different diets depending on the season. Therefore, it helps to know what traps to lay out. Ideally, you would be laying out protein-laden traps in the spring and then moving toward carb-loaded traps in the late summer. Placement is something that most homeowners don’t understand either. Since ant traps are really baits that lure ants into your house, you want to consider whether or not you really want ants in your house. Since you probably don’t, the trick is to place them strategically around your house on the outside as opposed to behind the couch or under the sink. Ideally, the ant would take the bait back to its colony where it would destroy the entire colony.
Additionally, it helps to have a look at what substance is in the bait. You want to use multiple baits with different active ingredients to take out different kinds of ants. All ants can’t be lured with one kind of bait alone.
Talk to Our Utah Pest Control Specialists
The best kind of spring pest control is preventative pest control. The specialists at Elevate Pest Control can conduct a full sweep of your home and determine problem areas. We can also recommend baits, traps, and other methods that will prove useful at keeping pests out of your home. Once they’re in your home, you’ve lost control of the situation and are in damage control. Our staff will help prevent infestations before they happen. Give us a call or talk to us online for more information!