The pests we observe change with the seasons, much as the weather does. Certain pests prefer the warmer weather and are more active in the spring and summer while others are more active during the winter as they seek refuge from the cold.
The methods you use to prepare your home will vary depending on the time of year and the pests you are anticipating. We’ve listed a handful of the most frequent seasonal pests for each season so you can be better prepared throughout the year.
If you have a good understanding of the numerous types of pests that may attack your home as the seasons change, you can better prepare your home against them.
Changing Seasons, Changing Strategy
The changing seasons mean that you can’t have a one-time-all-around strategy. Different pests will require different natural pest control strategies. As such, your pest control techniques will have to change over the course of the year.
You see, no two pests are alike. And depending on where you live, you might have to prepare for multiple types of pests for a given season. It is important to know what kind of species thrives for a specific time in the calendar so you can adjust your strategies accordingly.
Creepy Crawlies of the Spring
The Spring brings about warming temperatures, melting ice, and blooming flowers. And as beautiful as that may sound, the warmer temperatures also guarantee that a good number of pests start to get active.
Over the course of the winter, various animals try to hunker down and wait the cold out. This is because they don’t have the natural ability to stand freezing temperatures.
As temperatures start to rise, the level of activity these insects display also increase.
So what kind of pests do you expect during the spring?
- Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes thrive in stagnant waters. And as the ice starts to melt away and puddles of water are stored in various pools around your home, they also start to thrive and reproduce.
The spring is the season when mosquitoes tend to reproduce. This is in preparation for their peak activity in the summer. You will find these mosquito breeding grounds in stagnant pools of water, usually from melting ice.
The best way to prevent your home from becoming a breeding ground is to clean up these puddles of water.
- Bees
Bees love blooming flowers. This means that as flowers start to bloom in the spring, bee activity also increases. Bees and other forms of stinging insects such as wasps, and hornets start to forage for food, breed, and build their nests around the spring.
Like mosquitoes, their peak activity levels are during the summer, so they start to mate and reproduce during the spring.
These insects are a colony, so they tend to bunch up together and stay together as well.
To make sure there isn’t an infestation in your home, you have to nip it in the bud before their number gets out of control.
You have to be careful when dealing with bees though as they are considered essential insects in the global ecosystem. This means that rather than killing them outright, it would be best to relocate them instead.
- Ants
Ants nests are usually found in your yard, in the soil. They do this during the winter to try and escape the cold. They tend to forage for food during the warmer weather, and as warmer temperatures increase, they will venture out farther than they do during colder seasons.
This means that they will no longer be localized in your yard. They will surely make it into your home if you do not take the proper precautions.
The melting ice also means that they cannot stay underground any longer, thus they find suitable places to build their home, and you can bet that your house is more than suitable enough for that.
The best thing you can do to keep these insects out is to make sure that you have no food lying around. These attract scouting ants and you can be sure that the hive will be coming along as well.
Another natural product you can use to keep them out is cinnamon. Ants don’t like the strong scent of cinnamon. You can use cinnamon shaving to make sure they don’t make it into your cupboards. These are more sustainable alternatives to strong commercial pest control products.
Summer Critters
Summer is the season when the activities of most pests peak. Your best option in terms of keeping these pests out is to prevent them from getting quite invasive during the spring.
These are some of the common pests and some summer pest prevention tips:
1.Fleas
If you have a pet, you’re in for a bit of a headache. Summer is when fleas are usually active. These insects are parasites, meaning they need a healthy host to feed on so they can thrive.
Your furry friend’s fur is more than sufficient home for these critters as it not only gives them an opportunity to feed but to shelter as well.
If your pet has not been treated for fleas and ticks early on in the summer, they will start to scratch vigorously.
Fleas and ticks not only target your pets but may perhaps take a liking to you. These insects are known to carry diseases, so it would be best to make sure that you or your furry friend never get them in the first place.
2.Termites
Termites start to lay their eggs during the spring so their numbers and activity levels during the spring aren’t that concerning.
However, as the temperatures begin to drastically rise for the summer, their activity levels also begin to increase. This is especially problematic and means certain trouble for your home.
Termites feed on wooden products, which makes your home an inviting place for these invaders. More so than that, they leave behind trails of lumber rot which will significantly decrease the integrity of your home.
You can prevent them from invading by making sure your home is treated against termites in the first place.
3.Flies
Flies, like most other insects, spend the springtime mating and reproducing. Consequently, during the summer, they tend to be extremely active. Flies are carriers of germs and disease, therefore it would be best to make sure your house isn’t free of them.
House flies thrive in places with waste materials. Garbage, rotting leaves, and the like attract flies. To make sure that they don’t make it into your premises, always maintain a clean surrounding.
When handling personal waste from your home, make sure they are well segregated and well sealed. That way it does not attract flies and becomes a breeding ground.
Vermins of the Fall
The cold air signals the holidays, but also a new season of pests. This time, pests start to gather up supplies or find a suitable shelter to wait for the cold out. The changing weather also invites different critters into your home.
1.Rodents
Rodents take time in the fall to find food and a suitable, warm shelter. Your home unfortunately is more than a suitable place of refuge.
Mice and rats not only carry serious diseases, but they can wreak havoc in your house. They tend to contaminate food, nibble on just about everything, and reproduce really quickly.
To make sure they stay out, you can always make sure to plug all possible entry points into your house. This can include windows and vents. You can cover these entry points with a wire mesh to make sure that they still serve their purposes, but also keep the vermin out.
2.Roaches
When the weather becomes colder, cockroaches may begin to migrate indoors in search of food, water, and warmth. Proactive roach control is the best method to avoid an infestation in your home: eliminate or minimize food and water supplies, and get rid of hiding spots by decluttering and keeping a clean environment.
Seal any gaps, fissures, or crevices that roaches can exploit to gain entrance into your home, keep leftover food and dog food in storage containers, take out the garbage daily, and seal or correct any plumbing leaks.
Winter Nuisance
During the peak of winter, you’ve probably noticed that there is a significant decrease in pest activity. This is because pests have started to either hibernate or simply reduce their activity levels to reduce food consumption.
The real issue is that if your fall pest control preparation procedures weren’t well set up, some of these pests have already made it into your home.
Follow these steps to make sure they are not in your homes:
1.Check nooks and crannies
Be sure to check every nook and cranny in your home. Place emphasis on checking the corners of the house that you rarely pay attention to throughout the year. Chances are that these pests are bound to build their homes there.
2.Maintain a clean house
Be sure to maintain a clean environment. A clean place does not necessarily mean that it is not a suitable place for pests to thrive in. It means that as you make the conscious effort to clean your surroundings, you also get to make sure that you can prevent an infestation by seeing the tell tale signs before it becomes pervasive.
Consult Pest Management Services
Consulting pest control a pest control company will allow you to get a more thorough understanding of how you can pest proof your home.
If you’re looking for trusted pest control services, turn to JDM Pest Control. You can book an appointment by calling us on 416-729-3568.