Top 5 Most Common Spring Pests
People aren’t the only ones excited about warmer temperatures and the changing of the seasons. Various animal and insect pests invade area homes and businesses when spring arrives. Animals or insects searching for food and shelter eventually find their way into basements, attics, and odd spaces.
It is critical to watch for signs of pests in the home before a full-blown infestation takes hold. Common pests will leave behind droppings, cause significant damage to walls and floors, or may emit strange noises from crawl spaces or under the stairs. If some creature has taken residence in a home, it’s time to call in the professionals from Sustainable Pest Systems to evaluate the situation, set up traps, and remove problematic pests.
Ants
Ants love warmer temperatures and are more active when warmer weather arrives. When temperatures reach 75 to 95 degrees, it’s more likely to see ants attempting to settle their colony in and around the home or garage. Homeowners should watch for swarms of ants, especially when the weather is warm and it has recently rained.
Carpenter ants and fire ants are two common types of ants found in or near homes. Carpenter ants are usually brown, black, or a ruddy-black color and love to make a home in wood. Look for signs of tunnels in door jambs, wooden beams, and other wood areas of the house.
Fire ants are particularly unpleasant and have a reddish-brown color. If a homeowner discovers a mound-like nest that looks like a pile of dirt, exercise extreme caution and do not aggravate the ants. Fire ants will usually make a home near the foundation of a building, and when they sting, the pain is excruciating.
Termites
Because many homes in the Carolinas are constructed using cellulose building materials, they are a target for hungry, destructive termites. When a home is infested with termites, these insects will chew away at the ceiling, drywall, walls, and flooring. Termite control is essential to get termite infestations under control before a voracious colony lays waste to a house.
Watch out for signs of termite damage, which often gets confused with signs of water damage. Termites are usually the culprit if a home doesn’t have any issues with flooding, leaking pipes, or poor construction. Be on the lookout for the following issues:
Floors are buckling
The ceilings and walls are beginning to warp
The paint on the walls is bubbling
Difficulties opening and closing windows and doors
Bed Bugs
The bed bug is one pesky insect that has made a comeback over the decades. Homeowners who love to travel should be vigilant, as bed bugs reproduce rapidly. When spring arrives, along with warmer temperatures, these pests are more active than ever.
When staying at an inn or hotel, it is imperative to keep luggage away from beds, couches, and walls. Bed bugs love to hitch a ride on clothing and bags, and they will even hide in the seams of mattresses. It is incredibly tough to remove an infestation of bed bugs, so it is critical to contact professional services for bed bug treatment and removal as soon as possible.
Carpenter Bees
A beautiful deck or patio is a great place to relax and enjoy warmer weather outdoors. However, carpenter bees will come out in droves and damage wood decks, siding, and other areas in the spring months. Homeowners can spot these large bees with dark tails fairly easily, as they like to hover in groups around wooden structures.
Look out for small holes in decks, stairs, and porches where carpenter bees will lay their eggs. Carefully seal any holes and apply chemical treatments to reduce the number of carpenter bees and discourage them from building a hive. Don’t wait to call residential pest control if a home has an infestation of carpenter bees, as they are challenging to remove from a property.
Snakes
Raleigh, North Carolina, is a beautiful place to live, but many types of snakes that are poisonous and dangerous can wander into homes, garages, and yards. Homeowners should keep an eye out for cottonmouths, copperheads, eastern coral snakes, and other wild creatures during the spring season. Snakes are usually drawn to dark spaces like garages, sheds, and felled wood piles around the yard.
About Sustainable Pest Systems
Sustainable Pest Systems is an eco-sensitive pest management company that provides treatment and removal services for residences, commercial properties, and restaurants. Additionally, the company offers humane wildlife services when creatures like bats, squirrels, or raccoons must be safely trapped and removed from a space.