Like armies in war, spring is the time to go on the offensive. We are reaching the end of our winter and spring is just around the corner. Come spring we have new life. Deer are born, most wild critters will have their cute and cuddly babies, but also spring is when the bugs hatch or come out of winter's dormancy. They are hungry and ready to multiply or have already multiplied depending on their reproductive strategy. A-Tex Pest Management spotlights five spring guests you’re likely to have over as the weather warms up.
Carpenter Ants
with the warm sunshine of spring, the carpenter ants are out seeking food and shelter. They can chew up your home's structural framework, causing major damage. How they enter your domicile? Through piping, foundations, cracks in the walls, attic vents, telephone lines and electrical wires.
Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes multiply prolifically come spring. Any standing water will attract these critters that cause itchy irritating bumps from their bites. However, the really dark side to ‘skeeters’ is that they serve as disease vectors. Many of the diseases passed by mosquitoes are quite debilitating. To control mosquitoes you need to remove all standing water, trim shrubs and keep the lawn mowed and yard debris cleared away.
Termites
The house digesters. Termites look on all the framing holding your house together as their very own smorgasbord. After spring rains many species of termites swarm. The relatives of ants have wings like queen ants and their drones. They are seeking new digs to start their own termite-burg. What are the signs? Termite mounds, hollow-sounding wood, bits of debris, sagging floors or ceilings, mud tubes on exterior walls, crumbling structural wood members, cracked to distorted paint on wood surfaces and groups of winged insects or discarded wings.
Rats
Rats are active year-round. But their spring breeding is between April through June and then they do it all over again in October and November. Disturbing, they leave greasy trails from dragging their tails to dropping feces. Another primary vector of diseases is what they carry in their fur; fleas. Fleas devastated Europe in the middles ages from the plague. To control rats, check around the outside of the house. You’re looking for holes or gaps the size of a quarter or larger. Install weather stripping to remove gaps. Keep your trash and garbage cans with tight lids on all the time.
Arachnids; Spiders & Scorpions
Spring is the time of the arachnids, i.e. spiders and scorpions. Spiders love spring. New bugs hatching, means a lot of prey. Most are harmless but recluse and black widows can be dangerous for the very young and the very old or those who are allergic to insect venom. Like most pest control, seal up those gaps and cracks and crevices. Moisture attracts spiders because it attracts bugs and spiders need to drink too. Store food in airtight containers and keep those lids on garbage cans tight.
Pest Inspections, Control & More in Round Rock, Leander, Pflugerville, Cedar Park & Austin Texas
Spring is the time of new life, both those we like and some we’re not too fond of. Do your part and have A-Tex Pest Management and you won’t have to worry about spring pests. Contact us to schedule your next service today!