Spring is peak-time for pest activity – and pests work in cycles, don’t they? While almost all common pests have what we call a “peak season”- or the season when they are the most active- there are a handful of pests that aren’t just a problem for a few months a year. These are those insects and critters that plague people year-round. What kinds of pests are talking about? Read on to find out.
Insects That Are Active Year-Round
Spring and summer are an especially lucrative time for insects, and while many of them don’t survive past the warmer season, there are a few notable exceptions.
Ants
Ants are capable of surviving colder temperatures, although often they enter a sort of quasi-hibernation state when the temperature drops below 50 degrees. They slow down significantly and find warm places to hide until temperatures warm up. In fact, it’s not a totally uncommon sight to see a stray ant slowly strutting through your kitchen or living room during winter months – and while a single ant might seem like nothing to stress about, the reality is that if an ant is chilling (no pun intended) in your house during their winter, there is a good chance that there are a LOT more ants hiding out somewhere, just waiting for the warm weather to return.
Cockroaches
Cockroaches are downright gross, and while they don’t exactly thrive when the weather cools down (in fact, cold weather kills them), they are experts at finding somewhere, anywhere, where they can survive cooler temperatures comfortably. Your heated home full of food is a great alternative to dying for a group of cockroaches looking for shelter, and their relentless nature puts them firmly in the “year-round pest” category, even though they can’t naturally survive colder temperatures.
Spiders
Many spiders can actually survive temperatures as cold as 23 degrees Fahrenheit; when the warm weather evaporates they enter a state known as “diapause”, which is basically a massive reduction in metabolic activity that allows some insects to survive temperatures that are untenably low for their survival in a normal state. Spiders will try to find the warmest place possible to spend their diapause period, which can make the more secluded parts of your home- especially garages, basements, and sheds- a great option. While spiders in Washington State aren’t generally anything major to worry about, if you have an arachnophobic side you definitely won’t want spiders hanging around your house all winter waiting for the weather to warm up!
Ticks
While most ticks say sayonara by the time spring and summer are passed, there is one exception in western Washington: the black-legged tick. These Lyme Disease carrying ticks can stay active as long as temperatures are above freezing, and with temperatures rarely dropping below freezing in Northwestern Washington, that can mean a year-long outdoor presence. Is no winter hike safe??? Apparently not.
Wildlife That is Active Year-Round
While the year-round pest is generally a category dominated by the insect class, there are some non-hibernating wildlife creatures that also fit the bill.
Squirrels
Squirrels love a few things: food, warmth, and a nice cozy roof come to mind.
Squirrels absolutely hate one thing: hibernating.
Ok, we’ll admit, lame joke. But seriously, squirrels do not do one bit of hibernating, and they really do love somewhere warm and cozy to spend their winters. In the spring and summer these rodents may be frequenting your garbage cans, but come cold-weather season you’re actually facing a way more serious squirrel situation, because they want to get inside. Trust us when we say that a squirrel looks way less cute and cuddly when it’s skittering about in your walls.
Mice
Mice can squeeze through the teeniest tiniest of holes, and they don’t hesitate to do so when the weather cools. Much like squirrels, mice don’t hibernate, and they need warmth and access to food – especially in months when the weather is chilly. You might deal with a mouse problem in the spring or summer, but that problem will only become all the more apparent when the weather cools down.
Rats
The rodential trifecta of year-round nuisance wildlife is completed by rats. While naturally shy creatures, rats are no fun to have in your home, as they are notorious carriers of transmissible disease and can even cause house fires due to their tendency to gnaw on electrical wiring. They enter homes in search of food and warmth and will hunker down, so don’t let a spring rat problem go untreated: it could mean serious problems in your home come winter.
Preventing Spring Pests
Preventing spring pests is vital to keeping a home clean, healthy, and pest-free. When it comes to these year-round nuisances, it is especially important – nothing about their presence in or around your home is temporary. So what can you do to stop them? It’s not a task that you can take on alone. GoodMonsters has pest management plans created specifically to handle the threat of year-round pests, which you can learn about here. Looking for one-off services, or need treatment for a pest not mentioned here? Just reach out to us here and we’ll help you solve your pest problem ASAP.