As spring approaches our minds turn to all the outdoor activities we’ll soon take on. Some, like backyard barbeques, are things we look forward to. Others, like cleaning up the debris created over the winter, are not quite as fun. Regardless of whether it’s something to look forward to or not, this is also the time of year when we should start thinking about how to keep our homes pest-free this spring.

What Pests to Look Out For This Spring

Some pests are active all year and others take a break over the winter, but there are some that become especially active in the spring. These are the ones we want to pay attention to.

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes lay eggs in the fall before they die. These eggs survive the winter and hatch in the spring when the weather warms up. They need to be covered with water before they can hatch though, so this time of year is the perfect time to take action to prevent a big mosquito population on your property.

Do an outdoor inspection to look for areas around your yard where water collects. This includes low spots on your lawn, clogged gutters, pools and pool covers, bird baths, and more. By eliminating as many areas of standing water as you can, you’ll greatly reduce your chances of being swarmed by mosquitoes all spring and summer.

Stinging Insects

Only the queen survives the winter in a stinging insect colony. When the weather is warm enough, she begins to build her nest, laying eggs in it as she goes. Once these eggs hatch and mature, which takes about a month, they’ll be able to help her build the nest and grow the colony.

This month between the first eggs being laid and the worker hornets, wasps, or yellow jackets fully growing is the perfect time to make sure they can’t set up shop around your house. Make sure to eliminate outdoor food sources, as they will attract the queens to your home. Do frequent inspections for nests.

Termites

Although termites are active throughout the year, especially if they’ve already gotten into your home, it’s especially important to watch for them in the spring as this is the time of year that the swarmers come out. This is often the only time that you’ll see the termites themselves, as they spend the vast majority of their time hidden away underground or within the wood structures of your home.

Termite swarmers come out in the spring to mate. These small insects are winged and, as their name indicates, will come out in a large swarm. Once they mate, they’ll shed their wings.

If you see a swarm or the discarded wings after the fact, it means that there is already a termite colony established nearby and there are about to be more colonies created. The only thing to do when you see a termite swarm is to call the professionals.

The Best Way to Keep Your Home Pest-Free This Spring

When it comes to termites, professional control is the only way to go. And while stinging insects and mosquitoes can be partially controlled through DIY efforts, there are a lot of good reasons to leave those to the professionals as well. You’ll save yourself time, frustration, and potentially harmful stings, to name a few.

Schendel Pest Services offers protection against all three of these pests, as well as many more, and our year-round services can’t be beat. We provide indoor and outdoor pest control, 365 days a year monitoring, quarterly inspections, and we’ll even take care of pest problems between visits, free of charge, if needed. Schendel takes pest control seriously and we want to keep our customers 100% satisfied. Give us a call today to learn more about our residential pest control options.