Prepare for a Pest-Free Spring with these Tips!

As spring arrives, many families venture outdoors to enjoy the warm weather with bike rides and picnics. Pests are no different; the warmer weather arrives and they become active once again. Ants, Asian lady beetles, box elder bugs, cluster flies and more emerge in large numbers across the upper Midwest in spring. We’ve compiled a list of the most common pests to watch out for this spring and ways you can be proactive and prevent them from coming into your home! We hope these tips are helpful as you start your spring cleaning!

Ants

There are many different types of ants that pester homeowners. Most of them would prefer not to nest inside, but that doesn’t stop them from coming indoors to eat.

Tips to prevent ants:

• Keep kitchen counters and floors clean of food debris
• Cleanup spills promptly
• Seal any cracks or gaps around your foundation that could be used for pest entry

Asian Lady Beetles, Box Elder Bugs and Cluster Flies

These pests are considered “hibernating insects”. Homeowners often see them in the spring and think they are spring pests, but really, these pests entered homes in fall and are now trying to get outside in spring.

Tips to prevent hibernating insects:

• Check screens for rips or tears and repair them
• Treat the exterior of the home with a pesticide in fall
• Once they are inside, the best way to get them out is to vacuum them up. Dead hibernating insects can start to stink though, so change your bag or enter your receptacle after vacuuming

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes arrive later in the spring, but now is the time they start to lay eggs. The best way to reduce mosquitoes is to eliminate their access to breeding grounds. Mosquitoes can lay eggs in any undisturbed water, so eliminating it is a key step.

Tips to prevent mosquitoes include:

• Empty any artificial water receptacles including buckets, sandboxes, children’s water tables or other toys, potted plants, etc.
• Empty and refresh water in bird baths at least once a week
• Watch for puddles that collect in your yard after the rain and consider adding soil to low-lying areas
• When outdoors, wear insect repellent to prevent bites
• Avoid dusk and dawn when the flood-water mosquitoes that are most common in the Midwest are most active

Termites

Termites can feed 24-hours a day, seven days a week. These pests swarm in the spring looking for a new home and can cause extensive damage to properties.

Tips to prevent termites include:

• Inspect your wood structures for signs of wood rot. Soft wood makes an easy entry point for termites
• Ensure there is not direct wood-soil contact around your home
• Watch for mud tubes around the foundation of your home, which is a sign termites have already struck
• Watch for early signs that a swarm has established in your home. Look for discarded wings, which are shed by swarming termites once they have found a new home.

Follow these helpful tips to be one step ahead of the pests this spring! With a clean, pest-free home, you can enjoy the warm weather and all the spring activities you’ve been looking forward to. For more information or to eliminate a pest, visit our website at http://www.wil-kil.com/residential-pest-control.

About Shane McCoy:
Shane McCoy is the Technical Training Director for Wil-Kil Pest Control, a regional pest management company providing quality pest management for residential and commercial properties throughout the Upper Midwest. As an Associate Certified Entomologist with over 18 years of experience in pest management, Shane’s blog provides expert tips and tricks, timely information and solutions for coexisting with the insect life and critters around us. To learn more about Wil-Kil Pest Control, please visit www.wil-kil.com. You can also follow the company onFacebook and Twitter (@WilKilPest).