How The Seasons & Weather Effect The Pest Activity Around Your Home
Tennessee weather can be unpredictable. On the bright side, we do get to enjoy each season in its own heavily fashion. Summer months are hot and then even hotter. Fall and Spring brings both warm and chilly weather, usually with a lot of rain. When Winter arrives, the chill can be harsh and the snow may show up or may not even come at all.
Let’s go over some moments where you can see certain pest activity rise throughout the year…
SUMMER & HEAT:
- Spiders- You will find them everywhere, as they are in their hunting mode.
- Wasp- You will find them everywhere, this is their mating season.
- Carpenter Bees- Check your decks, as the female bees lay their eggs in wood.
- Mosquitoes- Front & Backyard, actually, anywhere outside where you may find stagnant water- where they lay their eggs to hatch.
- Snakes- Hide underground. The four venomous snakes you will find are the Copperhead, Timber Rattlesnake, Western Cottonmouth & Western Pygmy Rattlesnake.
- Moles- They leave piles of dirt in your yard, or you may find spots in your yard that are sinking.
SPRING/FALL & RAIN:
- Worms- Breathe through their skin, and the rain may actually clog their skin and force them to your drive way in search of drying themselves out.
- Spiders- The rain will force spiders inside your home for cover.
- Snails- The rain will also force them out of the ground in search for higher ground so they do not drown.
- Stink Bugs- Fall is their mating season, so you will find them in warm places. When Spring arrives you will find them out and about searching for food.
- Centipedes/Millipedes/Silverfish- You may find them inside your home in search of other insects for food. Millipedes feed upon wood like termites.
COLD & SNOW:
- Mice/Rats- During winter they are desperately searching for warmth and can fit through quarter size holes. You may find them in your garage also.
Pests that the weather does NOT effect & you will see year-round:
- Ants- You will find them everywhere working for their queen to gather food for their colony.
- Termites- Like ants, they have soldiers and scavengers, and workers. They are always in search of food. Wood is their main source of nutrition. Yearly termite inspections are recommended.
- Flies- You may not see them when it is cold but they are still around.
- Indian Meal Moths- Stored in grains. Always check your oatmeal and grain like foods before cooking.
- German Cockroaches- These guys are nocturnal. You will find them in areas that provide food, i.e mostly predominate in the food industry. During the day you will find them around appliances that have motors like an oven, or refrigerator, etc.
- Wolf Spider- You will find them everywhere. Their fur protects them from the cold and they actually prefer the colder weather.
- Voles- Burrow in the ground next to foundations. You may never know you have them unless you are searching for them.
- Bed Bugs- Can be in your furniture, in corners, on ceilings, baseboards, and any cracks. They are attracted to dead skin and filth. Most of the time though, you bring these pests home from hotels.