Insects will soon reappear in force once the weather is right, bringing a whole host of problems that threaten both your home’s stability and your health. The start of spring is the best time for pest prevention, so let’s talk about what pests you can expect this time of year and how to keep them out.

Termites, Roaches, and Ants – Oh My!

The most common pests in early summer are insects. This is partially because insects have shorter lifespans, so they need to capitalize on the weather as soon as it’s warm enough and start creating new colonies and reproducing. These are the common insects you can expect to be trying to invade your home in the coming months.

• Termites: These wood-eating pests are active year-round, but only swarm in the spring. Termites have pale, rounded bodies, six legs, and only grow to around ¼ of an inch long. Special termites, called “swarmers” or “alates,” have sets of transparent wings, but they only fly in the spring to create new colonies. If you see them around your house, it means they’re trying to start a new family in your area.

• Roaches: These pests known for spreading diseases and ruining your food supply. There are a few different species common in North Carolina, but the most common types of Roaches are German cockroaches and American cockroaches. These roaches are a dark reddish-brown, with spiny legs, rounded bodies, and wings. German roaches grow to around half an inch, while American roaches can easily grow larger than an inch and a half. Despite their wings, German roaches can’t fly; American roaches can, but rarely do. A prolonged infestation can spread E. coli, Salmonella, and other problematic diseases to your family.

• Ants: like roaches, Ants have many different species and subspecies. Mound ants, field ants, harvester ants, and ghost ants are just some of the invaders you can expect. Ants vary in size and color, but they all have three body sections, six legs, and two antennae. Ants can invade your pantry, eat your home’s foundation, eat your plants, and disrupt the ecosystem of your yard by pushing against other insects.

Pest Prevention Tips

Springtime is the best time to set up your prevention plan since this season is a time of high insect activity. Reproductive members of insects’ respective colonies are looking to build new homes, so they’re most invasive and energetic as the ground warms up. Consider these tips as part of your prevention plan:

• Spring cleaning: Insects love clutter, and they are most likely to start their colonies in dark, cool spaces that haven’t been touched all winter. Be sure to clean every square inch of your home before the weather warms – including oft-forgotten spaces like the backs of closets, the spaces under heavy appliances, and the piles of junk in your attic or garage. 

• Seal the cracks: Tiny fissures can open up around your home’s foundation, especially due to changing weather. Identifying entry points is hard, but cracks the size of a dime are wide enough to allow mice or smaller pests to get in. So it’s important to check for any crevices in common areas such as vents, chimneys, doors, windows, shingles, and other areas. Be sure to apply sealant in these spaces and make home repairs before the critters crawl inside. 

• Shut off the lights: External lights draw exothermic insects in, so be sure to turn them off before you go to bed, or replace bulbs with yellow, insect-resistant bulbs.

The best form of prevention involves all of these things, plus keeping in contact with the professionals. With decades of exterminator experience, Bug-N-A-Rug knows how to keep your home safe. Contact us today, and we’ll protect your house before insects attack.