Unlike other seasons, spring creates a perfect storm for infestations. Rising temperatures wake dormant insects, while rain and humidity create breeding havens.
Let’s explore what makes spring pest control distinct and how adapting strategies now prevents bigger problems later.
Common Spring Pests and Their Seasonal Behaviors
Ants
Ants emerge hungry in spring, trailing into kitchens for sugars and proteins. Odorous house ants leave pheromone trails that attract entire colonies, while carpenter ants target damp wood for nesting. Home methods may be able to take care of and kill visible workers. Still, they lack the precision of professional treatments, missing out on hidden nests and allowing queens to rebuild populations effortlessly.
Spiders
Spring’s insect boom draws spiders indoors. Common species like cellar and wolf spiders hunt prey in basements and garages. Webs clutter corners and egg sacs hatch hundreds of offspring. Removing webs without addressing prey insects guarantees their return.
Rodents
Mice and rats remain active in spring, chewing through insulation and wiring. They nest in attics or wall voids, often entering through gaps around utility lines and other small crevices around the home. Spring’s outdoor breeding doesn’t reduce indoor risks. If anything, they’re more likely to seek shelter inside, especially during the rainstorms.
Mosquitoes
Spring rains fill birdbaths, gutters, and flowerpots, creating mosquito nurseries. Females lay hundreds of eggs in stagnant water, which hatch within days. Adults emerge hungry, targeting families during backyard gatherings.
Spring-Specific Pest Prevention Strategies That Work
Seal Entry Points
Inspect foundations, windows, and roofs for cracks widened by winter ice, which hibernating pests might have already used to get inside your home. Use silicone caulk for gaps under doors and steel wool for holes around pipes. Repair torn window screens to block spiders and mosquitoes.
Eliminate Breeding Grounds
Clear clogged gutters, store containers upside down, and refresh pet water bowls daily. Fill puddles in yards and add sand to plant saucers. For mosquitoes, use bacterial larvicides in ponds or rain barrels to kill eggs without harming plants.
Modify Landscaping
Trim shrubs and tree limbs away from walls to remove pest highways. Replace mulch near foundations with gravel, which deters moisture-loving ants. Store firewood on racks 20 feet from the house.
Schedule Professional Inspections
Experts spot risks homeowners miss, like spider egg sacs in crawl spaces or rodent burrows under decks. Many companies offer spring packages combining interior and exterior treatments, such as residual sprays for ants and insect growth regulators for mosquitoes.
Weed Management
Pre-emergent treatments are timed to early spring rains, preventing invasive weeds from sprouting. Professionals also remove existing weeds before they flower.
Why Generic Pest Control Fails
National chains often use one-size-fits-all methods that ignore Reno’s unique climate. Treatments dissolve in spring rains before ants find them. Perimeter sprays fail in windy conditions common in Northern Nevada. Indoor traps miss pests migrating between indoors and outdoors as temperatures swing. For example, spraying visible ant trails in summer works, but spring requires nest elimination to prevent colony splits. Standard weed treatments might not address invasive species like cheatgrass, which thrives in Reno’s alkaline soil.
Long-Term Benefits of Spring Pest Control
Addressing pests in spring prevents summer infestations. Destroying wasp nests early avoids aggressive colonies. Eliminating ant colonies stops satellite nests from forming. Rodent exclusion reduces fall invasions. Weed control limits habitats for ticks and fleas.
Consistent spring pest control treatments reduce reliance on reactive treatments, saving you both time and money.
