Spring insects are often a welcome sign of the changing seasons. Everyone loves seeing the beautiful flashes of color from butterfly wings and the bright red dots of ladybugs feasting on problematic aphids in the garden. However, some springtime bugs have worn out their welcome before they even arrive. Ants, spiders, termites, bees, and more might cause some people not to look forward to spring because they know a battle is coming that could span the entire season.
However, controlling spring insects does not have to be an exercise in futility. By getting ahead of pest emergence and knowing when to call for extra help, homeowners can prevent bugs from staking a claim on their property. To make sure their strategies are effective, it is essential for homeowners to understand not just what to do, but when to call pest control during springtime.
What Time of Year Is Best to Treat Spring Insects?
Ask anyone when they should start treating their property for spring pests, and most people would respond, obviously, with springtime. However, a strong pest control protocol works best when preventive measures are taken earlier, sometimes as early as January or February.
Use these strategic early months to prepare the home to stand up to pests. This means storing food securely, sealing gaps and bug entry points, or planting herbs and other natural bug repellents as soon as possible.
Marigolds, lavender, basil, rosemary, and mint are all great options, and all can withstand cool weather as long as the chance of frost has passed. This measure allows homeowners to get ahead of emerging bug populations.
Signs You Need Pest Control
If a home is not crawling with insects, it can be easy to ignore the problem (or assume there is no problem at all). However, a pest infestation may not show many outward signs until it is severe, so understanding the indicators of bug infiltration can make treatment much easier and more effective. Keep an eye out for the following signs of pests:
Youāre finding insect debris
Insects are not clean critters, and they will leave behind waste. It may look like small, cylindrical feces, dust, or even pieces of exoskeleton as they molt. Check around baseboards and in dark corners to see whether such debris is accumulating. If it is present in areas that you can see, imagine how much more is in areas you cannot see, such as within walls or underneath floorboards.
Your food items are damaged
Pests typically infiltrate human homes because they provide more favorable conditions than what the insect can find outdoors. This includes access to food. Homeowners may notice that their packaged goods are being chewed open, or boxes holding food items are dusty around the corners (from chewing the cardboard). This can be a sign that bugs not only have access to the homeās food supply but that they also have a reliable path to it and will continue to visit, often with friends.
Youāre being bitten
An itchy bump every now and then is not a cause for concern and might be caused by anything from laundry detergent to skincare products. Frequent itchy spots, welts, or red marks, however, could indicate that the person is being bitten by bugs without noticing.
Spiders are a common culprit, but ants can also bite. Of course, more impactful stings from insects such as wasps are harder to miss, but homeowners who encounter bees or wasps every time they walk out the door need extra pest control support.
You can see bugs
One of the simplest ways to know whether a home has bugs is when they are visible in the home. A single bug may not seem like an issue, but it is rarely a single bug, just one bug that has been spotted. Any homeowners who notice bugs within their home are likely facing a much larger problem, such as overpopulation that is forcing some insects out into the open due to space or resource concerns. A pest control professional is the next best step in situations like this.
Get Ahead of Spring Insects With Professional Pest Control
Spring insects are an invaluable part of the ecosystem, but they do not need to be a regular part of your homeās environment. Thankfully, they leave plenty of evidence of their presence, and smart homeowners can recognize these signs and call for pest control help in the early spring, before the problems worsen.
Contact Spartan Animal & Pest Control to get ahead of spring bugs or deal with an issue that you have just noticed. Remember: prevention is more effective than treatment.
