Ticks, ants, mosquitoes, termites, and wasps. As temperatures consistently reach the 40s and 50s, overwintering pests wake up and new populations start breeding.
When the first warm week of spring arrives in New England, it’s always a relief. After so much cold and so long, you can finally appreciate the outdoors again.
The only problem: the bugs are doing the same thing. And that can turn your relief into concern pretty quickly.
It doesn’t take long at all for ticks to become active. Adult deer ticks start looking for hosts as soon as the temperatures reach the upper 30s, and nymph ticks aren’t far behind, emerging in late spring. This is not a problem you want to let get out of hand, as about 20% of nymph ticks in Massachusetts carry Lyme disease bacteria, and they’re small enough to go unnoticed. This makes spring tick checks important even before summer officially begins.
Ants come next. Carpenter ants, pavement ants, and odorous house ants all become active as the ground thaws. Carpenter ants have the distinction of being extra obnoxious owing to their habit of tunneling through wood to build nests, which can cause structural damage over time.
Mosquitoes begin to breed as soon as temperatures reach the 40s and water becomes available. Females that overwintered in sheltered spots like garages and crawl spaces emerge hungry and looking for a blood meal. Early spring rain gives them the puddles they need to lay eggs.
Wasps and hornets begin building new nests in the spring. If so much as a single queen survives the winter, they can begin constructing a nest and laying eggs. By summer, that nest can house hundreds of workers. (That’s why early spring is the best time to address wasp nests—they’re still small.)
Termites swarm in spring as well. Winged termites emerging indoors are a sign that a colony has been active in or near your home, possibly for years. And once they start chewing wood, they can cause some serious property damage—a lot of which is not likely to be covered by homeowners’ insurance.
Lastly, you have stink bugs and cluster flies. With warmer weather, they usually come out of the wall voids and attics where they like to hide. They’re mostly a nuisance, but their sudden appearance can still be unsettling.
If you’re a Sudbury homeowner eager to get ahead of spring pest pressure, Mosquito Squad of Leominster can help. Mosquito Squad provides barrier treatments starting early in the season that help reduce mosquitoes, ticks, and other outdoor pests by up to 85-90%. Starting treatments in spring means you’re protected before populations peak.
