The Main Pests to Look Out For This Spring in Clemson

As winter weather fades away in Clemson, SC, spring blossoms everywhere. The lush, green landscape pairs nicely with the warm, humid air, and your mind starts planning outside time spent with friends and family all summer long. 

But, you know who else is planning their summer in the warm, humid air? Pests. As temperatures climb, pest activity ramps up quickly, and if you don’t get ahead of it, they can soon take over your outdoor spaces (making those outdoor events full of buzzing and biting). 

Here’s what you need to look out for. 

Mosquitoes

Spring rains are welcome in Clemson, but they also leave behind something that mosquitoes love: standing water. Nothing else can build mosquito populations faster than standing water combined with hot, humid weather. 

Gutters, birdbaths, flower pots, and low-lying areas near campus and residential neighborhoods all collect water after it rains. Then, as the warm temperatures rise, that’s all mosquitoes need for ongoing breeding. That’s why early, proactive mosquito control helps keep yards comfortable with less buzzing and biting. 

Ticks

Clemson, surrounded by wooded and rural land, is the perfect tick habitat. In spring and early summer, tick exposure is a real risk for residents, hikers, and pet owners in this area. Both black-legged (deer) ticks and lone star ticks make appearances, which carry a swath of diseases, including Lyme disease, alpha-gal syndrome, and others. And, especially in spring, nymph (immature, hard-to-detect ticks) activity spikes. So, tick control is always worth starting early before peak season hits.

Ants

Ants of many kinds begin building their colonies in the spring and early summer. Fire ants build their mounds as the soil warms and spurs them into industrious activity. If you don’t catch it, soon you’ll have mounds all over your yard, just waiting to be stepped on. Odorous house ants and carpenter ants get to work quickly. They forage indoors and expand their colonies to thousands of workers. 

Fire ant control and ant control address different species with different behaviors, but both together help fight any ant colony with both fists. 

Spiders

As all kinds of insects pop up in the spring, spider populations follow. Wolf spiders and brown recluse spiders both become more active in Clemson as their prey actively crawls around. 

Wolf spiders can deliver a painful bite if provoked, and brown recluse spiders pack a powerful bite that can land you in the hospital. Spider control targeting dark, undisturbed areas and perimeter zones will help keep them at bay.

Fleas

Your pet explores yards, trails, and wooded areas around Clemson (which they love), but this also means they are more likely to take fleas home. And once those pesky fleas make themselves comfortable inside, they’re difficult to eliminate. So, before an indoor infestation happens, use flea control to keep populations down in your yard (and on your pet). 

Gnats and No-See-Ums

Warm, damp spring evenings in Clemson bring the gnats and no-see-ums out. Unfortunately, they can turn a peaceful evening into a swatting, buzz-fest. While they are tiny, they are strong in numbers and easily take over outdoor space. Gnat control targets the moist, vegetated areas where these insects multiply. 

Wasps

In spring, paper wasps and yellow jackets come out to establish new colonies (and take over your yard). A once-peaceful yard can quickly turn into a warzone when wasps are involved. 

They nest under eaves, decks, and inside shrubbery that sit undisturbed in early spring. Then, as you head into summer, their colonies grow in numbers, anger, and aggression. Soon enough, you don’t even want to go outside anymore. That’s why early wasp treatment is a must before you have an angry, fully established colony in your backyard.

Spring is the Perfect Time to Start Pest Control in Clemson

With this many pests building their populations every spring, there’s no time to “wait and see.” It’s time to get ahead of it. 

If you start a recurring treatment program in spring, it’s far more effective than reacting in July when you have an infestation on your hands. And for many, mosquitoes are a big, buzzing, and biting issue to tackle first. So, for mosquitoes, try our professional barrier treatment that helps control up to 85-90% of mosquitoes. We target shaded vegetation and harborage areas that many pests use to rest, reset, and multiply. 

So, don’t wait for pests to boss you around. Get ahead of them and take control of your outdoor spaces!

Want to get ahead of spring pests in Clemson before they take over your yard? Call Mosquito Squad of Spartanburg-Anderson at (864) 643-2205 or contact us online for a free quote.