Which household pests to expect this spring

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Spring is almost upon us, and we all know what that means – that’s right, it means that all the critters of nature are coming back out and heading straight for your home! Well, we don’t mean to be overly dramatic here, but three’s a good chance you’ll encounter some unwanted guests on your property this coming spring, and your best bet is to keep yourself well-informed. This will help you keep calm in case you do see a mouse in your kitchen, and it will also help you take preventive measures. 

So which household pests are most common during the spring?

  1. Ants and termites

First up on our seasonal list, we have ants and termites, along with any other creepy-crawlies you can fathom. As the snows melt off, the ant colonies come back to life and begin going about, working, looking for food, or indeed, mates. And while it’s unlikely that the ants are there because they fancy you, they probably regard you as a great source of food. Unlike larger pests, ants are difficult to keep away, because they don’t require big sources of food. They may well be attracted to crumbs you didn’t even know you’d left, so you have to be vigilant. 

Termites are in a similar position, only they’re not hitting you up in search of food, but rather of shelter. They say spring is the season for love, and termites seem to be all about that. So as soon as they find a mate, around mid-spring, they’re going to start looking for a new home. And you know what makes an excellent home for termites? That’s right, moist or damaged wood, so you’ll want to have someone inspect your property and fix any structural problems before they attract a family of termites, cause that will do way more damage.

  1. Opossums

Opossums are interesting creatures, really. The truth of the matter is, they’re around pretty much every season, but in the heavy snow, they’re less likely to head out (you know, just like humans). This means that as soon as the nights get warmer, opossums are ready to go on the prowl. And their number one venue? Your property. 

So what can you do to prevent opossums from popping up? Keep your property clean. If you have fruit trees in your yard, you’ll want to make sure you pick up any fallen fruit before you retire for the night, otherwise it’s likely to attract opossums. Also, don’t leave pet food out and unattended. 

  1. Squirrels

In this particular case, squirrels are quite similar to opossums. As soon as spring rolls around, they leave their cozy nooks and come out looking for food, and while squirrels themselves are harmless, they tend to attract bigger rollers. It’s quite possible to find a family of snakes visiting your yard – they heard you got squirrels! So as above, keep potential food sources to a minimum and learn some home remedies to get rid of squirrels here.

  1. Rodents

Well, squirrels are rodents, but here, we’re also talking about their cousins – mice and rats. These tend to flock to homes in the warmer months of late spring and are mainly looking for food at this point. But since mice and rats have been known to sneak into kitchens if they sense a ready source of food, we recommend extending the above precautions to the interior of your home, also. 

Another good prevention method is to regularly check for cracks and potential entry points in your walls and window structures. See, rodents aren’t very high on the food chain, and they too know that other predators are coming back to life during the spring, so the temptation to hide inside your home is too great to resist.

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