Common Spring Pests in Maryland

The cold winter months are almost over and spring is fast approaching. It will be a time of beautiful weather and flowers blooming, but along with the change in season comes a whole new batch of pests that you will not want to deal with. At Rosenbloom Pest Control, a pest control company in Baltimore, MD, we have been paying close attention to the most common spring pests in Maryland, and we feel it is of the utmost importance to pass what we have learned onto you.

Common Spring Pests in Maryland

A pest infestation is one of the last things that you want to deal with as a homeowner, and one of the biggest reasons that one may develop this spring is because of the landscape surrounding your home. Your home’s perimeter directly correlates to the amount of pests that it attracts to the house. If there are gutter and downspout problems, poor grading and drainage at the foundation, the moisture will attract spring pests.

Mulch beds and gardens up against the foundation can also create a moist environment to attract spring pests. Lastly, overgrowth, leaf accumulation, and debris can all be contributing factors to a moist, shady environment that provides shelter to creatures.

Ants

Ants are insects that will start to emerge in early spring and be active until the fall, and even occasionally into the winter. They will find nesting close to food and moisture. Typically, a hidden cavity in a structure, under mulch or leaf accumulation would be classic locations near or in a structure that they would infest. The ants then use the close proximity to your food to stage their invasion into your castle.

Once they have found the food source and holes through which to reach it, they will send scouts to notify the rest of the colony. This will give you a steady stream of activity all spring, summer, and fall. Sometimes a large ant colony left unchecked  can overwinter in the structure and continue throughout the winter.

Spiders

If you notice an adult spider on the outside of your house the babies are soon to follow. Adult spiders will lay egg sacks in secluded areas and shortly thereafter the babies will emerge and enter the structure. Because spiders are reclusive, they may not be noticed until the population is very out of control. Keeping bushes trimmed and a clear space adjacent to the foundation is a great way to keep an eye on them and catch a problem before they can get too far. 

Carpet Beetles

Carpet beetles in the Baltimore area are mysterious creatures to most homeowners. For one thing they appear almost as if out of nowhere. Secondly, once it is clear what they are, you might think they will eat holes in all your clothing and fabrics. The truth is that the carpet beetle most associated with the Baltimore region is the Varied Carpet Beetle.

The Varied Carpet Beetle’s life cycle is such that it is secluded in the walls of the structure for most of the year, only to emerge in the spring and fall. As far as damage to fabrics goes, they are not known for causing much damage, however, when they do multiply in large numbers in a bedroom setting, they can get into the bedding and cause irritations to people with sensitive skin.

Vacuuming the cracks and crevices around baseboard moldings, window trim and bedding in moderate to bad infestations is advisable to help collect the emerging population during the spring. 

What Do I Do If I Find Pests?

The important thing to remember is that these pests are mostly out of sight until you have a population explosion.  Doing basic housekeeping can go a long way towards your peace and tranquility in your home. A vacuum will almost always be your best friend when it comes to bugs.

A vacuum will not only help get rid of at least some of the pest population, but often it will help eliminate the underlying cause or conducive conditions causing the pest problem. As always, if you have a pest infestation and aren’t sure what to do, reach out to the team here at Rosenbloom Pest Control.