Springtime is coming, which means warmer weather and more insects and small rodents making their way onto lawns and potentially into homes. While there are certain things that you can do to help prevent pests from entering your house, once you have an infestation you should leave the problem to a professional residential pest control service. Here are four common pests that you should watch out for this spring. 

Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants are large ants that live in forested regions of the world. These ants build nests, known as either a parent colony or a satellite colony, in damp and dead wood in and around buildings. They may also reside in stone materials such as a stone foundation on a home. Carpenter ants gain entry to homes via damaged wood siding or the cracks around doors and windows. Some signs that you may have a carpenter ant infestation include:

• Evidence of wood shavings similar to sawdust near wooden baseboards and window sills

• Rustling sounds coming from doors or walls

• Evidence of shed wings near wooden materials in the home

Although there are some signs of carpenter ants, most infestations go unnoticed until damage has started to occur. For this reason, your best bet is to prevent an infestation in the first place by doing such things as sealing foundational cracks, fixing water leaks around the house, and regularly cleaning floors and countertops so are no crumbs to attract ants. If your preventative measures have failed, we can remove these pests from your home. 

Spiders

Spiders are less known to cause structural damage to a home, but their presence may indicate the presence of insects that will cause damage to wood and insulation. This is because these insects are a food source for spiders. You also want to avoid having spiders come into your home because bites from certain species can be harmful. Some ways to prevent spiders from entering your house include:

• Sealing any cracks in the walls or foundation

• Ensuring that rooms are kept clean and free of debris

• Keeping plants and herbs around that repel spiders, including basil, lavender, rosemary, lemon balm, and mint

Keep an eye out for egg sacs and webs in the house as this can be an indication that you already have a spider infestation. 

Bees and Wasps

Bees and wasps can cause harm through their stings, so you must not let these insects establish a colony inside or around your house. Since these insects are important for the ecosystem, consult a professional pest control service to safely and humanely eliminate them from your home or yard. Some indications of a bee or wasp infestation include:

• Hearing buzzing sounds in the walls or other locations nearby your house

• Suddenly seeing bees and wasps inside when you have not been keeping windows or doors open

• Noticing wasp nests around your property

If you like to grow flowers, keeping them away from doors and windows is one way to help prevent a bee or wasp problem. Always consult a professional before handling any nests. 

Rats and Mice

Rats and mice enter homes through cracks in doors, vents, roofs, and pipes and often come looking for food. There are many signs of mice and rats in a home, such as:

• Evidence of mouse droppings

• Unusual smells

• Odd behaviour displayed by pets

• Evidence of tampering with food or furniture

• Scratching noises coming from the ceilings and walls

To help prevent rodents from accessing your home, seal all cracks in the foundation and doors and keep food areas clean. 

The specialists at Truly Nolen Canada provide residential pest control that is safe for humans and pets. Give us a call today if you believe you have insects or rodents in your home.