Pests Head Inside with Wet Weather

While the weather around here is notoriously unpredictable, it does look like this wetter than normal weather is going to continue on into a wetter than normal spring. Due to the unusually strong El Nino system in the Pacific Ocean, weather patterns across the country will be out of whack for a while. Oklahoma is no exception. It should come as no surprise that when we see wild swings in the weather, we also see some unusual pest behavior along with it. Today, we want to detail for you what you can expect from different types of pests and why with this prolonged wet weather. We’ll also provide you with a list of tips to keep these critters out of your home until the wet weather passes.

Ants

Ants are the big ones you have to be prepared for, especially as we get closer to spring. Warm, wet conditions prompt insects to mate, creating larger colonies. The warm weather means insects are also growing faster. So you not only have more ants, but you have bigger ones. If there is extremely heavy rain and the soil becomes flooded, ants will retreat to higher, dryer ground to avoid drowning. In fact, ants have been known to move entire colonies—which can contain thousands of ants—at once to avoid flooding. When moving their colony, ants will naturally look for the nearest warm, dry place to relocate. This could lead them into your walls or foundation. Cleaning your kitchen and taking out the trash regularly will help make an ant invasion less likely. But, while these measures might deter some ants for a little while, they won’t keep out an entire colony. Once ants have invaded your home, they are extremely difficult to eradicate on your own. The experts at Emtec Pest Control are ant eliminating professionals and can quickly determine which type of ants have invaded your home and what treatment will be most effective in getting rid of them.

Rodents

Mice and rats are the other big ones to watch for with prolonged periods of wet, stormy weather. They don’t like being cold and wet any more than we do and know they can find a warm, dry place to shelter—with proximity to food and water—in your home. Mice and rats can fit through tiny holes in your siding or weather-stripping, so make sure to repair any that you find, including around utility lines. They are both very good climbers as well, so make sure to repair cracks and holes at all levels. Taking out the trash promptly and keeping countertops clean and clear also helps to keep mice and rats from getting too cozy. You can try to ward off mice by planting mint around your home or soaking cotton balls in peppermint extract and placing them in spots mice are likely to nest (attics, basements, dark closets). This does work fairly well with deterring individual mice, but will not stop a full-scale invasion. If mice or rats are already inside your home, it’s definitely time to call for the professionals. Mice and rats often carry diseases, can contaminate food sources and reproduce extremely quickly! The trained experts at Emtec Pest Control will have them gone before you know it.

Other Pests

Ants and rodents are the two you are most likely to notice, but other pest populations are known to seek higher ground in times of excessively wet weather. This includes cockroaches and spiders as well as more innocuous pests like ladybugs. As all these insect populations compete for food, water, and shelter in the rainy season, you will increasingly see them coming inside your home. Like with ants and rodents, sealing small cracks around your home and keeping a clean kitchen will help keep you pest free. Make sure to seal any opened food in airtight containers and take out particularly smelly trash right away. Fix any leaky faucets and replace window screens with lots of holes in them to keep ladybugs from ending up on your window sills. These measures should greatly reduce your chances of an infestation. However, the only surefire way to keep your home pest-free is with professional pest control services from Emtec Pest Control. Contact us today to get started!