The 5 Most Common Fall Pests
When the hot Oklahoma summer finally comes to an end, many people mistakenly believe that the bulk of their pest problems are gone until warm weather returns. Unfortunately, the start of fall signals many new pest problems and, many pests continue to thrive and start seeking shelter and food sources indoors. As you might imagine, this often makes the autumn season incredibly busy for pest control professionals as homeowners and business owners start to combat the growing pest populations that are finding new ways to gain access to structures.
For most people, the arrival of pests in the fall comes in the form of a cockroach or line of ants crawling around on their kitchen counter. While this may not seem like a huge shock to some, it could signal a much larger population of pests is hiding nearby or that an infestation may be looming without the appropriate intervention from a licensed and experienced pest control provider. In some cases, pests that make their way indoors may nest inside of your walls without your knowledge until the weather warms again and they start to emerge en masse. These dangers are what make fall pest control a necessity and not a luxury.
Common Fall Pests in Oklahoma
Knowing what pests are likely to invade your home during the fall and how to identify them can make it much easier to deal with them.
According to the National Pest Management Association, rodents and other pests invade nearly 21 million homes during the fall and winter months in search of food sources and stable temperatures. Below you will find information about the most common pests seen in Oklahoma during the fall to help ensure you are prepared to deal with them appropriately.
Stink Bugs
Brown marmorated stink bugs are a common reason for residents in Oklahoma to invest in fall pest control. While they are not known to carry any diseases or bite, they are capable of damaging clothing or furniture with their droppings and creating an intense, stinky odor when frightened or crushed. Often, these pests are introduced indoors by hitchhiking on clothing or personal belongings, but they can also be introduced to a garage that gives them access indoors by attaching themselves to a parked car. For this reason, it is important to always check your belongings in the fall to ensure you are not providing a free ride to these persistent pests.
Since stink bugs prefer to nest inside of dark, tight areas, they can often be found in holes or cracks inside of the home, including baseboards or inside wall voids they have access to. Unfortunately, once these pests become established, homeowners can only wait until they emerge in the spring without potentially damaging the interior of their home to locate and eliminate nests. Fortunately, with a great preventative pest control plan in place, many of these problems can be avoided and stink bugs can be controlled before they make it indoors.
Rodents
Mice and rats are among the most common fall pests in Oklahoma because they search for the same warmth and food to survive the winter that humans do. Unfortunately, a functional furnace and well-stocked pantry often make homes and businesses a vacation home that rodents will not want to leave once they have established a nest. A problem further compounded by their ability to quickly reproduce and turn a small group of mice or rats into a much larger problem.
Rodents are notorious for spreading a variety of diseases including hantavirus or salmonellosis while also introducing bacteria, fleas and lice to their new environments. If a single rodent is found inside of a home or business this is often enough to warrant reactionary fall pest control. Often, the sooner a rodent population is eliminated the better to ensure that large numbers are not actively creating nests and damaging the structure or introducing health hazards to those that encounter their waste.
Ants
Though typically a large problem during the spring and summer months, many ant species that nest inside of homes or businesses will continue their normal routines unchecked without fall pest control. As you might imagine, some of the most notorious species that are common during the autumn months include odorous house ants and carpenter ants. Respectively, these species of ants can contaminate your food stores or cause extensive damage to the wooden components or structure of a home or business in just a short amount of time.
Many ant species are drawn to cut or dead wood. Unfortunately, this means that your firewood reserves are often a suitable nesting site for both ants and a variety of other unwanted pests. To keep your home protected from the wide variety of ants that call the state of Oklahoma home, check all firewood before bringing it indoors and store it a minimum of 5 feet from your home’s foundation to limit the chances of explorers from finding a vulnerability that leads indoors.
Cockroaches
Although considered a year-round pest, cockroaches are among the most dangerous and common fall pests in Oklahoma. As a health hazard, cockroaches can spread up to 33 different kinds of bacteria around a home and can often cause asthma attacks in children. In many cases, these problems are compounded as they unknowingly contaminate food preparation surfaces and stored foods that may be accessible to them. Like other pests, cockroaches that are living in garden beds, garages or other outbuildings may move indoors as temperatures start to drop to find more suitable nesting options.
Since cockroaches are nocturnal and try to avoid human contact as much as possible, it can often be difficult for homeowners or business owners to know they have a cockroach problem until the nest becomes so large that cockroaches begin venturing out in search of new food and water sources. Often, this means that if you see a single cockroach in your cabinets or walking across your countertops, there are likely more hiding nearby. This thought alone should make fall pest control a priority if these unwelcome and dangerous pests are found.
Spiders
Although commonly used as a decoration during Halloween, many Oklahomans find that spider populations around their home or business can grow exponentially during the fall months. Often this is caused by their unique mating habits in which the autumn shift encourages them to start searching for a suitable mate. However, the spiders have likely always been there and are just now reaching maturity and growing larger to make their presence known.
While many outdoor spiders can help control insect populations, they can become dangerous and make people feel uncomfortable when they make their way inside. From harmless species to their more sinister counterparts like black widows and brown recluse spiders, the team at Emtec Pest Control has the knowledge and resources needed to eliminate them. If you are finding more spiders inside of your home or business, it may be time to invest in fall pest control to remove their food sources and encourage them to nest elsewhere.
Not sure what pests you have?
Give us a call! One of our certified technicians can help identify any fall pests that may be present and recommend suitable treatment options with a free estimate.
When to Call a Professional
At Emtec Pest Control, we are committed to safe and responsible pest control. We understand that your family’s safety is your number one priority, so we make it our priority, too. If you have any other questions about any of these pests or pest control for your home or business, contact your Oklahoma pest control experts at Emtec Pest Control by calling us or by filling out our online contact form. Our service areas in Northeast Oklahoma include Bixby, Broken Arrow, Catoosa, Owasso, Jenks, Sand Springs, Sapulpa, Skiatook, Stillwater, Tulsa and the surrounding areas. In Central Oklahoma, we service Edmond, Moore, Oklahoma City, Yukon and the surrounding areas. You can also connect with us on social media for more helpful pest control tips and information. We are on Facebook.
At Emtec Pest Control, we are committed to safe and responsible pest control. We understand that your family’s safety is your number one priority, so we make it our priority, too.
If you have any other questions about any of these pests or pest control for your home or business, contact your Oklahoma pest control experts at Emtec Pest Control by calling us or by filling out our online contact form.