As the warm weather begins to ease up as fall approaches in Central and Southern Maryland, you aren’t the only one cleaning up and looking around at fall tasks that need to be done.
Even before those leaves begin to change, some pests like irritating gnats may start to fade from those hot summer days.
But there are quite a few pests that linger. In fact, they don’t just dilly-dally; they are on a mission. As the cooler temperatures arrive, pests take it as a sign that they need to seek shelter. And they’re not picky about where they find their shelter either.
That means your home is fair game.
Here are 4 fall pest problems in Maryland you should watch out for and how to stop them before they become a bigger problem.
4 Fall Pests in Maryland
When you’re a small insect, and you’re looking for a place to stay warm, your home with all its heat and coziness looks pretty attractive.
In fact, pests will take any space they can get. They don’t use the front door; instead, they sneak into spaces between walls, below floors, inside potted plants, or anywhere else that they can secure.
Remember, pests are active any time temperatures are above 50 degrees Fahrenheit, so fall is definitely open for their moving and grooving in Central and Southern Maryland.
As autumn approaches, keep an eye out for these particularly pesky fall pests in Maryland.
1. Rodents
Mice and rats don’t do well in colder temperatures without some form of shelter. This is to ensure they can stay warm and have babies -- another problem you don’t want in your home, garage, basement, attic, or anywhere really.
These pesky critters sense the smallest temperature changes and begin to act fast to secure their new homes. When they feel the warm air coming from your house, it is very tempting.
They are also looking for something we’re all after on a daily basis: food. Rodents can smell it from a distance, and your home cooking and pantry staples are better than anything they have outdoors.
Rodents only need a small space to squeeze into, and then they’re in, and your job is to find a way to get them back out.
Keeping out mice and rats, especially in autumn when they are looking for places to stay, starts with sealing any cracks and crevices that lead into your home. Look for them near basements, foundations, window wells, insulation, and siding.
Another way to detract mice is by keeping kitchen and food areas clean and storing food in plastic, well-sealed containers. Mice and rats enjoy clutter, so keep your trash sealed in bins. Also, store firewood at least 20 feet away from your home. To discourage pests hanging out too close to your home, keep branches and shrubs trimmed away from siding.
If you’re unfortunate enough to have had rodent issues before, maintaining bait stations and traps is also a fall pest prevention strategy.
2. Ladybugs and Stink Bugs
You might think of ladybugs as cute little insects that are quite harmless in nature. And stink bugs, though they are pretty creepy looking, are also rather docile.
Both pests cause little damage to your home or raid your pantry, but they are considered nuisance pests.
As the weather cools, they look for entries into your home to find shelter and warmth. And they enter in numbers and then multiply. This makes them a tough insect to target for fall pest control in Maryland.
In addition to storing food, cleaning your home regularly, and trimming plants near your siding, reduce moisture buildup around your home and keep lights down in the fall when these bugs are trying to enter to help keep them away.
You should also seal cracks in attics or eaves to prevent pest entry.
3. Bees & Wasps
As fall approaches, you’ll notice bees and wasps buzzing around.
They are seeking points of entry to make nests as they sense the weather cooling.
To keep them under control, knockdown wasp nests growing on the house. Or, if nests are located high on your home, have a pest control professional knock them down. During fall pest control, a pest control technician can also treat for bees, suiting up to do it properly and prevent stings.
4. Spiders
You’ll notice as fall approaches, more web cropping up around your home -- around windows and in corners or along the siding.
They are the homes of eight-legged fall pests in Maryland that like to move into homes looking for places to hide and stay warm.
They build webs near access points so they can catch dinner -- other bugs entering your home. Check windows or door frames for webs, as well as dark corners, ceilings, and rafters.
Spiders can access your home in holes near your basement or cracks in roof tiles since they are great climbers.
To prevent spider entry, clear webs near your home, entryways, or windows as a great prevention strategy.
Preventing Fall Pest Problems In Maryland
In a season like fall when you know pests will be more mobile, seeking shelter and safety, taking steps to keep rodents, ladybugs, stink bugs, bees, wasps, and spiders out of your home is smart.
If you find you’re busy and don’t have time to inspect all the corners and crevices, we understand. Life gets busy.
Hiring a pest control professional for fall pest prevention in Maryland can help.
A pest control technician will conduct a general pest inspection and look for common entry points, sealing anything that is ½ inch in size or less. Since they see pests all the time, they know exactly where to look. They can even alert you to gaps larger than ½ inches that might need more work to close up. After that, they can do a perimeter pest control treatment that acts as a barrier to keep bugs out.
Signing up for a general pest control service that includes inspections and any necessary treatments or replenishing this barrier is important. First, this means a professional is keeping eyes out for fall pests on a regular basis, which can be a good feeling, keeping your worries at bay. Second, your pest barrier is only as good as its weakest spot, so keeping that treatment up quarterly means pests can’t sneak through.
Noticing any fall pests in your home? Want to learn more about our pest control services in Central and Southern Maryland? Get started today with a free quote. We’ll review your options together so you can make a great choice. Then you can just sit back and enjoy your home -- without the unwanted visitors.
Image Source: Bee, Stink Bugs, Wolf Spider
