Common Springtime Pests in the Midwest

When the world begins to bloom, your least-favorite creepy crawlies come out of the dark and begin looking for places to stake their claim. While the Midwest is known for keeping one foot in winter with those surprise cold spells and snowflakes, spring pests are still ready to find their way into your home as the temperatures start to stay above freezing.

In the Midwest, your unwelcome visitors can be anything from harmless nuisances to destructive invaders. Pest control in the springtime is therefore essential for your peace of mind and the quality of your home. 
At Greenix Pest Control, we know exactly what to do when it comes to spring pest control in the Midwest. If you have any of the following or other pests, our experts can easily step in and get them out of your hair and your home with professional springtime, and year round, pest control.

Ants

While ants are active year-round in much of the Midwest, spring provides the ideal conditions for ants to establish new colonies. Therefore, if scouts make their way toward your home or a colony establishes in your yard, you may begin seeing ants venture into your kitchen, bathroom, or other areas with food or moisture prevalent.

For the most part, ants are generally harmless, with the exception of carpenter ants. One of the most common household pests in the Midwest, carpenter ants are frequently mistaken for termites due to their similarities in behavior. Carpenter ants are wood-destroying insects that can infest and affect the structural integrity of your home. Not only that, but the signs of carpenter ants tend to be so similar to those of termites that an untrained eye may not be able to distinguish one from the other.

Ticks

While some pests are just a nuisance to have around, the same can’t be said for ticks. These blood suckers have the potential to spread a variety of diseases including Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis, and Babesiosis. Exposure to ticks can occur year round, however these pesky pests are most during warmer months, typically from April through October. 

Ticks like to live in shady and moist areas, usually at ground level in tall grass or shrubs. If you enjoy hiking or spending time in the woods or forests, you have a higher risk of attracting ticks as they jump off their resting location to their next prey. At home, ticks can be found in the garden and close to densely populated and shaded areas. 

If you’re bitten by a tick, you’ll want to remove it with tweezers as close as possible to the attachment site on your skin. Take precautions when outdoors during the summer such as using repellents that contain DEET, tucking pants into socks while hiking in woods, and checking your skin and gear after coming indoors. Because of the risk related to fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes, any infestations should be taken care of immediately.

Cockroaches

Roaches, especially the nasty, durable German cockroach, also thrive during the spring. While homeowners in the more southern parts of the United States may have to deal with cockroaches year-round, wintertime temperatures in the Midwest may force roaches to go into hibernation. 

But once winter is over, there’s nothing stopping Midwest cockroaches from invading—besides professional pest control from Greenix. If you’re faced with a cockroach infestation, there will be various signs, even if you haven’t yet seen the roaches themselves. A musty odor, droppings that look like coffee grounds, and unexplained stains are clues that your home may have cockroaches. 

Whether you’re seeing the signs or the culprits themselves, contact Greenix Pest Control for a free quote and personalized plan to eliminate cockroaches from your home and keep them away for good. 

Moles

Moles can quickly devastate the health of your lawn. Unlike other pests, moles don’t typically hibernate during the winter. Instead, they tunnel deeper into the ground. However, as spring storms roll in, moisture seeps into the soil and makes it easier for these creatures to move up closer to the surface. 

Typically, moles are on the hunt for food. They eat earthworms, insects, spiders, and more. When much of their diet also becomes more active during the spring, moles are just as eager as any other animal to get their next meal, sometimes at the expense of your yard. 

The mole barrier services from Greenix are the solution you can count on to keep your grass looking its best. And when moles are common throughout the eastern states and the southern Great Plains, Midwesterners should be on the lookout for raised ridges, dead grass patches, and molehills in their lawns. 

Rodents

To rodents, spring means one thing: breeding season. The filthy animals are trying to find places to nest and raise their young, and your home may be at the top of their list. If they can find safe shelter, reliable food, and a source of moisture, they might just move in.

If you have a rodent or a family of them, they’re going to be doing their best to stay out of your sight. However, there will still be traces of them for you to find. They’ll chew through the packaging of your food, drop nesting materials, and leave behind droppings and urine stains. Being most active at night, you might even hear them scratching or thumping when you’re trying to sleep. 

To have interior rodents safely and effectively removed from your home, Greenix Pest Control is the team to call. Not only will we kick out the freeloaders, but we’ll implement measures to exclude them in the future should they get the idea to try coming back inside.

Termites

Perhaps your greatest fear of all as a homeowner and the worst culprit on our list of spring insect pests, termites love the warm weather. Rainy days kick off the swarming season for certain species, so colonies will be looking to expand their reach. In the Midwest, subterranean termites are the predominant species, and their nests are often located beneath the foundation of your home, making them that much harder to detect until extensive damage has already been done. 

Subterranean termites are one of the most destructive species there are, and when they’re so difficult to notice, prevention is strongly recommended. However, if you’ve started to notice signs of termites such as creaky floorboards, buckling wood, or discoloration to your drywall, that may be your signal that it’s time to get in touch with the Greenix Pest Control service professionals as soon as possible.

Get Started With Spring Pest Control Through Greenix

Midwestern spring pests are pervasive and persistent, so pest control in spring has to be just as determined. At Greenix Pest Control, we don’t stop until the job is done. With a 48-hour service guarantee, focused regular treatments, and reliable customer service, there’s no question as to why Greenix is your trusted team for pest control this springtime. 

To get started today with professional pest control this spring, see if your home is within one of our service areas! We cover much of the Midwestern United States, and we’re proud to provide top-of-the-line services to all of our customers.