Anyone who lives in Texas is used to seeing pests all year long. But it always seems as the weather gets warmer and the flowers begin to bloom, the rodents and insects are more prevalent in your yard and home. Here is a list of the most common springtime pests in Texas.
American and German Cockroaches
If you have lived in Texas during the spring time, you have encountered cockroaches – perhaps the least-welcome house guest in our fine state. The two most common types in the area are American and German. They can squeeze through the tiniest of holes in search of food and water. A lot of the time people don’t even realize they have these springtime pests until it has become a full-blown infestation. So even if you see just one this spring, take care of it before they multiply.
Ants
Ants live in colonies and rarely travel alone, so if you see a few there’s definitely more where they came from. Household ants are sometimes hard to identify, but once you do you can locate the problem and fix it. They can be identified by size, color and activity time. Following their trail back to the nest is the first step in ridding your home of these pests. Common types to look out for are fire ants, carpenter ants and pharaoh ants. If you can’t decide which species is in your home or where their nest is, then calling a professional is the answer.
Mosquitos
Most Texans don’t have issues with mosquitos in their home, but come late spring their bites will cover your body. Mosquitos love hot, humid weather, so what better place than Texas? If your yard is seeing an infestation, try to get rid of any standing water or tall grass. To keep the different types of mosquitoes away from you, always keep a repellent spray around and fill a bucket with sugar water and put it in a remote location in your yard. They are attracted to the sugar water and won’t bother you as much.
Black rat/ Roof rat
Black rats, also known as roof rats, are very common Texas home pests. The signs that they are in your home are droppings, urine smells, tracks, gnawing holes and sounds. Most people report hearing these critters in their attics. If your home has these pests, set out traps and bait to lure them in and get rid of them as quickly as possible.
Finding snakes in your yard but not sure what to do about it? Take a look at our how to encounter a snake article here.
Scorpions
Most people don’t see scorpions until the spring because they hibernate in the winter and come out as the air starts to warm. Springtime in Texas is the perfect environment for scorpions to thrive. Texans are used to emptying out their shoes in fear of a scorpion nesting in them. Scorpions are painful and annoying, so if they are bothering your home call a professional to spray the perimeter.
Springtime pests are unwanted but expected. As Texans, we have to learn to identify them and get rid of them in the best ways possible.
