Warm days, cool nights, and crisp autumn air, ahhh. Michiganders will tell you that this is the time for long walks on the beaches, amazing sunsets that seem to set the sky on fire, and evenings spent around a bonfire with family and friends. Sweatshirts, flannels, fresh apple cider, leaves dressed in their finest colors, and the ponds filled with geese and ducks as they gather before heading to their winter homes. All of these things trigger inside of us an ancient knowledge that encourages us to prepare for the long nights that are coming.
As the owner of a pest control company, I'll tell you the transition from summer pests to fall and winter pests can be one of the busiest times of the year for a pest control company. Wasp activity is at its peak, and their food sources are dwindling rapidly. Large numbers of wasps may be visible sunning themselves on the sunny side of buildings or gathered around their entrance holes. To the unknowing, these sightings can be scary or in the least, upsetting. For us, it signals the change in seasons as loudly as if Mother Nature banged a gong.
The fertilized females (queens) have left the nests, leaving the remaining wasps without a purpose and only days left to live, while the queens look for a cozy, safe place to overwinter. Once all activity at a previously used entrance hole has ceased, the hole should be sealed to prevent it from being used in the future, by other fertilized female wasps or other insects in general. In truth, while some pests such as wasps are exiting your home, others are preparing to enter.
Asian Lady Beetles, Cluster Flies, Western leaf-footed bugs, and of course mice along with a host of other insects that have felt that same primal calling to seek shelter for the long nights of winter that are soon to come are now finding all the access points into your home and sizing it up for their winter retreat. Sound scary? It can be, but it doesn't have to be. Understanding typical access points for pests and knowing how to correctly fix these issues will do several things; reduce the number of pests inside your home, and lower your heating/cooling costs for years to come.
We think this information is so invaluable that we have it listed in our Fast Facts sections for each of the most common pests found in our area. We want you to be educated consumers, and we want you to have more time for those long walks on the beach, and time spent with your family and friends.