How to Prepare for Spring Bugs

A technician performing pest control services in Peekskill NY - Garrie Pest Control

The beginning of spring comes with a sense of relief for many. The rains will help your plants recover from the blistering cold and you can enjoy outdoor activities again. However, spring is also the time when bugs come out of hibernation to nest, mate, and reproduce. So what can you do as a homeowner in Peekskill NY to prevent them from doing all of this in your home? Read on for expert advice on the best ways to prepare for pests in the spring with Garrie Pest Control!

What Spring Bugs Should We Be Expecting?

If there’s any season where we should be worried about pest infestations, it’s spring. While we’re on our way out of the winter where rodents run rampant, all kinds of tiny critters will soon be taking advantage of newfound sun and moisture to proliferate and thrive. Here are some of the most common bugs that we see in spring in Peekskill NY:

As you can see, there is a wide range of pests that dominate the spring. This means that we have to keep an arsenal of pest prevention strategies in our back pockets for when the season rolls around again.

How to Prevent Spring Bugs Before They Arrive

There are a number of strategies that you can take before spring or implement into your cleaning routine to protect your home from pest infestation during the spring. Here are our recommended methods of preparing for spring bugs:

  1. Declutter: Organize your home and consolidate loose items to prevent unnecessary hiding places.
  2. Seal cracks and gaps: Openings in your walls, windows, foundation, siding, and more can allow pests in. Inspect your phone to find these spots and seal them with a silicone-based caulk, steel wool, or otherwise as the surface calls for.
  3. Check plumbing fixtures: Beyond cracks in plumbing fixtures that allow pests in, leaky pipes can create moisture problems that attract pests. Make sure your plumbing fixtures are in working order.
  4. Store food properly: Make sure that your refrigerator and pantry are clean and your food is stored in air-tight containers.

Professional Help Preventing Spring Pest Infestations

If you have experienced pest infestations in spring year after year around Peekskill NY or just want an extra eye on your home before spring sets in, reach out to your local pest control company for an inspection. The experts at Garrie Pest Control are closely familiar with pest seasonality and habits in our region and can set up a plan to protect your home from its unique vulnerabilities. For a free quote, contact us today!

Where Do Bees Go During the Winter?

Honey bees in Peekskill NY - Garrie Pest Control

We have a lot to look forward to in the spring. In Peekskill NY, spring is a time of new growth and warm weather, but it is also a time when insect populations reappear in throngs. The spring season is often associated with bees, which play an instrumental role in local ecosystems through pollination, but then the bees suddenly vanish when the temperatures drop at the end of each year. So, where do bees go in the winter? Read all about bees’ winter habits from the experts at Garrie Pest Control!

Do Bees Hibernate in Peekskill NY?

During the winter, you may have noticed a significant decline in bee activity around your home compared to spring and summer. You might have wondered, where do bees go in the winter if they can no longer pollinate local plants? That depends on the species of bee! The winter affects these three bees that are common around Peekskill in different ways:

  • Bumblebees: Bumblebees die off in cold weather, but the queen survives the winter to replenish the population in the spring. A queen makes her home for the winter by digging a hole in the ground or finding a hollow log, empty bird nest, or compost pile.
  • Honey bees: Male honey bees die during the winter months, but female honey bees return to the hive and surround the queen, vibrating to stay warm. They stay inside, eating honey that they collected during the fall.
  • Carpenter bees: Carpenter bees hibernate in order to survive the winter. They stay in the nest tunnels they made in the spring to keep warm during the cold season.

How to Prepare for Bees Before Spring

Some people find bees to be pleasant guests in their yards. The problem is if you have too many, they could nest inside your home or very close to your door. By allowing bees to build a hive on your property, you run the risk of being stung and feeling generally uncomfortable. You can prevent bees from nesting in and around your home by taking the following preventative measures during the winter:

  1. Repair cracked exterior walls and roofing around your home
  2. Consider planting flowers at a greater distance from your home
  3. Make sure your lawn and plants are not overgrown to prevent nesting sites
  4. Fill all animal burrows in your yard so bees cannot nest there
  5. Use sealable lids to cover your outdoor trash and recycling bins

Need Help Bee-Proofing Your Home?

If you would like professional assistance preventing bees from nesting on your property this spring, contact your local bee, wasp, and hornet control team. During the winter, our team of bee removal experts can inspect your property for any potential nesting sites you may have overlooked, and they will remove any nests that form in the spring safely and humanely. For a free quote on bee control services, contact us today!

Do Wasps Die After They Sting?

How wasps look in Peekskill NY - Garrie Pest Control

Bees are very unique creatures, set apart from other insects for a variety of reasons. One of their more peculiar features is that they die after stinging a victim just once. This leaves many people wondering: do wasps work the same way?

It turns out that wasps are able to sting multiple times in a row, and can deliver even more painful stings than bees in most cases. Read on to learn more about wasp stings and the differences between wasps vs bees in Peekskill NY.

The Difference Between Wasp and Bee Stings

Certain wasps dish out stings that cause about the same amount of pain as a bee sting. However, the reason that wasps are considered so much more dangerous is that they can sting multiple times in a row. Bees’ stingers are attached to their digestive tract, so when they sting someone, they eject some of their organs with the stinger upon release.

On the other hand, wasps’ stingers are designed like a needle. They retract in and out of the skin, piercing their target as many times as necessary. Like bees, their stinks are chock-full of a painful venom. It is designed both to paralyze small prey and to convince potential predators to leave them alone.

Why Do Wasps Sting?

Wasps sting when they feel that their nest is being threatened. What’s more, when they sting someone that they consider to be a threat, they emit a pheromone that signals to nearby wasps to help them. This is why people often report being stung by multiple wasps or even a swarm of wasps at once. Multiple wasp stings can cause serious health risks, such as:

  • Swollen, painful bumps
  • Rashes, hives, or welts
  • Headache, nausea, and fever
  • Swelling and joint pain
  • In extreme cases, death

Professional Wasp Control in Peekskill NY

Wasps build their nests out of chewed-up wood, forming a construction that looks like layers of gray paper. If you notice a wasp nest forming on your property, contact your local wasp control experts right away. Our wasp nest removal specialists at Garrie Pest Control will use the most efficient and effective techniques in the industry to relocate your wasp nest and help you have a sting-free summer. For a free quote on bee or wasp nest removal services, contact us today!

What Pests Are More Active in the Summer Months?

A trail of ants in Peekskill NY - Garrie Pest Control

Here in New York, we get to enjoy the waves of seasonal changes, but many of us are always looking forward to when summer comes around again. Unfortunately, along with warm weather and sunshine comes a host of pest problems. Residents of Peekskill NY and neighboring areas should be on the lookout for increasing numbers of pests. Keep reading for knowledge and advice from the expert exterminators at Garrie Pest Control.

Why are Pests More Common in Summer?

The conditions leading up to summer allow for a boom of pest populations in Peekskill NY. Rainfall and increasing amounts of daylight in the spring make for ample plant growth, attracting all sorts of insect. Whether they are tiny insects like aphids nibbling on leaves or large predatory pests, all sorts of creatures start to emerge in the spring under the perfect conditions to thrive. This leads to reproductive cycles starting up again, making for pest-filled summers.

Summer Pests in New York

Here are the pests that you can count on to reappear in high numbers this summer in Peekskill NY:

  • Ants: When the weather warms up, ants return from beneath the surface to build nests closer to the abundance of new food. Leaving food out or unsealed in your home or forgetting to clean up your spills could lead to an ant infestation.
  • Mosquitoes: Spring rainfall results in sources of standing water for mosquitoes to lay their eggs. As summer days get longer and warmer, mosquitoes’ populations will have more opportunities to find hosts to feed on. Their numbers won’t drop off again until the temperatures drop below 50 degrees consistently.
  • Bees, wasps, and hornets: In the early summer when flowers are in full bloom, wasps, hornets, and bees see huge surges in their populations. Each of these species of stinging insects build their nests in different areas. Additionally, each stinging insect species exhibits different patterns of behavior. Ask your local pest control experts for help identifying stinging insects on your property.

Pest Control this Summer in Peekskill NY

Summer comes with many different recurring pest problems. Each individual pest infestation requires due attention and specialized treatments to deal with properly. Our extermination specialists at Garrie Pest Control are well-versed in the particular problems that Peekskill NY residents face and will work hard to solve them for you. Our holistic pest control process includes helping you prevent future infestations with progressive treatments and advice. If you need help preparing for this summer’s imminent pests, contact us today for a free quote!