A lot of people do not realize the pest problems that are associated with spring.
While leaf litter can be beneficial for your soil, it is also harbouring a variety of springtime pests! Spring is a key time to address occasional invaders such as sow bugs, millipedes, and centipedes. These pests look for the leaf litter (dead leaves, twigs, and bark that have fallen to the ground) around the outside of your house, and all that moisture will influence these bugs to reproduce.
An easy and non-chemical fix to this problem is to remove the leaf litter as soon as possible. This includes underneath junipers and other pants that are low lying to the ground. Another area of concern is low lying decks where moisture, leaves, and other debris can collect over the winter months. A challenge with low lying decks is that you may not have access to clean this area out. For decks with no access, it is recommended that labelled insecticide dust be applied between the boards starting 6 – 12” away from the house.
Spiders are another pest to consider at this time of year. People need to look for spider egg sacs around windowsills, door frames, along the side of the house. Using a stiff cleaning brush and/or a heavy-duty shop vac you can remove these very easily. Some other tips to keep spiders under control is to review your lighting on the outside of the house and use a yellow light bulb to help avoid attracting flying insects, which in turn become food for spiders.
During your spring clean up, keep in mind how things are stored around the house – garden sheds against the house, wood piles, or other piles leaning against the house can often attract other crawling insects which will then attract spiders.
To ensure a pest free environment is a consider an exterior spray around the house for occasional invaders and spiders. Contact the professionals at Poulins Pest Control for any pest advice!