April Showers Bring Rainy Day Pests

We all know the saying: “April showers bring May flowers.” Well, those refreshing spring showers also bring a slew of unwelcome pests, too. The combination of warmer weather and rainier days could be the reason you’ve been seeing more creepy crawlers in and around your home. Ants, cockroaches and mosquitoes are among the crew of critters that seem to increase around this time of year. But why, exactly? Read ahead to find out the connection between bugs and rain, and what you can do to prevent your home from getting infested this spring. 

Ants

Ants build their tunnel homes underground, and during a heavy rain, they get flooded out of their nests. That means as they’re trying to find higher ground and new shelter, you’ll end up seeing a lot more of them. They might even use your warm, dry home as a source of food and shelter until outside dries up and they can rebuild. Make sure to keep your floors and counters clear of crumbs to eliminate creating a bug buffet.

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are rarely welcome, but if you have any still, standing bodies of water in or around your home, you’ve just hung a huge welcome sign for them. That’s because mosquitoes breed when it’s wet and lay eggs wherever they can find even the smallest pool of water left behind by rain. Check your yard for puddles, full flower pots, birdbaths, and clogged gutters/drains and clear out what you can. If you have a birdbath, consider one that circulates water so mosquitoes can’t lay eggs in it.

Cockroaches

Roaches usually live in dark places like drains, pipes and sewers. These also happen to be places that flood with a day or two of heavy rain. While they’ll scuttle out of their hiding places, the tricky thing about roaches is that they actually love the moisture from rain. As long as they can avoid drowning, they’ll tend to stick around your home, never too far from their food source. Suspect you’ve got an infestation? Before the rainy season, seek treatment and do some spring cleaning to clear out potential nests and eliminate food sources.

Centipedes

House centipedes love humid environments, and spring’s warmer, rainy weather makes them feel right at home. These creepy crawlers also love to snack on other bugs, so when the rain brings other insects out of hiding, centipedes are likely to follow. Keep an eye out for centipedes in bathrooms, basements, and garages and remember, if you cut off their food source — other rainy day bugs — you stand a greater chance of being rid of them, too.

Ticks and Fleas

If you go on a nature walk after a rainy spell, there’s a chance that you’ll encounter fleas and ticks. They thrive in warm, humid weather. Make sure your clothes cover vulnerable areas and check yourself and your pet when you come inside, as you won’t usually find these pests indoors unless they hitch a ride on you or your pet.

Give Us a Call

Have these rainy days pests already made themselves comfortable in your yard? Try a more effective solution — call Arrow today! We’re here to help!