The weather is finally cooling down and the holiday season has official commenced! If you are anything like me, you have already started thinking of Christmas. No, I’m not someone who already has everyone’s gifts picked out and wrapped by mid October, but hot chocolate and snow cross my mind often. While you are sitting close to the fireplace with some cozy socks and a blanket, I know all of you are thinking about why pest control companies still treat in the winter. We get a lot of questions as to why we need to spray when we don’t see any bugs…I would love to think all insects die in low temperatures, however that is not the case! If you find a spider in your home during winter, they were most likely born there and have never been outside. Spiders like to lay their egg sacs in dark secluded areas and once hatched, they all naturally find undisturbed areas to nestle in and call home.
That being said, not all spiders you see around the home are house spiders. Sometimes they are hunting spiders who just wandered a little too far to find a mate. But, what happens to the outdoor spiders? Well, when the temperature drops, various pests start producing what is essentially their own antifreeze in order to help them survive in the harsh conditions and they enter a state of diapause or hibernation.
di·a·pause/ˈdīəˌpôz/ ZOOLOGY noun noun: diapause; plural noun: diapauses
| hi·ber·nate/ˈhībərˌnāt/ verb verb: hibernate; 3rd person present: hibernates; past tense: hibernated; past participle: hibernated; gerund or present participle: hibernating
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Two similar terms used for different species that both essentially mean dormant. When we think of bears hibernating we picture a cute little animal asleep all winter in a cave, but believe it or not, they don’t sleep the whole time! I’m sure it requires a significant amount of sleeping, but sticking to the warmer areas, their normal physical functions are only slowed down to preserve the energy needed to withstand the weather conditions. It’s the same for spiders, but they stay hidden under plants and leaves while coming out during warmer days to seek out food. Nothing gets too exciting for them as they come and go from leaf to leaf, but once the weather starts warming up, they resume their normal activities of catching flies and females!
So, for anyone who is genuinely asking why we still treat in the winter, the answer is because they never truly go away, they’re just hiding! Contact Barrier Pest Control to get year round protection on spiders and more!
