One of the most difficult parts of this COVID-19 pandemic is the changing of the season. Spring is here and the weather is working its way toward hot summer days with warming spring ones. It’s the perfect time to go outside, but many of us are stuck inside.
For many pests, this is the time of year they are looking to emerge and start anew their annual cycle. One is the paper wasp. Queen wasps hibernate throughout the winter and then emerge in the spring to start again their colonies. They begin their annual cycle by looking for material to build their nests out of and food for their first brood that will help with the construction and expansion of their colony. Around this time of year, we frequently hear about wasps flying around gardens and sunning on sides of buildings. It is important to remember a couple of things when controlling wasps: First, wasps that are hovering around flowers and plants provide the valuable service of pollinating and consuming other insects that are hiding on the plants, and second, it is only once paper wasp nests appear that effective forms of pest control can be employed. Prevention of nest building is nearly impossible, but rest assured, we are committed to removing as many paper wasp nests as possible.
Another pest that begins to emerge this time of year is the billbug. As the ground temperature rises, adult billbugs embark on a journey for love. You may be seeing this happen now, but it will begin to be a much more common occurrence as the weather continues to warm. After finding a mate, female billbugs lay their eggs on blades of grass. Billbug larvae grow and pupate throughout the summer, feeding on the grass they were laid on. This is where billbugs go from hopeless romantics to destructive pests. Beginning in late May to early June, eggs hatch and larvae begin to grow, effectively sucking all of the nutrients out the grass and then seeking new food leaving patches of brown, dead grass in their wake. However, there is a solution! By imbuing your lawn with a systemic insecticide, you can vaccinate against this issue ensuring that your lawn is not effected by billbugs. Barrier Pest Control provides a two service treatment that has had wonderful results! While this treatment is also an effective remedy for an infestation that may arise, it is always best to get treated before a problem develops. Just like you would get a flu shot going into winter, having a billbug treatment prior to the larvae hatching will lead to the best possible results. We are here and ready to take care of you, so give us a call!
