Spring is the season pests wake up hungry, wet, and ready to move. Soil warms, eggs hatch, and winter’s leaks and gaps become turnstiles for insects and rodents. If you handle the basics now, you stop small problems before they balloon into expensive repairs and hard-to-eradicate infestations by midsummer. The right approach is a blend of sanitation, structural upkeep, and targeted treatments, with a clear-eyed view of biology and weather. When you need muscle or specialized tools, a qualified pest control service makes short work of what would otherwise drag on for weeks.
Why spring is different
Winter suppresses activity, but it does not wipe the slate clean. Ant colonies overwinter underground or in wall voids, roaches hold tight in warm crevices, and rodents keep nesting wherever they found dependable food. The first warm spells spur foraging and dispersal flights. Carpenter ants push out scouts. Termite alates rise on humid afternoons. Mosquito larvae surge in any stagnant water that held through winter. Early pollen and blossoms also attract wasps and bees, which begin building new nests in eaves and fence posts.
The swingy weather adds complexity. A warm week followed by a cold snap drives rodents back inside. Heavy spring rains flood burrows, sending ants and spiders higher into homes. You can use that timing to your advantage. If you seal gaps, clear moisture, and set stations before phases of heavy activity, you prevent incursions rather than react to them.
Start with moisture, because everything follows water
Almost every pest follows the water. Ants track along condensation lines. Roaches love the damp rim of a leaking trap. Subterranean termites require constant moisture to travel. I have solved more spring infestations with a wrench and a gutter scoop than with a sprayer.
Walk your property after the first two good rains. Watch where the water goes and where it stays. Soggy soil right up against the foundation, clogged downspouts that dump water at the corner, a window well that fills like a birdbath, these become spring breeding grounds and pest highways. Indoors, look low and dark: the back corner of a sink base, the flange where the dishwasher line meets the garbage disposal, the laundry standpipe, and the sump pit. Shine a light, then use your nose. Musty odor plus a fine peppering of droppings usually means roaches. A wet-wood smell coupled with sawdust-like frass near trim may point toward carpenter ants.
The technical fix is simple but non-negotiable. Extenders on downspouts should carry water at least 6 feet from the foundation if slope is poor. Soil should fall away from the house at a quarter inch per foot. Dehumidifiers work best when the drain hose is locked in place so the bucket doesn’t overflow into a hidden puddle. In crawl spaces, heavy mil plastic on the soil paired with adequate vents or a sealed vapor barrier makes a difference within days.
Exclusion works when it is precise, not just generous
Everyone talks about sealing gaps, but the failure I see most often is sloppy, mismatched materials. Expanding foam fills a void, but mice chew through it in a night. Silicone caulk weathers well around windows, yet it pulls away on wide holes where a backer rod belongs. Insect screens over gable vents keep out moths and wasps, but only if the mesh is 1/8 inch and tight to the frame.
Before you buy anything, measure the gap and identify the pest pressure. For rodents, combine stainless steel wool or copper mesh with an exterior-grade sealant in joints up to an inch wide. For larger voids, cut hardware cloth to shape and fasten it with screws and washers before sealing the perimeter. Weatherstripping on garage doors should meet the slab without daylight; if you can slide a pencil under, so can a house mouse. Door sweeps on back or side entries need a firm, even contact across the threshold. Dryer vents should have a louvered hood, not an open pipe, and the flaps must close on their own.
On roofs, inspect soffit returns and fascia ends where birds and squirrels love to pry. I keep a short list of “silent failures” that pest control contractors frequently encounter in spring: attic fan housings that rattle open in wind, torn ridge vent mesh under shingles, and satellite cable penetrations sealed on the inside but left open to the elements on the outside. These are tiny doors. Closing them is one of the fastest payoffs you can get in spring.
Kitchens and food storage: where sanitation wins
Spring is when pantry pests reveal themselves. Biscuit beetles and Indian meal moths ride in with flour, pet food, or nuts you bought during winter sales. Once temperatures rise, life cycles accelerate. You notice webbing in corners of cereal boxes or small tan moths flitting at dusk.
The fix is part detective work, part discipline. Move everything on the shelf, not just the top layer. Tap bags to see if fine dust trails out. Any suspect package should be bagged and frozen for three days or discarded. Wipe shelves with hot, soapy water. Vacuum the edges and the peg holes where larvae can hide. Then commit to durable storage. Glass jars with rubber gaskets or thick-walled plastic containers with tight lids will stop reinfestation. Do not decant pet food into an open bin and forget it. Keep it sealed, and if you buy in bulk, store extras in a cool, dry space off the floor.
Grease and crumbs are different beasts. Cockroaches can survive on the oil film under a stove. Pull the range, clean the sides, and run a flat scraper along the back lip of the counter. The gasket rim of a dishwasher door often holds a cocktail of old detergent and food that roaches find irresistible. A toothbrush and vinegar break it down. These tasks seem fussy, but when paired with proper baits, the difference in population drop within a week is dramatic.
Ants: know your opponent
Spring ant calls usually fall into two buckets: sweet-foraging sugar ants trailing along baseboards, and carpenter ants cruising at dusk near wood trim. The temptation is to spray the trail. That gives you a day of relief and drives the colony to bud off in multiple directions. You have to think like a colony.
Identify the ant first. Small brown ants that go for honey or jelly are often odorous house ants. They respond well to sugar baits with borate or imidacloprid, placed along the trail but away from open flame or food prep. Carpenter ants are larger, often black with a slow, deliberate walk. They prefer protein and fat early in spring, shifting to sweets later. Protein-based baits can work, but you gain more by finding the moisture problem and the satellite nest. Tap wood with the back of a screwdriver and listen for hollow tones. Check window stools and the top plate of basement walls where plumbing enters.
A practiced exterminator company will pair non-repellent perimeter treatments with baiting and physical correction like trimming back branches. Non-repellents let ants pass through chemical without alarm, sharing it through the colony. Timing matters: target the first warm, dry stretch when foragers are active but before heavy rains wash the band away. If you prefer DIY, follow the label to the letter, and resist the urge to fog or douse. Placement beats volume every time.
Termites: swarm season demands measured urgency
Swarmers in spring send people into a panic. Winged termites rise when humidity spikes and temperatures hit a comfortable range, sometimes after a spring thunderstorm. The key is distinguishing them from flying ants. Termite swarmers have straight antennae, equal-length wings, and a thick waist. Flying ants have elbowed antennae, uneven wings, and a pinched waist.
Seeing swarmers inside suggests an active colony with access to your structure. Piles of shed wings on a windowsill are not a small matter, but they also do not mean your house is collapsing next week. You have time to choose a treatment path. There are two broad approaches: soil termiticides that create a treated zone around the foundation, and baiting systems that intercept foragers and eliminate the colony. Soil treatments with non-repellents offer immediate structural protection and can be completed in a day. Baits offer lower chemical use and colony-level impact but require monitoring over months.
The right call depends on construction and site conditions. Slab-on-grade with many hardscape abutments usually favors baiting unless you are willing to saw and drill extensively. Crawl spaces with clear access often suit a soil approach, especially if moisture control is addressed at the same time. Get at least two proposals from licensed pest control companies. Ask for the product name, active ingredient, and the warranty terms in writing. A reputable exterminator service will inspect, diagram, and explain why they recommend one path over the other. Beware of anyone who quotes a price over the phone without seeing the property.
Mosquitoes and standing water
In spring, mosquito control starts weeks before outdoor dinners. Eggs from last year hatch when water temperatures climb. Most species can go from egg to adult in as little as a week when conditions are right. If you remove water, you break the cycle. I have found viable larvae in bottle caps, old tarps, and the folds of a grill cover. Gutters clogged with leaf mush breed thousands.
Walk your yard with a bucket and a stick. Tip anything that holds water. Aerate birdbaths and refresh them twice a week. Drill small holes in the bottom of tire swings. If you have ornamental ponds, add a pump for movement or stock with mosquito fish where allowed. For unavoidable water, bacterial dunks with Bti are a smart, low-toxicity tool. They target larvae without harming bees or birds when used as directed.
When a property backs onto wetlands or you host outdoor events, perimeter mosquito treatments can help, but think about bloom and beneficial insects. A conscientious pest control contractor will avoid spraying when pollinators are active and will focus on the undersides of foliage where adult mosquitoes rest. Expect 2 to 4 weeks of reduction per treatment depending on rainfall and plant density. Combine that with fans on patios, which physically disrupt flight and make a bigger difference than people expect.
Rodents: spring cleanup keeps them out
Winter shelters break up in spring, but food pressure remains. You may stop hearing nighttime scratching, then find a fresh nest in the grill or the stored cushions. The single most effective spring task for rodent prevention is removing harborage. That means stacks of firewood off the ground and away from the home, dense ivy trimmed back, and the debris under decks cleared. Compost needs a secure bin, not an open pile.
Indoors, do not rely on repellents. If you smell urine in a cabinet or see droppings along a wall, set traps and plan to seal. Snap traps placed perpendicular to a wall with the trigger toward the wall are still the workhorse. Peanut butter works, but a small piece of string or dental floss wrapped around the trigger provides something a mouse will tug on. Check daily and wear gloves when disposing. If you catch more than two in a week, widen your search for the entry point. Common spring entries include the gap around the AC line set, the garage door corners, and the weep holes in brick that were stuffed with plant debris by spiders and then enlarged by rodents.
Professional help can shorten this cycle. An experienced pest control service will perform a rodent exclusion map, tag pressure points, and set a mix of traps and tamper-resistant stations. They will also advise on structural corrections. It is worth it if you are dealing with a multi-family building or food business where the threshold for tolerance is zero.
Spiders, stinging insects, and other spring visitors
Not every spring insect is a pest in the same way. Spiders often expand as flying insects bloom, and while they help reduce mosquitoes and gnats, nobody enjoys webs across doorways. Vacuuming and brushing down webs weekly for a month keeps them from establishing anchor points. Swap bright white bulbs for warmer LEDs in exterior fixtures to draw fewer night-flying insects, which then reduces spider hunting success near doors.
Paper wasps begin nests under eaves and in the sheltered corners of porch ceilings. If you catch a nest at the golf ball stage on a cool morning, a quick knockdown with a properly labeled aerosol and a scrape with a putty knife is usually all that is needed. If you wait until late spring, the nest grows, and your risk rises. Yellowjackets excavate ground nests that are easy to miss until someone mows over them. Mark any suspicious holes with flags and observe from a distance. For large or inaccessible nests, call an exterminator. Stinging insects are not where you test bravery.
Boxelder bugs and stink bugs that overwinter in wall cavities often stumble into living spaces during the first warm afternoons. Resist spraying indoors. Vacuum them and empty the canister outside. Long term, focus on fall exclusion work, but in spring, sealing window trim and checking attic ventilation screens can reduce the trickle.
Lawn and landscape adjustments that pay off
Your yard choices either invite pests or push them to the margins. Mulch piled against siding creates a humid line that attracts ants and termites. Keep a visible gap, ideally 2 to 3 inches below the siding edge, and pull mulch back from the foundation by that same margin. Stone bands can look neat, but they do not stop termites on their own. The important factor is inspection access and dryness.
Plant selection matters less than maintenance. Dense hedges right against the house trap moisture. Trim them so air can move through. Irrigation schedules set for last year’s drought might be overwatering now, especially in spring. If you see mushrooms sprouting along the foundation line, you are watering too much. For lawns, dethatching and aeration in early spring reduce that damp mat layer where billbugs and other lawn pests thrive. Keep grass clippings from clogging storm drains and swales which, beyond being a civic courtesy, reduces mosquito breeding nearby.
Wood-to-ground contact remains a quiet source of trouble. Porch steps sitting directly on soil, fence posts rotting at grade, or stored lumber against the wall all serve as launch pads for carpenter ants and termites. If it is wood, raise it, isolate it, or treat it.
When to call a pro, and how to choose one
There are jobs where a steady hand and a weekend are enough. There are others where experience, licensing, and the right equipment save you money. A spring swarm of termites, evidence of rodents in a commercial kitchen, or repeated callbacks on ant trails that keep returning are all triggers to bring in a pest control company.
What distinguishes a good exterminator service is not just the spray rig. It is the inspection and the explanation. They should diagram your structure, identify conducive conditions, and show you how their plan addresses each one. Expect them to use non-repellent chemistries where appropriate, to combine methods rather than overspray, and to give you a prep list that goes beyond “move items away from walls.” Clear pricing and a warranty tied to specific conditions are signs of professionalism. Ask about continuing education and certifications. If a pest control contractor is reluctant to name active ingredients or avoids your questions about safety around pets and pollinators, keep looking.
For multi-unit buildings, coordinate. One infested unit often means a pressure problem across the stack. Treating one apartment without sealing trash chutes or addressing basement moisture is a temporary fix. Good companies will propose building-wide strategies with phased work and communication plans for residents.
A realistic calendar for spring
Spring does not arrive in one day, and neither should your pest control efforts. The calendar below mirrors the rhythms I see in temperate regions. Adjust a couple weeks forward or back based on your local climate.
Early spring, as https://griffinjwib300.cavandoragh.org/exterminator-company-secrets-what-pros-do-differently soon as daytime highs hold above 50, walk the perimeter and roofline. Clear gutters and add extensions on downspouts. Seal obvious gaps, especially at utilities and door sweeps. Indoors, do a deep kitchen clean, emptying the pantry and pulling freestanding appliances.
As rains increase, focus on drainage. Regrade low spots where water stands near the foundation. Refresh dehumidifiers and dry out crawl spaces. Set and monitor ant baits where you saw early trails. Inspect for termite mud tubes along the foundation and schedule an inspection if you see anything suspicious.
By late spring, mosquito control moves up the list. Eliminate standing water weekly. Install or refresh Bti dunks in unavoidable water. Trim vegetation away from the house and raise wood off the ground. Address any wasp nests that have started before they grow.
Throughout, keep records. A notebook entry that you saw carpenter ants near the back slider at 9 pm on a warm day in April is worth more than you think. It tells you where to check next year and helps a pest control company adjust treatments. Managing pests is partly seasonality and partly pattern recognition.
Products that help, used the right way
There is a crowded shelf of sprays, gels, traps, and monitors. You do not need half of them. Focus on a few proven categories and use them exactly as intended.
Gel baits for ants and roaches work because the insects carry the toxicant back to the colony. Place small dabs near trails but away from fresh cleaning agents, which can repel them. Replace as they dry or are consumed. Do not spray over baited areas. The spray can repel and ruin transfer.
Non-repellent perimeter concentrates are powerful tools, but they demand respect for labels, mixing, and application. If you use them, invest in a decent sprayer with a fan nozzle and apply a continuous band at the base of exterior walls, avoiding drift to flowers or edibles. Less is more, and uniformity matters.
Snap traps and covered multi-catch traps solve most household rodent issues if you commit to placement and checking. Glue boards have niche uses for monitoring, but they are inhumane for control and messy in dusty spaces. For larger properties, tamper-resistant bait stations are effective, but in spring with nesting wildlife around, placement must be careful. Many homeowners choose to leave these to a pest control service to ensure compliance with local regulations.
Diatomaceous earth and silica dusts have their place in voids and wall plates, but use them sparingly. Over-application creates messy, airborne dust that can irritate lungs and push insects around rather than kill them. A hand duster that meters tiny amounts is worth the small investment.
Safety, pets, and pollinators
Spring coincides with emergence of bees and butterflies. Any treatment plan should factor that in. Avoid spraying when plants are in bloom or when pollinators are actively visiting. Choose targeted applications over blanket fogging. Keep pets indoors during treatments and follow reentry times. Store baits and concentrates locked away, not just up high. If you keep backyard chickens or have a pond, tell your exterminator up front. It shapes the product selection and the application method.
Remember that “natural” does not equal harmless. Essential oil sprays can repel, but some can irritate pets and people, and they often require frequent reapplication. Borates are low in mammalian toxicity, yet they should never be placed where children can access them. Respect labels and you will be fine.
Budgeting and expectations
There is a healthy way to think about spending on pest control. Put most of your dollars into prevention: drainage, sealing, storage, and routine cleaning. These improvements last and reduce chemical dependence. For targeted professional treatments, expect most single-service visits to fall in the low to mid hundreds, with termite work ranging higher due to labor and product cost. Seasonal mosquito programs run as a series of visits, often every three to four weeks, with pricing based on property size.
What you should not expect is a one-time miracle for a long-standing issue without changing conditions. An exterminator can knock down populations, but if your basement stays wet and the bird feeder is scattering seed at the foundation, you will be scheduling repeat visits. The best outcomes come when the pest control company and the homeowner pull the same direction.
A compact spring checklist
- Remove standing water, clean gutters, and extend downspouts at least 6 feet from the foundation Seal entry points with the right materials, including door sweeps, copper mesh, and hardware cloth Deep-clean kitchens and convert pantry staples and pet food to sealed containers Place targeted baits for ants and roaches, and avoid spraying over baited areas Trim vegetation off the house and raise wood and stored items off soil
When you handle spring well, summer is easier
Spring favors the prepared. If you fix moisture, close gaps, and use baits and barriers with intention, you turn down the volume on pests before they crescendo. You will still see a spider venture across a wall or a wasp test a beam, but you will not face the wave. If you need a partner, hire a reputable pest control company that treats inspection and prevention as seriously as application. The difference shows by July, when your home is calm and the only buzzing you hear is from the grill.
Clements Pest Control Services Inc
Address: 8600 Commodity Cir Suite 159, Orlando, FL 32819
Phone: (407) 277-7378
Website: https://www.clementspestcontrol.com/central-florida