Summer Pests To Watch Out For In Maine
While insect and rodent activity is a year-round problem here in Maine, pests become more noticeable and even more of an issue once summer arrives. Hot weather, precipitation, and an abundance of food make it possible for ants, wasps, and other pests to not only survive but thrive in Lewiston, Manchester, and Boothbay Harbor as well as in cities and towns throughout Maine. With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of pests to watch out for this summer.
Ants
One of the most common insects in Maine, especially during the summer months, ant activity begins to ramp up in the spring and by the time summer arrives, they are everywhere. Ant hills in the pavement cracks, ants walking across the kitchen floor – indoors and outdoors, they are everywhere! And it’s not just one certain ant, our state plays host to a number of ants, including:
Acrobat ants
Fire ants
Odorous house ants
Pavement ants
Pharaoh ants
Mosquitoes & Ticks
In a previous blog post, we mentioned that ticks are already active and it won’t be long before mosquitoes start becoming a pest too. More than a nuisance, both mosquitoes and ticks are a potential threat to people and pets.
In Maine, mosquitoes are known vectors of West Nile virus and Eastern equine encephalitis. As for ticks, pathogens transmitted depends on the type of tick, but tickborne illness/disease present in Maine include Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, and canine tick paralysis.
Mosquitoes are more noticeable in the morning and evening hours and that’s when you have a better chance of being bit by these pests. As for ticks, they lurk in the shadows all day long, dropping down onto people from tall grasses or catching hold as you walk by bushes. You don’t even have to go outside to find a tick on your skin; if you have pets don’t be surprised to find hitchhikers arrived inside on their fur after they went out to go the bathroom and run through the woods.
Occasional Invaders
Roly polies (AKA pill bugs), centipedes, earwigs – those are just a few of the occasional invaders you’ll likely see as our state warms up. A group of insects, occasional invaders are mainly nuisance pests not capable of spreading disease or damaging property. That said, they may show up inside your home, on the deck, really anywhere you turn you may find an insect present. Common occasional invaders in Maine include, but are not limited to:
Box elder bugs
Beetles
Millipedes
Crickets
Silverfish
Western conifer seed bugs
Stinging Insects
Bees, wasps, and hornets are a common problem in Maine that starts in the spring but continues to grow as the days progress towards fall. Late summer is really when stinging insect activity is at its peak and that’s because their nests are bursting with members and food supplies are diminishing. This is when you’re more likely to notice them buzzing around your open soda cans and foods left uncovered during a BBQ.
Though they are a worse problem later in the year, make no mistake, stinging insects can be an issue all summer long. It’s very common for little ones to be on the receiving end of a sting when they’re playing outdoors or even for an adult to have a run-in with a stinging pest while attempting to mow the lawn.
How do you prevent summertime pests from taking over your home and property?
We’re so glad you asked! The best way to stop summertime pests from invading your home, nesting in the porch eaves, or hanging out around the structure is to contact Advanced Pest Solutions today! Offering year-round home pest control services throughout our central, coastal, and southern Maine service area, we provide effective solutions that are backed by our no-charge service guarantee. When you sign up for one of Premium Care plans, you can count on us to eliminate pests that are already infesting your home AND stop them from coming back. As is the case with all of our pest control services, we solve pest problems using an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach that focuses not just on eliminating pests but correcting the conditions that attract them in the first place!
We also offer seasonal mosquito and tick control that is designed to significantly reduce mosquito and tick populations with monthly treatments April through September focused on areas where these two pests breed and where they rest.