In the spring and summer, the battle between man and pest seems endless. They are constantly wanting in your house and you want them out. Keeping your house sealed tight and scheduling your routine Green Pest Services treatments keep them at bay, but it seems once left unchecked, they are back in your house again. However, the wintertime seems to give you a break. Suddenly the pests are gone and they don’t bother you for a few months. But where do they go? Did they all die off? Or are they hiding (insert sinister music)? There are actually a few reasons why insects seem to “disappear” in the colder months.

Migration

There are several kinds of bugs, butterflies being one of them, that migrate to warmer climates when it gets cold. They know their chances of survival are slim in the winter so flying down south where the weather is nice prolongs their short lives.

Hibernation

Many insects hibernate. While you think your home, inside and out, is pest free during the winter, there could be many insects in hibernation till spring comes. Beetles, flies, bees, butterflies and more are several insects that can stay warm by finding hiding places to sleep through winter.

Eggs

This is one of the most common reasons you don’t see insects during the winter and that is because the adult parent has completed its life cycle and laid its eggs because dying. These eggs need time to mature and then just as spring blossoms, so do the eggs which hatch into a terrible and annoying infestation. Spiders, for instance, leave their egg sac before dying, which will mature and hatch into hundreds of spiderlings, ready to nest all over your home.

Larvae

Other types of insects successfully pass through the winter months as immature larvae, waiting for spring before they grow into adult insects. You might not notice them as larvae because they burrow deep into the soil or like the wooly bear caterpillar, cover itself in a glycerol substance that protects it from the harsh weather. Insects come up with all sorts of mechanisms to prevent freezing.

Don’t Forget Winter Pest Control

Homeowners usually schedule pest control in the warmer months of the year because that’s when they see the insects. It’s important to remember wintertime pest control. Green Pest Services technicians are experienced at finding the hiding places of those hibernating or immature insects. Treatments before insects mature will keep the insect sighting down when spring arrives. Pest control requires constant vigilance, even in the winter, so get your home scheduled for year round protection today.