What If These 8 Pests Enjoyed Fall Activities?

Summary: There are a lot of fall activities to enjoy. This blog explores a fictional world where pests can participate in our favorite fall activities. The pests mentioned are: ants, bed bugs, bees, butterflies, fruit flies, rats, roaches, and spiders. Each section discusses the real habits of the pest and the reasons why they would enjoy the activity based on their personality traits. Green Pest Services provides thorough pest control services in every season, including fall.

Fall has so many activities, holidays, and foods to enjoy. Even if you’re not a fan of pumpkin spice (it can be a pretty overpowering), autumn is full of fun traditions. One unfortunate tradition is the sudden surge in pest invasions, as the creepy-crawlies desperately seek out a safe shelter before winter comes.

But back to the fall activities. We all have our own favorite traditions, but the resurgence in pest problems makes us wonder about the possibilities of pests enjoying the fall traditions. What if pests could enjoy the same fall activities that we do? Let’s dive into a fictional world where pests participate in their own fall festivities and see how they would celebrate this season.

Baking Treats – Ants

If there’s one pest that enjoys a tasty treat, it’s the ant. Worker ants scavenge for food sources that are safe, reliable, and filling. They prefer anything protein-filled or sugary because these give ants the energy to continue serving their colony. These pests often invade our opened food items, including cereal, baked goods, crackers, and honey. As a side note, the best way to protect your food from ants is to transfer it into airtight containers, but we digress.

The favorite fall activity of ants would be baking seasonal treats. They would search for the best recipes and buy premium ingredients in order to create the greatest fall creations. Their favorite desserts would probably be pumpkin bread, pecan pie, and maple cinnamon cookies. Their neighbors and family members would come to expect a freshly-baked treat every time they see the sweet-toothed ant.

Shopping For Sweaters – Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are a problematic pest in every season, especially since they can go a year without food. Once these bloodsuckers have access to a food source, they start laying eggs on a consistent basis. Bed bugs are positively thigmotactic, meaning they prefer to stay right next to larger objects. They can flatten their bodies to fit within the tightest of spaces while they wait for their next meal.

Given that bed bugs love being cozy, it makes sense that they would love the idea of “sweater weather.” These pests would retrieve all of their sweaters from storage before it’s cool enough to actually wear them. Despite their large (fictional) collection, bed bugs would eagerly hit the shops for new sweaters every year. They wouldn’t care about color or style, as comfort is their only priority.

Visiting The Farmers Market – Bees

We often think of farmers markets as a summer activity, but they’re also a fall staple. Certain flowers and harvested produce are at their peak. Apples, figs, gourds, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and baked goods are plentiful at the fall farmers market. It’s a great way to shop local and enjoy the best of this season’s produce.

Bees place a high value on fresh flowers and produce. The workers gather nectar, then bring it back to the hive to start the honey-making process. If bees had the choice, they would probably visit the farmers market every weekend until the end of the season. They would set their alarms to get there right at opening, then spend the day chatting with the local sellers. Bees would especially appreciate homemade items, as they understand the work that goes into creating something wonderful.

Enjoying Halloween Festivities – Butterflies

There are 2 major fall holidays in the United States: Halloween and Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving boasts a hearty helping of comfort food and football games, but Halloween has fun costumes and every type of candy imaginable. Some people go all out for their costumes, while others treat themselves to fun-sized candy bars in between talking to trick-or-treaters.

One pest that loves activities based on enjoying sweets is the beautiful butterfly. It drinks nectar from all kinds of flowers, making it a beneficial pollinator in any garden. Between their love for bright colors and their strong sweet tooth, butterflies would love Halloween. Their costume would be planned out (and crafted) a year in advance. At the butterfly’s Halloween party, they would spend the night enjoying their favorite fruit candies and asking their friends how they made their own costumes.

Drinking Autumn Coffees – Fruit Flies

Pumpkin patches and apple orchards are mainstays of autumn. Whether you’re picking apples or deciding on a pumpkin, the fun is in the time you spend gathering the fall produce. Fruit flies enjoy these spaces too, but for a much different reason. These pests lay their eggs on overripe or rotten produce in order to give their offspring an immediate food source. Don’t let those rotten apples sit out for too long!

Fruit flies already like harvest season, but there’s another fall staple they would enjoy even more if they could. Studies show that fruit flies have a natural response to caffeine, similar to a human’s response! Because of this, fruit flies would enjoy the variety of caffeinated beverages throughout autumn. They would enjoy some version of a spiced drink every day, whether it’s a maple spice latte, spiced chai latte, or (the classic) pumpkin spice latte.

Visiting The Pumpkin Patch – Rats

Despite our wishes for the contrary, we are not the only ones who enjoy the coziness of our homes. Many pests seek out a safe shelter for the winter, which leads them directly to our houses and buildings. Rodents are one of the most persistent fall pests since they need a warm shelter to survive. Mice and rats prefer to stay in dark spaces where they can build their nests and produce offspring.

These sneaky scavengers annoy us now, but if they could enjoy a fall activity, we think they would love the pumpkin patch. Rodents would enjoy visiting with their large family and spend a lot of time studying each pumpkin. As their children grow more impatient, the rodents would finally choose the ugliest pumpkins that are left on the end of each row. Since they’re not picky, the rodents would be happy to take home the rejected gourds as their new porch decorations.

Attending Football Games – Roaches

There are a few sports that are played in the fall, but football has to be the fall sport. Whether you attend a lot of local games or watch every pro game on TV, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the game this season. Speaking of abundance, roaches are still a common issue in autumn. They live on any food they can get their grubby hands (do roaches have hands?) on, and hide in dark and damp spaces while they grow their family.

If roaches could enjoy fall in a normal way, they would be all-in on the high of football season. These pests seem like the competitive type that would enjoy watching their favorite teams battle it out. Roaches would enjoy the game whether it’s in broadcast their living room or live at the stadium, as the tailgate would be their favorite part. The roach’s plate would always be piled high with delicious game day food, like grilled burgers and fried appetizers.

Going Through A Haunted House – Spiders

If we had to choose one quintessential “fall” pest, it would have to be the spider. After all, how many Halloween parties and haunted houses have you been to that did not have a bunch of fake cobwebs and spiders everywhere (we thought so)? Real spiders are still active in the fall, as they feed on all of the insects trying to find shelter before the winter. They often hide in the corners of the garage or attic, and will only reproduce if they feel safe.

A haunted house will always be the spider’s natural home. Whether it’s a homemade effort in the neighbor’s garage or a top-of-the-line experience at the pumpkin patch, spiders would enjoy every haunted house they enter. They would love the scary decor — especially the cobwebs — and wouldn’t be scared by any costumed actors popping out of the darkness. The only way to scare the spider would be with a scorpion, as scorpions eat spiders all the time!

Make Fall Fun With Green!

These are all fun fall activities, but the best kind of fall fun is keeping pests out of your home. The licensed technicians of Green Pest Services are dedicated to solving each pest issue as safely and efficiently as possible. We start each service by inspecting the property for all signs of pests, then use our findings to create a treatment plan that’s personalized to solve the pest issues at hand. Whether you’re currently battling pests or you’re looking to prevent future invaders, Green is here to help. Contact us for a free quote on the most reliable pest control services around!

Citations

Caplan, L. (2017, September 30). Extension notes: Fruit flies common in the autumn kitchen. Courier & Press. Available at https://www.courierpress.com/story/life/2017/10/01/extension-notes-fruit-flies-common-autumn-kitchen/710644001/ (Accessed on October 17, 2024).