Get Rid of Late Summer Pests

A mosquito

You might think that you’re in the clear for pest problems when the summer heat starts to dwindle, but certain types of pests actually thrive around this time. With an ample amount of warmth and plenty of people participating in outdoor activities, the pests of late summer have an easy time finding what they need, whether it be a blood meal, a food supply, or a place to build their nest. In order to ensure that pests don’t steal the last of your summer, you have to take preventative measures against them. Read on to learn what pests to watch for and what you can do about them with the experts at Batzner Pest Control in Wisconsin!

Common Pests in Late Summer

Every season has its own pest problems. The pests that bug us in the late summer are typically the ones that have the most to gain from warm conditions. They are as follows:

  • Bees and wasps: Bees and wasps stay active into the late summer pollinating plants and taking advantage of the food that humans leave outside during barbecues, get-togethers, and whatnot.
  • Ticks: Ticks breed during the early summer, producing a yield of offspring that will climb to the tops of tall grass in search of hosts a month later. They thrive in the overgrowth during warm weather.
  • Wildlife: Wild animals that usually hibernate during the cold winter months spend their summers outside and too often in our business. Wild animals like raccoons, opossums, and squirrels that wander into your yard could tear through your trash or garden and cause serious damage.
  • Mosquitoes: If mosquitoes establish a successful breeding population, their numbers will be so high by the late summer that it will be almost impossible to deal with them. Mosquitoes remain active as long as temperatures don’t drop below 50°F consistently.

Pest-Proof Your Property for Late Summer

Drastic infestations of any of these kinds of pests call for the intervention of a professional exterminator, but there are some general housekeeping strategies you can try to prevent pest problems on your property before they start. We recommend the following:

  1. Keep your yard tidy: Make sure that all of your trees and shrubs are trimmed back, promptly dispose of piles of grass clippings or other vegetation, and make sure you aren’t leaving out any items that could lead to a small, temporary pest shelter.
  2. Seal your home: Regularly monitor the outside of your property to make sure that your home doesn’t have any cracks or gaps in roofing, foundation, or siding.
  3. Be careful with trash: Using bins that seal and regularly taking out your garbage to the outside bins will go a long way in preventing wildlife infestations.
  4. Get rid of standing water: Mosquitoes breed in pools of standing water, no matter how small. Covering up pools, spas, and birdbaths and regularly checking for rainwater pools will help keep mosquitoes away.

Help with Summer Pests

If you’ve tried everything you can to prevent pest infestations to no avail, it’s time to team up with your local pest control company. Our team at Batzner Pest Control is entirely licensed, certified, and thoroughly trained on all of the types of pests that we regularly see here in Wisconsin. We can determine the cause of your infestation, put it to a stop, and teach you how to identify and correct vulnerabilities on your own going forward. Reach out today for a free quote!

Where Do Bees Go in the Winter?

Honey bees in Wisconsin - Batzner Pest Control

Spring brings so much to look forward to. However, in addition to the blooms and warm weather, spring also brings all kinds of insect population resurgences in Wisconsin. We often associate spring with bees, as they are important pollinators that facilitate plant growth and sustain all kinds of animals through the fall. But where do bees go in the winter? Keep reading to learn more about what happens to bees in the winter with Batzner Pest Control!

Do Bees Hibernate Like Other Animals?

It’s likely you’ve noticed a considerable reduction in bee activity around your home during the winter if you normally see them in the spring and summer. You might wonder, where do bees go in the winter if there is nothing to pollinate? This actually depends on the species of bee! These are three ways that different kinds of bees cope with cold weather in Wisconsin:

  • Bumblebees: When the weather becomes inhospitable, bumblebees die off, but the queen survives the winter to repopulate in the spring. Overwintering queens dig holes in the ground or find shelter in hollow logs, nests, and compost piles. Each spring, they have to start over from scratch, building a new colony.
  • Honey bees: The male honey bees die off during the winter, but the female bees return to their hive to huddle around the queen and vibrate to keep warm. They survive off the honey gathered during their active seasons.
  • Carpenter bees: Carpenter bees are more solitary bees that attempt to survive the winter through hibernation. They wait out the winter in abandoned nest tunnels from spring.

How to Prepare for Bees During Winter

Having bees around your yard is sometimes a pleasant experience, but if you have too many, they might nest in your home’s structure or build nests very close to your door, which can be problematic. In order to keep bees from entering your home during the spring, here are some preventative measures you can take during the winter:

  1. Seal cracks around the outside of your home that lead to the attic or openings in the walls
  2. Consider planting flowers further away from your home
  3. Keep your lawn and plants cut short to avoid overgrowth that bees can nest in
  4. Fill in holes animals dig in your yard so bees and other insects can’t nest in them
  5. Keep outdoor trash and recycling bins covered, preferably with sealable lids

Need Help Preventing Bees?

If you suffer from bee problems in Wisconsin year after year, it’s time to contact your local pest control company. During the winter months, our bee removal professionals at Batzner Pest Control can inspect your property to identify vulnerable spots you missed, and during the spring and summer, they can visit to remove unsafe nests. Contact us today for a free quote on stinging insect control!