Spring Pests in Central Oregon (and how to deal)

Don’t we all just love spring in Central Oregon? The sunny days, the brisk nights, the budding juniper, rolling green agricultural fields, sounds of barking puppies and birds buzzing on the trail?

All of this is great. But with that also comes a few unwanted elements of spring, like the itch of a mosquito bite, the creepy crawling of spiders up the wall, and the trail of ants on the kitchen floor.

If this is your first spring in Central Oregon, you may be unfamiliar with the most common types of pests that frequent the high desert in the spring—or worse—not know how to deal with them. That’s why Central Oregon Pest Solutions is here to let you know the most common types of spring pests in Central Oregon, and when to call us for help to mitigate them.

Boxelder Bug (Tree Bug)

These pests can overwhelm Central Oregon homes in the springtime due to their love of the warmer weather and tendency to congregate on warmed surfaces like walls, counters, floors and sidewalks that receive a good deal of sunlight. They are a nuisance, however they do not bite, breed indoors, eat human foodn or lay eggs inside. But they can leave their feces on curtains, upholstery and other linens.

If you find them in your home, it is most effective to vacuum them up. A well-sealed home can prevent them from entry, and a pest control professional can help identify and seal pathways into your home.

Sugar Ants

Sugar ants, as they are nicknamed due to their attraction to sugary substances, establish long, complicated trails inside and outside the home between food sources and their nest. Sugar ants tend to surge in the spring.

The best way to control sugar ants is to control food sources they are attracted to; sugary foods being their preference, but they will eat anything. Keeping your home well swept, mopped and clean, using proper food storage techniques, and keeping dishes and countertops clean can help with ant control, however a persistent ant problem may be better addressed by a professional exterminator.

Carpenter Ants

Capenter ants, named for their ability to tunnel through wood with their teeth, cause massive amounts of destruction to homes every year. Because they move through wood tunnels, they can be difficult to spot, but some signs of a carpenter ant infestation include: sawdust beneath wood structures, small holes in wood, rustling behind walls, flying ants inside the house during the spring and more than 10 ants at any given time.

Given the nature of the carpenter ant and their ability to cause structural damage to a home, if you are suspicious of an infestation, we highly recommend calling a pest control specialist that can find the parent nest and work to find the queen and remove the colony.

Starlings and other invasive birds

There are various types of bird pests that arrive in the spring, but one of the more common types in the Northwest are the starling, known for their obnoxious nesting habits in various cavities, including eaves, vents, chimneys, and ductwork.

With a breeding calendar that extends from January to June, they are notoriously loud, and they feed on garbage and rubbish.

Sealing of nest-prone cavities and holes around the home will help prevent nesting near your house, but you should contact a professional pest company that has experience with birds to remove them, seal the cavity and/or place mesh over openings that attract these birds.

Ticks

Ticks definitely top the list of Central Oregon spring pests. Carrying serious diseases like Lyme disease, and able to cause serious allergies to mammalian meat and milk known as alpha-gal syndrome, these troublesome pests are a threat to humans and pets.

Ticks love tall grasses and wooded areas, but can be found in all sorts of outdoor environments. Keeping your lawn cut, minimizing brush and treating pets with a tick medication can prevent them from entering your home. It is also recommended to always inspect yourself and your pet for ticks after coming in from tick-friendly areas. Ticks are also often carried by mice, so eliminating rodents from your home and property can also keep your home at less risk for ticks.

Mites

Mites, or spider mites, are very active in the spring and can cause damage to your yard and ornamentals, conifers and other yard plantings.

Suppression of broadleaf weeds such as mallow, bindweed, white clover, and knotweed can reduce mite numbers. Washing mites from trees with a strong stream of water can dislodge dust and dirt which are attractive to mites and can enhance their numbers. Properly watering trees and vegetation and keeping plantings healthy discourages mites, while drought-stressed trees can attract them.

Spiders

Most spiders are pretty harmless, but some species such as the hobo spider which lives throughout Oregon, hide in dark places, shoes and clothing, and deliver a vicious bite. These spiders, along with other dangerous species such as black widow spiders, wolf spiders, yellow sac spiders should be dealt with seriously due to their toxic bite.

Harmless household spiders such as daddy long legs, house spiders, crab spiders, cross spiders, jumping spiders, orb weavers, callobius severus, and trapdoor spiders can also become a nuisance. Central Oregon Pest Solutions can help exterminate both kinds of spiders and prevent them from coming back.