It’s getting warmer, the days are longer and brighter and flowers are starting to bloom once again. It’s official, spring is here!

Unfortunately, we’re not the only ones looking forward to the seasons changing however. Spring is the time of year we start to see an increase in the different types and numbers of pests. Some are simply venturing out more because it’s getting warmer while others are coming out of hibernation.

It’s a great idea to know which pests come back at this time of year so you know how to protect your home or business premises from them.

Common spring pests

Birds

You can expect to see nesting birds from now until around September. A couple of birds flying around the garden is nothing to worry about but if they decide to set up camp around your property, it can become an issue.

Their droppings look unsightly and can be a trip hazard, nesting materials can cause drain blockages and even cause a potential fire risk, they attract other pests such as insects and although it’s very rare, birds have been known to attack if they think their hatchlings are in danger.

Insects

From the end of March, insects start to re-emerge from their winter slumber. As the temperature gets increasingly warm throughout April and May, you’ll start to notice ants, house flies, wasps and bees.

Clothes moths tend to be the biggest problem in March so keep an eye out for the tell-tale signs of them. They can be hard to detect because they keep well hidden in dark, undisturbed areas such as cupboards which aren’t opened very often. You may also notice unexplained damage to fabrics or see webbing or cocoons.

Cockroaches

Although cockroaches don’t hibernate, they’re not fans of the cold weather. So although you can see them at anytime of the year, they’re more likely to be moving around as the temperature starts to warm up.

Cockroaches are very unpleasant pests so look out for the signs of infestation which can include:

• An unusual or unpleasant smell
• Droppings which are usually about 2mm long and cylindrical shaped. They may also be brown/black in colour if the cockroaches haven’t had access to much water
• If water is abundant, cockroaches will produce brown and irregular shaped smear marks. These will often occur on horizontal surfaces and at wall-floor junctions where they pass
• Shed skins – these are often found close to where the cockroaches are sheltering
• Cockroaches will eat almost anything so you may notice damage to leather items, books, paper, clothing, packaging materials and they can even eat pet food and droppings

Rodents

Rodents are similar to cockroaches in the sense that they’re present all-year round and they don’t like the cold either. This means that again, we’re more likely to see them from spring onwards.

Rodent infestations can spread very quickly so it’s important to keep an eye out for the signs which often include:

• Greasy track marks along the floor or skirting boards
• Scratching noises coming from underneath floorboards or behind walls
• Rodents tend to be more active at night so you may hear strange noises late in the day
• There’s a stale or ammonia smell and you can’t identify the source

If you think that you may have a pest infestation of any kind, please get in touch with Prokill and we can arrange a free, no obligation pest control audit.