March Mayhem

   March is an active month, full of changes. The first day of spring, daylight savings time and St. Patrick’s Day, to name a few. Throw in the up’s and downs of crazy weather patterns, and it truly lives up to the name March Mayhem!

Just like the weather, we see the same swings in pest activity in the unpredictable month of March. This is when we receive an increased number of calls for mice, rats, moles, voles, squirrels and other rodents.

The swings in temperatures and precipitation can confuse these rodent species as much as it does us. Warmer temperatures may induce an rodents to become more active, especially if nested in the walls or ceilings of a heated structure. Once active, they quickly learn that there are few, if any, consistent food sources available. That is when they may invade your kitchen or pantry to meet their needs.

Increased rodent activity is usually higher in the fall and winter months, but we see a spike of rodent calls calls in the month of March also. Small rodents do not typically “hibernate”, but they tend to remain close to their stored food sources during the cold, harsh winter months. When spring arrives, they may venture out in search of additional food sources or new areas to explore for nesting. We had a higher than usual number of calls for rats in February and we expect the same if we get the typical up and down weather activity in March.

Other insect pests react to the changes in climate as well. Ants, stink bugs, box elder bugs, cluster flies and spider sightings increase in March. These “fall invaders” take refuge in the cracks and crevices of structures in late summer through the fall months and emerge when temperatures begin to rise. Also confused by the variations in temperature extremes, they may be lured to your interior space where the climate is a little more consistent.

Believe it or not, we even get calls for wasps, bees and hornets in March, especially on warmer, sunny days.

So, whether or not March comes in like a lion and leaves like a lamb remains to be seen, but one thing you can be sure of… Exodus is here to help if pests create any “mayhem” in your March!