By Scott Linde of PestPlus 

Is there such thing as a seasonal pest anymore?  

To answer the above question, we 1st first ask ourselves, whatever happened to our conventional season where we had a spring and a summer and we knew what type of bug to expect at what month?

While pest control companies expected to receive calls from termite swarmers in April, the last several years prove that pests and there seasons are no longer predictable due to the unsteady changes of our climate.

During the warmer months you or your tenants may expect to receive a visit from Odorous House Ants (small ants in large colonies) or Carpenter Bees emerging from the exterior eves.  Carpenter Ants may be working long hours in wood rot or areas within the structure conducive to infestation and you knew know what termites are up to.  And as you may already know, as it becomes hot, multi-family housing with existing cockroach infestations left alone will quickly escalate and infest the entire structure.

Bed Bug infestations are quickly spreading and researches and entomologists predict they will be with us for quite some time.

So where does that leave you as a homeowner and investor?   The law states while the renter or homeowner is allowed to treat the property they actually live in, a property owner may not give any pesticide treatment to any rental property or home that they do not personally live in regardless if they own the property.  What you can do is that a proactive approach.  As the seasons change, send a notice or a reminder to your tenants reminding them proper sanitation may cut down the number of pests they see.  Inspect the property; look for exterior openings and interior openings such as pipe openings where pests may be able to travel to one apartment to the next and correct these issues.

Make sure the exterior of the property is maintained and keep all exterior garbage cans away from the structure and hose them out with bleach periodically. You can also purchase small ant and cockroach traps and make them available for the tenants to use if they request it.

Scott Linde the owner and operator of PestPlus  From one time needs to infestations to general programs PestPlus offers solutions. Scott Linde brings 20 years of full time professional experience offering services second to none.   He can be reached at 732-777-6857.