Fall rolls around, the leaves are hitting your yard, and then you start noticing more ants marching along your foundation, and more spiders settling down in corners that last week you could have sworn were empty. It is not a coincidence. Those mulch beds and piles of leaves that make your landscaping look tidy are providing five-star accommodations for these pests.
Because Centralia receives nearly 50 inches of rain a year and has a mild, wet climate, decomposing organic matter remains moist, providing habitat and food for abundant insects and arachnids. A couple of ants or spiders is not necessarily something to freak out over, but knowing what attracts them to your yard and how they enter your home can help you act before a small problem escalates into a major pest problem.
And if you are already experiencing a high level of activity, it may be more worthwhile to consult pointepest.com.
The Science Behind Ant and Spider Attraction
Leaf litter and mulch form a type of microhabitat, as entomologists put it, mini-ecosystems, just crammed with the essentials ants and spiders need to thrive. Decaying leaves contain fungi, bacteria, and small insects that many ant species eat. This moisture builds up beneath these layers, creating a humid environment ideal for carpenter ants and odorous house ants. If spiders are part of the food chain, they have no use for your mulch but plenty for all the ants, beetles, and whatnot living within it. Thanks to Centralia’s temperate climate, gameplay does not end in winter as it can in more northerly latitudes. In a way, your yard becomes a year-round restaurant and motel.
How Pests Move from Yard to Home
Once ants and spiders find a good home in your leaf litter or mulch beds, they are only a short trip to your home. Ants will dispatch scout workers to track down moisture, which usually enters the home through a foundation crack, a gap around a utility line, or under a door sweep. When one scout discovers food inside, the entire colony is called to follow.
Spiders that accidentally come inside while pursuing insects or seeking warmer areas as temperatures drop, which often occurs during Centralia’s humid fall and winter months. If you have any mulch piled against the siding of your home, it’s like a highway for pests, and they can easily access points of entry into your home.
Most homes in Centralia have older foundations, built before 1980, often with settling cracks that allow even determined pests to gain entry and escape wet weather.
Yard Maintenance Tips That Double as Pest Prevention
1. Keep Mulch Away from Foundations
Allow at least a 6-inch clearance between the mulch beds and the exterior of your home. It forms a dry zone that breaks up moisture, which ants and spiders use to run from the yard to the structure.
2. Rake and Remove Leaf Litter Regularly
Leaves should not be allowed to sit for weeks. A pile of leaves can be crawling with insects within days in Centralia’s rainy weather. Dispose of them in yard waste bags for yard waste pickup, or toss them into compost away from your home.
3. Choose the Right Mulch
Certain mulches, particularly cedar and cypress, contain natural oils that insects find less desirable than regular old wood chips. These steps will not solve the problem entirely, but will reduce activity.
4. Trim Vegetation
Shrubs that grow wild and tree branches touching the house serve as bridges for pests to invade. Trimming plants at least 12 inches away from siding and windows.
When Professional Yard Pest Control Is Needed
If you are faced with a pest infestation involving established colonies or multiple pest species, DIY prevention may not be sufficient. If you notice ant trails inside your home, spiders every day despite regularly cleaning, and damage to wood structures, it is time to call the professionals. Centralia homeowners also face unique pest pressures, and Pointe Pest Control knows this. They provide holistic solutions that address the reasons pests are in your yard in the first place and the indoor behavior you are experiencing.