Bugs, much like people, need food, water/moisture, and shelter to survive. They “shop” for the perfect nesting ground, factoring in each necessity before deciding on a location. The easier the access to these necessities, the faster they come into your home. Is it humid in your area? How perfect! Cockroaches love moisture!

Does your home have trees and shrubs, maybe a pond? Mosquitoes will eat that up, and you along with it. Pests of all kinds look for the perfect place, and yours might be one of them. “Why is my home attractive to pests?” or “What is bringing these insects to my pantry?” might be the first thoughts that come to your head.

Here at Green Pest Management, one of the most common calls we get from customers is, “Why are there so many bugs in my house all of a sudden?” While related to access to food, water, and shelter, we usually see that an increase in pests in homes is because of a few specific reasons. Here are five reasons why your home might attract pests.

1. Bugs Love Homes with Clutter

Clutter makes for a perfect shelter and easier access to your home as well as their new one, no matter what it is. Wood piles, cardboard boxes, clothing piles, storage crates, and anything hidden against walls make it easy for pests to seek shelter. Clutter makes nesting even easier and multiplies the chance of survival because they are hidden.

Once pests shelter, they are more difficult to get rid of. Wasps are a great example of this considering they will nest almost anywhere. They will come back each year and build new nests in their old home. They also like to leave their own clutter to deter other wasps from coming to that location. You can typically find wasp nests in eaves, sheds, wood, in shrubs, and on trees, but they’ve even staked claim to internal portions of cars, dog houses, pretty much anywhere that is reasonably stable—all to ensure they have a solid spot to come back to.

Your clutter can be one of those places wasps come back to. Usually when we put boxes in the garage, or bags in the basement, we do so to preserve them for later use or for sentimental reasons. Mice, rats, bed bugs, and ants love the stability of the clutter and the hidden nesting grounds, as well as the confidence of knowing they’ll be left alone.

2. Many Pests Need Moisture/Humidity

The majority of species of pests flourish in humid areas. Cockroaches, silverfish, ants, centipedes, pill bugs, and many others find the humid and moist air to be the perfect conditions in which to thrive.

Cockroaches can live in a variety of weather conditions, but prefer the moist indoors, unfortunately for us the larger the increase in humidity, the larger they grow. They are nocturnal, which can make controlling them even more difficult even given their increased size. Cockroaches run from light, and stay in dark damp places both for safety and in order to store their food.

Silverfish, unlike roaches, are sensitive to temperature and moisture and need up to 75% humidity to survive. Silverfish prefer to hang out in bathrooms and damp areas, which is why you will find them in bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, garages, etc. Once they can find a damp area, with an accessible food source, they are set, and will start to move in.

3. Trees and Shrubbery Attract Pests

Mosquitoes, ticks, carpenter ants, termites, and wasps find trees and bushes to be the best places to live, as they are hidden. Many pests will build up outside your home before making their way inside, posing a risk to your property and family.

Mosquitoes will hang out under the leaves of trees and bushes during the day. They also live in grass and around trees, waiting for the colder temperatures of night to set in. This is why campfires often end with lots of bug bites!

Ticks will hang out in tall grass, trees, and lawns. They are particularly dangerous because they can carry Lyme’s disease and bite humans and pets indiscriminately. Ticks utilize pant legs or brush to hop onto skin as you move by them, making them easy to get and difficult to detect.

Carpenter ants, contrary to their name, don’t eat wood, but they do typically nest in rotting wood. These ants will not hesitate to bite if their nests are disturbed, so it’s important to consider pest control options when found. These ants spray formic acid on wounds, meaning the bites will not only hurt but also burn as well.

Termites, unlike carpenter ants, primarily eat dead or rotting wood, but they occasionally feed on live wood. Termite damage can weaken your trees, get into your home, and eat through the walls, and if not caught early, can be both extensive and expensive. These infestations can get out of control quickly, so it’s important to call pest control early to control the spread.

4. Weather Conditions Influence Pests

Pests will often search for safer and warmer places to live during harsh weather conditions or during specific seasons. Mice, spiders, ants, and many others come inside your home when it’s too cold or hot outside.

When winter rolls around, mice and rats avoid the cold in fields and burrows and will often find their way inside your cozy home. We get the most calls about rodent activity from October to March each year.

Spiders can be an issue, regardless of the season, but in the colder months, they (along with most other insects) will find places to begin something called diapause. Diapause is the ability for insects to slow their metabolic rate in order to survive the winter with minimal sustenance. Spiders will nest in leaves, wood, corners of the home, and in the eaves to begin diapause. Fall is when they begin looking for their winter home, so by the time winter rolls around, they’ve already established a place in your home.

Ants will find warm and humid places, such as below trees outside, inside your walls, or along the foundation of the house, to stay and lay their eggs. Their eggs can last 12 months, meaning while it is cold, they are slowly building a large population for you to feed in the spring. Many customers we work with report ants finding their way into their bathroom or bedrooms after storms, as ants try to find new stable ground to build their colony. Contacting pest control (like Green Pest Management!) to review your options is a great way to get rid of this problem before it starts.

5. Pests Want Easily Accessible Food Sources

If you were given the option of free food every day, wouldn’t you take it? Pests do, in a heartbeat. If they can get their paws or legs on a constant source of food, they stick around. This isn’t limited to human food; it can extend to your pet food as well. Dog food, cat food, and rabbit food can be attractors for bugs and mice. Ants, on the other hand, will make their way into the home through cracks and crevices, typically to eat sweeter foods, such as bread, sugary snacks, and more.

Pests are not limited to fresh food; they will eat old food as well. Any food thrown into the garbage and not properly taken out is easy to access. Rodents, such as mice, rats, and voles, prefer the more accessible, low-risk foods. Items found either in the trash or the garage make it easier to quickly grab and return underground. Food left out on the counter can attract rodents and insects alike, with rodents aiming to only feed themselves. Insects, such as ants and cockroaches, take smaller crumbs to feed their colonies. Ants are particularly drawn to sugary things, such as soda pop or sugar, and will draw in significantly larger numbers.

Having pests can feel like a consequence of negligence or untidiness. Pests will come through, regardless of your diligence and cleanliness.

Here at Green Pest Management, we understand the frustration. We want to help you and your home to be pest-free. Contact us here for a free quote. We work with hundreds of customers in various Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland counties and would love to help you eliminate your pest problems with quality service.