Common Pests in Delano, Minnesota

Mice

Ants

Wasps

Spiders

Boxelder Bugs

Stink Bugs

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Mice base their behavior on the seasons of the year. In the summer, most mice live outdoors. They make nests in trees or by digging small burrows underground. They thrive in wooded habitats and habitats near bodies of water with long grasses that give them plenty of areas to hide from predators. As the temperature starts to drop, mice start searching for warmer areas to live. This is why in the fall, people start seeing more mouse activity in their homes. Mice don’t hibernate in the winter, so finding a temperature-controlled area where they can store food and continue breeding is necessary for their survival. One mouse can breed multiple times a year.

Our mouse seal-up service is the most effective in the pest control industry. We first conduct a thorough inspection of the property. We take photos of entry points and evidence of mice around the home. After the inspection, we provide a quote and an explanation of the work that is needed. The next appointment then involves sealing the home and leaving traps in the basement to catch all the mice inside. When we seal the home, we go inch by inch, sealing up any cracks or crevices that mice can get through. We use mouse-proof and weather-proof materials that other pest control companies do not carry or know how to use properly.

Mouse Identification

Winged carpenter ants can often be misidentified as winged termites. Winged carpenter ants are seen most commonly in the early and mid-summer. The difference between winged termites and winged carpenter ants is their body shapes, wings, and antennae. A termite’s body is rectangular-shaped, while an ant’s is uneven, like an “8”. Termites also have two different-sized wings, while the carpenter ant’s wings are all the same size, and finally, the antennas of a termite are much shorter.

Pavement ants are very common to see in Delano, Minnesota. Pavement ants have a few distinguishable features. First, they are smaller than carpenter ants. They also vary between brown and brownish-black and have clubbed antennas. When they are inside the home, they congregate around areas like kitchens, heated floors, insulated foundations, and under various home appliances. When their nests are outside, they are easy to spot. They have circular piles of sand and dirt surrounding the entrances to their nests.

 We conduct either interior or exterior treatments. In the warmer months, we focus on the exterior of the home. When we treat the exterior, we spray the foundation and objects or trees that are touching the house. The product works by not killing the ants as soon as they touch it. Instead, the worker ants stay alive long enough to bring the product back to the rest of their colony. Once back inside their nest, the product spreads and reaches the queen ant. In the colder months when the snow is on the ground, we service inside the home. We use a foam-like product that works the same way. We place the foam inside cracks and crevices that the ants are moving in and out of. Each treatment takes 30 days to kill the entire ant colony that is making its way inside. Every treatment also comes with a 1-year warranty.

Ant Identification

Paper wasps are one of the larger wasps in Minnesota. They vary between 0.75-1.0 inches in length. Their nests are flat and oval or circular in shape. Their nests are left open so the cells are visible. This is why most paper wasp nests are built underneath an overhang that keeps the nest dry. The hexagonal cells are where they store their eggs and larvae before they turn into adult workers. One paper wasp nest can have around 30-70 workers by the end of the summer.

Yellow jackets are one of the most aggressive wasps in Minnesota. They build their nests in a variety of different locations. They build them underground in old rodent tunnels, inside cracks in the foundation, vents, and trees. They can also build aerial nests. No matter where the nest is located, the wasps will be aggressive to anyone or anything that gets too close. Their aggressive behavior gets enhanced in the fall when their nests are at their full capacity. One yellow jacket nest can have between 1000-10,000 workers by the end of the summer.

We offer two different types of wasp services. One service is for exterminating any active wasp nests on the property. The other wasp service is preventative and designed to keep wasps from building nests outside the home. The preventative service uses a product that kills the wasp on contact. For services that involve exterminating a nest, we use a product that doesn’t kill the wasps on contact. The workers that leave the nest carry it back inside to the rest of the colony. Once inside the nest, it spreads to the queen.

Wasp Identification

Spiders can be found in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Spiders play an important role in Minnesota’s ecosystems. They kill insects that would become overpopulated without them. They feed on insects that damage plants and crops and spread diseases. There are two different ways spiders catch insects. There are web-building spiders and hunting spiders. The most common web-building spiders include the cellar spider, common house spider, and daddy-long-legs (aka harvestman spider). Hunting spiders don’t build webs; instead, they hunt for insects. The most common hunting spiders in Minnesota are the; wolf spider, sac spider, and jumping spider.

Our spider service can be done preventatively or for a full spider knockdown. Both services use a product that kills any spider on contact. Our preventative service is more effective in the spring before the spiders become fully active. Our knockdown service removes spiders around the exterior and interior. We start each service by knocking down the spider webs around the property. We then spray along the foundation, soffits, corners, windows, and doors. We don’t always need to spray inside the home. All the spiders that are inside made their way from outside. The product will stay active for 2 months. 

Read Our Blog: “We Love Living Near Woods and Water and so do Spiders!”

Boxelder bugs become a nuisance in the fall. They start swarming on the outside of buildings and homes to find places to overwinter. They find their way inside through cracks in the foundation, siding, soffits, windows, and weather stripping. As they make their way inside, they do not mate or lay eggs. Boxelder bugs only mate in the spring and summer. They live on female boxelder trees where they lay eggs on the leaves and branches. When eggs hatch, the young nymphs can’t fly and feed on the helicopter seeds the trees produce. 

Stink bugs are another fall nuisance pest. They fly towards homes and buildings searching for places to overwinter. They usually get inside through higher-up entry points. They enter through vents on the roof, chimneys, and air vents in the soffits. Once inside for the winter, they don’t mate or lay eggs. They start mating in the spring and early summer. They lay their eggs on different plants and crops. In the summer, they congregate near plants such as; sweet corn, tomatoes, grapes, and apples.

The best time to exterminate boxelder bugs and stink bugs is in the fall. As the temperatures start dropping, they will start searching for places to overwinter. To prevent any from getting inside, it’s more effective to have the treatment done before the swarms start appearing on the exterior of the home. As they appear on the home,  there is most likely a population that has made its way inside. When we treat, we spray along the foundation up to the soffits. Both insects are great flyers, making it possible to get through the smallest cracks and vents that are high off the ground. The product we use stays effective for 2 months. The product will kill the insects as they land on the home.

Read Our Blog: “Minnesota Fall Pests”

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To protect your home from insects join our Insect Protection Plan (IPP)

If you have questions, concerns, or want to schedule an appointment

Call Us Today! 952-404-BOGO (2646)

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