What pests show up in the Central Valley each season

Ants in spring, spiders in late summer, rodents the second it cools off. A month-by-month look at what is coming and when to get ahead of it.

The Valley runs on a pretty predictable pest schedule. Hot dry summers, mild wet winters, and a lot of irrigation in between. Once you know the rhythm you can treat before the problem instead of after.

February and March: the first ant push

The rain stops, irrigation starts, and Argentine ants move out of landscaping toward the slab. This is the single best month to treat. A granule application on the beds plus a foundation barrier in early March prevents most of the kitchen calls we would otherwise take in June.

April and May: everything wakes up

Wasps start building. Spiders come out of the eaves. Earwigs and sowbugs show up under planters and around drip lines. Yellowjackets scout for nest sites, usually in wall voids and attic vents.

This is also swarm season for winged ants, which is why our spring inbox is full of ant-or-termite photos.

June through August: heat drives everything to moisture

When it hits a hundred and five, insects go where the water is. That means your irrigated beds, your patio, the shady north side of the house, and any door you leave open.

What we see most:

• Spiders webbing eaves and patio corners, heavily
• Ants pushing indoors toward pet bowls and dishwashers
• Roaches active around trash areas and outdoor drains
• Wasp nests reaching full size

De-webbing on every visit matters more in this stretch than any other. It is the difference between a clean exterior and one covered in webbing by Labor Day.

September and October: rodent season starts

The first cool nights send roof rats toward attics and garages. In older Clovis and Fresno neighborhoods with mature trees and tile roofs, this is the busiest exclusion window of the year.

Get sealing done now. Trapping a rat out of an attic in January costs more and takes longer than closing the gap in September.

November through January: quiet outside, busy inside

Exterior activity drops off. Interior calls rise. Rodents in the attic, spiders in garages, and the occasional roach problem that came home in a grocery box.

Winter is also when we do our best exclusion work, because the pressure is low and there is time to do it right.

The point of a calendar

Pest control that reacts is always more expensive than pest control that anticipates. Our recurring plans are built around this exact schedule, which is why your technician shows up with granules in March and a de-webbing pole in July.