Although Phoenix typically stays warm year-round, several household pests show themselves more during certain seasons. For that reason, it’s a good idea to know what they are ahead of time.
Here, we’ll show you:
- The most common pests in Phoenix according to each season
- How to identify each one
- The effects weather has on infestation levels
- The signs to look for when determining if you have a problem
Which Summer Pests Are the Worst in Phoenix?
Scorpions
One of the biggest reasons pest control companies do so well in Phoenix is the existence of the Arizona bark scorpion. Its sting is excruciating, while its venom causes anaphylactic shock in some people.
Generally nocturnal, scorpions hunt primarily at night. Here’s a list of what they eat:
- Beetles
- Spiders
- Crickets
- Cockroaches
- Other scorpions
Scorpions can withstand the searing summer heat in the Sonoran Desert due to a waxy layer covering their exoskeleton. This extra armor of protection ensures the arachnid stays hydrated, even in the driest conditions.
Locations along the Gila River make ideal breeding areas for the bark scorpion. However, so does your home, especially if you have a pool. That’s because most arachnids are drawn to warm, moist areas.
While it’s typically not easy to control scorpion populations, it can be done. You first have to keep a heavy pesticide barrier around your home every month. Then, it’s vital to carefully inspect indoors using glue traps and other monitoring devices regularly.
Ants
Pharaoh ants and other indoor species create mayhem within indoor locations, especially when sweet foods are abundant.
Argentine ants and pavement ants also take hold in the summer, splitting their colonies and creating even larger numbers that are, at times, difficult to control.
But worst of all is the red imported fire ant. Their mounds are unmistakable as they take over an open field.
Female fire ants are capable of stinging multiple times, leaving large welts on the skin, causing pain, swelling, and even unconsciousness in allergic people.
Which Fall Pests Are the Worst in Phoenix?
Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are tiny, reddish-brown insects that are parasitic, meaning they feed on human blood. They are mostly active at night while you are sleeping.
These nasty little creatures are making a comeback in the U.S. due to an increase in international travel. Since Sky Harbor Airport is one of the busiest globally, hotels and resorts in the region are at great risk for this prolific pest.
That’s because they are carried from one infested location to another in travel bags and luggage. Unlike what scientists once thought, socioeconomics is a poor determiner of who becomes a victim of this biting insect.
Wasps
Due to warm weather conditions in Phoenix, stinging insects are nearly year-round pests here. However, the fall seems to be the worst season for wasps since they’ve had all summer to build their nests and grow their colonies.
Hornets and yellowjackets tend to be the more aggressive types. They will staunchly defend their nests if you get too close, and they tend to sting repeatedly, just to let you know who’s in charge of their territories.
Which Winter Pests Are the Worst in Phoenix?
Mice
The ordinary house mouse is four to five inches in length. They have grayish-brown fur and boast large ears and tiny black eyes. Additionally, you can tell them apart from juvenile desert pack rats by their long tails.
One female mouse can produce a litter of up to 12 pups, and they can have around 10 litters per year, on average.
Mice are everywhere in the region, as evidenced by the wide variety of snakes and birds in the area that prey on them.
The best way to control mice is by limiting food sources and employing mechanical exclusion measures such as sealing pipe entry points with steel wool or expansion foam.
Which Spring Pests Are the Worst in Phoenix?
Rattlesnakes
According to a recent study, several hundred rattlesnakes are removed from residences each year in Phoenix. Surprisingly the majority are in the Northern part of the city, and it’s possibly due to an increase in urbanization in that area.
The one that’s the most dangerous and the likeliest you’ll encounter in the spring is the diamondback rattlesnake. That’s because early March is when the peak mating season arrives for this widespread reptile.
