The city of Rochester definitely has four seasons, and with each one comes a whole host of annoying pests. So, which pests are the worst?
Here, we’ll show you:
- The various pests according to the seasons in Rochester
- How to identify each one
- The kinds of wildlife you’ll find in the area
- Typical flying insects and when to expect them
What Are the Worst Fall Pests in Rochester?
Flies
Flies of all species make their way indoors when the weather gets slightly cooler. Unfortunately, the summer months have brought with it a peak breeding season. Due to increased numbers, houseflies become even more annoying in the fall.
Wasps
The same goes for the paper wasp. It builds nests throughout the hot summer months, then splits off its colonies, producing even more queens.
That’s because it’s the queen that typically stays behind during the frigid winter months. After all, she has to keep her species going while the rest of her workers die off!
What Are the Worst Winter Pests in Rochester?
Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are a year-round problem since they live indoors with their human hosts. However, there is typically greater activity in the late fall and early winter when people come home to settle in after traveling abroad.
It appears these nasty insects are making their way into American hotels as well. With holiday travel seasons becoming more robust, there’s a greater risk of spreading bed bugs into every corner of the U.S.
Mice and Rats
Mice have been the primary urban pest for thousands of years. Humans will never completely eradicate them. So, unfortunately, they’re here to stay.
Mice are much smaller than rats, measuring about half their length. But that’s often where the differences end.
Young roof rats have the same color, size, and appearance as mice, in some instances. However, mice nest closer to the ground, whereas roof rats prefer to build their homes in warm attic spaces.
What Are the Worst Spring Pests in Rochester?
Termites
The Eastern subterranean termite lives underground in large colonies. They typically make their presence felt by flying around during the mating season. But don’t get these hungry pests confused with flying ants.
Termites have a square-shaped thorax, whereas most ant species have a very narrow, segmented thorax. While it’s true that both termites and ants have two sets of wings, the termite’s wings are of equal length, while the ant’s wings are shorter in the back than the front.
Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants are one of the larger ants in North America, measuring an average of about a 1/2 inch in length. The breeding season for carpenter ants is during the late spring and early summer months, distinguishing them from Eastern subterranean termites.
They feed primarily on sweet plant nectars and protein sources such as dead insects. Indoors, carpenter ants will settle for just about anything you’re willing to leave out for them, including:
- Table sugar
- Syrup
- Honey
- Meats
- Pet food
Although carpenter ants don’t consume cellulose material like termites, they can cause significant damage to wood structures by constructing vast galleries. They use these wood areas to build nests and provide ample spaces to grow satellite colonies as well.
What Are the Worst Summer Pests in Rochester?
Opossums
It’s unusual to find opossums during the day. That’s because they are primarily nocturnal. It doesn’t help that they are solitary, spending most of their time near their home, especially if there is a constant source of food and water nearby.
Unfortunately, the only time you may spot one during daylight hours is while they’re laying on the side of the road, dead. That’s because these slow-moving creatures feed on dead animals, and they often meet the same fate as their meal.
Since opossums have figured out how to coexist with humans, they often become pests, finding nesting areas under decks, porches, and raised patios. So, it’s best to seal these locations and let the animal move to a better home.
Mosquitoes
Warm summer rains wash over mosquito eggs, activating them to start the larval stage of their development. During a period of several weeks, a single mating pair can create thousands of offspring.
Mosquitoes feed primarily on plant nectars. However, the female requires at least one blood meal before laying her eggs, and she can get it from a human or animal host.
For that reason, mosquitoes are vectors for diseases such as Zika, West Nile, and equine viruses.