A month-by-month pest calendar for Salt Lake homes

January to March

Mice and rats that got in during fall are settled in walls, attics and garages. Voles are tunneling under the snow, and their runways appear as it melts. Elm seed bugs start emerging in March.

• Check garages and attics for droppings
• Look at the base of young trees for vole damage at the melt
• Plan exclusion work while pests are quiet outside

The calendar comes from local sources. Voles tunnel under snow cover all winter and their runways show at the melt, according to USU Extension. Hobo spiders are found in Utah homes most often from August through October, boxelder bugs gather on sun-heated south walls in August and September, and Salt Lake City's average first freeze falls around October 20. Elm seed bugs invade homes from late May through late September, peaking in mid-summer.

April and May

Clover mites climb sunny walls, ant trails reach kitchens, and termite swarmers can appear indoors. Pocket gophers are raising young, so new mounds appear in lawns. Paper wasp queens start new nests under eaves.

June to August

Elm seed bugs pour onto hot walls and into homes, peaking in mid-summer. Wasp and yellowjacket nests grow all season. Mosquito and West Nile season builds, and ticks on foothill edges are active into mid-July.

• Dump standing water weekly
• Knock down small nests early, and call about nests by doors
• Check pets and kids after foothill walks

September and October

Boxelder bugs gather on south walls, hobo spiders wander inside, and mice start testing garage doors. The average first freeze around October 20 is the deadline for sealing gaps.

November and December

Rodent calls peak as mice move into walls and garages. Cabins and sheds that will sit closed for winter should be sealed and cleared of food.

Sources

• extension.usu.edu
• extension.usu.edu
• extension.usu.edu
• axios.com
• extension.usu.edu
• extension.usu.edu
• extension.usu.edu
• extension.usu.edu