This is the time of year when more bugs come out as the seasons change and weather warms.
Aspen Chournos, the owner and operator of Peak Pest Control, says this is typically the time of year when they see an increase in service calls, and they say it won't calm down until August.
"We're getting calls, probably two or three times as many as we see in the cooler months," he said.
Chournos says it's really a double-edged sword, because they want to stop pest invasions from getting worse or even stop them from happening completely.
"One of the most important things about bugs in general is it all starts from a preventative standpoint. If you're seeing it, you're already kind of behind the eight ball."
During these months you may see all types of insects coming out into the light.
"We see a lot of ants, tons of different types, a lot of wasps, and tons of spiders, and there are a few places here in town that are getting the mice, so we kind of categorize them in with the bugs, and there are a lot of bugs associated with big trees, and we're going to be seeing a lot of those as well," he said.
Snakes are also a concern, but a minor one. They say the best mitigation against snakes is getting rid of their food source, which are rodents.
But they do mention that rodents are typically seen more in the winter because they're looking for refuge.
The climate is really the key factor in bugs emerging.
"Climate plays a big role," said Chournos. "There are actually optimal temperatures for bugs to operate. 70 to 90 degrees is when we're going to see the activity the highest, and Reno loves to hang out in the 70-to-90-degree range."
Hot spots pest control companies check on in buildings are primarily entry points.
They also mention that one generic pesticide will not get rid of all bug types.
"In terms of the actual pesticides, there are too many to name, but we have about 10 to 15 on each vehicle, and it's really going to be specific to each home," he said. "One house might be seeing ants, and we're going to use a product there. One might have spiders, and we'll use a product there. One might have mice, and we're going to use something completely different."
Pesticides can be expensive, but they can also be dangerous, so they recommend leaving the work to the experts.
But if you do want to try an at-home remedy, they recommend keeping your place as clean as possible.
"Everybody sees the ants inside, especially those that have kids, because they have the food all over the ground and the soda that's spilled, so if we keep those areas clean and keep the food put away, we see way fewer problems."
Chournos even explained to us how they would go about inspecting a commercial building.
"We're doing a lot more than just general pest control. We're going through all the plants they have, inspecting for aphids and things that are going to destroy the plant, and then we go to the building. We're looking for two things: entry points for mice and the garage door entries and the door moldings, making sure those are all sealed off. The final thing we do to keep the property clean is then the chemical treatment," he said.
He says if you want the most effective pest control, it all starts with preventative work, because if you're facing a problem too late, it can take months to remedy.
