NEW JERSEY

Here are 7 spring pests to look for in NJ as temperatures warm up

5-minute read

Tamara Walker
Asbury Park Press

If April showers bring May flowers what does a warm February bring?

Recent records indicate that an early spring speeds up the sprouts but also advances the hibernation of those pesky uninvited guests.

According to the National Pest Management Association, an unseasonably mild winter means pest pressure could rise this spring. A milder-than-usual winter will result in more pests like ticks being active on warm days in the late winter and early spring.

“Mild winters and early springs allow for more pests to survive the winter to reproduce during an extended warm season – and larger pest populations increase the likelihood of people encountering pests in the places they live, work, and play,” said Jim Fredericks, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs for the National Pest Management Association.

Most pests thrive in warm weather because they are exposed to moisture from seasonal storms. This year’s not-so-winter season temperatures in New Jersey augmented the possibility of seeing more pests than in the past.

Hopefully not with a vengeance.

“Warmer winter allows more overwintering insects to survive. Agricultural pests will benefit from warmer winter,'" said Professor Dr. Changlu Wang, Department of Entomology at Rutgers University.

There are some pests whose activity is influenced by weather like ants, termites, and stinging insects such as mosquitoes, and flies, and some insects in homes like stink bugs.

"Since insects are cold-blooded, activity is reduced when it’s cold outside. Pests like termites and stinging insects can emerge earlier if temperatures allow them to emerge from their overwintering sites to become active around homes and businesses,” Fredericks said.

New Jersey residents are also at risk for infestations of other common household pests that are present indoors year-round like rodents, cockroaches, and bed bugs.

Here are some of the most common creepy crawly critters found in New Jersey.

1. Ants

The odorous house ants come out when the temperatures get warmer. Indoors, odorous house ants nest near moisture sources, in wall voids, near hot water pipers, in heaters, beneath leaky fixtures, and inside wood damaged by termites.

Odorous house ants are often identified not by how they look, but rather by how they smell. These ants give off an unpleasant rotten coconut-like smell when killed.

Odorous house ants do not pose a public health risk, but they can contaminate food and should be avoided. Ant season in New Jersey starts in the spring, May through October but they are influenced by weather patterns.

A mosquito feeds on a human. Some mosquitoes can spread illnesses, including West Nile virus.

2. Mosquitoes

Out of 3,000 types of mosquitoes, 170 are in North America. Mosquitos are nematoceran, members of the fly family, and are active from dusk to dawn. Common house mosquitoes are found in warm and wet environments and hunt by detecting body heat and the carbon dioxide that humans exhale. Only females suck human blood, while males feed on plant nectars.

Mosquito season begins in the spring when temperatures outside reach 50 degrees and it lasts throughout the summer and fall. They breed in any form of stagnant water, like ponds and kiddie pools.

Mosquitoes are known to transmit a number of diseases including malaria, yellow fever, dengue, encephalitis, Chikungunya, West Nile virus and Zika.

Cicada Killing Wasp

3. Wasps

Paper wasps get their common name from the paper-like material out of which they make their nests. Similar groups to paper wasps include yellowjackets and hornets. Paper wasps become active in spring.

In the springtime, they will emerge to build their umbrella-shaped nests. Paper wasps build their comb nests to hang from objects like twigs and branches of trees and shrubs, and around your home.

These wasps can be aggressive about protecting their nests and will sting if they are disturbed or their nest is threatened.

4. Spotted Lanternfly

The spotted lanternfly is an invasive species and comes from Asia. The Spotted lanternflies are a type of plant-hopper even though they have wings, they only fly short distances. They tend to walk or hop.

Spotted lanternflies lay their eggs in the fall and hatch in the spring. They lay their eggs on hard surfaces, such as homes, and trees laying an average of 30-50 eggs at a time. 

Spotted lanternflies do not bite or sting humans, but they are an agricultural threat to plants and trees. They are major destructive to their host plants by feeding on the plant’s sap, leading to stunted growth or even plant death. They also can affect the quality of life in the areas they invade because they congregate in large numbers.

5. Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs

The brown marmorated stink bug Pentatomidae, a family of insects, is native to China, Japan, Korea, and other Asian regions. They spend the winter hiding indoors inside the walls, attic, or crawl spaces of homes. The stink bug earned its name from its tendency to release an odor when disturbed or when crushed.

In the spring stink bugs emerge from their winter hiding and seeking ways outside. When the weather warms up early indoors overwintering stink bugs in your walls or other areas of your home might be misled and become active.

Stink bugs pose a particular threat to the agricultural industry as they destroy crops, and damage ornamental plants, fruit trees, and gardens. They do not cause structural damage or spread disease. But these bugs leave foul odors when they are killed.

Whether you’ve spotted just one or an entire colony, seeing termites means it’s time to call an expert.

6. Termites

There are 45 different species of termites found in the U.S., but the subterranean termite is the one New Jersey residents should know. These termites cause the most damage of any termite species. They eat wood 24 hours a day, all day.

Subterranean termites typically swarm in the spring across the United States. Termites can be active all year round, but some emerge in spring in order to mate and build new colonies.

Subterranean termites do not pose a public health risk but can cause extensive damage. The hard, saw-toothed jaws of termites work like shears and are able to bite off extremely small fragments of wood, one piece at a time. 

7. Deer ticks

The deer tick is a notorious biting arachnid, of the spider family, and is found primarily in parts of the United States like the mid-Atlantic, and extends into Mexico.  Blacklegged ticks prefer to hide in grass and shrubs while waiting for a passing host.

Mild weather in January and February means ticks will be active just like mosquitos on days when the temperature exceeds 50 degrees or more. In the spring, a female tick will drop off its host and will deposit about 3,000 eggs.

Ticks pose major health threats to humans and pets because of their ability to transmit major life-threatening diseases like Lyme disease.