5 Active Snow Pests

5 Active Snow Pests

There are plenty of pests that are known to invade homes when the temperature turns frigid. That’s why pest control companies, including Pointe, provide services year-round and treat for invasive pests inside and out. If so many critters are trying to get inside our cozy homes for the winter, are there any pests that are still active outside on a snowy day? The short answer is “yes,” but it comes with the caveat of the pests having certain functions and abilities to help them survive the snowy weather. Let’s look at five types of pests that make the most of a day when sitting by the open fire is more appealing than stepping foot outside. 

Midges

These insects breed in fresh water, like mosquitos do, so they are much more common in neighborhoods with a pond or other water source. The only life stage that midges do not need to be in the water is the adult stage, where they swarm in a desperate attempt to find a mate before their short life of three to ten days comes to an end. They will invade in a large group, then breed in the water and lay their eggs close to the surface. Adult midges do not eat, hence the life span that is shorter than a school’s winter break, so their sole purpose is to mate and lay eggs immediately. Midge eggs can survive in the small amount of water just below the freezing layer, which explains why their population numbers are so abundant from the start of the spring. 

Midge larvae stay in that phase for anywhere from 2 to 7 weeks, and spend that time feeding near the shoreline to gain energy for the rest of their life stages. The larvae eat algae and decaying organic matter, but the real benefit is that fish and aquatic insects can gain nutrients from eating these young midges. During the winter, midges use diapause to stay warm and conserve their energy. This is when they rest in a sheltered location, like under the freezing layer of water, until the snow thaws enough for them to emerge and mate or eat. Midges are harmless to humans and are just annoying little insects, but they take a turn for the worse if they happen to breed near your home. These pests are attracted to light, so they will enter a well-lit home through any gaps they can find. Make sure there are no large gaps in the house, especially around windows and doors, that midges could get through in the winter. Just because they can survive the snow does not mean midges wouldn’t enjoy your warm home as well!

Winter Crane Flies

That’s right: just like some of our favorite chocolates and candies, crane flies have a winter version that comes around every year. Winter crane flies are related to mosquitos and look extremely similar to them, but they do not share the same pitfalls and annoyances of their bloodthirsty cousins. Crane flies in general live to scavenge and mate in their short adult lives, which last less than a week. Their simple eyes allow them to scout out their environments for any potential dangers or egg-laying sites. Male winter crane flies do a bobbing dance-motion in  their swarms throughout the air, and only stop when they find a mate and can leave the group. If you see a cloud of crane flies flying through the winter air, they are preparing to mate and lay more eggs to last throughout the winter.

Winter crane flies are one of the hallmark pests of snowy days because of one special feature. They can lay eggs in the snow, and the casings of the eggs are strong enough to survive the frigid conditions. Similar to midges, the crane fly larvae is the life stage that eats and gains energy for the remainder of their lives. They primarily eat rotten organic matter or animal waste, neither of which sound like appealing meal choices on even the frostiest of days. The larvae can eat whatever organic matter their eggs were laid and hatched in, so they don’t need the temperature to rise too much in order to be active. Adult winter crane flies, however, are most active on mild days or the times when the snow is starting to thaw. They can technically survive being in the snow, but cold-blooded insects ironically need some warmth to remain at their highest possible energy levels. 

Snow Fleas

Despite their name, snow fleas do not have the same blood-centered diet as regular fleas. They are tiny insects that only stand out because of their dark coloring against the stark-white snow. Commonly referred to as springtails, snow fleas are harmless to humans and thrive more when they are outdoors rather than inside. They live in the soil and can hide from the cold in the packed dirt. When the temperature rises even slightly and begins to thaw the frozen ground, snow fleas can emerge to explore and find new food sources. The females lay their eggs in the soil amidst leaf litter, and the nymphs typically hatch in the spring when the climate is consistently warm to provide them with the energy needed to forage and eat.

Adult snow fleas live through the winter by hiding in the soil underneath the snow, and primarily eat leaf litter that also resides in the soil. Since their nymphs enjoy decaying organic matter, the eggs can also be laid in animal carcasses so that the young have a (gross) food source upon hatching. The soil benefits from having snow fleas since the decayed matter is broken up within the dirt, but these are still not the insects you want to have in your backyard garden. If there are gaps in the house, snow fleas will make their way inside after being attracted to the heat that the interior offers. They will likely attempt to find any soil they can once indoors, such as with houseplants or succulents, but snow fleas do not last long inside. The warm and dry conditions are not the cool and moist environment they need, so a snow flea invasion is a short-lived annoyance that is entirely common.

Wood-Boring Insects

The main reason why wood-boring insects can survive the snow is all in the name. Once they are deep inside a piece of wood, these pests are essentially impervious to any outside conditions. Most species lay their eggs deep inside the wood, providing them with a sturdy shelter for the winter. Even once the eggs hatch, the larvae can overwinter in the same spots and munch on the wood while they wait to emerge in the spring. Many types of wood-boring insects need the wood to be completely natural and preferably have some kind of damage already done. Moisture damage is the most common, but decaying wood works just as well for these pests.

There are two main ways that wood-boring pests can be a problem inside the home, especially when there is snow on the ground outside. One is if there is a stack of firewood outside with pieces being brought inside to warm up the home. Some pests, like bark beetles and weevils, are known for invading firewood that is not properly covered and protected. If the wood is not elevated above the rich soil, termites can easily invade the wood and grow their colony inside the collection. The other common invasion method is if the house has a crawl space or basement that is not completely protected, especially if the area is damp or has dirt within it. Carpenter ants and termites are potentially the most common eusocial wood-borers, and their numbers will only multiply if they can get inside a hidden space leading in from the ground outside. If you believe you have a wood-boring pest issue, knock on the wood that seems affected. Any wood with these pests inside will sound hollow, and you can assess where the damage has already been done.

Spiders

Spiders are not just a creepy pest that can thrive in both urban and rural settings; they can also be seen skittering across a snow bank on a relatively temperate day. Although spiders prefer to be warm and dry, certain species are capable of roaming throughout the snow as they look for food. They do move more slowly on the snow, however, so it is not common to see a spider running across the yard on a particularly snowy day. Spiders search for shelter with a bit of warmth near the snow, where they will stay until they need to eat. When the temperature heats up, hunting spiders will seek out their prey that unknowingly emerged from the snow to meet their doom. Wolf spiders are one of these hunters, and they can be found stalking through the snow to capture springtails and other wintry pests. Even web-dwelling spiders can live in the snow, as they simply construct their webs to be in the sunlight as much as possible.

Since spiders are cold-blooded as well, it seems strange that they are able to survive such frosty conditions. Many species stay as eggs throughout the winter, so the females need to keep them in a spot that will not freeze and therefore kill the eggs. One way they are able to do this is through diapause, like midges. This is especially useful to the hunting spiders. They can rest in their shelter, like under some wood or in a small hole, to stay warm and keep their energy up. Once they are rested, they can embark on their next hunt for sustenance. Another method spiders use to survive is by producing glycerol. This natural component is essentially anti-freeze for animals, as some species are capable of creating it in the winter. Glycerol lowers the minimum body temperature of the spider that ensures survival, which means the spider can live through some pretty low temperatures if they have enough. The catch is that glycerol needs to be built up over time, so the spider cannot expect to easily survive the snow if it is not prepared.

There’s “Snow” Pest Control Like Pointe!

These snow-tolerant pests are often the most active at this time because there are far fewer predators for them to look out for than in the warmer seasons. This is great for them, but unfortunate for the homeowners whose houses are now the temporary winter housing for the larger posts that found a way in. Insects, arachnids, and rodents all enjoy the shelter that our homes bring, which is why the technicians at Pointe begin every service with an inspection to ensure that each pest issue receives the proper treatments. We only use EPA-approved products that we stand by as being both effective against pests and safe for the humans and pets living in the home. If you are looking for reliable pest control in even the chilliest of winters, contact our team to schedule an appointment!

Citations

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Not a mosquito, thank you! The winter crane fly. (2021, December 26). Bug News. Retrieved January 13, 2023, from https://bug.news/blog/flies/winter-crane-fly/ 

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Where do mosquitoes, midges, & black flies go in winter?. (n.d.). Mosquito Magnet. Retrieved January 13, 2023, from https://www.mosquitomagnet.com/articles/where-do-mosquitoes-midges-black-flies-go-in-winter 

Winter crane fly (family Trichoceridae). (2015, December 1). UW Milwaukee College of Letters & Science. Retrieved January 13, 2023, from https://uwm.edu/field-station/winter-crane-fly/