Looking at feet of snow and temperatures in the teens below zero, one is tempted to imagine that those pesky mosquitoes, cluster flies, deer ticks and carpenter ants are going to take a break this year.
Well, in your imagination that might work out, however come April we will be in for another season of sharing our environment with a host of newly awakened critters.
How do they do it? How does a cluster fly survive in a wall at well below freezing temperatures and how does that carpenter ant seemingly freeze solid only to come crawling out of that piece of firewood brought indoors? The answer is a complex assortment of chemistry and biological rhythms combined with metabolism.
Millions of years of adapting to their environment has allowed some species to make Northern Minnesota a very comfortable living scene.
Basically, if you take a look at how we preserve live cells in a frozen state, you will have a huge part of the answer… For example, frozen semen, for use in artificial insemination, is a process of protecting the cells to be preserved “cryogenically”.
This process involves dilution with a mixture of a number of ingredients including glycerol (anti freeze), egg yolk, saline, antibiotics and a number of other items. The purpose of which is to allow the cells to be lowered in temperature but not form deadly ice crystals below the freezing point of water.
What the carpenter ant, tick, flea, cluster fly and wasp, to name a few, have developed is their own version of that mixture, in combination with being able to lower their rate of metabolism to an unbelievably low level. It doesn’t matter if it gets way below zero, enough of them are going to survive to start their population going again.
Why is this important to know? It is important because we can predict when some of these insects are going to emerge and understanding why they survive allows us to plan ahead. This may be in the form of planning a fishing trip to avoid the black flies or in the case of pest management, allows us to plan an inspection or treatment for some pests at the right time.
Here are some suggestions for you as a homeowner or cabin owner
1. Be aware that deer ticks are going to begin emerging as soon as the snow melts off. Begin wearing preventive repellants in April if you are walking trails or in the woods. Consider using a service that offers tick preventive programs. Note that Northeastern Minnesota is now in the Moderate risk zone for Lyme disease.
2. Start looking for carpenter ants emerging for a spring snack. They will be ravenous for carbs and you might see some large black ants indoors around the kitchen or bath in the March to June time frame. If you see them, have it checked out by a professional.
3. Cluster flies will begin emerging in late March and April from their overwintering spots inside walls, attics or window casings. These flies can be prevented to a huge extent by treating the exterior of the home or cabin in late August to early September.
4. Wasps will start emerging in April and begin searching for places to build nests. If you want to prevent them from successfully building nests, May and June are great months for inspecting the soffits and eaves for developing nests. They can be simply swept away at this point.
5. Mosquitoes will begin hatching in May to early June. There are new technologies for controlling mosquitoes by using carbon dioxide feeders and North Shore Superior Pest can help you with them this year.
North Shore Superior Pest Management is a veteran, certified, locally based Cook County company that strives to provide effective, environmentally conscious materials with customized systems designed to preserve and protect our sensitive outdoors. Call us at 218-370-2323 if you have questions about our service or have an immediate need. We service cabins, homes, resorts, commercial property and vacation rental property for all the above listed pests and many more. Have a safe and fun spring and summer!
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