What If Pests Had Favorite Fall Activities?

What If Pests Had Favorite Fall Activities?

For many people, fall is the best time of year for activities, foods, and holidays. And who can disagree? There are so many fun parts of fall that we look forward to all year, some more so than others. Pests are still a frustrating issue this time of year as well, especially when they start seeking shelter from the approaching cooler weather. But what if pests could have favorite fall activities just like us? This is the question we are exploring in the newest addition to our series based on a fictional world where pests can enjoy the activities and foods that we do, rather than being a frustrating presence in our lives. Let’s begin!

Apple Picking – Stink Bugs

what if apple scaled What If Pests Had Favorite Fall Activities?

Apple picking may be the most fun “simple” fall activity. The goal is simply to pick apples from their branches in a beautiful orchard, and you get to take your bounty home for a price. It’s hard to beat a fresh apple straight from the source, and it’s a fun way to spend time on a weekend. One pest that also likes to spend time in nature on a temperate day is the brown marmorated stink bug. These pests eat a variety of fruits and greenery, hence the reason why they are one of the main enemies of any gardener. Stink bugs enjoy apples specifically, but not in the way that we do. They drink the sap from the fruit and then move on, but the apple is now ruined thanks to the gross smell and taste leftover from the stink bug’s titular characteristic. But if stink bugs could go apple picking, they would definitely love it. They would go on a nice sunny day, since stink bugs love sunshine, and would search for the shiniest and juiciest apples. Stink bugs would fill up their baskets quickly, then try to gather all of the blemished apples for a discount. And you know that stink bugs would be all over the fresh apple cider offered by the owners.

Pumpkin Patch – Rats

what if pumpkin scaled What If Pests Had Favorite Fall Activities?

Rodents are an unfortunately common fall pest for the simple fact that our houses offer the best shelter possible during the changing seasons. Mice and rats seek out warm shelter for their ever-growing families, which need to nest in the darkest, coziest part of the shelter that they choose.  Rats in particular are expert scavengers that can sniff out the most obscure of food and nesting materials that they bring back in the middle of the night. But if rats could live like us, they would like the daytime activity of visiting the pumpkin patch with their huge family. They would spend time looking at each pumpkin, much to the chagrin of their impatient children, but ultimately decide on the “ugly” pumpkins. You know the ones; they’re either sitting forgotten on the end of each row or in a bargain bin near the entrance. Rats are not picky in any way, so they would have no problem taking the reject gourds home. Interestingly, rats would enjoy the petting zoo at the pumpkin patch as well, especially the goats. Maybe they find some common ground with an animal that also eats everything in its path?

Baking Treats – Ants

what if baking scaled What If Pests Had Favorite Fall Activities?

Fall is the beginning of a time when sweet treats and warm meals are a staple of every get-together. It’s fun to bake a new flavor of bread or pie, but it’s even more enjoyable to eat it afterwards! The food-loving ants would enjoy this time of year far more if they had unlimited access to the treats that we bake and enjoy. Although ants will bring back any crumb or small piece of food to their colony, they definitely have a preference for sweets. Sugars and protein give insects the energy to keep doing whatever it is they do during the day. Ants would love to bake treats year-round, but it would be even more special during this time of year. They would love the process of finding ingredients at the store and would search for new flavor combinations they could try in today’s bread recipe. Their specialities would be apple pie, pumpkin bread with cream cheese icing, and pecan pie with a special ingredient inside (figs, because why not?). All of their neighbors and family members would know that leaving the ant’s home without a fresh pie, bread, or muffin this time of year is unheard of, especially if the ant made a trip to the grocery store that morning.

Autumn Coffees – Fruit Flies

what if psl scaled What If Pests Had Favorite Fall Activities?

Fruit flies do not seem like they would be a fall pest, but they are still common in areas with produce or spoiled foods sitting out, as well as fermented juice or alcohol. Apple orchards and pumpkin patches with overripe fruit are targets for fruit flies, not just as a food source, but also as a place to lay their hundreds of eggs. That’s right: fruit fly eggs are laid on the surface of spoiled organic foods so that the larvae have a food source right when they hatch. Harvest season is perfect for fruit flies, but they would have a different kind of gathering if they could truly enjoy fall. Studies done on the sleeping methods of fruit flies showed that they actually respond to caffeine just like us! This is why they would love the variety of staple caffeinated beverages during this time of year. The spiced chai lattes, salted caramel mochas, and maple spice coffees would all be delectable to the fruit flies, but their favorite would be the classic pumpkin spice latte. They would not be able to resist the spicy syrup, kick of espresso, and fluffy whipped cream that makes up this “basic” fall staple. 

Football Games – Roaches

what if football scaled What If Pests Had Favorite Fall Activities?

Yes, we are back to our most frustrating pests in every season: cockroaches. They are still very much an issue in the fall, especially when it starts getting consistently cooler. Roaches are pretty similar to rodents in that they both reproduce quickly, scavenge for all kinds of “food,” and hide in the most secluded of spaces to avoid being seen by any kind of predator. Roaches don’t necessarily have a hive mind or collect food for a colony, but they do travel in groups to an extent. Where you find one roach, there is likely a whole hidden group in the area. If roaches could enjoy fall in a less invasive way, they would definitely enjoy the hype of football season. Roaches seem like the type of pest to be competitive with one another, so they would love watching their favorite teams battle it out on the green. They would be happy to either go to a live game or watch it in the comfort of their living room, but either way, they would love the tailgating process just as much as the actual game. All of the classic game day fare – fried appetizers, chips and dips, grilled meats – would be piled high on the paper plate carried by the excited roach, sporting their favorite player’s jersey the whole time.

Halloween Festivities – Butterflies

what if halloween scaled What If Pests Had Favorite Fall Activities?

Out of the two major U.S. autumn holidays, it is difficult to determine which one is most popular. Thanksgiving has the huge offering of food and football, but Halloween has costumes, fun parties, and more candy than you could imagine. Some people spend weeks planning and making their costumes, and some are happy enough to just sneak pieces from the candy bowl in between trick-or-treaters. One insect that also enjoys fun activities centered around sweets is the butterfly. This critter spends its time drinking flower nectar and flitting around any gardens they find, and are therefore excellent pollinators. Their proboscis allows them to drink from the tubular flowers that bees cannot. Because of their major sweet tooth and affinity for vibrant coloring, butterflies would be all over the Halloween festivities. They would plan out their costume about a year ahead, opting to DIY rather than purchase. They would throw their own Halloween party to invite all of their friends, and would spend the night complimenting each one on their costume. And, of course, the butterfly would be snacking on any fruity candy they can find, especially anything cherry- or strawberry-flavored to fit their favorite colors.

Haunted House – Spiders

what if haunted house scaled What If Pests Had Favorite Fall Activities?

Spiders are a common fall pest for a couple of reasons. One is that they have a huge buffet ahead of them with all of the small insects seeking shelter from the cold, so the spider can either set up shop with its web or go out hunting. The other reason is that spiders themselves get chilly, so they are also looking for a warmer place to live! It is common to see more spiders in corners of the room or garage at this point, and we recommend removing them before they decide that this is also a great place to reproduce. But one place that spiders will always feel at home is in a haunted house. Whether it is a professional one at the pumpkin patch, or your neighbor’s homemade one in their garage on Halloween night, spiders will drag their friends into any kind of haunted house they find. They would pay more attention to the decor than most guests would, favoring any tasteful uses of cobwebs and spooky decorations. The spider would not scare easily, no matter how many costumed characters pop out from unexpected places. The one surefire way to scare them would be for any random scorpion decorations to appear in a room, as they are no friend to the spider.

Look at Fall Leaves – Mosquitoes

what if leaves scaled What If Pests Had Favorite Fall Activities?

The fiery color palette of changing leaves is the hallmark of the fall season, and has already begun this year. There are a few different ways to enjoy this natural phenomenon: drive around tree-populated areas, go for a walk on a nature trail, or just spend time in your yard if you happen to have some changing trees. A common pest that is a fan of these colors in particular is the mosquito. One way that female mosquitoes seeking blood know where to find it is by using their specialized viewing. Mosquitoes can pick up infrared signatures, meaning that any being with warm blood is apparent to the insect and they can set their target. Even though only female mosquitoes consume blood, they would all love the beautiful colors of fall leaves. The mosquitoes would likely prefer to walk amidst the transitioning trees, as they like to be closer to get the full effect. Their annual family photo would be in front of these trees every fall, as it is their favorite photo location. And after the photos are over, the mosquitoes would allow their children to risk dirtying their good clothes by jumping into a giant pile of red leaves that they have been wanting to try since they arrived.

Sweater Shopping & Wearing – Bed Bugs

what if sweaters scaled What If Pests Had Favorite Fall Activities?

Bed bugs are another year-round pest that we wish was not a problem in even one season. They live solely off of warm blood, and can go weeks without it by hibernating in between feedings. The reason why they can live in the small parts of our mattresses without being squished by us every night is because they are positively thigmotactic, meaning they can compress all of their body parts to be almost completely flat. Since bed bugs obviously love being cozy, they would much rather have sweater weather than any other kind of climate. They would eagerly get all of their favorite sweaters out from the back of the closet, including that one they’ve had since college with the small hole in the right sleeve. Even though their collection would be quite impressive, the bed bug would love shopping for new ones every year. It wouldn’t matter if the sweater is considered to be trendy or not, as the most important factor to the bed bug would be complete comfort. 

Farmers Markets – Bees

what if farmers scaled What If Pests Had Favorite Fall Activities?

Farmers markets are definitely a summer staple, but they are just as popular in the fall season. All of the harvested produce and flowers are at their peak during this time, which is perfect for a local market. Gourds, apples, sweet potatoes, figs, mushrooms, sunflowers, and homemade baked goods are aplenty at the farmers market down the road. Bees know all about the value of foraging and making your own food items any time of year. The specialized foragers and workers contribute to the colony respectively by gathering nectar and manufacturing it into honey, stored in honeycombs. They would make a plan to visit the farmers market every weekend, and would prefer to be there soon after it opens in order to get the best selection. Bees would love chatting with all of the local sellers to learn more about their products and produce, and would always bee happy to support their local growers. Any kind of baked good, homemade soap, or bouquets of fresh flowers would greatly appeal to the bee, since it understands the time and energy investment into crafting something wonderful. 

Pest Control Services Can Make Fall the Best of All!

Whether you are currently dealing with a pest infestation or want to prevent one from happening, pest control services are here to help! There is no time to have an army of pests invade your home or business with all of these fun fall activities to enjoy. Our team of experienced technicians are all dedicated to delivering thorough pest control for every situation. We put client satisfaction at the top of our priority list, and solving each of your pest concerns is our favorite fall activity. Contact us to learn more about how you can enjoy your beautiful yard free of invasive pests!

Citations

Caplan, L. (2017, September 30). Extension notes: Fruit flies common in the autumn kitchen. Courier & Press. Available at https://www.courierpress.com/story/life/2017/10/01/extension-notes-fruit-flies-common-autumn-kitchen/710644001/ (Accessed on October 10, 2022).

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