What If Pests Went On a Roadtrip?

What If Pests Went On a Roadtrip?

Summer is the season of fun vacations and long weekends spent away from home. Between the warm weather and the extended break from school, this time of year naturally encourages us to go on little adventures to break up the long work weeks. And what better way to enjoy the summertime freedom than to go on a roadtrip with your friends or family? With the right combination of passengers and the proper preparation, the roadtrip journey can be just as fun as the destination. We see plenty of insects splattered on the windshield every time we venture onto the freeway, but what if these critters could actually get inside the car and enjoy a roadtrip of their own? This is the exact question we are answering in today’s blog, where we venture back into the imaginary world where pests can enjoy our activities in their own unique ways.

Game Fanatic – Ants

If you went on a lot of roadtrips as a child, you may remember some of the classic games that made being in the backseat with your siblings or friends even more fun. These games usually revolved around paying more attention to your surroundings than you normally would while on the highway in the middle of nowhere. One pest that also likes to always have something to do is any species of ant. Ants are foraging insects that are on a constant search for food that will sustain their massive colonies and vital queens. The workers are responsible for everything except reproducing, as they have crucial duties such as gathering food, guarding the nest, caring for the young, and tending to the queen. Ants are so hardworking that they would not be able to put their productivity aside for the sake of a road trip. Their version of relaxing would still involve playing games with clearly-defined rules. The ant’s favorites would be the license plate game (finding one for each state), the car color game (counting the cars of a specific color), and I-spy (picking an object and having others guess it). Ants would be antsy (wink wink) to get to their destination, so these verbal car games would be their favorite way to pass the time with their fellow passengers, who would also likely be ants from the same colony.

Sightseer – Bees

In a car full of people, it seems that there is always one who is insistent that the car makes a stop at every attraction and local point of interest. The success rate of their requests heavily depends on the moods of the other passengers, as well as how soon they need to be at their destination. When we bring pests into the picture, there is no one that better understands the old saying “stop and smell the roses” better than bees. These eusocial insects spend their time gathering nectar and pollen as food for their colonies and — in the case of honeybees — as ingredients for honey. They can be seen slowly visiting each flower and enjoying the gardens, especially on a warm spring or summer day. No matter where the car is headed, bees would definitely want to stop at every single attraction along the way. They would try everything they could to convince the driver that it would be much more fun to stop at the roadside metal art display or the World’s Largest (fill in the blank) than to keep driving. The bees would win once in a while, and they would take full advantage of winning by snapping a million pictures of the roadside attraction that caught their attention miles in advance. 

Playlist Passenger – Crickets

Crickets are certainly the most musical pest, but only under certain circumstances. The male crickets chirp to establish their presence for potential mates, as the females will physically respond to the call that appeals to them the most. They also chirp to ward off predators, but this can backfire when certain enemies (like cats) follow those chirps to the cricket’s location! The volume and speed of the chirps depend on the cricket’s size, health, age, and purpose for the chirp. Given the chance, crickets would also have variance in their music tastes, especially on a roadtrip. They would be the passenger in charge of the music because they would immediately let everyone know that they have the best music for this trip. Crickets would spend hours beforehand carefully crafting the perfect playlist that they are confident will appease everyone’s taste. The playlist may be about six hours longer than the actual roadtrip, but the cricket would simply say that it’s good to have options. And, somehow, this playlist would indeed be the perfect mixtape of songs that fit everyone’s musical preferences, leading the group to sing along to every song as they make their way to their destination.

Sleepy Traveller – Praying Mantids

Praying mantises, or mantids, often look like they are sleeping whenever we see them. They stay in their famous “prayer” position while they wait for their prey to meander by, which is usually some kind of insect. Then, the mantis will strike with its sharp forelegs, impaling the prey and rendering it defenseless against the hungry mantis. But the calm pose they utilize before viciously striking leads us to believe that praying mantises would always find a way to sleep on road trips. The travel time could be 30 minutes or 5 hours; either way, the mantis will settle in for a nice nap as soon as the driver puts the car in gear. They don’t care about anything they pass along the way, so while the aforementioned bee excitedly wants to stop and  see the sights, the mantis will contently sleep in the backseat. Praying mantids would also be quite the heavy sleepers on these trips, and would not be disturbed by any music or conversations happening in the car. Whether the other passengers are blasting pop hits or excitedly talking about which chain restaurant they want to eat at for dinner, the mantis will sleep deeply for the rest of the roadtrip. 

Snackster – Rodents

What is a quality roadtrip without snacks? There’s nothing like watching the endless wheat fields and fruit orchards fly by as you munch on your favorite snack that you bought at the previous gas station. Food definitely makes a roadtrip far more enjoyable than it would be otherwise, especially when that packaged snack doesn’t have the best nutritional value. One pest group that has quite the appetite for anything is rodents. Rats and mice are nocturnal scavengers that constantly search for their next meal that typically comes from a garbage can or a pantry. They will eat all kinds of things, but especially favor foods with proteins and grains. On a long roadtrip, rodents would stock up on all kinds of goodies at the first gas station stop. While their fellow passengers would stick with a couple snacks, rodents would look like they bought the whole convenience store by the time they make their way back to the car. Their arms would be full with bags of salty chips, crunchy cookies, candy bars, sunflower seeds, and beef jerky. They would even have the power to carry a slushy in one hand and a soda in the other, much to the disbelief of their passengers. Just as real rodents share their food with the multiple young rodents in their nest, these rodents would happily share all of their pre-packaged findings with everyone for the rest of the trip. 

Speed Runner – Termites

Termites are not a dangerous pest in terms of spreading diseases or ruining our food, but they are much worse in other ways. Since the workers never stop chewing tunnels in wood for the rest of their lives, they can cause some extensive damage to any home or building they invade. In fact, termites cause billions of dollars in damages every year just from invading structures and munching away! Just as they never stop working to rest for a while, termites would refuse to stop the car when they are in the driver’s seat. They would be the stereotypical driver that never stops for anything short of needing gas or for an emergency. Termites would care far more about the destination than about the journey, and they would want the roadtrip to be over as soon as possible. Their passengers might ask to stop at the next fast food restaurant or to pull over so they can see the strange roadside attraction, but the termites would insist that they will have much more fun at their destination than at anything along the way. To their credit, termites would get there in half the time that an average car would take, so the group would definitely have plenty of time for all of the fun and adventure they have been dreaming of for the past few months. 

You Don’t Have to Travel to Find Great Pest Control Services

There are plenty of experiences and attractions unique to specific places, but one event that is not a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is reliable pest control. Pointe Pest Control has been providing efficient pest solutions for years, and our team is dedicated to solving pest issues with the utmost care. Our products are all EPA-approved, meaning they are completely safe for people and pets while still being effective at eliminating pests. We provide long-term solutions, not temporary fixes. Our experienced technicians treat for dozens of pests, and we guarantee 100% satisfaction with our services every time. Contact us for more information on our thorough treatments and how Pointe will stop pests from ruining your roadtrips and harming your home this summer!