Month-by-Month Activity
June — Peak Begins
- Mosquitoes: Population builds rapidly; evening outdoor activity becomes difficult without barrier treatment or repellent
- Wasps and yellow jackets: New nests established in spring are now large enough to become a stinging hazard; eave nests, ground nests, and void nests all active
- Ants: Outdoor foraging peaks; pavement ant and odorous house ant activity highest of the year
- Ticks: Full summer activity — all three Missouri tick species active
- Carpenter ants: Foraging workers visible at dusk; established colonies in peak activity
July — Peak Month
- Mosquitoes: Peak populations — West Nile virus transmission window is open; barrier programs most critical this month
- Wasps: Yellow jacket and bald-faced hornet nests at maximum size; most aggressive defense behavior
- Cockroaches: American and German cockroach activity peaks with heat and humidity; most indoor complaint month
- Fleas: Outdoor flea populations peak in July heat; pets and wildlife activity spreads to yards
- Spiders: Brown recluse foraging activity highest; greatest indoor encounter frequency
August — Late Summer Pressure
- Mosquitoes: Still at or near peak; late-season populations can be highest after mid-summer rain events
- Stinging insects: Yellow jacket colonies largest and most defensive; late-season wasp aggression peaks as colonies sense seasonal end
- Box elder bugs: Begin appearing on south-facing walls as populations build toward fall aggregation
- Stink bugs: Adults begin seeking overwintering sites on warm exterior walls; early harbinger of fall invasion pressure
- Crickets: Field cricket populations peak; begin moving toward structures as August temperatures fluctuate
D&D Pest Control offers summer pest programs for Franklin County and rural Missouri — visit ddpestcontrolmo.com.