Essex Fells Has a Quiet Essence and Tight-Knit Community

Foul-Smelling Crawlies, Leaping Lurkers, and Survivalists

Essex Fells is attractive to an array of pests. They enter homes and buildings through tattered window screens, open doors, gaps in the foundation, and vents. 

Odorous house ants are appropriately named; they release a rotting, coconut-like smell when crushed (because that’ll teach you to smush them!). Adaptable, they relocate their nests when feeling threatened, making them hard to treat on your own. They take their queens seriously, as many colonies have several that work together to strengthen their royal resources.

Stink bugs are also known for their smelly habits. They release musty stenches when crushed or threatened by perceived predators. These stinkers may also release odors when communicating with each other, and as a common household pest, particularly when the weather cools, and they seek warmth in attics, wall voids, crawlspaces, light fixtures, and chimneys. 

Springtails are catapulting creatures that frequently show up in damp environments in Essex Fells. They don’t sting or bite and, unlike termites and carpenter bees, don’t cause structural damage. Their sheer numbers overwhelm, however; while hundreds to thousands have been found indoors, outdoor infestations may inch into the millions. Their ability to congregate is, in part, due to their resilience: springtails are among the few species that live in Antarctica. 

Cockroaches are also notorious for their ability to survive, with a long-standing rumor claiming these creepy crawlers could live through a nuclear blast. While that’s likely a big stretch, they have flourished for hundreds of millions of years, even surviving the meteor in the Cretaceous Period that killed some dinosaurs immediately and triggered global collapse, eradicating the rest in the years that followed. The takeaway is simple: if they can survive an asteroid, they can survive your traps, too.