Prospect Park’s Tight-Knit Community and Rich Culture

Seasonal Infestations of Various Species

Prospect Park attracts a range of pests from various species, but certain critters, crawlies, and flyers are more common during each season.

In spring, carpenter bees, termites, wasps, spiders, fleas, houseflies, and ants are most common. Some species, such as stink bugs, emerge from wall voids as the weather warms. Other species, like termites, swarm this time of year, leaving the nest, mating, shedding their wings, and forming new colonies. Some species, like spiders, become more active because their prey (i.e., houseflies) become more active.

In summer, mosquitoes, ticks, yellow jackets, bald-faced hornets, crickets, horseflies, cicadas, and Japanese beetles hog the spotlight. Mosquitoes are particularly active, roused by the increasing moisture and drawn to standing water (bird baths, clogged roof eaves, kiddie pools) where they reproduce. Yellow jackets become increasingly aggressive, crashing barbecues and deck-side dinners in a quest for hamburgers or hot dogs. Cicadas keep people up at night, gathering in large groups and singing in a chorus to attract mates.

In fall and winter, many pests move inside Prospect Park properties, seeking warmth as temperatures drop. Common infestations include mice and rats, boxelder bugs, cluster flies, Asian lady beetles, spotted lanternflies, cockroaches, pantry moths, and earwigs. Some pests, like earwigs and spotted lanternflies, are primarily outdoor pests, with activity levels that vary depending on the weather. Earwigs go dormant during cold weather, seeking out damp areas and settling down until spring. Spotted lanternflies are unlikely to survive freezing weather; their eggs, however, are much more resilient.