River Vale’s Quiet Grace and Natural Wonder

Eight-Legged Survivalists, Jumping Invaders, and Excavators

River Vale is an ideal place for pests, with welcoming weather and an inviting landscape. But creepy creatures aren’t always content to stay outdoors; they regularly invade properties too.

Spiders are a common pest that come in all shapes, sizes, and behaviors. Although some of these eight-legged webmasters are venomous, most are not. This isn’t to say they’re not scary; arachnophobia is a frequent fear, particularly when spiders are large, furry, or skilled jumpers. While not as gifted survivalists as cockroaches, they can live for weeks without food. Some can also regrow lost legs, but their new limbs may be malformed or small.

Clover mites show up in homes in coordinated efforts (with thousands of members), wintering in wall voids before emerging on windowsills and door frames. Like stink bugs, they emit an odor when crushed (or vacuumed up), and their fragile bodies can stain surfaces with an orange-red hue. 

Fleas enter properties by hitching rides on pets, jumping onto backpacks or clothing, or using people as their ticket to food and shelter. They don’t stay on their hosts for long, spending most of their time infesting carpets, drapes, and furniture. Although they don’t fly, they’re incredible jumpers; they can jump 100 to 200 times their body length. They do this because of resilin, a springlike substance that mimics the tension of a trampoline or rubber band.

Carpenter bees differ from the all-important honey bee; they’re not strong pollinators and not essential to the environment. Like termites, they’re damaging to wood but for a different reason; while termites eat cellulose (the main component in wood), carpenter bees excavate decks, fences, and other wood through perfectly carved circles that open up to nesting tunnels, often expanding them year after year. Repeated nesting can weaken River Vale porches, roof eaves, and railings.