Springfield: A Spirited, Patriotic Place

Ants in Your Pants . . . and Your Pantry

With its lush landscape, wooded expanses, and open space, New Jersey is a haven for happy creatures, and Springfield is full of springtails, fleas, termites, ticks, and more.

Flying ants are sometimes mistaken for a particular ant species, but they’re not; they’re the reproductive ants of colonies. They’re virgin queens and males that have wings for one reason: The nuptial flight (a synchronized mating event). The males die shortly after mating, while the queens, once fertilized, shed their wings and start new colonies. This process is often triggered by warm weather or humid rainstorms.

German cockroaches are among the most common kitchen infestations found here; one female can produce thousands of offspring in a year. Like proper Germans, they even have an appreciation for beer; they’re highly attracted to fermented sugars, yeast, grain-based compounds, and strong odors.

Hornets, like wasps, can sting repeatedly without losing their stinger. Unlike bees, they’re not important pollinators. In fact, hornets actively prey on bees and can decapitate their prey in mid-air. Mice are common infestation-makers with poor eyesight but exceptional hearing; they can hear ultrasonic sounds that humans can’t. They often take small bites of new foods to make sure those foods are safe. This means bait can take a while to work.

Springfield pests are present all year long, from summertime mosquitoes to winter-loving ladybugs. No matter the infestation irking you, we know just how to control the chaos!